Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell: “Archives – Volume 2. The Reprise Years (1968-1971)” (5cd Rhino Entertainment Company/Warner Music Group Company, 2021)

Last November 12th saw the release of the second volume in the "Archives" series, a project aimed at documenting the artistic evolution of Joni Mitchell through the release of recordings, mostly previously unreleased, made at home, in the studio and live.

Unlike the first, wonderful box set released last year, which focused on the Canadian artist's formative years, this second volume celebrates the four-year span 1968-1971. "Archives – Volume 2. The Reprise Years (1968-1971)" features five CDs containing roughly six hours of previously unreleased recordings, many of which served as the blueprint for major albums such as "Song To A Seagull" (1968), Joni's solo debut, "Clouds" (1969), "Ladies Of The Canyon" (1970) and the timeless "Blue" (1971).

As with the previous edition, this box set also includes a 36-page book containing previously unseen photos, reproductions of concert tickets, setlists, manuscripts, a highly detailed index of contents and, above all, a long and invaluable interview with Mitchell conducted by Oscar-winning Cameron Crowe, director, screenwriter, producer, music critic and former contributor to publications such as Creem and Rolling Stone.

Joni recalls how the Shirelles' "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" helped shape her idea of romantic love, her first stay in Manhattan and the memory of the enormous salads eaten at Max's Kansas City, the disappointment caused by the many rejections from film productions that turned down the use of her songs ("Midnight Cowboy", whose demo is included in this box set, written for John Schlesinger's film of the same name; "Sweet Bird Of Youth", a song about the complexity of relationships, offered to Warren Beatty for "Shampoo", which he rejected on the grounds that it was "a good song for the wrong movie" and which will most likely appear on the third volume of the series), the demos recorded in the Chelsea apartment she shared with Jane Lurie, her friend and road manager, and the pivotal meeting with Elliott Roberts, the recently deceased manager of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and of Mitchell herself. It was Roberts who said he had always believed CSN&Y would achieve great success, but that only Joni could lead a movement.

The interview-narrative continues with an account of her relationship with David Crosby, with whom Mitchell was romantically involved. Crosby believed so deeply in Joni's talent that he managed to get her signed to Reprise Records, handing her the keys to the star system. It was during this period that she moved to Los Angeles, settling in Laurel Canyon and becoming a touchstone for an entire generation of artists. On March 19, 1969, at the Capitol Theatre in Ottawa, Jimi Hendrix wrapped up one of his blistering shows with the Experience and rushed over to Club Le Hibou, on the other side of town, to catch Mitchell's performance. "My name is Jimi Hendrix, I'm signed to your same label too. I'd love to record your show: would you mind?" Joni agreed, and the whole event was documented in full, but the following day the tapes were stolen from the Seattle guitarist's car. Fortunately they resurfaced, under mysterious circumstances, during the making of this box set. The concert is preserved in all its glory on the second disc. Apparently Hendrix's favorite track was "The Dawntreader," because the lyrics mention a colony of mermaids. Mitchell recalls how sweet and sensitive Jimi was, and how he suffered from audiences expecting sexual innuendo from him during live shows when, in reality, "he wanted to be like Miles (Davis)."

On February 1, 1969, a few months before the release of her second studio album, "Clouds," Joni made her debut at Carnegie Hall in New York. The third and fourth discs present the complete performance. It's said that Bob Dylan was also in the audience that night. Asked whether she felt nervous at the thought of performing in front of the influential songwriter and a sizeable contingent of the music business, Mitchell wisely replies: "You're always being judged by someone."

Joni was involved in the line-up for the Woodstock festival. She chose not to take part, however, because just a few hours later she was due to appear on the prestigious Dick Cavett Show, and preferred not to risk getting stuck in traffic travelling from Bethel (the festival's location) to Manhattan. In her suite at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City, she found the inspiration to write the iconic "Woodstock," watching live television coverage of what was unfolding less than a hundred kilometres away. The fourth disc features both the recordings of her performance on the Dick Cavett Show and the first demo of "Woodstock."

The fourth disc closes with a demo and a short live performance that set the stage for the real treasure of this edition, found on the fifth disc: the sessions and moments, both in the studio and live at the Paris Theatre in London for the BBC, that paved the way for the release of "Blue," a genuine milestone of late-20th-century popular music. Incidentally, nine of the twenty-three tracks performed at the Paris Theatre were played together with James Taylor, who joined her onstage during the second half of the concert.

Joni spent the lockdown period brought on by the pandemic meticulously curating the "Archives" project and, through music and words, reveals aspects of herself and her artistic journey that are well worth listening to and reading. "Truth and beauty. That's what I hope to deliver" is her closing remark in the interview featured in the book.

Available on Amazon for €57.79, "Archives – Volume 2. The Reprise Years (1968-1971)" is a recommended purchase for anyone wishing to dig deeper into the creative process behind the precious body of work of a unique and inimitable artist, one who forged a new and uncompromising musical language, never once settling for compromise.

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03/05/2026