Joni Mitchell: The Reprise Albums, 1968–1971

This elevated body of work helped define the singer-songwriter era. Canadian folky Joni Mitchell moved to the States in 1965 and soon emerged as a female hero, sporting a fearless heart, a probing mind, and a road-worn Martin D-28. These (mostly) solo-acoustic albums—her 1968 debut Song to a Seagull, 1969’s Clouds, 1970’s Ladies of the Canyon, and 1971’s celebrated Blue—birthed many of her best-known songs. Part romantic and part cynic, she wrote poignantly of bleak winters on the Saskatoon prairie, womanhood, famous lovers, her estranged daughter, and Laurel Canyon. Her poetic musings—ranging from the wistful “Urge for Going” and the introspective “Both Sides Now” to the sunny social commentary of “Morning Morgantown” and the disillusionment of “River”—were delivered in a pure voice. She could cut to the bone and was unwavering in her feminism, but she also waxed topical, as on the seminal environmental hit “Big Yellow Taxi” and the austere generational anthem “Woodstock.” These remastered editions (also available on CD and digitally) mark the 50th anniversary of the enduring Blue. For completists, a five-CD archival box set of this material—plus demos, outtakes, and concert recordings—is set for a fall release.