The Joni-ssance is coming, and right on cue, Joni Mitchell will soon share another collection in her ongoing archival box set series. Up next is The Asylum Albums (1972-1975), out on September 23rd via Rhino/Elektra. The 5xLP set includes remastered versions of 1972’s For the Roses, 1974’s Court and Spark, the 1974 live double-album Miles of Aisles, and 1975’s The Hissing of Summer Lawns. As a preview, you can hear the remastered version of Mitchell’s already-perfect For the Roses highlight “You Turn Me On I’m a Radio” today.
The Asylum Albums is the third in Mitchell’s archival series, following 2020’s The Early Years (1963-1967) and last year’s The Reprise Albums (1968-1971). This go around, iconic the singer-songwriter tapped Bernie Grundman to handle the remastering, enhancing many of her career highlights like “In France They Kiss on Main Street,” “Banquet,” and “Help Me.” It also marks a perfect opportunity to revisit Mitchell’s progression as she began to infuse more jazz elements into her beloved folk sound. Pre-orders for physical copies of The Asylum Albums are ongoing.
On this new version of “You Turn Me On I’m a Radio,” the added clarity makes her fluttering vocals and each guitar strum feel all the more lively. Listen to it below, and then keep scrolling to see the artwork and full tracklist for The Asylum Albums (1972-1975).
Over the weekend, Mitchell made a surprise performance alongside Brandi Carlile at Newport Folk Festival, marking her first live set since suffering a near-fatal brain aneurysm in 2015. She sang fan-favorites like “A Case of You” and “Both Sides Now” while, very appropriately, sitting on a throne. Mitchell then chatted about the comeback on CBS This Morning, saying that although she’s “never been nervous” about a show, she was still very focused on sounding good: “I wasn’t sure that it would be [good], but it didn’t sound too bad tonight!” She added that she re-learned guitar by “looking at videos on the ‘net.”
The Asylum Albums (1972–1975) Artwork:
The Asylum Albums (1972–1975) Tracklist:
For the Roses (1972)
01. Banquet
02. Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire
03. Barangrill
04. Lesson in Survival
05. Let the Wind Carry Me
06. For the Roses
07. See You Sometime
08. Electricity
09. You Turn Me On I’m a Radio
10. Blonde in the Bleachers
11. Woman of Heart and Mind
12. Judgement of the Moon and Stars (Ludwig’s Tune)
Court and Spark (1974)
01. Court and Spark
02. Help Me
03. Free Man in Paris
04. People’s Parties
05. Same Situation
06. Car on a Hill
07. Down to You
08. Just Like This Train
09. Raised on Robbery
10. Trouble Child
11. Twisted
Miles of Aisles (1974)
01. You Turn Me On I’m a Radio (Live)
02. Big Yellow Taxi (Live)
03. Rainy Night House (Live)
04. Woodstock (Live)
05. Cactus Tree (Live)
06. Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire (Live)
07. Woman of Heart and Mind (Live)
08. A Case of You (Live)
09. Blue (Live)
10. Circle Game (Live)
11. People’s Parties (Live)
12. All I Want (Live)
13. Real Good for Free (Live)
14. Both Sides Now (Live)
15. Carey (Live)
16. The Last Time I Saw Richard (Live)
17. Jericho (Live)
18. Love or Money (Live)
The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975)
01. In France They Kiss on Main Street
02. The Jungle Line
03. Edith and the Kingpin
04. Don’t Interrupt the Sorrow
05. Shades of Scarlett Conquering
06. The Hissing of Summer Lawns
07. The Boho Dance
08. Harry’s House/Centerpiece
09. Sweet Bird
10. Shadows and Light