Ever since the so-called "vinyl renaissance" began at the turn of the last decade, Joni Mitchell fans the world over have wondered whether her catalogue would be given the deluxe LP treatment. Sure, there was the 8-LP compilation Love Has Many Faces in 2018, and the trusty titles like Blue, Court and Spark, and Hejira have been pressed to wax in editions that rival the originals, but the same can't be said for her some of her later-career output. Heck, even For the Roses - the 1972 transitional album between Blue and Court and Spark - has gotten lost in the mix. While we wait for Warner to settle that one, fans can rejoice in the vinyl debut of her most recent album, Shine. The deluxe reissue is due on March 27 April 3 from Craft Recordings.

Shine arrived in 2007 during a surprising period of renewed activity for the artist, who had famously sworn off the music industry five years earlier. First, Joni was inspired to create a mixed-media art exhibit called Green Flag Song, then she staged a successful ballet called The Fiddle and the Drum in collaboration with Jean Grande-Maitre and the Alberta Ballet, which was later filmed and televised. Joni wrote a handful of songs for the ballet which would soon feature on Shine. As of this writing, Shine is Joni's final musical statement.

Like the art show and the ballet, the songs within comment on war, tragedy, corruption, and greed. These aren't new themes for Mitchell, but with our culture saturated in tragedy, our environment slowly crumbling, and the masses glued to emerging media, she was compelled to return from her retirement and speak up once more. On Shine, Joni and her collaborators - among them Greg Liesz, Bob Sheppard, Larry Klein, and James Taylor - build a beautiful sonic landscape that supports lyrics that are perceptive as ever. Shine is classic Joni through and through.  From the breezy "This Place," the foreboding "Shine," and her haunting recasting of Kipling's "If," to her updated version of "Big Yellow Taxi" and the Grammy-winning instrumental "One Week Last Summer," there are wonders to behold to anyone who listens.

For its first-ever appearance on LP, Shine will be given the deluxe treatment. The music has been newly mastered by Bob Ludwig from the original hi-res sources and will be pressed onto 180-gram black vinyl at RTI and the heavyweight disc will be housed in a gorgeous gatefold sleeve. It promises to be a stunning presentation of a rich and rewarding album.

So clear some space on the shelves, Joni fans, this one's worth an instant pre-order! You can peruse the full track listing below.  The album release date has been adjusted to April 3 and Amazon links are now live.

Joni Mitchell, Shine (originally Hear Music CD HMCD-30457, 2007 -- reissued on LP by Craft Recordings, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Side 1:

1. One Week Last Summer
2. This Place
3. If I Had a Heart
4. Hana
5. Bad Dreams

Side 2:

1. Big Yellow Taxi (2007)
2. Night of the Iguana
3. Strong and Wrong
4. Shine
5. If