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Joni Mitchell has had quite the year, stopping the show at the Grammy Awards (did anybody watching not shed a tear?), reinventing “I’m Still Standing” at the Gershwin Prize celebration of Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and preparing for her Los Angeles concert return with sold-out, hotly-anticipated Joni Jams at the Hollywood Bowl in October. Today, Rhino announced one more jewel in Mitchell’s crown. Her 2022 box set The Asylum Albums (1972-1975) has been reissued with a twist: all four albums are now on Blu-ray in Quadio four-channel surround! But that’s not all. The four-Blu-ray set, available now exclusively from Rhino.com, also has high-resolution remastered stereo and new Dolby Atmos mixes on each disc.

The latest entry in the Joni Mitchell Archives series, The Asylum Albums (1972-1975) contains three of the singer-songwriter’s most acclaimed and beloved studio albums, all recorded for David Geffen’s then-new Asylum Records label: For the Roses (1972), Court and Spark (1974), and The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975), as well as Joni’s first live album, Miles of Aisles (1974). Dolby Atmos mixes have been created by Ken Caillat and Claus Trelby for all four albums, while the original quadraphonic mixes of Court and Spark, Miles of Aisles, and The Hissing of Summer Lawns have been utilized. (The Miles of Aisles mix is previously unissued.)  Bruce Botnick has created the all-new Quadio mix of For the Roses. Joni’s friend Neil Young’s essay, penned for the 2022 box set, has been retained for this release.

Mitchell’s fifth album, For the Roses, followed the intimate, introspective Blue. As on its predecessor, its writing was intensely personal – from harrowing (“Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire”) to biting (“You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio,” written in response to the record company’s request for a hit single). Featuring Graham Nash on harmonica, “Radio” became Mitchell’s first Top 10 single in her native Canada and reached No. 20 Cash Box and No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. With the evocative likes of “Barangrill” and the classically-inspired “Judgment of the Moon and Stars,” For the Roses found Mitchell and musicians including Tom Scott, James Burton, and Stephen Stills delivering a vivid, powerful, and artistically uncompromising statement. It reached No. 11 on the Billboard 200 and set the stage for the artist’s biggest commercial triumph.

Mitchell embraced pop on Court and Spark while continuing to develop her jazz stylings. Court and Spark defined the sound of the Southern California musical landscape with appearances from Tom Scott’s L.A. Express, David Crosby, Graham Nash, and even Cheech and Chong, as well as The Crusaders and fellow Canadian Robbie Robertson. The seductive lead single “Raised on Robbery” was followed on 45 RPM by “Help Me,” perhaps the most irresistible, breezy, and melodic slice of pure pop ever released by Mitchell. It was purely Joni – no concessions to current trends, but immediately accessible to radio. “Help Me” became her only U.S. top ten single and topped the AC chart, too, but the love song was far from the album’s only triumph of composition, production, and arrangement from Mitchell. “Free Man in Paris,” an effortlessly melodic portrait of David Geffen “stoking the starmaker machinery behind the popular song,” struck another universal chord and reached No. 2 AC/No. 22 Pop. Court and Spark reflected Mitchell’s many musical personalities, even paying homage to Annie Ross with the vocalese classic “Twisted.” Court and Spark reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified 2x platinum. Mitchell had climbed another mountain – and did it her way.

Hopes were high for its follow-up. Joni followed her muse to once again surprise listeners with The Hissing of Summer Lawns. Far from a repeat of Court and Spark, Hissing found the singer-songwriter-producer continuing her journey into more expansive musical territory. “In France They Kiss on Main Street,” featuring background vocals from Crosby, Nash, and James Taylor as well as guitar from Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers), evoked the lush romance of Court and Spark, while other tracks were far more experimental. “The Jungle Line” incorporated a sample of the African Drummers of Burundi, perhaps the first commercial pop recording to employ the now-commonplace practice of sampling. “Harry’s House/Centerpiece” repurposed the jazz standard “Centerpiece” by trumpeter Harry “Sweets” Edison and Annie Ross’ onetime musical partner Jon Hendricks while the captivating “Edith and the Kingpin” marked a further immersion into jazz. “Shadows and Light” was yet another track to innovatively use the studio, with an ARP string machine and multiple overdubs of Mitchell’s voice. More challenging than Court and Spark but just as rewarding, Hissing was greeted by a mixed reaction from critics of the day even as it’s come to be accepted as another milestone for the ever-adventurous artist and a fan favorite. (Those fans included Prince, who was vocal about his appreciation for the album.) Mitchell was rewarded with a Grammy nomination and the album reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200.

Joni’s first live album rounds out the package. Miles of Aisles hit stores in November 1974, just months after Court and Spark but before Hissing. The double LP documented her tour in support of Court and Spark and rode the wave of success inspired by the studio album, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. She was joined by Tom Scott’s L.A. Express, who shared credit on the front cover. While its 18 tracks (primarily recorded at Los Angeles’ Universal Amphitheatre between August 14 and 17, 1974) didn’t include either of the hits off Court, she did revisit such classics as “Woodstock,” “A Case of You,” “Blue,” “Carey,” “Both Sides Now,” “(Real Good) For Free,” and “The Circle Game” while her live recording of “Big Yellow Taxi” became her third consecutive top 40 single. It bested the studio version’s chart success when it peaked at No. 24 Pop. Miles also introduced two new compositions, “Love or Money” and “Jericho.”

The Quadio box set of The Asylum Albums (1972-1975) follows past Quadio collections from Chicago and The Doobie Brothers and continues the series which has expanded with recent titles from Randy Newman, The Spinners, America, Gordon Lightfoot, Black Sabbath, and many others. This immersive journey through one of Joni Mitchell’s most beloved periods is available for order now directly from Rhino’s online store.

Joni Mitchell, The Asylum Albums (1972-1975): Quadio (Asylum/Rhino, 2024)

BD 1: For the Roses (Asylum SD-5057, 1972) – new quad mix by Bruce Botnick/hi-res stereo/new Dolby Atmos mix by Ken Caillat and Claus Trelby

1. Banquet
2. Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire
3. Barangrill
4. Lesson in Survival
5. Let the Wind Carry Me
6. For the Roses
7. See You Sometime
8. Electricity
9. You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio
10. Blonde in the Bleachers
11. Woman of Heart and Mind
12. Judgment of the Moon and Stars (Ludwig’s Tune)

BD 2: Court and Spark (Asylum 7E/QD-1001, 1974) – original quad mix/hi-res stereo/new Dolby Atmos mix by Ken Caillat and Claus Trelby

1. Court and Spark
2. Help Me
3. Free Man in Paris
4. People’s Parties
5. Same Situation
6. Car on a Hill
7. Down to You
8. Just Like This Train
9. Raised on Robbery
10. Trouble Child
11. Twisted

BD 3: Miles of Aisles (Asylum AB 202, 1974) – previously unreleased original quad mix/hi-res stereo/new Dolby Atmos mix by Ken Caillat and Claus Trelby

1. You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio
2. Big Yellow Taxi
3. Rainy Night House
4. Woodstock
5. Cactus Tree
6. Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire
7. Woman of Heart and Mind
8. A Case of You
9. Blue
10. The Circle Game
11. People’s Parties
12. All I Want
13. Real Good For Free
14. Both Sides Now
15. Carey
16. The Last Time I Saw Richard
17. Jericho
18. Love or Money

BD 4: The Hissing of Summer Lawns (Asylum 7E/EQ-1051, 1975) – original quad mix/hi-res stereo/new Dolby Atmos mix by Ken Caillat and Claus Trelby

1. In France They Kiss on Main Street
2. The Jungle Line
3. Edith and the Kingpin
4. Don’t Interrupt the Sorrow
5. Shades of Scarlett Conquering
6. The Hissing of Summer Lawns
7. The Boho Dance
8. Harry’s House/Centerpiece
9. Sweet Bird
10. Shadows and Light