One could argue that Joni Mitchell’s Olympian period ends with the first disc in this box, as she, in her own words, moved from the hit department to the art department. Hejira (1976) is her last indisputable masterpiece, and a favourite of Mitchell herself, who felt it couldn’t have come from anyone else.
It’s an exceptional album, unspoiled by anything close to ordinary, and Coyote, possibly about a one-night stand with playwright/actor Sam Shepard, Furry Sings The Blues with Neil Young on harmonica, and the gorgeous Amelia, an ode to aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, are particularly great. Master jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius is as much the lead instrumentalist as Mitchell, and his unique touch, across this box, is even more prominent on these remasters.
