Joni Mitchell was at a turning point 50 years ago. After making four acclaimed albums with Reprise Records, including her 1971 masterpiece Blue, she left the label to join the brand-new Asylum Records in 1972. Over the next seven years, Mitchell would record some of the most acclaimed music of her career while changing her musical direction by adding more jazz elements into her songwriting. The evolution culminated in 1979 with Mingus, her collaboration with jazz titan Charles Mingus, and her studio last album for Asylum.
The 7xCD release Crooked Piece of Time, out October 23 via Rhino, will gather the late singer-songwriter’s first seven albums, beginning with his 1971 self-title debut and ending with 1980’s Storm Windows, according to Rolling Stone. The boxset, named after a song from 1978’s Bruised Orange, covers Prine’s entire output for Atlantic and Asylum Records. After the release of these albums, he would go on to form Oh Boy Records.