SKU: 23399959722

The Asylum Albums (1976-1980) [5CD]

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The Asylum Albums (1976-1980) [5CD]Its not just the artifact music and lyrics that Joni gives us. Her artistry leaves us, ourselves, changed. She has shifted things around inside us. And thats how artists change the world. Meryl Streep After THE HISSING OF SUMMER Lawns tour, Joni Mitchell retreated to Neil Youngs beach house to recover. Eager to travel but undecided about a destination, Mitchell was unexpectedly invited on a cross country road trip with friends. It was one of three

“It’s not just the artifact – music and lyrics – that Joni gives us. Her artistry leaves us, ourselves, changed. She has shifted things around inside us. And that’s how artists change the world.” - Meryl Streep

After THE HISSING OF SUMMER Lawns tour, Joni Mitchell retreated to Neil Young’s beach house to recover. Eager to travel but undecided about a destination, Mitchell was unexpectedly invited on a cross-country road trip with friends. It was one of three road trips she took between 1975 and 1976 and the beginning of a period defined by wanderlust, both in her physical travels and musical exploration. This transformative phase is the focal point of THE ASYLUM ALBUMS (1976-1980), the next release in the Joni Mitchell Archives series.

The new collection showcases Mitchell at her most daring across HEJIRA (1976), DON JUAN’S RECKLESS DAUGHTER (1977), MINGUS (1979), and the live album SHADOWS AND LIGHT (1980). Renowned audio engineer Bernie Grundman remastered all four releases included in this boxed set from the original flat analog master tapes.

During this period, Mitchell boldly declared her move from the “hit department” to the “art department.” Critics were slow to catch up, but her creativity was in overdrive. Instead of session aces, she began recording with jazz virtuosos like Larry Carlton and Pat Metheny (guitar), Michael Brecker (saxophone), Herbie Hancock (keyboard), and Don Alias (percussion), as well as several members of Weather Report, including Jaco Pastorius (bass) and Wayne Shorter (saxophone).

HEJIRA stands out as a testament to Mitchell’s artistic evolution. Its subdued instrumentation, coupled with her introspective lyrics, resulted in timeless tracks like “Coyote” and “Furry Sings The Blues” with Young on harmonica. Mitchell once said: “I suppose a lot of people could have written a lot of my other songs, but I feel the songs on Hejira could only have come from me.”

Her journey continued with DON JUAN’S RECKLESS DAUGHTER, a double album of largely experimental music. It included “Paprika Plains,” a side-long piano piece with orchestral arrangements. It found a receptive audience in musical seekers like Bjork, who said the album’s fearless approach later inspired her music.

Ultimately, Mitchell’s path led to Mingus, her collaboration with jazz titan Charles Mingus, who wrote several songs for the project. Mingus died shortly before the album was complete, and Mitchell dedicated it to him. Four songs by Mingus with lyrics written by Mitchell appeared on the album, including a version of “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat,” Mingus’ tribute to saxophonist Lester Young, and one of his most famous compositions. In the album’s liner notes, Mitchell said she felt fully immersed in jazz for the first time while making the record. “It was as if I had been standing by a river – one toe in the water – feeling it out – and Charlie came by and pushed me in – ‘sink or swim’…”

The final entry in THE ASYLUM ALBUMS (1976-1980) is the double live album Shadows and Light. It was Mitchell’s second live album and her last release with Asylum Records. She recorded it during the tour for Mingus in September 1979 at the Santa Barbara Bowl. Except for the performance of her classic song “Woodstock,” the album focused on songs from her most recent albums, like “Amelia,” “Dreamland,” and “The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines.” The Persuasions, a vocal group popular in the 1960s, also appeared on two songs: the title track and a cover of “Why Do Fools Fall In Love.”

The cover art for THE ASYLUM ALBUMS (1976-1980) includes a portion of one of Mitchell’s original paintings. Fans will enjoy a full version of the whimsically abstract landscape as an accompanying insert included in the album packaging for both the CD and LP configurations. Accompanying the set is a heartfelt essay penned by Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep, a lifelong fan of Mitchell’s work.

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SKU: 23399959722

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I got this wedge pillow primarily to have something to lean my head against (I like to lay on my side when reading or looking at my phone at night sometimes), or to sit upright when reading in bed. It's very comfortable doing both now. It does a really good job at being a nice support for the back of my bed. Only negative is I feel it's too firm. I wouldn't use it as a primary pillow, but it's definitely good for back support at least. While I won't mark it down for this, I do find it very large. If you have anything smaller then a queen it may take up more of your bed then you'd like. Definitely recommend. Hopefully will last quite a long while as well.
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Perfect support while recording from abdominal surgery. This pillow maintains its shape and is not overly soft. I used it vertically as a prop for watching television and then used it horizontally to prop myself up to sleep, once I returned to sleeping in bed. I used this daily for 6 weeks or so following surgery. The cover can be removed and machine washed. The non-slip nubbies are helpful. This pilllow is high quality and really helped to minimize pain and improve my sleep after surgery.
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Nice wedge pillow but not enough...
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It came compacted and when I opened it expanded almost immediately, maybe took like 20 minutes to fully decompress. Its soft and comfortable and the cover is really nice. But it does have a strong chemical smell, which is normal for this kind of brand new memory foam, I just put it on a table with a window open near it and after maybe 24 hours the smell was almost completely gone. The problem is that I bought this to have a elevated position when sleeping but the 30° are just not enough for me. I wish it was at least 45° but I could not find any pillow with that amount of degree... it's either 30° or like 75° in the other position. At the base of the pillow there is a little ridge that is comfortable for the lower back but makes me slide down in the middle of the night so I end up almost laying flat with my neck on the base ridge. With my slim build my lumbar area gets some nice support but makes my head almost have a "fall backwards" sensation, I like having my neck have a "push-forward" position with my pillow, but when adding another pillow to try and get to a comfortable position it only makes me slide down even more... :/
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worked great for husbands surgery recovery. Very affordable, firmness was great, looked nice on the bed and also used it for the grandkids when they were watching a movie. Moved around with ease. Didn't use it to sleep with all night though. He could only make it half the night but that wasn't the pillows fault. It was the cast on his arm. Definitely did its purpose after surgery and the need to sit up in bed more. highly recommend
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Sasstie Wedge Pillow
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Perfect. I used it when I was recovering from hip surgery. Relieved a lot of pain in my hip and knee at a time when I needed relief.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2026

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