AMG Review of Hits

Roch Parisien
All Music Guide

The album is a long overdue anthology of one of Canada's most celebrated ex-pats, Joni Mitchell. She sanctioned the release only on the condition that she be allowed to compile companion album Misses. While the 15-strong Hits focuses on her earlier folk-pop crossover successes, many made famous initially by others ("Both Sides Now," "Woodstock," "The Circle Game"), Misses is a personal cross section of her more challenging early material and more recent recordings -- the riveting "The Wolf That Lives in Lindsey" from Mingus is especially enlightening. One should not pick up one disc without the other. With the flood of box sets released in recent years for far less deserving artists, it's odd that Reprise didn't go all out and make this a more elaborate tribute.