Misses in Bloomington, MN

Misses
intends to round up the best of
Joni Mitchell
's failed singles and forgotten album tracks, which is a daunting task, to be sure. In a career as acclaimed, idiosyncratic, and prolific as
Mitchell
's, it's problematic to boil all the forgotten favorites down to one disc, but the task is made all the more difficult by the fact that the songwriter herself compiled the collection and has an agenda.
is out to prove that her neglected
Geffen
recordings during the '80s were as consistent as her classic '70s albums for
Reprise
. Although she is correct in her assessment that the albums should be given more respect, her execution could have been better. The bulk of
is comprised of the
recordings, which were frequently difficult to appreciate, and in this presentation, they're only marginally easier to digest.
"A Case of You,"
which probably should have been on
Hits
, is added as bait, but the compilation is ultimately of more use to hardcore fans than casual listeners. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine