Joni Mitchell — Songs Of A Prarie Girl

Released to coincide with Saskatchewan's centennial celebrations, Songs Of A Prairie Girl is comprised of tunes Mitchell wrote in or about her home province. It's not a greatest hits package, but its thematic organization makes it more satisfying than most career retrospectives. From the simple folk of "Urge For Going" to the brooding strings of "Cherokee Louise," the record traces Mitchell's evolution over more than three decades. And though it reveals her occasional submission to the trends of an era — "The Tea Leaf Prophecy" sounds like a dozen other mediocre '80s ballads — Songs Of A Prarie Girl is a testament to a master storyteller whose heart still lives at home.