Customer Reviews

5th Album

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This is one of the loveliest, most moving albums of Sixties folk. Collins was one of the music's great interpreters, and with all apologies to the Byrds her version of "Tambourine Man" is to me definitive. Other highlights include the heartbreaking "Coming of the Roads" (whatever happened to Billy Edd Wheeler?), Phil Ochs' scathing "In the Heat of the Summer", and the great Richard Farina's joyful "Pack Up Your Sorrows". Collins even puts her own spin on overly familiar material such as Gordon Lightfoot's "Early Morning Rain" and the traditional "Lord Gregory". But it is on Eric Andersen's beautiful Civil Rights ballad "Thirsty Boots" that Collins is at her most luminous. Accompanied by John Sebastian's warm harmonica, she delivers this song with the quiet passion of a universal mother singing her weary, frustrated children to sleep. To me, "Thirsty Boots" and "Tambourine Man"--and also Collins' version of "Greenwood Sidie" (called "Cruel Mother", it is avaliable on the Five-Star 1964 "Judy Collins Concert" LP, which has sadly never been available on CD)--are the epitome of popular song interpretation.

I have owned this album since it first came out. I wore it out on LP and have played the CD more than just about any other in my 2000+ collection.

The famous Collins voice was never better, never clearer, and never allowed to dominate more than in this set of recordings. Her voice was still in a lower octave than now, and it conveys a sense of intimacy rare for any album.

There's not a bad recording on here. Over the years, my favorite song has sort of rotated. Collins's music has always been able to transport me emotionally, and she covers a full range of emotions here. "Coming of the Roads" is a heartbreaker from early on the ecology movement. "Thirsty Boots" rivals "Cook with Honey" for transcendent welcoming, evoking memories of warm kitchens on cold nights, the caress of affection by those one loves. "Mr. Tambourine Man" has always been my favorite cut of this song, without the harshness of Dylan or the spaciness of the Byrds. "It Isn't Right" is the perfect finish for a near-perfect album.

I have wished so many times over the years that Ms. Collins would release a continuation of this path in her career, but it hasn't happened; it's basically a dead end. We shall be grateful that we have this to listen to, and enjoy.

The CD transfer is great, sounds so much better than the LP ever did. A 'must buy' disc for any 60's folk fan.

This is one of those folk albums that are best heard as nature intended, on the original vinyl, pops and all. But I'm delighted to see it available on CD all the same so that new fans will discover it.

Judy Collins began her career recording almost exclusively traditional folk songs, then turned to contemporary writers and eventually became something of a pop chanteuse. This album comes as close as any to finding her at a balance between those two worlds. From the opening strains of Richard Farina's beautiful "Pack Up Your Sorrows" (featuring Farina himself on dulcimer) to the thunderous live delivery of the civil-rights anthem "It Isn't Nice," the production is rootsy and unpretentious, but the songs were contemporary in 1964 and still sound fresh and relevant today. (One traditional ballad, "Lord Gregory," is included in the mix, but it doesn't sound the least bit out of place.)

It's too bad Collins hadn't begun writing her own songs yet at this stage in her career, since she later proved to be a formidable writer. But she obviously did have a good ear for up and coming talent, as this collection features sides from such then-new writers as Gordon Lightfoot ("Early Morning Rain," still among the best paeans to homesickness ever penned), Phil Ochs ("In the Heat of the Summer," a biting response to the Harlem riots of 1964 and the failure of the powers that were to lay the blame where it really belonged), Eric Andersen ("Thirsty Boots," a beautiful tribute to that era's freedom marchers from the perspective of a friend who hadn't joined them), and, of course, Bob Dylan. Her treatment of "Mr. Tambourine Man" is as good as any, but for me the two more obscure Dylan songs, "Daddy You've Been On My Mind" and "Tomorrow is a Long Time," are the real showcases. Amid some of the most political material Collins ever performed, these two lovesongs provide a much-needed break. Then there's "The Coming of the Roads," which mourns equally the loss of a lover and of an unspoiled forest. Heavy stuff, but it's among the earliest environmentally-conscious songs and still one of the best. Likewise, this album as a whole is one of Collins' best efforts ever.

Decades after release,this album still has its warm glow,beauty that defies the time.I am listening it now in a year 2000,it doesnt mean any nostalgia to me as I was born much later - so these songs dont remind me of my first "joints",peace & love or folk days and protest marches - its simply pure beautiful music that works best in the morning when you are slowly awakening with a coffe and spirit & body are still sensitive.As its often the case,artists work is much better in the beggining when their art is still fresh and pure - later Judy went "art" but here ont his 1965. album she was still singing simply beautiful songs with a very sparse music backing,that made her voice shines.Now in the age of agressive sex promotion in music,when singers are almost not interesting without soft-porn videos,Judy Collins 1965.album sounds like something from another planet,but I am the proof that this music still lives - it touches and soothenes me,perfect music for wakening up.(By the way,I dont know why is listed as a "live" album,when its obviously studio recording)

My all time favorite of Judy's mid-60's albums. A good mix of some of her best work. Her wonderfully strong alto comes through clear as a bell.

This is one of my favorite Judy Collins albums because it is Judy at her folky best. The arrangements are spare and nice -- this is way before the pop orchestrations took over. She sings the songs of the great writers of that era -- Dylan, Farina, Ochs, et al. And she is in fine, full voice.

By the time Judy Collins recorded this album in 1965, the traditional strains of the folk revival were losing steam. That same year Dylan released a side of electric tunes on Bringing it All Back Home and plugged in for his set at Newport. The Byrds released their debut album in June, and Simon and Garfunkel's 1964 acoustic debut album begat the electric augmentation of Sounds of Silence two years later. Collins herself rethought her own music on 1966's In My Life, but before doing so, pulled together the elements made her a great folk singer, and invested her ears and interpretive powers in selecting and rendering these twelve songs. She combined traditional tunes with contemporary compositions by Dylan, Ochs, and Farina, and gave each the benefit of her magnificently clear and moving voice. Collins' talent for discovering material led her to Eric Anderson's "Thirsty Boots" (with John Sebastian adding harmonica) and Gordon Lightfoot's "Early Morning Rain," long before either became folk standards.

The album opens on a high note with a terrific interpretation of Richard Farina's "Pack Up Your Sorrows." Farina's dulcimer is more upbeat than on the original duet with his wife Mimi, and together with second guitarist Eric Weissberg, Collins frees the song of its overt sorrow by leaning on the lyrics' magnanimity. She proves her talent for interpretation by taking Dylan's "Tomorrow is a Long Time" slowly, holding onto the notes with desire and longing, and she sings all four verses of "Mr. Tambourine Man" to an arrangement that replaces the electric guitar of Dylan's original with Bill Lee's acoustic bass. Her vocal captures both the overnight weariness of Dylan and the early morning wonder of McGuinn, creating a unique interpretation that stands tall among the many versions cut in 1965. Similarly, she brings a powerful feeling of solemnity and desolation to Billy Edd Wheeler's "The Coming of the Roads," giving voice to the emotional and environmental devastation of the song's lyrics.

The baroque sounds Collins would explore on the following year's In My Life are foreshadowed by a cello backing on the traditional "Lord Gregory," and guitars and acoustic bass are joined by Jerry Dodgion's flute for a live recording of Malvina Reynolds' rousing "It Isn't Nice." Richard Farina's dulcimer provides quiet accompaniment for Gil Turner's civil rights anthem "Carry it On," and his original poem from the album cover is reproduced in full on the booklet's back (bring your magnifying glass!). Collectors' Choice's reissue brings the original dozen tracks back into domestic print, and includes new liner notes by Richie Unterberger. This is a terrific artifact of the folk revival and a high point in Collins' career. 4-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

I have treasured this recording since it was first released and remember her performing many of these songs live, espeically Lord Gregory with a cellist in the background. This is unbelievably gorgeous and a must for anyone who wants to know what Judy was all about. Though Baez was my personal favorite, Judy was close behind (right after Judy Roderick).

Get this one!

Judy Collins' simply titled fifth album seems downright subdued next to some of the ones immediately following, with their increasing diversity of styles and instrumentations. Some of the songs here are accompanied solely by her own guitar playing, and none have more than a small band as backup. The choice of songs very much reflects the tenor of the times (1964) with several of the songs being strong pleas for civil rights that, alas, still seem relevant today, while others ("The Coming of the Roads") are very forward-looking in their expression of what are now universal ecological concerns.

There is superb material here, as in all of Collins' albums; the moving "Thirsty Boots" and final, rousing "It Isn't Nice," taken from a live concert, are particularly memorable. These two selections also illustrate the superb quality of the instrumental playing. The weaker songs tend toward the overly repetitive. Still, in common with all of her output, this is a quality album.

It is rare to like a particular album much better than the best of album for an artist but this is one of the execptions. Perhaps the best of has too many of her moody songs for me. This album is wonderful and will return you to the heart of the sixties. One of my all time favorite albums and I am glad to own it in CD form.