Customer Reviews

The Best of Joan Baez

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Even though Baez left Vanguard more than thirty years ago, you'd think her former label would do a better job than this when putting together a "best of" compilation covering the thirteen albums she released on the label from 1960 to 1971.

Sure, her only Top 10 hit is here--the cover of Robbie Robertson's "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"--along with a terrific cover of Phil Ochs' "There But for Fortune" and live versions of "The Water Is Wide," "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream," "Joe Hill" and the anthemic "We Shall Overcome"; but where are the Dylan covers (notably absent is her definitive version of "Love Is Just a Four Letter Word")? Also missing are any of Baez's own compositions, particularly "Sweet Sir Galahad."

[Note: I purchased this CD to get the original single version of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." The version on my copy of A&M's THE BEST OF JOAN C. BAEZ is a live version.]

This album has some terrific music; it just comes up short in its attempt to provide a complete picture of this talented folksinger. [Running Time - 28:12] RECOMMENDED

The first song of Joan Baez I heard was Joe Hill - and I was captivated. This CD brings together some of her greatest hits - from "The Night they drove Old Dixie Down" to "Joe Hill" - and is highly recommended for the Joan Baez fan as well as for the uninitiated.

The title of this album is wide off the mark. Even on the Vanguard label itself there are lots of great songs omitted here, like the title track, Satisfied Mind and Hard Rain's Gonna Fall from Farewell Angelina and Walls Of Redwing, I Dreamt I Saw St. Augustine or Boots Of Spanish Leather from her Dylan album Any Day now or even Lady Mary or Gospel Ship from her early In Concert album.

That doesn't mean that these nine tracks aren't good! There But For Fortune is a particularly graceful and moving song, whilst The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down was of course her greatest ever hit from 1971. I also like her version of Wayfaring Stranger, the old standard Pack Up Your Sorrows and the powerful live version of We Shall Overcome, the old sixties anthem.

With her large oeuvre on the label, this Vanguard Best Of album could have been really special. Until a proper collection of her best work on the label is issued, I recommend the aforementioned individual albums plus Hits: Greatest And Others, an album that includes the beautiful Brand New Tennessee Waltz and Love Is Just A Four Letter Word. For her best post-60s work, I recommend the Diamonds collection.

This album should say Best of Joan Baez Vol. 1 followed by ten other volumes. Joan was that good and just about every folk song you can think of she sang it. For a person just whetting their appetite with her music this is a good place to start to know what you're getting into because Joanie has a fine voice but she is far and away from anything resembling pop music or even pop rock. So if you're expecting mainstream 60s oldies radio type stuff it isnt here.

OK, this album is from the days when they only contained about 40-45 minutes of music, so the brevity is normal of the period. But there are some classic Joan songs and covers here. It's a classic album from the heyday of folk music.

Joan Baez is the best there is to listen to when you want true, perfect pitch and voice.

This 10 track anthology runs less than 30 minutes. The track "A Tramp on the Street" had sound glitches throughout, although there were no other problems with any other tracks. Several of the tracks are live versions. Surely Joan Baez deserves better than this bare-bones anthology.