Customer Reviews

Dark Chords on a Big Guitar

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I must say that I was extremely sceptical when I heard that Joan Baez was going to release a new album. I knew that she had lost some of her vocal range, and modern productions have a tendency to diminish the impact of records by veteran artists.
However, while Baez's voice is not the same as it was in the 60s or 70s, it is much lower, huskier, and ultimately warmer and more accessible than ever before. The production, while definitely modern, fortunately never gets in the way of the material.
The album's strongest suit, however, is the songs themselves. Baez has always had a knack for finding great material from other artists, and all ten songs here are fantastic. She did not include any of her own compositions (she claims to have given up writing songs), but that is hardly missed at all. The writing, despite being the work of many different pens, is uniformly dark and ominous. However, many tracks are simultaneously sultry and exciting, which makes for a fine listen both the first time around and after repeated listenings. There is a folk-rock core to the songs, but over this is an interesting mixture of blues, jazz, and occasionally a fairly hard (for Baez) rock sound. This is one of her best albums, and certainly her most consistent. Not even Diamonds and Rust or Any Day Now had this depth of emotion or unity of texture.
Perhaps the most effective review I can give this album is this: I hope Baez puts out another album like this, and soon. Thanks, Joan!

Like other Dark Chords reviewers I feel that Joan Baez is
choosing to use her voice in a particular way on this recording in a way that suits the music, the songs themselves and the times we are living in. It is a number of years since I heard Joan Baez sing live -1997, I think - when she sang "Matty Groves", from one of her earliest recordings in full soprano and faultlessly - all 22 verses! These songs on Dark Chords would not sound right sung in a high soprano voice: they are more earthy and I think Joan's treatment of them on this CD is no less than superb. To my ear this CD sounds as good - and at times as raw - as a live performance. It's true that Joan's voice is changing over time but she seems to be rising
wonderfully to the challenge of a new style suggested by the songs themselves. I feel, too, that her singing voice is now much closer than before to her speaking voice which always has to my mind been much deeper than her "achingly pure soprano" when singing. Her current singing style has a contemporary edge to it, which is likely to get more people listening to her work and more radio playing than was maybe the case previously. People I have played the CD to are using words like "mellow" and comment how well the voice and the band blend on most tracks. I was pleased to see Dark Chord listed on some website
under "Adult Contemporary". This recording seems to be leaning
towards commercial values without compromising the integrity of Joan, the main performer, or her beliefs. Joan Baez is back on the music scene (though for her die-hard fans she has always been there.) All this just to say that I like this CD very much!!! Go on, treat yourself! Buy Dark Chords on a Big Guitat and revel in the quality of a lovingly put-together piece of music craft!

My only complaint is recording quality. The selection of music and Baez's voice and arrangements is wonderful. This is a more rocked-out version of Baez than we are used to.

Among my favorites are "Sleeper" the opening song, a sensuous tale of lovers, "Caleb Meyer" a tale of a feisty woman fighting off a would-be rapist:

Caleb Meyer your ghost is goin
To wear those rattlin chains
WHen I go to sleep at night
Don't you call my name

I've been a fan of Baez for years and this is something of a departure from what you'll normally hear, but I think an enjoyable listen. Her voice and choice of music is always worthwhile.

Joan Baez's new CD is an incredible achievement, one of the year's best. Since the days when she was a major proponent of the works of Bob Dylan, she has had a knack for finding and recording some of our best songwriters. On "Dark Chords," she not only finds the right songwriters, but the right songs and surpasses the originals. Steve Earle's "Christmas in Washington" is a song that I never particularly liked in its original form. Joan embodies the song completely, inhabiting its spiritual and political implications. Duke McVinnie who has worked with Johnny Otis & J.J. Cale does a wonderful job with his dreamy guitar. On Natalie Merchant's "Motherland," Joan totally adopts the song finding levels of pathos that slept in Merchant's original fine recording, "The lust and the avarice, the bottomless, the cavernous greed, is that what you see?" Josh Ritter's "Golden Age of Radio" was one of the strongest CDs in recent years. Joan takes his "Wings" and creates a dreamy folk epic, "What makes the water holy she says is that it's the closest thing to rain." Greg Brown's "Rexroth's Daughter" is a marvelous folk tune that could have easily fit into some of Joan's earliest recordings with its themes of rape and retribution. Gillian Welch & David Rawlings' "Caleb Meyer" is about as raucous as Joan gets on this set with McVinnie's electric guitar churning ominously underneath the upbeat tempo. Caitlin Cary's "Rosemary Moore" is another great story song, a marvelous folk ballad. I suppose comparisons will ultimately be made to Emmylou Harris' "Wrecking Ball" with Dark Chord's somber themes and churning guitars. However as much as I liked that disc, Baez's set is more successful because of the amazing song choices, the unity she achieves from these disparate sources, and the incredible depth she achieves as a vocalist. This is a master recording from one of our master musicians. Enjoy!

With "Dark Chords on a Big Guitar", Joan Baez has graced us with a thought-provoking collection of songs that touches both the heart & soul. Reflecting the times in which we live, this is a dark album in both music and lyrics. But Joan's smile on the black & white cover photograph hints of the hope and happiness that still exist, which she proceeds to uncover through a series of 'song snapshots'.
The album succeeds first and foremost due to Joan's voice & vision. Starting with "Play Me Backwards" (1992), and continuing with "Gone From Danger" (1997), Joan has honed her interpretative abilities. After 62 years of life, Joan's "lived in" voice serves as the perfect instrument for these brilliant songs. The angelic qualities of her younger voice have been replaced by a more Earthly warmth. Her range, in a sense, has gotten wider. She sings as if she has stepped into the shoes of these various personas and walked around for a while.
The next positive factor here is due to the musicians. The album's intimate sound is provided mostly by members of Joan's touring band. This makes for an unusual, but winning situation. "Dark Chords on a Big Guitar" has the sound of a live album, but with studio recorded quality.
The third ingredient in this superb mixture is the choice of songs. While there is not a dud among them, standouts include 2 Greg Brown songs: "Sleeper"; the tale of a former lover haunting our dreams, and "Rexroth's Daughter"; wherein what appears to be a search for an individual turns out to really be an exploration of the meaning of one's life. The literal & spiritual center of the album is provided by Natalie Merchant's "Motherland" and Josh Ritter's "Wings". Both of these poetic songs seem to have struck a chord in Joan, producing heartfelt renditions. We are all reminded here of the arms we have for hugging, and the "wings" we have for soaring above the fray. The album ends with Steve Earle's "Christmas in Washington", so timely (with the coming presidential election), and unfortunately also timeless, in its tale of hypocritical greedy politicians. The song's protagonist's story eerily mirrors Joan's own life's journey, and Joan gives it a knowing take.
Another of the album's highlights is Ryan Adams' "In My Time of Need". This story song shares a universal truth: We all need, whether from a friend, family, or a companion, someone to be there for us in our time of need, and us for them. Ultimately, this album contributes to the soundtrack for that provided comfort. Take a listen, and let Joan's smile and singing "just off and carry you".

This album has definitely been worth waiting for. Although none of the songs were written by Joan herself, they are definitely "her" songs. Her voice is absolutely stunning, and is extremely powerful. Each song is unique and Joan puts her own very special touch, as well as her heart and soul into each and every one of them. Some of the songs are "dark", but the album is filled with hope and inspiration. Christmas in Washington is outstanding and will bring tears to your eyes. It is impossible though to name one song as the "best", as they are all outstanding. Joan has done it again and shows she is well ahead of the times as she has always been. A great album that will certainly make people sit up and listen - each song has a message and Joan is the greatest interpreter of songs. The title Dark Chords on a Big Guitar is from the song Rexroth's Daughter. There's a bit of country, folk, rock, blues and jazz, she covers the lot on this album. Absolutely love it.

I've never gotten into Joan Baez, but after hearing that she covers "Motherland" by Natalie Merchant (who is my favorite artist), I ran out and got the album. My first initial reaction was wow, she has a great folky voice. "Christmas in Washington" is a very sad song, yet you feel her sing the song, which many artists cannot emote their songs, Joan Baez can.

Although all the songs on here are not her material, the lady has class and a GREAT voice.

DO buy this album and ignore the bad reviews.

Some of you old folkies out there need to get over the past and join the present. Those who complained about the heavy instrumentation and distortion on this recording must still be pining for the "good old days" of "Kumbaya" and "Blowin' In The Wind!" News flash: the moments of distortion were intentional, and Ms. Baez has joined the 21st century! I don't mean to knock the ancient stuff; I revisit the old favorites fairly frequently, but a vital, engaged artist continues to evolve, and Joan has been doing this throughout her career. A concert I attended in Poughkeepsie in the fall of 2004 (my fifth time, since 1982, to see her live), found Joan still very much in command of her artistic powers, and she performed some of the tracks from "Dark Chords On A Big Guitar" with the finest, rockin'est band she has ever worked with. This was part of a tour from which an upcoming live album ("Bowery Songs") was recorded, and I can't wait to hear it, since it will include Joan's rendition of Dylan's "Seven Curses," one of the highlights of the performance I saw. But back to "Dark Chords...," and to echo what another reviewer noted: what Joan's voice has lost in range and purity has been more than made up for with an expanded palette of colors and a deepening expressiveness, and it perfectly suits the modern sounds she is now experimenting with. Although I do miss Joan's own writing (which, I think, she under-values), I'm impressed with her choice of material here. Greg Brown's lovely "Sleeper" grabbed my attention immediately, and the album just gets better and better from there on. To hear Joan performing great songs by the likes of Ryan Adams, Natalie Merchant and Steve Earle is no revelation to those of us who have long admired Joan's ability to adapt to the times, but beyond that, she is better than ever at giving the work of others added dimension, stamping all of these songs with her own, unique mark (while, I should add, preserving the qualities that make the original creations so wonderful -- no excessive styling or annoying departures from the melody, like so many of today's female singers tend to do). My personal favorite is Josh Ritter's "Wings," as gorgeous and haunting as anything Baez has ever recorded. There are some big surprises here, too, with Joan getting down and dirty on "Elvis Presley Blues," and kicking up some dust on "Caleb Meyer," both of which were written by Gillian Welch and Henry Rawlings. No serious contemporary folk, roots music, or alt. country fan should be without "Dark Chords On A Big Guitar." Right on, Joan!!!

This album is a masterpiece of class, beauty and contemporary elegance, a striking example of why Joan Baez has endured and will continue to endure through all the trends and minor fads that plague the music business.

A bitter comment on the strange times we live in, Dark Chords, will appeal to those of us who have loved her music, and message, through the decades. This project ties together a missing link of intensity between the first Vanguard years, and today. Although, there have been many wonderful albums between.

From "Rexroth's Daughter," to "Christmas In Washington," every song was well chosen, with clarity of vision and quality of style, making some intense comments on our times.

The new Joan Baez web pages and the great pictures on this CD are pretty cool too! Great photographer, who got it right, just like the producer, band members, and artist on this album.

Bravo Joan!

It's been far too long since Joan Baez graced the CD buying world with her "Gone from Danger" album. But, this new gift, "Dark Chords on a Big Guitar" is well worth the wait. Producer Mark Spector has given the music buying public (not just the Joan fans) a gem! From classy art direction by Norman Moore to eye-fetching photos by Dana Tynan the package is superb. The project evidently was a couple years in the making while just the right songs, sound and band were procured. MS Baez, not one to be overly commercial, shared with recent audiences that she is very proud of how this album turned out and explained that the project was not initially intended to be as dark as it turned out, but in these times, it just naturally evolved that way. Appropriately dedicating the entire package to her lovely late sister, Mimi Farina, and Michael Moore, MS Baez is in fine form and wonderfully comfortable with a set of tunes by contemporary young and gifted songwriters. Josh Ritter, who opened for MS Baez on some of her recent concert events, contributed the haunting "Wings" that will compel listeners to return many times to discover the song's mysteries. Gillian Welch and David Rawlings' composition "Elvis Presley Blues" is about as wonderfully and refreshingly bluesy as a Joan Baez recording can get. An appropriately gritty and haunting arrangement and performance of Natalie Merchant's "Motherland," is a welcome discovery, as is Caitlin Cary's "Rosemary Moore." Greg Brown ended up contirbuting two songs to the set: "Sleeper," a slightly uptempo performance with vocal clarity reminisent of those long-ago legendary Joan Baez Vanguard albums, and "Rexroth's Daughter," a recent Joan Baez concert pleaser. Steve Earle's "Christmas in Washington" generated standing ovations at many of MS Baez' recent live performances and is delivered on this recording with a heartfelt vocal edge that points a soid accusatory finger at every politician inhabiting any Nation's Capitol. Ryan Adams, who contributes the melodic and throught provoking "In My Time of Need," uses amazingly creative lyrics to trace the cycle of a love story. The ever-so-intriguing "Caleb Meyer" (another Gillian Welch and David Rawlings contribution) is performed with lively, uptempo Appalachian gusto. "King's Highway" registered as an instant personal favorite...upbeat, dark, moody, and with a story I never thought I'd find on a Joan Baez recording...until I thought about those early traditional Vanguard ballads, filled with murder and mayhem, and I realized this Joe Henry compositon was a perfectly logical choice for Joan Baez. Completing the impressive lineup of talent on the album are muscians Duke McVinnie, George Javori, Byron Issacs, Rani Arbo, Gale Ann Dorsey and Doug Pettibone.
This is a winner...however, five stars is too limiting for "Dark Chords on a Big Guitar." Let's expand the survey to allow this one a well deserved 6 or 7! In conclusion I should point out that, if you haven't treated yourself to a Joan Baez album since those early Vangaurd efforts, this is more than Joan Baez with a guitar! It's Joan Baez with a band...youthful, sparkling and yet dark and mystic; the lady keeps herself and her talent timely, mysterious and enchanting.