Customer Reviews

David's Album

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

 

 

DAVID'S ALBUM was recorded during Joan's "Nashville years" (from 1968 - 73 she recorded almost exclusively in Music City), and while not her best album from this period (ONE DAY AT A TIME was a much stronger album), it nonetheless contained some thrilling musical moments. Her harmonies with her sister Mimi Farina on "Poor Wayfaring Stranger" are among the most beautiful sounds ever committed to record, and Gram Parsons' "Hickory Wind" has gone on to become a Baez standard. And Joan's liner note -- a tribute to her then husband who would soon be imprisoned for draft resistance -- are no less moving thirty-odd years later.

"Poor Wayfaring Stranger" - a song to be remembered through the decades !

LP originally released in 1969, when David, her husband was imprisoned for having refused to be drafted. In her own words, Joan dedicates this album to "all those who are locked up, that they might have the strength to act like free men, and not prisoners, and for all those on the outside, that they might have the strength to act like free men and not prisoners" !

Simple words, unforgettable melody easily unwinding, a feeling of melancholy and everlasting hope; Joan Baez - one of the most beautiful, warm, vibrant voices of all times !

I'm an atheist. But when I hear "The tramp on the street" or "Just a closer walk with you" from "DAVID'S ALBUM" I have a God and I can pray. Joan Baez's voice is a powerful message full of faith and hope.A perfect balance of sensous delicacy and strengh. Beautiful!

Although it was recorded in Nashville, this lovely album does not have an authentic country sound overall. The sound is more like her typical 1960s folk, with a country infusion here and there. The songs include traditionals and gospel songs like Just A Closer Walk With Thee and Poor Wayfaring Stranger (a duet with her sister Mimi Farina), plus pop hits of the time like Green Green Grass Of Home and the work of contemporary songwriters like the Gram Parsons masterpiece Hickory Wind.

There is a melancholy thread running through the album and all the songs are melodious and memorable. The arrangements stick close to the originals but the fiddle, dobro and viola make some of the tracks quite special. The Jordannaires lend beautiful male backing vocals to Will The Circle Be Unbroken, whilst The Tramp On The Street has an additional verse co-written by Baez and Maynard Solomon. One of my favorites is the aforementioned duet with Mimi, where there is a graceful harmonic interweaving of the vocals in the chorus.

The lovely organ renders Just A Closer Walk With Thee quite soulful, as is her version of Hickory Wind. The most country-sounding of the tracks is the uptempo My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains. This album has since been reissued with two new tracks: a live version of How Can I Miss You and the folk classic The Last Thing On My Mind. I would say this is an essential album for Baez fans, but it does not rank amongst the very best of her 1960s output.

The tracks on David's Album were recorded during the same sessions as her record of Dylan covers titled Any Day Now, which is an absolute gem. With songs like I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine, Love Is Just A Four-Letter Word, Walls Of Redwing, One Too Many Mornings, Boots Of Spanish Leather and Restless Farewell, it is a classic folk album of the 1960s. Get them both and play them back to back for a good dose of that 1960s Baez magic.

Joan Baez/ David's Album: At the end of the 1960's there were several Country albums released by groups and individuals not usually associated with the Country genre. This is Joan's Country album of 1969. This is a nice album, arraigned well and performed with Joan's usual professionalism, but the Album is not among her best. There are some fine tracks on here and it is enjoyable, but it somehow lacks heart (which is odd for an album dedicated to her husband). Nevertheless, it is still a four-star effort.