Customer Reviews

Gone From Danger

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For me, this CD was one of the nicer suprises of 1997 and was proof positive of how growing older can often breathe new life into something and cause a metamorphosis into something brand new.

For several years the "girl with the guitar", once dubbed the "queen of folk" has struggled to find an identity in the vast jungle of contemporary popular music which, when you are a person who has an audience with great expectations, is never easy.

This CD, a collection of covers by Betty Elders, Richard Shindell, Dar Williams, and others, comes as a breath of fresh air with its simple arrangements that manage to sound contemporary without giving into the commercialism so common today. Couple this with a band who's down to earth musicianship truly appreciates and supports the voice it is backing and you have a collection of music worth playing again and again.

While some of her older fans may be dismayed by the changes in her voice, I find that the darker husky texture and tone of her voice has brought a welcome warmth and depth to her music. It is this voice that causes her version of Richard Shindell's "Reunion Hill" to emerge as a victorious anthem of survival. On "February" she brings a sad world weary perspective to Dar William's tale of bittersweet love, and her own composition, "Lily" with its jangling guitars could fit in anywhere in the alternative folk/pop scene today.

Although it scares me to say so, her career spans most of my life. How nice it is then that it has become so rich and full.

Probably the best all-around of any Baez CD, in my opinion. Some of the music is a hard listen: "February" the story of a lost love and new beginning just about brings me to tears. "A crack in the mirror" about child abuse, cuts straight to the bone about the issue---from all points of view.

"Lily" which was written by Baez about a friend of hers from High School that she recently found is probably my favorite of the music. It's uptempo and reminds me strongly of hearing the song live at the Portland Zoo one full moon night.

Frankly, this album is as close as you can get to being there.

This 2009 reissue of "Gone from Danger," which is a terrific CD in itself, includes a bonus CD of the 1997 Mountain Stage performances of the CD's material by Joan and colleagues Dar Williams, Sinead Lohan, Betty Elders, and Richard Shindell. Lovely and generous. So even if you have "Gone from Danger" (with or without the earlier limited bonus(es) of a couple of songs, you'll want this one.

I grew up listening to Joan Baez, but in recent years, my LP's--you know, those discs before CD's--have taken a backseat in my daily listening. Let's face it, soundwise, they just no longer compete. Also, Joan is not up at the top of the charts anymore with the likes of Britney Spears, Christina Aguillera, et al--I shudder. That's just not my type of music. So with my Joan LP's out of sight and the lack of any "Joan media hype", I forgot that Joan Baez is very much alive and still a better talent than most of the hot tickets today. And she reminded me of that with this album. She has not lost a step. Her voice is pure gold and her songs touching and real. She sings stories. She paints pictures not only with the lyrics, but with the way she sings the words. She conveys emotions. She is an artist. God has given her a gift in her voice and she uses it perfectly. While I love all the songs on this album, my favorites are "Reunion Hill", "Fishing", "If I Wrote You," and "February". Joan becomes the person telling her story in each of these songs. In "Reunion Hill", you feel the woman's sorrow. You picture the INS interviewer in "Fishing". Joan touches her listeners in ways that many of today's "top singers" have yet to do. Many would do well to study Joan's work and learn from her. Final note: I saw Joan perform live on April 1, 2003. She sang for over 2 hours. How many performers do that nowadays? She was personable, honest, and true to herself. Today's younger listeners don't know what they're missing. Joan Baez is a jewel who should be cherished. Keep singing, Joan. I will never stop listening. Especially now that many of your earlier albums are being re-issued on CD. And, I can't wait for the new album this summer. And "Gone From Danger", I rate 5 stars out of 5. Diane Meholick, author of the novel,"Painting Katherine"...

This is one of the few that you will almost *always* find in my disc changer. Joan is in fine form on this album and gives masterful interpretations of Dar Williams' "February" and "If I Wrote You." Dar's vocals on "Fishing" will give you chills. Only one problem... no one sings "Reunion Hill" like Richard Shindell.

After the release of the live recording "Ring Them Bells", Joan returned to the studio for this fine set of material written by some of todays best young songwriters. The opening track, Sinead Lohan's "No Mermaid" gets the cd off to a fine start. It's beautiful and hypnotic, and is followed by Richard Shindell's "Reunion Hill", probably the highlight of the disc. All the songs are well chosen, with Dar Williams' song "February" and another Shindell tune, "Money for Floods", among the other highlights. Joan's voice is still beautiful and as clear as ever, making GONE FROM DANGER a must for new and longtime fans. This is a fine follow up to Joan's last studio cd, PLAY ME BACKWARDS, also highly recommended.

The quality of the singing voice has never been paramount in folk music, as Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan pretty much prove. But when you talk about beautiful voices you can have a nice debate on Joan Baez versus Judy Collins for the top spot. As is common which such vocal talents such artists usually cover songs written by others rather than deal predominantly with original works. Baez has never been what you would consider a prolific songwriter, although she has proven herself quite capable on more than one occasion ("Diamonds and Rust").

I begin with these observations because while you will certainly enjoy listening to Baez sing on this 1997 album my fondest hope is that "Gone From Danger" will introduce you to a pair of contemporary folk singers who provide half the songs being sung. Richard Shindell wrote "Reunion Hill," "Fishing" and "Money for Floods," while Dar Williams contributed "February" and "If I Wrote You." In fact, Williams provides additional and background vocals on several songs on the album.

Actually it was while attending a Dar Williams concert in Minneapolis at which Richard Shindell was also performing that I found out about the Baez album. Shindell was leaving the tour to open for Baez in Europe, a change in plans that Williams could understand completely, and they talked about how Baez was covering some of the songs on her new album. I have always been willing to listen to Baez sing anything her little heart desires, but it was especially sweet to hear her sing songs written by some of my favorite folk artists. I especially like the poignancy of Baez's voice on "February" and the duet with Crutis Young on "If I Wrote You." I would also make special mention of Joe Spivey's Fiddle and Mandolin playing on "Reunion Hill."

If Joan Baez can introduce you to Shindell and Williams, which in turn would lead you to checking out their albums, that would be a good thing. Enjoy.

her voice is a beautiful as ever, her political stance as strong and unequivocal as ever. I listen to this album over and over with great appreciation. The arrangements are first-rate. The songs are selected with preternatural intuition. Thank you, Joan, for this wonderful recording.

Best tracks are: "Reunion Hill," "Crack In The Mirror,"
"February," "Fishing," Listen Listen Listen "If I Wrote You," "Who Do You Think I Am," Listen Listen and "Mercy Bound"

It surprised me how talented Joan Baez is. It seems her work now is the best work she has done. She is a great example of a musician who is evolving as she matures in life. This CD is a wonderful surprise, and I now count myself as a gigantic Baez fan. The Richard Shindell songs and "February" from Dar Williams are extremely well done. :)

What I like about this recording is that it shows Joan's genius as a songwriter. Granted, it is different than her earlier material, but since when did an artist have to produce the same type of music over the period of time that her music has affected so many people? And since when did we expect that from other artists?

I loved the instrumentals on every track. The lyrics are great. And most importantly, I find listening to it not only relaxing but also inspiring.

So why is music like this out of print? I find it especially frustrating in this day of everything being available from sellers who make downloads available.