Customer Reviews

Joan Baez: Rare Live & Classic

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Where would you begin if you were trying to explain the impression Joan Baez made, and continues to make, on our musical consciousness? I start here. You can listen to hours of albums, which is a delightful prospect as far as I'm concerned, but on the other hand, this collection truly encapsulates Joan's career. The three categories (rare, live, classic) are all represented. For those who want her best, it's here, too. The live performances are unusual, sometimes amusing, and always fresh, like "Mama, You Been on My Mind," a duet with Bob Dylan. Her amazing rendition of "Scarlet Ribbons," which opens the collection, is the perfect example of how she has always been able to find an interpretation that makes it seem as though we had never heard the song before. Her performance of "Joe Hill" deserves another whole generation in these times. The collection also includes little-known artists like Jeffrey Shurtleff, who performed with her for years. Several songs that she composed are also featured, like "Diamonds and Rust," which continues to be played on radio stations today. There's also my personal Dylan favorite, the archetypal Sixties anti-war ballad, "With God on Our Side." In the category of "rare" one must also include a trio performance with her sister Mimi Farina and Judy Collins, "Legend of a Girl Child Linda." The album also includes no less than fifteen previously-unreleased performances, enough to constitute a new album in themselves. For those who know Joan Baez only as an "influence" from the Sixties on today's female vocalists, this collection brings Joan's huge talent and continuing integrity into the clearest possible focus.

This extradordinarily complete box-set contains Joan Baez songs you've never heard of, never knew existed, never dreamed of! A live performance with the fabulous Odetta. Live performances with Bob Dylan, with Donovan. Early singing from before she was famous. Later songs that sound like they ought to be famous, yet you've never heard them before! And plenty of standard Joan Baez "must haves" like "Blessed Are ..."

This is the box set for people who are SERIOUS about Joan Baez. Once you have this massive collection, you can safely call yourself a fan. Other people who say "I like her too" will feel like oafs when they find out how much more comprehensive your collection is. They'll DROOL over the live performances you own.

This isn't the right thing to buy if you're new to Joan Baez. Not only is it a tad expensive for a newcomer, but it's also a little TOO comprehensive for someone who just wants the gist of her. There are some great songs ... and some "not so great" songs that are only interesting to fans because of their biographical/career-span significance. A new fan would have to wade through some songs she didn't really like in order to find the gems.

But for a die-hard fan ... this collection is the one that separates you from the riff-raff! A lot of this stuff, you CANNOT FIND anywhere else. The more you know about Joan's career, the more you'll appreciate some of these very rare finds!

A very serious collection.

I've had this CD set for about a year now and I'm trying to wear it out. There is so much classic original material in here that it warms my heart. As a long time Joan Baez fan, like from day one when I saw her at Newport as a teenger in the 50's right up until today, this CD set brings me joy. I've worn out many original vinyl LP's of Joan's work and this remastered CD collection restored what I had lost. My only wish is that there would have been some stuff from her "Come From The Shadows" LP which can no longer be found anywhere in the world as far as I know. One of the greatest songs she ever sang was on that LP. It was titled "The Partisan" and revealed great emotion on Joan's part, a quality that makes her music live forever in the hearts of her fans.

"Rare, Live and Classic" is a "must have" for any true Joan Baez fan as far as I'm concerned. Even though it's a bit pricey the packaging and the enclosed book of rare photos and Joan's thoughts on the songs makes it a fantastic value worth every penny and then some.

I bought this CD after I saw Joan Baez in Concert in Salt Lake City. I admit I didn't know most of the songs on the 3 CDs, but I was blown away. There wasn't ONE that I didn't like. They were all amazing. Most of them had never before been released. Rare live perfomances and duets. And Joan wrote something about every song. Either something about the time period, the circumstances surrounding the song/performance, or just some peice of trivia that you wouldn't find anywhere else. It's a rare and precious collection, indeed. Joan is in fine form and this is a WONDERFUL collection of her magnificent 40 year musical career.

I consider myself pretty-close to a die-hard Baez fan, but agreed wholeheartedly with the amazon.com review of this album. There is some terrific stuff here, including all of her classics. Some of the "rare" and "live" material was previously unreleased for good reason - they aren't Joan at her best or the recording quality is lacking. If you're truly a die-hard fan and need everything she's ever recorded, then you need this and may be thrilled with it. If you're not, go for some of her other, more-consistly wonderful CDs.

If you don't like Joan, so be it. But if you appreciate the mind-blowing beauty and clearness of her voice, this is the collection of her songs you must get.

And, can an album that starts with 'Scarlet Ribbons' even be less than perfect?

For any Joan Baez fan, you can't do better than this collection. It spans her career and includes songs, including duets, that are impossible to find elsewhere. You can hear her voice maturing through the years that the CDs cover, and experience the range of her musical interests.