Customer Reviews

Joan

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4 star:		(2)
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No one lit a brighter candle to illuminate the sixties folk scene than Joan Baez, the original Madonna of Folk. While this album was released after she was a well-established force in contemporary music, it serves as a reminder of the breadth and depth of her vocal and musical gifts. From the opening "Be Not Too Hard", a reworking of fellow folksinger Donovan Leitch's song about the nature of human frailties and our common suffering, a somber and serious mood prevails. One does well to remember this album was recorded while the Vietnam war was raging, and the theme of anti-war protest fills the songs. Therefore, whether it be her own ironic composition of "Saigon Bride", a new version of the traditional "La Colombe" by Jacques Brel, or the absolutely magical interpretation of her late brother in law Richard Farina's "Children of Darkness", this album shines with an illuminating purpose; to forward the notion of peaceful coexistence and to debunk all the traditional arguments for participation of the common man in war.

Yet the album is more than a broadside against the war. It is a snapshot of a mystical countercultural moment, a brief period of time in which millions of young Americans and Europeans hoped for a better and more meaningful world, one in which the old ideals of peace, love, and common brotherhood were more than election slogans. Thus songs such as Tim Hardin's "If I Was A Carpenter" is masterfully reinterpreted, as is Paul Simon's "Dangling Conversation". She also does a lovely job covering Lennon and MacCartney's "Eleanor Rigby". This is a truly terrific album, one that I am glad is available on CD now. After listening to it a few times to get the full benefit of its subtle orchestration and clever lyrics and melodies, I am sure it will quickly become one of your favorites, too. Enjoy

This is a magnificent CD and one of her finest efforts. The music is glorious and her voice, well... Joan is Joan. What more need I say.

As one other reviewer noted, the orchestration does need getting used to, particularly if one is used to hearing Joan Baez accompanied only by a strumming guitar. Once the listener gets used to hearing music other than that of a guitar accompanying her, the listener will fully appreciate this glorious CD.

There is not one bad track on this CD. It is a wonderful blend of the traditional, the contemporary, and the political. Moreover, the fact that she sings two beloved Tim Hardin tunes "If I Were a Carpenter" and "Lady Came from Baltimore", is an added bonus. She does Tim Hardin proud with her rendition, as she does Paul Simon with her superb version of "Dangling Conversation". Fans of The Beatles are also in for a treat with her rendition of "Eleanor Rigby".

Edgar Allen Poe's "Annabel Lee", put to music and sung by Joan, is absolutely haunting and one of the best tracks on the CD. Its poetic beauty comes to life, as she sings. She also exquisitely sings "Saigon Bride", one of the most moving anti-Vietnam war songs of its time. This song is sure to tug at the listener's heart strings, as it is lyrically moving and melodically engaging.

This is a CD all Baez fans should have.

This collection of VERY heavily orchestrated covers takes a little getting used to, but once the listener has adjusted their mindset (no, it's not the Beatles singing "Eleanor Rigby", it's Joan, backed by a symphony orchestra) it becomes apparent how beautiful these recordings really are. Joan's painfully lovely version of Tim Hardin's "If I Were a Carpenter", and her majestic reading of Richard Farina's "Children of Darkness" are standout cuts. A little top-heavy in places, and probably not recommended to new or casual fans as a first purchase, but some great musical moments, and a wonderful attempt by Baez to "branch out". She'd pretty much exhausted the standard voice/guitar folksong format by 1967, and was looking to try something a little different, and that's exactly what she did. Special mention should also be made of conductor/arranger Peter Shickele.

The songs on this album have haunted my memory since I first knew it as a child. My own favorite is Annabel Lee - a haunting setting of the Edgar Allen Poe poem by, of all people, Peter Schickele of PDQ Bach fame (who did most of the excellent orchestration on the album), which deserves performance in the best opera house imaginable. It is difficult to understand why the album is poorly known. The other tracks are also memorable, in particular the anti-war Saigon Bride and Donovan's dreamy Turquoise.

Joan Baez, apart from having a lovely voice, also has good taste in what music she chooses to sing: not only does she sample the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" and Simon and Garfunkel's "Dangling Conversation," she also comes through with many beautiful, original melodies.

This CD is worth buying simply for the song, "Children of Darkness." I heard this tune and instantly fell in love with it: Joan's voice fits the feel of the song perfectly, and the instrumental backround is simply fantastic.

The music of Joan Baez and her renditions of other folk music artists of her time, including Bob Dylan, brings back sounds and ideas of a generation whose music continues to inspire, remind, and focus on people and the world. Joan sings with a style quite unlike the sounds of today and it is the uniqueness of her voice that makes at least one Joan Baez album or cd a MUST HAVE for those who want to know where many present-day music artists gained experience, inspiration, and enthusiasm. Many people will recognize the songs of a previous generation and enjoy the voice of a true folk artist.