Customer Reviews

Judy Collins 3 & 4

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Judy Collins' "#3" album was one of my favorite records growing up. I hadn't heard it for a long time and had eagerly awaited this re-release, at the same being a bit nervous in case it didn't live up to my rose-colored memories. I needn't have worried. Although Collins would go on to a long and distinguished career of notable musical eclecticism, in some ways she never surpassed the performances on both these discs, particularly in sheer vocal freshness and beauty. Already she is aiming for a higher, lighter sound than on her first two albums and the results are now available again for all to hear--the arching vocalise at the beginning and end of "Anathea" must be as gorgeous a thing as she's ever sung. Indeed, the sheer magnetism of her sound leavens what on the whole is a pretty intense and serious program, with grim, in-your-face anti-war tracts ("Masters of War," "The Dove") rubbing shoulders with protest songs whose message is in no wise veiled by their tunefulness ("Deportee," "The Bells of Rhymney"), with folk-style homages to classic images of oppressed and abandoned women thrown in ("Anathea," "Ten O'Clock All is Well," and the chilling "In the Hills of Shiloh," about a backwoods Miss Havisham character). The sweetness of Bob Dylan's "Farewell" and Pete Seeger's "Turn, Turn , Turn" is a masterly contrast to these topical songs which seem not to have dated at all.

"The Judy Collins Concert," documenting her first Town Hall recital in 1964, being a live recording, is naturally less vocally polished, but the electricity of the occasion evokes an intensity in Collins' singing which is ample compensation. Here as on "#3" is superb material: the haunting "Winter Sky," the irresistible "Tear Down the Walls" and her version of the traditional ballad "Cruel Mother" are highlights. Though the remastered sound reveals some distortion on both albums, the wonderful playing of her assisting artists, Jim McGuinn and Bill Takas on "#3," Steve Mandell and Chuck Israels on "Concert," can now be more fully appreciated.

For the past ten years, I've been bemoaning the lack of Judy Collins early catalog on CD. Her first four recordings were unavailable for many years, and from what I gathered, hadn't ever been available on cassette. With the release of "Maids and Golden Apples" in 2001 and this new recording, the problem has finally been fixed. I am familiar with all the songs due to combing the record stores for so many years but on CD, they sound even better. Collins has a powerful voice in these early songs and has never sounded better. It's an improvement that this time around the albums have been separated into two different CDs; "Maids and Golden Apples" had a few too many songs to comfortably fit on one disc. I thank the people at Wildflower Records for getting these out, and for Elektra for releasing them from their vaults. The world is in need of some good folk music right now, and this CD fills the void. God Bless Judy.

The release of "Judy Collins #3" and "The Judy Collins Concert" (referred to as #4) on CD finally completes the release on CD of her entire Elektra album catalog, although some of her later albums for Elektra have gone out-of-print on CD...

This 2-CD set contains the complete albums on separate discs, but contains no bonus tracks. This differs from the recent release on CD of "Maids and Golden Apples," her first two albums (which were both put on a single disc with one newly-recorded bonus track).

Liner notes are nice here, with new notes by Judy Collins, along with the original album notes and complete lyrics. Unfortunately, the original album covers aren't reproduced in a large size; we only see them as thumbnail-size in the packaging, with 1/2 of each album cover used as the front cover of the booklet.

The remastering on this set is very nice; the songs are bright and clear with very little hiss and distortion.

Judy Collins 3 and 4 is the 9th album in my collection of Judy Collins music. I heard about it when I saw her in concert in April 2004. Both CD's are great listens because they not only showcase the many colors of Judy's voice but also her guitar playing which is always great to listen to. I enjoy the songs in The Judy Collins Concert because so many of them fall into the category of "protest music." They are all very meaningful and tell wonderful stories. Songs like Tear Down the walls,The Loansome Death of Hattie Carol,and Medgar Ever Lullaby really make you think of times long gone and how far we've come in society.

I have owned the third Judy Collins record since it first came out, and it has been played to death! Several years ago, I attempted a transfer of my well-worn record to CD with moderate success (spent many hours removing scratch clicks manually, when my disk clean-up software failed to do a decent job). It is really nice to have a "clean" copy of this record re-issued on CD from the master tapes. The Concert disk is a real bonus, that I somehow missed in the 60's. Two great albums from Judys' "folk period". Very nice transfer from the tapes!
(see my other reviews for more early Elektra folk gems)

This 2-CD set is a prime example of folk music at its best. The audio quality is great and there are many songs I enjoy. Some of my favorites include, "The Dove," and "Masters of war." However, my favorite part is the live CD where the audience was included in a couple of songs. Any acoustic folk fan should get this recording.

As a kid growing up with older sisters and a brother who were into popular music,listening to and singing with these classic tunes sung by the very young Judy Collins came way before doing the same with the Beatles. This music was at the heart of the cultural movements back then, both social and political. Hearing it again has been a real treat. Any student of any kind of music should definitely listen to these songs, especially with the recent popularization of Dylan's "Masters of War" sung by The Staple Singers. Give a listen to this version!

This is Judy Collins at her finest. With her clear and true voice, she is able to express all the emotion the selected songs deserve. Did I know most of the songs on this CD? No. Still with one playing, the album became one of my favorites. These songs, sung so beautifully, bring to mind the real focus of many songs during the hey-day of the folk song era - an effort to bring the causes of social injustice to those who are listening.