Customer Reviews

Maids & Golden Apples

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

 

 

It is a pleasure to listen to this album once again and to realize that Judy Collins' musical success has been based all along on her solid musical roots and training.

The songs on this CD, which remasters and transfers her first two albums (with a short bonus song, recorded later), are, with one or two exceptions, traditional folk material, sung in a strong, occasionally chesty alto voice that might surprise listeners used to the higher, lighter soprano heard on her later, folk-rock and pop albums. From the beginning, though, Collins had an ear for quality material--these folk songs hold up well after four decades, and at least one of the composed numbers, Ewan McColl's bitter anti-death penalty ballad "Tim Evans," has lost none of its bite or relevance, especially here in Texas.

Other highlights for me include rousing versions of venerable tunes such as "Fannerio" and the gospel-tinged "Twelve Gates to the City." The guitar playing throughout is superb, both from Collins herself and her collaborating musicians. As the notes to the album itself concede, the remastering of the analog original reveals some deficiencies in the original recording--also, the increased clarity exposes some sloppy tuning that was not so apparent on LP. Still, this is a CD that will provide much pleasure to those who remember Judy Collins' beginnings with fondness.

When a young artist names her first two albums not "Judy" or "Collins" but "A Maid Of Constant Sorrow" and "Golden Apples Of The Sun",you know she takes herself seriously.Originaly released in 1961. and 1962. their names were all I knew until I saw this CD recently."Who will buy this?" I wondered just to see the only copy snatched right in front of me.The comparisons with first two Baez albums are inevitable (some songs were recorded by both) althought Collins shows much more passion and involment where Baez seemingly seduces herself with the beauty of her voice.On these early albums Collins is frighteningly devoted keeper of the flame and her repertoire is almost exclusively traditional - which means not only ethereal beauty but also a certain (to some ears,overpowering) seriousness,cleverly mellowed by inclusion of joyous "O Daddy Be Gay",a cousin to her "Grandfather" recorded years later.Althought I honestly love these songs and listen only this CD for days,these early albums are today much more significant as seeds of Collins later trademarks (voice will soar much higher in the future,she slipped W.B.Yeats into traditional folk collection just to later blossom into first-rate art-pop singer) and as they were product of their Greenwich Village times,they may sound a bit dated to some modern ears.But they are still hauntingly beautiful to me,I waited their re-release for too long.

Thanks to Judy Collins and Wildflower Records for liberating these wonderful recordings. While I have loved many of her later efforts (and disliked a few others), Ms. Collins' early albums have always remained among my very favorites. I had become concerned that they would never be released as CDs and have been obsessively guarding my vinyl copies.

While Judy never had the purest folk voice or most authentic provenance for her songs, she was still the most compelling folk singer of the sixties. In listening to these wonderful songs again, I was reminded that her ability to project emotion through a recording was just magnificent.

For Judy Collins fans, these are a great chance to hear her fresh and direct. For folk revival fans, they are absolute treasures.

So let's have the other two lost abums!

Thanks to Judy Collins and Wildflower Records for liberating these wonderful recordings. While I have loved many of her later efforts (and disliked a few others), Ms. Collins' early albums have always remained among my very favorites. I had become concerned that they would never be released as CDs and have been obsessively guarding my vinyl copies.

While Judy never had the purest folk voice or most authentic provenance for her songs, she was still the most compelling folk singer of the sixties. In listening to these wonderful songs again, I was reminded that her ability to project emotion through a recording was just magnificent.

For Judy Collins fans, these are a great chance to hear her fresh and direct. For folk revival fans, they are absolute treasures.

So let's have the other two lost abums!

This import CD reissues the first two Judy Collins albums from the early 1960s when she was singing traditional folk material with her crystal pure soprano voice accompanied by acoustic guitar. Collins had been trained as a classical pianist and when she turned to folk music she brought along the sensibilities of a classicist as she became one of the main interpreters of folk songs in the Sixties (choosing between Collins and Joan Baez as your personal favorite was the question of the day, not that you could go wrong with either selection).

"A Maid of Constant Sorrow" was released in 1961 and listening to it will surprise her fans because this is not the Judy Collins they are used to hearing. In retrospect it is clear that Collins is still learning how to use her voice to her advantage; she tends to stay more in her lower register at this point and the glorious high notes we associate with her singing is seen only in spots (e.g., "Wild Mountain Thyme"). But even in these early days there are some nice little gems, such as "The Pickilie Bush," "Tim Evans," and especially "John Riley." I especially liked her sea shanty "Sailor's Life," where her youthful enthusiasm helps carry the song along.

Her 1962 release "Golden Apples of the Sun" shows significantly more confidence as a singer. What is interesting to me is the obscurity of these traditional folk songs, although she does branch out into some other genres, such as gospel with "Twelve Gates to the City." The best tracks on this second album would be the title song, the ballad "Fannerio," and "Crow on the Cradle." Note: Spike Lee's father, Bill Lee, plays bass on this album.

These two albums are more of historical interest at this point, because you are not going to find them to be quintessential Judy Collins. However, if you remember the times you can appreciate that this was a period when folk music did not mean commercially viable songs but more "authentic" music. The bottom line is that fans of that voice are going to appreciate hearing it at the beginning of one of the celebrate careers in folk music.

This is where it all began, about 45 years ago, when a graduate of East High School in Denver burst upon the "Folk" music scene with the most glorious voice and most marvelous selection of early and current folk tale music thst I have ever heard. Unabashedly I must admit that her songs, some of which are represented here, evolved me from a snobbish, conservative Republican to a humanistic, compassionate man whose major mission in life ws to help others.

Not much to add to the excellent reviews on this board other than if you enjoy folk music or are a judy collins fan then you must own these two albums!

Judy Collins / Maids & Golden Apples (Wallflower): Judy has never made a bad album. This CD gives us her first two albums from 1961 and 1962. These contain collections of classic folk songs and Judy does a very good job of singing them (as you would expect). These albums are certainly the beginning of her career and they show the beauty of her voice but also the need for her to stretch beyond the standard folk songbook. It was after these wonderful albums that she began to add the new songs of her contemporaries and in doing so, she added strength and conviction to her recordings.

..look no further. This is golden era Judy Collins. A nice voice accompanied by an acoustic. Often reminds me of Joni Mitchell's Ladies of the Canyon, which was released in 1970 and has beautiful meloncholy acoustic folk tunes comparable to this one, although this one is earlier (1961 and '62). If you like folk music, you can't go wrong here. I'm not even much of a Judy Collins fan, but this is her before she's made a name for herself. Another good folk recording long out of print and recently reissued is the Simon Sisters "Winkin, Blinkin' and Nod" from 1963, also made long before anyone had heard of Carly Simon. This is incredible music history here. Many of the tunes on Golden Apples (from the Yeats poem "The Golden Apples of the Sun, the Silver Apples of the Moon) are like traditional Irish ballads guaranteed to make you weep. Have fun.

PS - also worth checking out from this era ('62) is blues/folk guitarist Dave Van Ronk (can't go wrong with CD "Inside Dave Van Ronk"). In a different vein though still poetry and guitar, albeit rock n roll, Gerry Rafferty is a discovery - recommend "Can I Have My Money Back", 1970 (there's a 2-for-1 which includes "The New Humblebums" - also great).

Many years ago, I owned both of these LP records. It is GREAT to see them re-issued on CD. The first four recordings are perhaps the very best from Judys' "folk period". (see my review of 3 & 4)
There are some minor technical problems on the first record (not bad, but noticeable), no doubt due to the age of the original tape. If you are a fan of folk-era music, this CD is a must !