To appreciate Joan Baez, this is the place to start. To understand Joan Baez, any of her early albums will do. It was a rare release where she took a break from her political agenda and the results were some of the best of her career. She reaches back in time for a wonderful medley of “ I Dream Of Jeannie/Danny Boy.” She even manages to pull off the Allman Brothers tune “Blue Sky.”ĭiamonds & Rust is an album of depth and conviction. She mimics Dylan perfectly on “Simple Twist Of Fate.” Her own compositions, “Children and All That Jazz” and “Winds Of Old Days,” continue to demonstrate just how good a songwriter she can be when she puts her mind to it. Her take of Jackson Browne’s “Fountain Of Sorrow” is impeccable. The album covered songs written or played by Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, The Allman Brothers, Jackson Browne and John Prine. There are a number of other delights to be found here. Diamonds & Rust is the sixteenth studio album (and eighteenth overall) by American singer-songwriter Joan Baez, released in 1975. Her poignant imagery is so clear I can virtually see her cold breath hanging in the air. It revolves around a phone call from an old lover which takes her ten years back in time. Her title track is practically worth the price of the album alone. Joan Baez was mainly an interpreter of other artists' compositions but here she stepped forward and wrote four of the tracks herself. Its beauty and intimacy makes it an album I still play with a degree of regularity. None of these releases would be as good as the 1975 album which preceded them.ĭiamonds & Rust is not only the best album in her vast catalogue but remains one of the better folk-oriented releases of the decade. The live From Every Stage, Gulf Winds, Blowin’ Away, and Honest Lullaby all had strong points as they fused pop and folk music. The mid to late '70s would find her releasing a series of excellent and well received albums. Her angelic and clear soprano vocals remained a formidable instrument. What did remain was one of the purest voices in music. As the '70s progressed her sound became slicker and more polished. Her '60s material revolved around traditional folk songs. She has constantly crisscrossed the nation in support of civil rights, her anti-war beliefs, and environmental issues. Today she is also known for her relentless social activism. She performed at Woodstock and is still active over a half century into her career. She would help introduce Bob Dylan to the world through the interpretation of many of his songs. 2, and Joan Baez In Concert all received gold record awards for sales. Her first three albums, Joan Baez, Joan Baez Vol. She burst upon the national scene as a result of her performance at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival. Joan Baez was a seminal figure during the early '60s folk revival movement in the United States.
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