Sunday Music: The Best of Joan Baez
May. 27th, 2012 03:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stoutfellowAlbum Title: The Best of Joan Baez
Why I Bought It: For "Diamonds and Rust", mainly.
What I Like (Don't Look Back): "Diamonds and Rust". Just a wonderful song, recognizing a) what we had is wonderful but b) it's over. "You're telling me you're not nostalgic / Then gimme another word for it / You who're so good with words..."
What I Like (Thanks): "Gracias a la Vida". The full opening is "Gracias a la vida / Que me ha dado tanto"; the rest of the song names what-all "tanto" covers. I have a soft spot for songs like this; see also Janis Ian's "Thankyous".
What I Like (Best Wishes): "Forever Young". A song of blessing.
What I Don't Like (Goofs): "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down". Two negative points. 1) Toward the end, encouraging the audience to sing along with the chorus, she calls out "Follow the bouncing arm!" Just no. 2) More geekily: she sings "Till Stonewall's cavalry came and tore up the tracks again". For one thing, Stonewall (Jackson) was an infantry officer; for another, he sure as hell wouldn't be tearing up tracks in Confederate territory. It wasn't until I heard The Band's version that I realized the correct name was Stoneman - right army, right arm.
What I Don't Like (Funny Voice): "Simple Twist of Fate". For some reason, she puts on a husky pseudo-Dylan voice for this one; it just doesn't work for me.
Overall: There's some good stuff here; besides the WIL songs above, there's "Please Come to Boston", the slightly silly "Children and All That Jazz", and "Sweeter for Me". But I've never much liked "Imagine", and "Prison Trilogy" is too heavy-handed. I suspect I liked it better in the '70s than I do now.
Why I Bought It: For "Diamonds and Rust", mainly.
What I Like (Don't Look Back): "Diamonds and Rust". Just a wonderful song, recognizing a) what we had is wonderful but b) it's over. "You're telling me you're not nostalgic / Then gimme another word for it / You who're so good with words..."
What I Like (Thanks): "Gracias a la Vida". The full opening is "Gracias a la vida / Que me ha dado tanto"; the rest of the song names what-all "tanto" covers. I have a soft spot for songs like this; see also Janis Ian's "Thankyous".
What I Like (Best Wishes): "Forever Young". A song of blessing.
What I Don't Like (Goofs): "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down". Two negative points. 1) Toward the end, encouraging the audience to sing along with the chorus, she calls out "Follow the bouncing arm!" Just no. 2) More geekily: she sings "Till Stonewall's cavalry came and tore up the tracks again". For one thing, Stonewall (Jackson) was an infantry officer; for another, he sure as hell wouldn't be tearing up tracks in Confederate territory. It wasn't until I heard The Band's version that I realized the correct name was Stoneman - right army, right arm.
What I Don't Like (Funny Voice): "Simple Twist of Fate". For some reason, she puts on a husky pseudo-Dylan voice for this one; it just doesn't work for me.
Overall: There's some good stuff here; besides the WIL songs above, there's "Please Come to Boston", the slightly silly "Children and All That Jazz", and "Sweeter for Me". But I've never much liked "Imagine", and "Prison Trilogy" is too heavy-handed. I suspect I liked it better in the '70s than I do now.
