Best Of Joan Baez, The - Joan Baez

Advantages: Expressive and emotive folk songs. Sung from the heart.
Disadvantages: The cover is unispiring and does not reflect the album's intent..

...Joan Baez is renowned as an American folk singer and political activist and I have admired both her musical ability and ideals since I first discovered her work in the 1960s. Baez began singing traditional folk songs in the coffee houses of Cambridge, Massachusetts and went on to perform some of her own compositions as her popularity grew. Baez was the first folk singer to take the genre into the best-selling charts. She has continued to champion folk music and in this album, “Gone from Danger” first released in 1997 on the Capitol Artists label, she highlights the work of the newer folk songwriters Dar Williams, Sinead Lohan, Richard Shindell and Betty Elders. The album was re-released on the Grapevine label (my copy) in 1999 and on the Castle Music label in 2004. The album can be purchased for as little as £4.99 and is available from... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Light. But heavy.
Disadvantages: Too many cover versions

...A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO LED ZEPPELIN It's 1968 - ace session musos Jimmy Page (guitar) and John Paul Jones (bass), at the time the two finest exponents of either instrument - find themselves needing a drummer and singer to form group to complete contractual obligation tour as the New Yardbirds. Enter black country rockers Robert Plant (vocals) and John Bonham (drums) and voila!! Led Zeppelin are born. The most important British group of the late 20th century retire to London to record their debut album, in stereo nonetheless. THE ALBUM........ Genuine Zepp classic Good Times Bad Times gets the ball rolling, blues/rock until the bridge, "ah suck!" and then Jimmy goes off on what would be his trademark; on of those 1000 note solos. My personal favourite off this album, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (cover of a Joan Baez original... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Classic
Disadvantages:

...The first album was recorded in less than 30 hours just a few weeks after Led Zep's formation. This album contains a old song named "Dazed & Confused" which starts of as a ballad blues number and becomes fused with metal riffs, a classic song. "Dazed & Confused" and "How Many More Times" were leftovers from Page's last days with the Yardbirds. "Good Times Bad Times" combines funk with rock and was created alongside "Communications Breakdown" from their initial rehearsals. "Black Mountain Side" was based on folk guitarist Bert Jansch's Black Water Side. "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" starts of as a ballad but progresses into a heavy rock track ,they were before their time on this one and the ending sounds like Bohemian Rhapsody. This number was borrowed from a Joan Baez album. "You Shook Me" is a classic blues cover of a Willie Dixon & JB... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average not helpful