Bowery Songs - 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... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Jeff's very early stuff, Some classics before they became finished, A hitoric looks at Jeff's past
Disadvantages: Some songs really are demo quality

...layered vocals, as seen in the final release, and yet this song should hold a place in most Buckley fan's hearts as it shows a step in the evolution of "Grace" and Buckley as a musician. 10/10 Another song from Buckley's "Future" pop's up as track 6, Satisfied mind, The song written by Joe Hayes and Jack Rhodes, and has been sang by people from Bob Dylan to Bob MCCarthy, to Joan Baez to Johnny Cash. Buckley often performed the song as a solo but on this recording he is accompanied by Bill Frisell (the only track on the CD not containing Gary Lucas). This, like "Mojo pin" doesn't appear to have changed much looking back on it. It sounds just like it did many years later when it was played at Jeff's Memorial service. The vocals and guitar sound brilliant and it's a song that if you've heard Buckley perform it, you know what to expect. 10... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Some really good sounds here
Disadvantages: Only 14 tracks

...I dug this out of my dusty CD collection the other day, thinking 'I've not heard this for a while'. Listening to the CD again I couldn't figure out why it had been allowed to gather dust in the first place. It certainly won't do so again. I found it hard to believe that the album was from way back in the 90's (1990's honest!) So who's Joan Armatrading? She's a singer/songwriter is who she is. She came originally from St Kitts to the UK at the age of 7 apparently. She recorded her first album at the age of 21 (1973). Has performed with numerous backing artists of note, including Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. To date she has recorded 22 albums (including compilations. All songs on this compilation were written by Joan. OK, so what's on this CD? 1. Love and Affection Some wonderful guitar work backing... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful