The Best of the Vanguard Years

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Customer reviews

review by: Toypom date: 2005-10-19 rating:
Prominent songs from the Vanguard years
By no means all the greatest early songs, this compilation does include her hits and well-known album tracks from the 1960s and early 1970s. It focuses on the later Vanguard years when she moved into pop and rock. Four Dylan tracks are included plus her greatest commercial success, The Band's The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, a lilting melodious song about the civil war, her big hit from 1971. pFarewell Angelina from the album of the same name is another gem, and then there's the civil rights anthem We Shall Overcome. Other highlights include The Dangling Conversation (penned by Paul Simon), the bitter Love Is Just A Four Letter Word and the stirring There But For Fortune. Help Me Make It Through The Night and Let It Be must be two of the most covered compositions of all time and Baez renders them well. pThe album concludes with the evocative Brand New Tennessee Waltz, one of the most memorable songs from her repertoire. The Vanguard years encompassed many other great classics not represented here, such as Ate Amanha, Kumbaya, Long Black Veil, Gospel Ship, Satisfied Mind, and the awesome Lady Mary. That aside, this is a valuable collection and ideal for those wishing to investigate the 1960s/70s work of this folk legend.


review by: date: 2005-05-31 rating:
Carmina Crystallina
A brilliant collection of the best of her music from the twelve years that she recorded with Vanguard, the early era of her recording career. Here we have the pristine and crystal clear voice of Joan Baez eloquently and melodiously flowing over the golden pebbles of Bob Dylan's four tracks, namely It's all over now, Baby Blue (with immortal "Yonder stands your orphan with his gun"), Farewell Angelina, (a gem with the music and image-laden lyrics in perfect harmony), Love is just a four letter word, and the beautiful simplicity of I Pity the Poor Immigrant ( here the first couple lines lingers for long in one's auditory memory after the song is played). Other uplifting tracks include the evergreen The Night they drove Old Dixie down, Paul Simon's The Dangling Conversation, with its perceptive lyrics. Also I must mention her lovely rendition of the Kris Kristofferson classic Help me make it though the night and the Lennon-McCarthney Let it be. The determination of the under-dog comes though so clearly in We shall overcome, as does the grateful resignation of the gentle There but for Fortune. In fact every track in this collection is top class Baez, and it ends on a high with track fourteen the The Brand new Tennessee Waltz. It must get five stars if not a few more, especially considering its nice price at Amazon.

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