Reviews (page 5 of 7)
I'm not sure I finished the album. I probably fell asleep. Having said that, those are still beautiful ballads.
A beautiful listen through. An amazing voice and some fantastic tale-esque lyrics. Will be coming back to listen to more of Joan Baez
Not really my jam, but Joan has an incredible voice.
Such a lovely voice. 3/5
Not bad, but I’ve never been a fan of her voice.
songwriter二连说是
Solid folk album. I don't really have anything meaningful to say about it.
3.5/5
She has a fantastic voice, loved this
This is some good folk music. She has a really nice voice. I was already familiar with House of the Rising Sun (Animals) and John Riley (Byrds) which were done later, but Joan's versions were good too. These are almost all traditional songs which surprised me a little bit because she really owns them and makes them her own.
Coincidences abound! Just yesterday I was watching an episode of Six Feet Under and the mom brought up Joan Baez. So when she came up on this playlist... I was excited! On the one hand, she's a master of song craft and subtlety. Every song feels like a message of love from the feminine divine. It touches you in the heart. But I also had the flip side of the experience I did with Beastie Boys. There, every song was shouted at full volume. Here, every song was crooned with lullaby softness. I didn't need her to ever rock out. But it did get a little tiring hearing every song done EXACTLY the same way. All the same, this was great, and I get it now why the mom on Six Feet Under loves her so much.
Good relaxing or homework music, I bet she blew a lot of people’s minds when she came on the scene
6/10
Jolie voix, mélodies très harmonieuses. Mais j'ai un peu l'impression d'entendre la même chanson qui continue d'une piste à l'autre
3.5
Had its moments
Decent. Not quite my thing but still enjoyable. I just realized that Silver Dagger is an old folk song. I’ve heard a version of that song before performed by someone else.
Joan Baez has a powerful voice, and a beautiful voice. I just found these stark arrangements fairly boring and the fact that each song was just vocals and acoustic guitar made them run together. So so, but I might need to listen to more of her, if the songs are more interesting.
She's a bit of a crooner but it didn't bother me. Just a perfectly pleasant album to listen to. 3.5
I can appreciate that Joan Baez is important as a recording of American Folk, and that it’s an impressive musical achievement in and of itself, but I have a really hard time enjoying this because I don’t like Joan Baez’s voice. The shrill head voice vibrato thing she does in El Preso Numero Nueve is especially grating. If it were just based on importance this should be a five, but I’m not feeling generous today. Sorry Joan, three stars for you
A good listen
This is a traditional folk song album by a folk singer. Baez has an exceptional voice; if you like that genre, this is an excellent album. I can listen to folk occasionally if I'm in the right mood. Somehow the publishing company botched the digitizing. The center is shifted to the right, but her voice occasionally shifts back to the center for short periods. It's extreme on Apple Music, but I also checked YouTube, where it was also noticeable, and I also tried different earphones.
Another fun female folk album, we are eating good in the sense that we haven't gotten any cringe or UK type albums in what feels like a week. I know I am jinxing myself by typing this out but it needs to be said. There are some good albums in this list.
Really need to be in the right mood for this. I tried a few times to like this, but ultimately I found that I could only respect it. I’m sure this was the cats meow in the late 50s and early 60s when people were still into big band and standards, I’m sure it sounded revolutionary. Now though it’s more like a Starbucks soundtrack, which is kind of sad to think about. This collection also feels incredibly long, not a lot of variation across the roughly 1 hour and 16 songs. With that said I respect its merit as a strong example of folk and the influence it’s had on succeeding generations.
She's not bad but I don't really like her singing if that makes sense
Enjoyed
She’s got a nice voice, but nothing I would listen to again
a folk album that's guitar and voice only, you can't get more simpler than that. the songs are not original but up to centuries-old folk songs that make up the roud index. the songs are rather lovely, but baez's voice makes it fall a little flat for me. i feel rude for saying that, but her shaky and operatic voice, while initially sweet sounding, almost sounding like a disney princess at times, eventually gets a little grating on the ears. she can absolutely sing, but it's just not the kind of voice style that i would listen to for long.
5/10 Wake up, its some folk music 7-26-2024
Beautiful voice, however the vibrato gets too much after 30 mins and 7 songs later. I understand why so many love her.
This was a strange listen. Great voice and feeling behind it but it almost felt like it eventually didn't go anywhere. I didn't dislike songs but I don't think I'd want to listen to the entire album again. Makes sense to be on the list.
Almost haunting voice. It's a woman and a guitar. She does that well. I'm not a fan of her version of Wildwood Flower.
First impression of this album - what if Bob Dylan had a little bit more feminine voice? It really reminded me of his early music, which I guess is a good thing. I don't know much about her history, I just read a bit of her wikipedia page, but music is pretty decent, probably more prominent back in the 60s than now. Just an okay album.
Solid.
Plenty of warbling. Too much warbling to be honest. Cant argue that her voice is incredible and also really irritating! Felt like I should have been sat at a small local folk festival at Sun Down pretending to enjoy a local pint of ‘proper’ cider when I’m really just concerned that it’s stripping all the lining from my stomach. 2.6
mér finnst þetta ekkert spes.
It’s ok
Not bad, not memorable
Some great oldies! Very iconic voice!
Красиво ли это? Да в целом да Понравилось ли мне это? Ну местами да Но не зацепило меня. Тяжело шло( А вот лайвом послушал бы Алкоальбом: абсент с сахаром и водичкой
Un ptit peu plate, la genèse de l’accent country gossant, peut-être
Powerful singer, only okay songs
I know a little bit about Joan Baez, but other than her version of "Blowin' in the Wind," I can't recall ever having listened to her music. I'm not really big into folk music, but this album was pretty good. Joan Baez has an incredible voice, and she's able to put her own unique touch on each of these traditional folk songs. Even the songs that are traditionally from the point of view of man still carry an earnestness as Baez performs them. While I appreciate the vocal talent that's on display here, this album wasn't really easy for me to engage with, and the overall length of the album really wore on me. However, I really did love her version of "House of the Rising Sun." The Animals' version is one of my favorite songs from the sixties, but Baez's version is great in its own right as well. Even though I didn't love this album, I know this album is incredibly important in the context of music history, not only for launching Baez's career, but for its influence on folk music. The folk music of this era was the spark that lit the powder keg of the social revolution of the sixties, and it's overwhelming to think about all the music that evolved out of that folk era. This album earns its place on this list, but I understand that it's not going to land with everyone.
Great vocal control, sounded ethereal almost with how she sang, added in with the tender lyrics this is a beautiful album. 3.3
pleasant folk music
"In 2015, this album was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for inclusion in the National Recording Registry." OK. I guess Joan Baez was a pivotal figure in that famous sixties folk scene that also saw the likes of Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan emerge. And yet today, this record feels more like a "historical document" than a truly timeless record filled with legendary details and touches such as the ones released by... Bob Dylan. Including during his folk period. Oh, and it's an album of covers, of course (contrary to Dylan's usual output). Those are traditional folk tunes expertly and tastefully played for sure... But (mostly) everyone knows the art of truly "essential" albums should go beyond that. "Silver Daggers", "John Riley" and "Girl Of Constant Sorrow" (in the bonus tracks) are beautiful and evocative. The rest sounds a bit quaint and stilted, though. Including that cover of "House Of The Rising Sun", which has had better versions elsewhere... 3/5 for the purposes of this list of essential records. 8/10 for more general purposes. Number of albums left to review: more than 200, approximately - I've temporarily lost count here. Number of albums I'll include in my own list: half so far, approximately. Number of albums I *might* include: a quarter, approximately (including this one) Number of albums I'll never include: another quarter, or just a little more (many other albums are more important to me)
Heard this one years ago, remember it being nice. It's still just that - nice. Never reaches another level like the best folk music, but it does have several highlights and is consistently cool.
Whilst I very aware of Joan Baez I have never bought any of her music. I was always happy to hear her on the radio and when she came on randomly on streaming services. I cannot say that Joan has a voice I enjoy. A bit harsh and warbley for my taste but I cannot underestimate what she stands for in terms of her involvement in protest movements which sometimes comes out in her music. This album however as far as I can tell, is just traditional folk music where she began her career. What makes this album important for me is that Joan is retelling these folk tunes and keeping the songs alive and ensuring that they are passed from generation to generation. You do not need to like all of them but important to know that they exist and are part of musical history. A lot of the tunes are old English folk tunes. Although I am English I did not know many of them but learnt a lot about them simply by reading the wiki pages relating to the songs which increased my appreciation of them. 3/5 1/5/24
Nice folk tunes
Yeah, it's Joan Baez. Perfectly okay.
Folking folky folks.
I like the olde English ballades. However, Joan's voice was never my cup of tea in the genre. Too much head-voice & embellishment, though spot-on pitch. Hard to judge. I'm going with 3.
Baez is a very talented musician. Her vocals are impressive and pair well with the instrumentals. The album does sound very repetitive though, all the sounds blending into one continuous experience without much variety. I’m just not crazy for singer/songwriter.
Nice voice
Her voice is beautiful and some of the guitar playing is actually very good. I really like the darker songs. But as with so many albums it's way too long.
I couldn't name you one Joan Baez song before this. She has an incredible voice but it was a little too old folky for me. Loved her cover of "House of the Rising Sun" though!
Quite enjoyed this, very different to what I'd usually listen to and folky
This was a good listen on a wet, cold, spring day, and I'll gladly listen to it again, regardless of the weather.
I understand why you would want to preserve an album like this. All these traditional songs to be saved for posterity. But my enjoyment of this album is another matter
OK album, takes me way back, 3 stars
J'ai un peu de la difficulté à embarquer dans un album composé uniquement de pièces du répertoire traditionnel, mais la voix de Baez est tout simplement sublime. Malgré la simplicité de la musique, on ne se tanne pas de l'entendre. 7/10
Perfectly pleasant I suppose. Not going to rush back to it but I can definitely see the appeal. I might check out some more of her stuff in a bit.
Not my cup of tea genre-wise, but she does have a beautiful and strong voice that makes it a good listen anyways. I like the simplicity of the tracks using only some soft guitar, it allows her voice to really shine.
Before listening: I've heard of Joan Baez because I think my dad had a cassette. I knew she was a folk singer and it's a bit strange I'd never heard her songs because you better bet your ass I listen to the Mamas and Papas and Peter Paul and Mary and one of my favourite movies is Inside Llewyn Davis. After listening: I think this album is fine. Her voice was so nice and clear and I half expected her to start singing Senor Plow. But nothing about her songs particularly grabbed me. I think this deserves a relisten though and I hope there's more Baez on this list.
Very pleasant.
Um monte de música parece a mesma, mas o som é bom
hippies
Music best suited for walking through a field in Bethel, NY high on psychedelics.
I'm not really into late 50s/early 60s folk stuff. I enjoyed this album but it isn't quite my style. If you like this style, this is clearly good stuff.
Not bad but not really my taste
Really nice voice, the songs are very relaxing
It’s ok, not a big Joan Baez fan, but gave it a go.
Nice folk album, beautifully simple and profound at the same time. The vibrato in her voice became a bit much for me all at once but was better broken up around the errands I had. Definitely renaissance festival vibes. Nice chill listen
Very pretty voice. Not sure what on this was original there were a lot of folk songs or covers of other original works.
Not bad
Just so damn light and folksy and sparse
Den gamle engelske folk, det er sgu meget hyggeligt
I had no idea this counterculture figure started out in the 50s! I could see why she had such a large following, with such a pleasant, dreamy, youthful indie sound that was non-existent at this time. It's just Joan with an acoustic guitar covering traditional folk songs. It's simple and straightforward but very pretty. A bit long, some forgettable songs in the second half, and I find the quality of the songs to be based on how expressive her voice is and how she can match the emotion and storytelling of the lyrics which is above average. Favorites: Silver Dagger, Fare Thee Well, Wildwood Flower, Donna Donna
Toight
Bueno. Un poco monótono perro se deja escuchar!
Buena voz de intérprete americana. Con solo el acompañamiento de una guitarra. Un tanto plano, pero con algo de estilo y sentimiento
Joan Baez has an angelic voice. For me though she sounds the same in every song. Sorry, that's just me.
A beautiful overall sound, if a bit... puritan? I started craving some variation about two thirds of the way through. Inevitable game of 'how do I know this song,' as is always the case with folk. Standout tracks: Silver Dagger, Fare Thee Well, I Know You Rider.
Ok
Pretty standard folk album. Lovely vocals and a nice listen, but nothing I'm enamored with.
Really good vocalist surrounded by subpar music and man does the album get so receptive the longer you listen. Truly most of this score comes from the fact that I'd be hard pressed to name 10 singers better than her after listing to this. 6/10
Interesting mix of styles: some folk, some that sound like old Irish songs, etc. Also interesting to hear her take on House of the Rising Sun. And her song Girl of Constant Sorrow. Her singing has a little too much vibrato for my taste.
This is one of those 3-star ratings where about half the songs are 4's and half are 2's. On the quieter, more country-folk songs, I appreciate her singing, but on others it's just an overwhelming vibrato-fest.
Beautiful voice that at times obfuscates the darkness of the folk songs. Can hear the seeds of Joanna Newsom, Marie Sioux, and so many other contemporary artists I enjoy.
Her voice put me in a trance.
Beautiful and charming album, from wonderfully talented young artist. Not quite my cup of tea at length, but a brilliant album and clearly important historically.
Some voice. Most of the songs aren't my cup of tea but some I liked. The backing music is nice and gentle.
Didn't finish, what I heard was nice
Heel minimalistisch. Niet onmiddelijk mijn ding
Silver Dagger - okay normal folk. just a kind of sad love song (3/5 this really isn't my thing. i don't think i'm gonna like this) East Virginia - she has talent for sure. the vibrato is a lot for me (2/5 slow folk on acoustic) Fare Thee Well - a little more pick-me-up okay. (4/5 just for talent) House Of The Rising Sun - i guess this sounds a bit more blues. (3/5 i'm very bored of this) oh my god it was satire. two albums ago i just realized the artists are actually pretty cool. i just read it at surface level. i honestly am bored of this but there has been random pick-ups that go pretty hard for folk. i'm not really blown away but it was alright. O' Brother Where Art Thou???????? honestly a 3/5 wasn't that great but it was better near the end.
Pretty good, chill background music
What a voice...not my thing tho
Fantastic Folk album. Classic voice, though, after half an album wears on you a bit. I did not dig her cover of HoTRS. Absolutely a timeless folk artist and album.
If I could give it 3.5 stars, I would. For a folk album, this does not sound at all dated. Joan Baez is equal parts sweet and haunting, in her voice and in her guitar playing/arrangements. House of the Rising Sun and Rake and Rambling Boy were standouts.
Typical of the singer and style (or she led the way and it has become typical). Fine for what it is - trite and predictable. A three just because it's not actually bad.
Í gegnum grúsk á ýmiskonar tónlist hef ég vitað af Joan en aldrei prófað að hlusta á hana. Skemmtilega folky tónlist en mér fannst röddin hennar aðeins of hátt uppi til að ég gæti notið heillar plötu
I like the vibe. The vibrato is nice. Had a hard time hearing some lyrics cause of it though. Could be cause I couldn't hear over the water of my shower. Still good. 3.3
Pleasant but it didn't hold my interest.
A lot of traditionals and some folk skill combined. Very worth the short listen.
Joannn
Rating: 3.1
Interesting.. I like her voice and am surprised I haven't heard of her before!
Someone named their child Moonbeam or Iris flower after listening to this album.
A charming album highlighting the gentle power of Baez's singing and playing with House of the Rising Sun a real highlight.
Decent. Bod Dylan should take notes. Boring after about song 6 tho.
The Dark Souls of Joan Baez albums tbh
Nice vocals
Music how it must have sounded 500 years ago, how it'll lilely sound 500 years from now. The Spanish song at the end goes way hard! Joni Mitchell could never... 3 campfires out of 5 🔥🔥🔥
Just doesn’t do it for me. Too calm and lilty.
I tried to get into this one but her voice is a bit grating.
not interested
House Of The Rising Sun is ascendent. Joan is a very technically accomplished singer/guitar player. But can someone please explain the appeal of this folk singer crap? I hated it in the 2010s and find it boring here, too. Though the strength of her vocal are the only thing that keep me interested.
Not usually a singer-songwriter guy but I found myself enjoying this one. Baez’ voice is oddly powerful for waning so thin sometimes, but carries each track well and provides some beautiful moments. Do wish there was a few more original tracks here rather than a who’s who of vocal covers, but again things are executed finely throughout.
Solid folk album with some nice covers of popular songs but over time I find Baez's voice a bit tiresome.
3.5/5
Fine, amazing that she was 19 when this came out!
Beautiful voice and meaningful lyrics, just not my preferred style of music
Det er jo fint, men også kjedelig i lengden
Joany Joan
Earthy
not my cup of tea but a decent listen
There is no denying that Baez is a very accomplished performer, but this was a bit too high strung for me. Best track: Mary Hamilton
I mostly enjoyed this. Some nice arrangements and I really like folk music that does interesting modal things like the song Henry Martin. There were a few songs I really didn't care for; the end of Fare Thee Well for example made me think "now I know who Nadja is trying to sing like in What We Do in the Shadows." House of the Rising Sun is a song I don't ever need to hear played by anybody, ever again; it's not a bad song, just played to f-ing death (admittedly mostly post 1960, but still).
This one is kind of tough for me, because while I get the significance and do really like most of these arrangements, I am not a fan of Joan’s voice. WAY too shrill, the same problem with earlier Joni Mitchell. Unfortunately, vocals are kind of a dealbreaker for folk. I wouldn’t listen to her music for my own enjoyment, but I understand why it resonates. C
Enjoyed it more than I expected. Easy enough listen.
Good voice, good guitar 👍🏾
A pleasant listen, but probably won’t listen again. Somber folk music just didn’t pull me in. Beautiful singing though.
PREFS : Silver Dagger, Fare Thee Well, House of the Rising Sun, Wildwood Flower, John Riley, El Preso Numero Nueve MOINS PREF : Little Moses
Lijkt enorm op Joni Mitchell, maar een kniesoor die daarover valt.
Best mooi. En dit was dus bijna 10 jaar voordat Joni Mitchell eigenlijk met precies hetzelfde geluid heel beroemd werd.
pretty sounds, but hard to listen to overall for an extended period. singing is nice just not particularly engaging. folk is just not my favorite genre but can see the appeal
Primer disc de folk tradicional, sense rastre encara dels alegats polítics i defensa dels drets que marcarien la seva carrera. Aquí flueix la seva veu, magistral, sobre unes tonades tradicionals, que agafen nova embrenzida i vida a les seves mans
Flott kona, flott rödd og flottur flutningur, en ég væri til í fjölbreyttari útsetningar inn á milli heldur en bara eintóman gítar. Það væri ekki mjög "folkish", en það myndi bara gera svo mikið fyrir mig.
Idk kan dit ergens wel waarderen. Geen poespas gewoon een gitaartje en zingen. Mooie versie van House of the Rising Sun, toch wel een bijzonder nummer waar zó veel covers van zijn maar geen genoeg van kan krijgen. De vibrato in het zingen hoeft dan weer niet in elke zin van elk nummer maar dat zou toen wel iets zijn geweest. Denk als ik in een andere mood was dit album een stuk lager cijfer zou krijgen maar voor nu vind ik het prima. 2.5
3-4 (boah, ist das laut manchmal)
Traditional
Sure she has a compelling voice, but the warbly signing over a sort guitar is not exactly my cup of tea. Certainly House of the Rising Sun is the most interesting here. Overall it's fine, just not something i'd come back to.
I'm not a massive fan of folk but Baez has a beautiful voice, and the music is quite relaxing to listen to
I really like Joan Baez as a person (based on interviews, etc.) and she has a beautiful voice but this album does leave a bit to be desired. In an interview she explained that they just recorded this in a hotel ballroom with two mics and a few takes per song and I feel like you can hear that in the end product. There are a number of nice songs on this album but it starts to feel very much the same after a bit, though I think that was accepted in the folk scene at the time and with rearranging traditional songs. Either way, it results in a somewhat middling album. All the love to Joan Baez but this album is just alright to me. Standout Tracks: Silver Dagger, Fare Thee Well, All My Trials, El Preso Numero Nueve
Silver dagger: the fast picking acoustic is nice and upbeat and gives good pace to the otherwise slow song. The singing vibrate also does the same and is great East virginia: song has a familiar feel Fare thee well: makes me think of an upbeat church song with only acoustic guitar. With a kick in the back this would hit good haha, maybe even a high hat on the upbeats. House of the rising sun: the animals version is the best version of this song for me, but I do think she does this song justice, almost as if she speaks from the expirience All my trials: I was gonna say these all sound like a lullaby and then "hush little baby" I was exactly. Then suddenly your moms gonna die and im like😶, ok then. Good word play haha. This feels like good reading a book music or something that would be sweet to hum. It gives off wedding PowerPoint with lots of fading and fields. Maybe even a sweet funeral. Which to me means that there is a deep meaning that the song makes you feel, very much something everyone in a crowd listens to and has a similar feeling towards Wildwood flower: this song would be fun to a line dance to, cowboy boot heels clicking, hands clapping. That would actually be so much fun, very good Donna donna: peaceful John riley: sounds very similar to "short change hero"-the heavy. Rake and rambling boy: the folk is starting to blend for me, but this has been one of the more enjoyable folk artists for me Little moses: similar Mary Hamilton: similar Henry Martin: El preso numerous nueve: Girl of constant sorrow: I know you rider: John riley: This is a solid album for when you're enjoying nature or at an event with mostly yee yee people. 3 (more like 3.5) stars. Gains points for cowboy nature vibes, but I wouldn't play this music to listen to because it mostly feels down and id rather be energized by music. Its defiantely not bad, just not my preference
Still not a huge folk fan. Her voice is also a little too piercing at times
Decent little album. Joan’s voice and lyrics are pretty incredible throughout, but the lack of variation in the overall sound made it a little tedious on first listen. 5/10
Eh, it’s nice old folk music but nothing special 3/5
Not my thing, acoustic guitar and vocals but her voice is so sincere, pure and expressive (this is not news, it is literally the things everyone says about Joan Baez) that this is a very engaging listen. Favourite track: Woman of Constant Sorrow, take that Soggy Bottom Boys!
An incredible voice. Joan Baez was already the voice of Woodstock almost a decade before it actually took place. Her debut album is mesmerizing but the sparse and beautiful arrangements of traditional folk songs aren’t quite enough to keep my interest from start to finish.
One time I shared a plane ride with Joan Baez to Salt Lake City. I didn't know she was on my plane, but when I was waiting for my luggage I saw all these large instrument cases with her name on them and then I later found out she was there for the Sundance Film Festival. So I feel a personal bond with Joan that many of you probably can't understand. With that as backdrop, these songs are a little boring but that voice! Joan Baez could sing the phone book (remember phone books?) and I would still want to listen to it. 3 stars.
dustyesque fiilikset.. kaikki cover biisejä laulettuna 'merikkalaisella folk tyylillä.. ainoa ero että paremmat biisivalinnat...parempi ääni..simppeliä ja mukavaa kuunneltavaa.. muutaman biisin voi jättää 55min albumista pois.. vähän tylsähkötähtävää silloin tällöin mutta salilla tein enkkoja tähän että joo all my trials
I was thinking I received another album from Joan Baez some months ago, but apparently, I imagined it or listened to something very similar. This is precisely the problem of the album, it has some authenticity, but it is still highly similar compared with some other albums from the list. A genuinely 2-star album. Her voice resembles somehow of Janis Joplin, and it gave me some nice goosebumps that increased my rate to 3 stars
3.5
узнала (вспомнила?) что house of the rising sun народная. в целом мило но я не великий любитель фолка
70s folk dialed in
Stellar vocalist
When she's crooning, Baez is generally a delight though the carm of her warbling vibrato does wear on the ear after a while. When she belts it out, however, delight quickly turns to annoyance. Her "strong" songs are as sharp and grating as a saw blade due, primarily, to that vibrato. It's quite unenjoyable. By the end of the album, my ears were exhausted. The pleasant crooner ballads balance the saw blades, though. So this one earns a nice, average, 3-star rating.
Great voice
Mooie stem, maar verder niks aparts
ok
Nice voice but yeah…
she’s got a nice voice but that old time folky stuff just doesn’t move me that much
Very talented. Very good for a folk album but I felt like I got the gist about halfway through the first song. No need to listen to an entire album of this. Side note: this album must own the record for most songs with a person’s name as the title.
She is a folk music icon with the purest and most true voice. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say I find it grating at times and just a bit too repetitive. I have tremendous respect for the hard work she put in paving a pathway forward for other women, but this falls a lot shy of perfect for me.
Decent, amazing voice, nice traditional folky sound - couldn’t connect with it as much as other solo folk artists as I couldn’t follow the ‘stories’ as well as someone like Dylan or Donovan. Songs were also a bit meh 🫤
ok folk that fades into the background
Most of the songs found here have better versions elsewhere. Best track: Mary Hamilton
Pretty good.
I thought I would get bored of this pretty quickly, but the purity of the sound, mostly just Joan's voice and guitar, was riveting.
This is the roughest type of Album to sit and evaluate, decades later...it's a voice of time and while Baez has rightfully earned her place in the pantheon of music, this is not my thing. It's so folksy, raw, earnest...and I feel like that is the music I devoured in my late teens but didn't come with me somehow.
I know I like some of her stuff but this album is a tough one. It's a little too low budget. If it were more complex than a singer and her guitar, the recording strategy it would be a disaster.
I think that it's great she would have brought these traditional songs to the attention of the 60s folkies. I like Silver Dagger, All My Trials and especially El Preso Numero Nueve. An obvious comparison point for me would be Joni's Blue album. I give Blue a higher mark because the songs are originals and Joni, as a multi-instrumentalist, created a more varied sound.
it was fine, the spanish song was pretty bad though
Nice voice but not my favorite
A classic, without a doubt. Such simplicity and feeling blend together to give life to these folk tales. However, not a recording I would return to often…
Best Song: House of the Rising Sun. I just love this song. I love the original, I love most covers. Her voice fits nicely, turning it into a somewhat more haunted version than others. Worst Song: Mary Hamilton. This song exemplifies some of the problems with self-editing in the album. The song is overly long, lingering long after it has made its point, and is the tipping point for the same regarding the album in general. Overall: What felt charming and ethereal at the beginning gave way to tiresome as the soft vibrato continued relatively unabated for 16 long tracks. I might have loved a shorter version of this album, trimmed of its fat.
Beautiful voice. Some interesting covers that I hadn't heard before. Not something I would normally listen to, but I am glad to have heard it.
For Kate Wolf fans, and probably for some specific eras of Joni Mitchell fans, as well. The album is more of a mood than anything – no real peaks and troughs. Favorite tracks for me include "El Preso Numero Nueve" and "I Know You Rider". Unlikely to revisit in its entirety, but curious to hear more Baez singing spanish.
63/100: I’m so glad this album came up in this project. As a huge Bob Dylan fan, I’ve always meant to listen to Joan Baez, but the problem is I always end up reverting back to Dylan instead. Dylan and Baez play the same type of music, but Dylan is clearly the better artist, so I never choose to listen to the “worse” artist on my own volition. I’m glad this project forced me to, though. While I don’t think I really discovered anything new, this album did provide interesting context to the musical world Bob Dylan surrounded himself with, which I found really cool. Listening to this album full of new arrangements of old traditional songs gave me a newfound respect for Dylan’s sound as heard by his own generation. Most folk artists at the time were like Joan Baez, stretching the limits of old arrangements—and doing it very well as this album proves. But Dylan went out and wrote his own songs, told his own stories, with these songs as inspiration. Baez is an incredibly talented singer, her voice is so beautiful and soothing, sometimes even hauntingly so, but this album left a lot to desire in terms of songwriting creativity. That amount to be desired can be satisfied by putting on any Bob Dylan album, which—no disrespect to Joan Baez—is exactly what I did after listening to this album. It was a fun listen, but mostly only for the historical context it provided around another artist.
Fijn.
I like the selection of songs on this album. I think she is a fine guitarist and has a good sense of rhythm. Her voice is powerful and she can reach those high notes with crisp and clear tones. However, I prefer when women sing with a clear voice instead of adding the trill sounds. It can be even more powerful that way. The female voice is so beautiful, pure simple tones convey a feeling that the singer is revealing the beauty of her soul. The British folk singers of the 60s sang that way and it was lovely. Joan was a pioneer in the American folk movement and it wouldn't have been the same without her. But she could have been nicer to Rose and Licorice. They were cool too.
Listened Before? N I have heard OF Joan Baez, but I've never heard Joan Baez. She's an extremely talented singer. This was a very good album and I really like all the folk songs she covered here. The only gripe I have is that her range is fairly limited so it starts to sound samey after a while. I'm sure she improved later in her career. Enjoyable. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist:
Remarkable voice for a 19 year old. She is clean and clear cut with stark accompaniment on the guitar. It's maybe too clean for my liking and sounds more American folk (Appalachian in places?) to me but I'm no expert. In the 60's she was a BIG celebrity with Dylan and very influencial but she seems to have faded. All in all I'm grateful to have heard this but not a favourite.
Nice traditional folk. She has an undeniably beautiful voice.
Good folk
A little grating
Kind of boring, but good musically and with a few great tracks.
Sparse but clear arrangements of traditional songs. Stands up well today. Sometimes her voice gets a little shrill but otherwise good to have in the background.
This type of music is like balm for my weary soul and made for pleasant listening on my morning commute today. “Wildwood Flower” was the highlight for me. I don’t think I’d listen to this album again but it was nice this morning.
Monumentally influential album that led to the folk explosion in the 60s. Joan Baez' debut album is the groundwork that would lead to Bob Dylan, The Byrds and the essential sound of the 70s. Combined with an ethic for doing good and protesting the bad, the hippie movement is being seeded here. 3.5./5
6/10. Okay, in an old-timey country way
She’s got a great voice. Don’t really care for much of the folk stuff though. 6/10
Mais um pra lista 'Artistas excelentes que não consigo ouvir 3 musicas em sequencia'
Lovely voice, simple folk. Fave: Silver Dagger
A good folk record, nothing particularly hooked me, but the whole album flows very well and the intimate atmosphere that reigns there is beautiful.
C’est bien fait. C’est pas mon genre, mais ça s’écoute bien. Ça fait beaucoup de chansons, ça devient un peu long et répétitif. Sa voix est un peu agressante dans l’aigüe. 1960, c’est surprennant, mais peut-être que c’est parce que je ne connais pas le bag.
pretty but not inspired
I realize the historical significance of the release of this album and the lasting influence Joan Baez has been since the 60's, but I can't honestly say I enjoy it that much. Her music and her singing is fine, I just need to hear her in small doses.
I'll admit never been a big fan of Joan Baez, I've only listen to one album of hers before, Any Day Now, a cover of Dylan songs. Overall I enjoyed this album much more than expected, I felt her soprano voice was more constraint and subtle compared to other works. It has a very ethereal sound. There's such a diversity in which traditional folk songs were chosen I felt transported to 19th century America (Silver Dagger, Wildwood Flower) or the common room of a Scottish Tavern (John Riley, Henry Martin). Overall it was a fun listen, and I surely check out her early work but still not a big fan.
Beautiful, majestic, romantic are all the things this album is and I am not
Melodious yet shrill
Great songwriting but the singing hasn’t aged the best
Folksy and nice
Nice music, but none stood out to me.
A lady with a very nice voice sings buncha folk songs backed by one (1) or two (2) guitars. I think maybe because of that sparseness, my enjoyment of what was going on varied really wildly depending on the song (I liked the minor key ones a lot I guess?) idk, overall wasn’t really to my taste, but it’s not at all confusing or disagreeable to me that people do like this, I definitely get the appeal! I’m admittedly too much of a fuckin prog rock enjoyer and it would certainly have defeated the entire point of what she’s doing, but yeah I would’ve preferred there be literally any backing instrumentation beyond just a guitar or two.
Nowt so strange as folk.
kicks like a mule. a very docile mule
She has a beautiful voice on this album and the songs are interesting. I guess this is an example of top form folk singing but I didn’t enjoy it. It was not bad but it didn’t catch me.
Eh. It was fine. I was going back and forth between whether to give it three or four stars. I was originally leaning towards four because of how good Joan Baez's singing is, but man, this album just feels too long.
I've not heard much Joan Baez but this album feels very familiar. The style of singing, the acoustic guitar accompaniment, and even a few of the songs are very much a part of my youth. Joan's voice is better than most of the stuff I grew up with, though, and some of the fingerpicking hits the spot too. When they mesh perfectly it's really enchanting. I'm not above getting a little bored though, particularly in the middle part of the album. I'll relax my 'low marks for all covers' policy a bit as it's sort of the point of the whole folk tradition...
I know JB' music a little bit. Diamonds and Rust is an incredible song, which sadly does not feature on this album. I think this is an album made up of covers only (no original songs), which is obviously not that unusual in the folk circles. There's a good mixture of trad. songs in familiar with, and songs im not. She has a good voice and is a good guitarist, which makes for an enjoyable album albeit not overly memorable
My black olives again. Everyone loves them but me. I keep trying them, still find them meh. This is Joan Baez for me.
Penso sia un bell'album, mi piace la voce e gli arrangiamenti. Però tende a sembrarmi un po' tutto uguale. Forse leggendo i testi potrebbe essere più appassionante.
11th January 2022 Listened throughout the day while working from home home. Rosie came over and me and dad watched on her majesty's secret service. Sounds similar to Joni Mitchell, immediate 60s folk vibes. Lovely voice
6/10
3.7 - A tasteful selection of folk songs, arranged simply and sung with an undeniably gorgeous voice.
expecting to like this. 3-4? Definite 3. a little wailey. Standout is Dona dona dona tho.
I enjoy this at first and would have likes to give it 4 stars. It outstayed its welcome though And started to wear on my patience. Still had some nice finger picking but after 45mins I was glad when it finished.
Nice voice and songwriting. Obviously like House of the Rising Sun. Kind of music to fall asleep to
Really beautiful album. Lots of nice songs
Sounds wildly similar to Joni Mitchell's stuff. In one song she even says 'circle' and it immediately made me think of the Circle Game. Pleasant enough but none of it really stuck out to me. Learned that House of the Rising Sun is essentially on old folk tune that's been adapted by many
6/10
Eh. It was fine. I was going back and forth between whether to give it three or four stars. I was originally leaning towards four because of how good Joan Baez's singing is, but man, this album just feels too long.
Все эти бардоские песни не очень, да ещё и высокий громкий женский вокал, не по мне, даже переслушивать не стану.
Queen of the folkies. Acoustic finger picking and powerful vibrato vocals deliver a bunch of traditional folk songs. Best Tracks: Silver Dagger; The House of the Rising Sun; Rake and Rambling Boy
Some great songs and very talented lady, just not for me.
Were debating between 2 and 3 because her voice is high and can be *grating*. But when she is not doing that, it is really beautiful. Jess also forced this rating
3/5 - too much of a wall of sound
Classic folk songs sung & played on guitar in a sincere way by artist Joan Baez. The recording for this album is as simple as it gets, but the voice of Joan steals the show and makes a listener think they are hearing one of the specific folk songs for the first time!
A vocally strong folk album. Some of the songs had a story that was a little dark or depressing which was contrary to Baez’s strong voice. It was enjoyed more than expected. 7.6/10
Good! Light notes.
Equal parts boring and hypnotic, sometimes at the same time
Decent country/folk but too twee and shrill at times
Déjà que j'ai beaucoup souffert à entendre mon père répéter ses gammes de piano dans le salon tous les jours pendant des années, je n'arrive même pas à imaginer ce que Joan Baez a pu endurer avec Bob Dylan à la place.
Great lyrics, not my favorite voice
Не нравится любовная лирика
Pleasant background listening. Not interesting enough for the foreground though.
super 60s this innit. you can positively smell the flower children. i'm sympathetic to fingerpicking acoustic guitar, there's a time and place for it, it's great background music.
Music from the West of the states that gives 1800 vibes. Powerful voice of Joan Baez and a rich scale of tones.
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3/5
Folk. Agradable.
The voice of an angel. Beautiful. Never listened to her first record before; I mostly spin Diamonds and Rust.
Archetypal folk! She has an amazing voice, but I'm not so keen on the vibratto (if that's the word) technique she uses in most of the songs. Fave track - Toss up between "House of the Rising Sun" (which has a really interesting wikipedia page!) and "Girl of Constant Sorrow"
i see how people would like this, but not for me.
Chill
Liked it well enough, but a little same-y. Would be 3.5 if I could
rich east coast 20 year old sings folk
Good. Not really my style.
Hmmm
Beautiful voice, and some good tracks. Overall wouldn't listen to much again.
Nice enough, couple of pretty good covers in there. Probably wouldn't look it out.
An artist I know, but never really listened to.
3.1
pretty voice and good music but not my style
Not bad Joan, not bad!
Very Joni Mitchell-esque chilled-out folk vibes. I liked it, probably not going to revisit anytime soon.
Not bad. Not always my style, but I liked the songs in Spanish.
acoustic guitar and solo voice, very mellow
Beautiful voice. Meaningful messages.
great
I am aware of the existence of Joan Baez but not very familiar with her stuff. I currently have only 1 song liked by her on Spotify - "Love is Just a Four-Letter Word" from 1968. I'm sitting here wondering how/where/when I first heard that to caused me to click like on it. I also have the song called "No Kings" by Jesse Wells that she appears on - which is a new song from 2025. So, curious to dive deeper into her catalog. Thoughts after listening 3 times ... First thought - she definitely sounds a bit like Sandy Denny from Fairport Convention - who I like and is the only other person to sing on a Led Zeppelin song. It's interesting to read about the history of some of these songs and how the evolved over long periods of time. I get similar vibes listening to this as I do listening to some of the earliest Carter Family stuff from the late 1920s and early 1930s. She even does a song that was originally recorded by The Carter Family - "Wildwood Flower". It feels like you are transported back to an ancient time - sitting in some medieval pub or around a campfire. I noticed she didn't write any of the songs on this album and reading the Wikipedia article it seems like she mostly does NOT write her songs - only doing so occasionally. This contrasts with someone like Joni Mitchell who I believe, while operating in a somewhat similar style, writes all of her songs. I ended up liking 4 songs on this one. "Silver Dagger", "East Virginia", "Fare Thee Well" and "House of The Rising Sun" - basically the first 4 songs on this one. I think that captures the vibe of this whole thing - and it honestly felt a little repetitive after that. Some of it started feeling to "churchy" for me as well. Liked songs on Spotify: 4/13 Rating: 2/5
Never heard of her and didn't particularly care for any of these tracks
No va
18/06/2026 Slow, boring and nothing stands out here. Spotify listeners: 1.7v million
House of the rising Sun sample from this album
not too familiar and this is clearly excellent folk fayre - but not for me
I haven’t really listened to much Joan Baez, even though I’m familiar with a lot of early folk music. Her guitar playing is quite good, and she clearly has a strong voice. I was a bit disappointed that all the songs were traditional folk standards rather than her own material. The arrangements are okay, but I grew tired of her vocal style fairly quickly. At times, it felt a bit one-dimensional, with a heavy reliance on those high notes. It works well on a song or two, but across an entire album it became repetitive. Going to settle on a strong 2.
Country. Me aburrió. Por ahí si prestaba más atención estaba mejor pero no
I liked the idea of listening to folk songs, but the voice was not for me: too much vibrato, too shrill
4 - BAD
insanely boring despite great vocals. it's not building off anything and its those types of songs which sound empty if not for the singing carrying the majority of it.
I can see why people that like this kinda of music would love this album but for me... bleh
Empieza agradable, pero se me ha hecho aburrido
Jesus Christ
Thought I was going to enjoy it more than I did
The favorite artist of the old lady at the outdoor art market peddling bespoke, upcycled trinkets. She has this CD in her 2007 Prius with the fading Coexist bumper sticker. The powerful vibrato and haunting tones didn’t do it for me, but I can’t deny that her voice is really impressive and singular. I’ll need to revisit it on a rainy day.
This is actually a very chill playlist, for just leaving it in the background while you're doing things.
2/5
Not super into all the biblical stuff but an interesting look at musical storytelling
Not my thing
Oh my. I do not have good feelings for the “folk movement.” This is actually a realization that has fully crystallized because of this exercise. I mean I always knew that Bob Dylan annoyed the f* out of me. No matter how much I tried/ try and appreciate his lyrics on paper, I just… hate him. And if I am honest this extends to the weird folksy stuff in Crosby Stills and Nash, to Neil Young generally, to the song Stairway From Heaven- God give me any Zeplin but that! My mom was a big fan of later Joan Baez. I didn’t pay much attention. But this, this, I wanted to destroy this. No doubt she has a voice and can play the guitar, but- man she makes me stabby. I was ready to kill half way through. Ugh. Give me Eienstruzende Neubauten any day over this drivel. 2 Boolean: no. I know it’s representative of the folk movement, but no, I don’t think I actually needed to hear it.
The Good: We get to do some drinking! The Bad: Wait… that’s another JB… The Ugly: The boring title, terrible cover art, and 2, count em, 1, 2, different fonts used… One should be grateful when it comes to following a list of 1001 albums, forcing you to listen to product you might never have listened to at all… why not. Also, you find out pretty darn fast if a style will be of your liking… Folk, together with rap, is quickly becoming a “thanks for ruining my mood!” kind of music. And what’s with the voices? Why why why do we need vibrato? Joan did good work, and is highly appreciated by many… just don’t count me amongst those. Though I’d feel bad to give her 2*, having to listen to her rendition of House of the Rising Sun was the proverbial nail… Sorry Joan, off to drink away my sorrows now… 2*
For me, this was like the Joanna Newsom album. I appreciate what is being done, even if I don’t really like her voice. The vibratto was a lot.
Bastante meh, Joan canta increíble, pero no me generaron nada las canciones, me gustó su versión de House of the Rising Sun y la canción que canta en español, más allá de eso es un álbum olvidable.
I am not a fan of the vibrato covers.
Pretty
That forced vibrato was not pleasant
Die paar ‚covers‘ vo alte folk Lieder sind nöd schlecht gsi
Cool voice. Music not for me
I really wanted to like this but I just can't get into it. And I didn't realize this until now but I didn't know she didn't write her own songs, at least early on in her career. So these are her interpretations of other people's songs, some I'm very familiar with and some I didn't know at all. Folk isn't a genre I go too deep with, so she's already playing from behind here. There's some really good stuff on this album...the guitar work is great. But holy shit, when she hits those high soprano notes, the warbling...it just sounds almost off key. I'd really like to like this more than I do...or at least appreciate it more than I do. I gave the whole thing a listen but I was wondering when it'd be over instead of enjoying it. I understand why she's revered and an icon but this isn't what I want to listen to.
A Mighty Wind in real life
2.5/5
So incredibly slow and tiring
Too many of these sound like church hymns.
I get how good this is. But there is such a thing as to much vibrato.
I don’t know what to say about this. It’s folk album that sounds like a folk album. Nothing stands out about it. It’s pretty boring but not really offensive.
Beautiful voice. Don’t love the vibrato/yodeling vocal affectation,
Hmmmm