MUSIC OR DIE #25–Joan Baez, "Joan Baez" (1960)

This looks like a lost Zeppelin album cover - metal af. 

Part 25 of my 1000+ part series.
(For info on that, clickety-click-click)

In which I learn what the folk is going on with the folk scene in 1960. And continue to make terrible, terrible puns. 

TL;DR

You tell 'em, Joan

More after The Cut >>>




1.) Silver Dagger - What an opening, going all-in with the "my mom will murder us if we bone so Imma die alone" angle. As we learned before with the Louvin Brothers, folk songs can go Hard. Core. (Side note: That still remains a standout post for me because of the bonkers everything) 

I actually knew this song from the Dolly Parton version:

The Dolly version is a lot more mature and livelier sounding, which isn't surprising given the more complex instrumentation and the fact that Dolly was probably over 30 years older than Baez at the time of her recording.

And speaking of dear old Joan, she is killing it (puns!) with just a guitar and her voice. Her youth suits the song, and it's far more folk than bluegrass. 

2.) East Virginia - So many blasts from the past, this time from our old friend Ramblin' Jack Elliott (his is "East Virgina Blues"):

Like with Dolly's cover of "Silver Dagger," Jack's version of "East Virginia" is much more elaborate, what with multiple instruments (banjo-centric) and harmonies galore. 

In the case of dearest Joan, however, her high, wavering soprano is coming out in full force here. It's a beautiful track that's more than a little mournful; the harmonies on the Jack Elliott version make it much less lonely sounding. But this song - to me, at least - feels like it needs that element of longing that Joan gives it. She's like a ghost wandering the oldest bits of the country. Yes, I'm sticking with that phrasing, and yes, I too wish I weren't. 

I also am biased considering I'm from the East Virginia/North Carolina area - to quote Joan, that area did I roam. 

3.) Fare Thee Well (Ten Thousand Miles) - I really enjoyed this one. Not to get ahead of myself, but I hear the roots of Nick Drake in this - that, and artists like Dolly Parton even to a certain extent. That, however, likely has much to do with their shared roots in Appalachian folk tunes. 

Favorite lyric: "Oh, the rivers never will run dry/For the rocks melt with the sun/I'll never prove false to the boy I love/Till all, all these things be done." 

Lovingly cribbed from Robert Burns: 

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear, 
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun:
I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.

Now to get an obvious joke out of the way:

I have no doubt he'd walk ten thousand, too

4.) House of the Rising Sun - The elephant in the room, circa 1964:

But if anything, Joan's is more along these lines:

It's much more of a campfire song in her iteration than in the Animals'. You can easily imagine a person with a beat-up guitar plopping themselves down by a bonfire and breaking out into this. 

One incredibly important difference between this and the Animals' version - Joan sings from the perspective of the woman who has been essentially swindled into a life of sin, the implication being prostitution. Seems a lot more heavy than just being a dude who gambles a lot or something (yes, Animals, I'm talking to you).

5.) All My Trials - MORE INSTRUMENTS?! By which I mean, MAYBE ANOTHER GUITAR?! WHOA. 

I mean, it's a beautiful song ("I've got a little book with pages three/And every page spells liberty/All my trials Lord, soon be over") but by this point in the album, I'm starting to reach peak acoustic guitar/folk song capacity...which doesn't bode well for the rest of the album, to be perfectly frank. If you want CALM! INTROSPECTIVE! MUSIC! then boy, have I got a song for you.

6.) Wildwood Flower - SO MANY INSTRUMENTS!

Seriously, by comparison, this is a full-fledged orchestra. You can see the influence from the OG version by the Carter family (yes, including June Carter):

Absolutely crushing it on the guitar

It's a classic song, with the kind of arrangement and theme that would define much of 'country western' music for the next decade or so. 

7.) Donna Donna - Ooooh ok, mixing it up with the first Jewish song I've covered here. We love a Cultured Kween. 

And what a CHEERY little ditty this is...about a calf literally led to the slaughter! While the wind and swallows around mock it!

I know, I know, it's an extended metaphor about life and death and people's attachments to things and all that: "Calves are easily bound and slaughtered / Never knowing the reason why / But whoever treasures freedom / Like the swallow has learned to fly." A bit too rich for my blood!

THUS ENDS SIDE ONE

8.) John Riley - I love a story arc! Basically, this tells the story of a MyStErY man who is like, "Yo, lady, You are HAWT," but she's all like, "Naaaaaaah I got a dude." He charmingly(?) then replies by asking, "...but like, what if he was DEAD? Would ya get with me then?" but she is like, "He's still My Dude, back tf off." He keeps asking her questions like that until it escalates all the way to her saying that she would even remain single while wishing Her Dude well while he married someone else. The song ends with MyStErY man - gasp! - revealing that HE WAS HER DUDE THE WHOLE TIME! 

The song has a good rhythm, and Joan makes the interesting stylistic choice to sing the last lines - those of the BIG REVEAL - in a much quieter, almost sadder voice than the one she uses for the rest of the song. You would imagine that she would have done the opposite and used a louder, more joyous tone. But it actually works well, highlighting an intimate moment between long-lost loves.

Still a dick move to question her like that, bruh.

9.) Rake and Rambling Boy - This is where Joan really leans into the country/western angle.

Because it has to be done:

Overall, Joan's singing style is well-suited for the more directly English/Irish/Scottish folk tunes: she enunciates very clearly, and sings in a plaintive high voice. This song, however, doesn't feel to me like it's meant for her voice: she sings every. single. letter. in every word, which doesn't seem to fit that "rake and rambling" mood she's meant to evoke. I'd recommend the Jack Elliott version, personally.

10.) Little Moses - Shocker! It's the story of Moses.

No word on the imminent Prince of Egypt crossover

Eh, it has very pretty guitar, but not for me. Next!

11.) Mary Hamilton - Dear sweet baby Moses (I couldn't resist using this phrase), this is a long song. It's 6 minutes long, but feels longer. I don't have the stamina for this album - I'm so sorry, Joan.

But boy howdy is this is a juicy topic for a song. It tells the story of a handmaiden of the Queen who gets pregnant by THE KING, drowns the baby to hide her shame, but then is ultimately executed herself. If the song had been earlier in the album, I know I would have enjoyed it much more. Joan's emotions and voices she uses when telling each part of the long story each captures a different nuance so skillfully, it's incredible. 

12.) Henry Martin - Very cool, almost Spanish guitar opens this song. Nearly got me back when I was slipping, Joan! Too bad I nearly immediately started slipping again! (not your fault, Joan, don't feel bad)

It's another extended narrative song, this time about a brother who legit becomes a pirate to support his family. If you have the attention span for it, this is great. 

Amazingly, Burl Ives - aka Sam the Snowman from the Rudolph animation from the 1960s - did a recording of this. I cannot unsee the image of Sam singing this song.

Looking like Col. Sanders fresh from a Spanish vacay

13.) El Preso Número Nueve - We love a multilingual queen. Sing it, honey. 

And what a song to end on. The most energetic and lively song on the entire album. Entirely sung in Spanish, it tells the story of Prisoner Number Nine who is on death row and completely ice-cold remorseless after killing his wife and a friend. Why? They were doing it. NOT ON HIS WATCH. Although, I guess technically it was on his watch. NO LONGER THOUGH.

She sells the FUCK out of this song, with a very mariachi-esque 'yodel' at parts. My favorite from this album, hands down. 

FINAL THOUGHTS:
I meeeeaaaaan, Joan Baez is an all-time great singer and guitarist. Absolutely incredible vocals, with such an emotional and technical range. Add to that the fact that she was something like 19 when recording this album? Incredible. According to an interview, she recorded this over the course of around four days, many of the songs in one take, which is mind-boggling to me.

I ragged a lot on being bored at points, which I need to restate, was entirely on me. I was already decently tired when I started listening to this, not to mention the calming rhythm of her guitar with her voice had me highly relaxed to the point of falling asleep. If you either want a relaxing album OR want an album of pensive folk tunes, go for this. Otherwise, check out "El Preso Número Nueve."

Personal standout tracks:
"East Virginia", "Fare Thee Well", "Wildwood Flower", "Mary Hamilton" (if you have the inclination for it), "El Preso Número Nueve"