Joan Baez: Day After Tomorrow

Elly Roberts reviews

Joan Baez: Day After Tomorrow
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Proper RecordsCover

  • Released: September 2008
  • Rating: 6/10
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Baez’s swansong? Possibly.

In her prime, ‘Queen of Folk’ Joan Chandos Baez had one of the greatest voicesI’ve ever heard.

A few years ago I saw the civil rights campaigner at Liverpool Philharmonic:the pristine voice has sadly jaded. One-time Bob Dylan squeeze and Woodstockstar has released her 24th studio album produced by Steve Earle who’s (almost)done for Baez that Rick Rubin did for Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond et al.

This covers choice features some of her favourite composers, including Earle (naturally)Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Patty Griffin, and our very own Thea Gilmore. Nowinto her 50th year of performing, Baez, now 67, continues to delve into otherwriters’ repertoire, which she is best known for, to sustain her career,despite being a composer herself. Her natural soprano vibrato and three-octaverange isn’t to be heard, due to age, adopting a somewhat subdued style, muchlike Robert Plant did on Raising Sand.

Overall it’s quite a sombre affair, but does retain her trademark sweetness andwarmth when her voice hits its stride, though it never reaches its formerglory. It glides into action with Earle’s country – blues shuffle God Is God,a great start.


Its best moments really happen on the divine stripped-back country-tingedRequiem by Eliza Gilkyson and Tom Waits’ tragic Iraq war ballad Day After Tomorrowwhich tells the tale of frightened GI missing home. Both allow Baez to workat her best without overwhelming instrumentation, and the all-acoustic band workwonders backing her.

The mood lightens a tad on Earle’s I Am The Wanderer, who remains anexcellent song writer and the splashes of Tim O’Brien’s mandolin dazzlethroughout. Earle’s gospel inflected Jericho Road, done a Capella, with handclaps, book-ends a solid enough an album, which might re-engage her with heradoring fans, though strong commercial success is unlikely.

Nevertheless, with sufficient rotation it becomes more and more engaging.

File under : Possibly her best in years.

Weblink:joanbaez.com


The full list of tracks included are :

1. God Is God
2. Rose Of Sharon
3. Scarlet Tide
4. Day After Tomorrow
5. Henry Russell’s Last Words
6. I Am A Wanderer
7. Mary
8. Requiem
9. The Lower Road
10. Jericho Road

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