Joan Baez Albums Ranked
Joan Chandos Baez (/baɪz/; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest or social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing over 30 albums. Fluent in Spanish and English, she has also recorded songs in at least six other languages. Baez’s acclaimed songs include “Diamonds & Rust” and covers of Phil Ochs’s “There but for Fortune” and The Band’s “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”. She is also known for “Farewell, Angelina”, “Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word”, “Forever Young”, “Here’s to You”, “Joe Hill”, “Sweet Sir Galahad” and “We Shall Overcome”. Baez performed fourteen songs at the 1969 Woodstock Festival and has displayed a lifelong commitment to political and social activism in the fields of nonviolence, civil rights, human rights, and the environment. Baez was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 7, 2017. Here are all of Joan Baez albums ranked.
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10. In Concert (1962)
“This is classic early Baez or, what some refer to as “The Vanguard Years”. These are recordings from August 1962 and November 1963 and Baez is clearly on form here, both voice and guitar. This makes a nice companion CD to the early studio recordings.”
9. The Best Of Joan Baez (1968)
“This excellent album contains all Joan Baez’s greatest hits, up to about 1976 when she stopped having hits anyway. This is not an album for folk purists though, as there’s little here from her early career. There’s also a very beautiful interpretation of John Lennon’s “Imagine” and “Gracias A La Vida” from Joan’s Spanish-language album. My favourites are Diamonds & Rust, Love Song To A Stranger, Forever Young, Gracias A La Vida and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.”
8. Diamonds & Rust (1975)
“Some very entertaining cover versions…she does the best Dylan impersonation ever on “Simple Twist Of Fate”. Her originals, outside of the title track, are dreadful, though.“
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7. Gracias A La Vida (1974)
“The songs are wide-ranging and beautiful, with tasteful arrangements. Her voice is at its peak. This is by far the best work she did for A&M, and it is inexplicable why this CD has not been kept in the domestic catalog. his album is very nice to listen to while stuck in traffic or listening to when you need to get something done… very sweet and nice..”
6. Joan Baez/5 (1964)
“Ms. Baez continues to dazzle with her voice, a voice like no other, as well as with her song selections, a blend of old, traditional folk songs and contemporary ones, some with historical significance as well as political overtones. Never does she fail to move the listener, who is transported to another realm on the simple strength and beauty of her pure, clear, sweet voice.”
5. Any Day Now (1968)
“This little gem is my favorite Baez album. It is a simple, very beautiful collection of Dylan songs. No big hits here (unless you are the kind of Dylan fanatic who considers “Sad-eyed lady of the Lowlands” a big hit). Nothing to distract you from the simple beauty of the music. Dylan is seldom simple, and in this macho phase, tries hard not to be beautiful. Baez’ sweet voice brings out something that was there, but you would not have known or noticed had she not sung. That’s what’s special about this album.”
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4. Blessed Are… (1971)
“The vocals and melodies are gorgeous and the arrangements are perfect. The instruments (especially the acoustic guitars) are exceptionally well recorded and mixed, there’s always a lot going on musically but her voice is always the focus. Highly recommended!”
3. Farewell, Angelina (1965)
“This album, for me, evokes very clear images from my teen years, when all you needed was a powerful song, a good voice and an acoustic guitar to create a masterpiece. Purity and emotion are the strengths, not heavy orchestration or post-production meddling. Several of the tracks were penned by Bob Dylan, some by Joan Baez, and a few of the other great standards of that era.”
2. Joan Baez Vol.2 (1961)
“The cool soprano voice and the clearly understood verse are evident here. Great emotion is achieved with her ability to balance the timbre of her voice to the story of the ballad. (NOTE: In later albums she spends more time in the middle registers of her voice where the quality of her timbre and vibrato are not as appealing.) The guitar and occasional back-up singers are an excellent accompaniment for her voice.”
1. Joan Baez (1960)
“There is not one bad track on this CD. It is a wonderful blend of the traditional, the contemporary, and the political. Moreover, the fact that she sings two beloved Tim Hardin tunes “If I Were a Carpenter” and “Lady Came from Baltimore”, is an added bonus. She does Tim Hardin proud with her rendition, as she does Paul Simon with her superb version of “Dangling Conversation”. Fans of The Beatles are also in for a treat with her rendition of “Eleanor Rigby”.
