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Joan Baez - Honest Lullaby Audio CD

A fair review of the Joan Baez "Honest Lullaby" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Joan Baez reviews here, or go back to the Joan Baez tabs.

Joan Baez Band: Joan Baez
Title: Honest Lullaby
Rating:
Release Date: 1991-03-26
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Let Your Love Flow 2: No Woman, No Cry 3: Light a Light 4: Song at the End of the Movie 5: Before the Deluge 6: Honest Lullaby 7: Michael 8: For Sasha 9: For All We Know 10: Free at Last

The end of her classic phase and output
By 1979, she had gone from the folk of her debut to this pop album voice intact. Joan had steadily been releasing albums since 1960. Due to a despute Joan's contract was terminated and no new albums would be released in the states until the mid-80s. By then music had changed and her chance to stay relevant in the 80s was squandered. This really is an important album in her catalog since it truly is the end of her prime era. A must own IMO!.


Three highlights
The title track is one of Joan Baez's best compositions, For Sasha is profoundly moving, and For All We Know is a wonderful performance. I have to admit that I find this album patchy, but it is lifted to brilliance by three songs. The rest I can take or leave, but those three songs alone make this CD worth owning.


Beautiful Baez
Here she sings three of her own songs: the title cut, "Honest Lullaby", "For Sasha", and "Michael", all of which are exceedingly well-done. In addition to being a great civil rights advocate, exquisitely beautiful and having the voice of an angel, Joan Baez is also a fine songwriter as this CD illustrates. But the words: "For all we know/We may never meet again/Before we go/Make this moment live again" from "For All We Know" are vintage Baez. Her vibrato is instantly recognizable and will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. The piece de resistance, however,-- for my vote at least-- is Jackson Browne's "Before the Deluge. " I am not aware of another singer's having recorded this song other than Browne himself. It remains my favorite Jackson Browne song. Baez's version is spectacular. Barry Beckett plays mean keyboards on many of these cuts as well.

This is a beautiful CD that you will play over and over. .


Honest and graceful
The title track is first rate, followed by two other strong compositions of her own on Side Two. Joan Baez continues to demonstrate her songwriting skills on this album. Like her previous album "Blowin' Away", her own songs are the highlights.

While the inclusion of out and out pop songs like Let Your Love Flow is questionable, especially as an album opener, Janis Ian's Light A Light and Jackson Browne's Before The Deluge work effectively - the two songwriters actually making a second appearance on a Baez album, first time being on Diamonds & Rust: "Jesse" and "Fountains Of Sorrow" respectively.

The album cover is beautiful: showing an attractive, mature and intelligent woman. The remastering is typical of an early 90's job. . . quite harsh with not enough bottom end, but at least all album information is faithfully reproduced.


STRONG POP COLLECTION
The lilting reggae of No Woman No Cry works well - she tweaked the lyrics (Trenchtown becomes Boystown) for a more universal application. A surprisingly effective excursion into pop for Baez, with a set of melodic songs gracefully interpreted. Song At The End Of The Movie and Before The Deluge are magnificent sad songs without being despairing, whilst Honest Lullaby is autobiographical and reminiscent of the earlier Gulf Winds. An accomplished album then, with strong material and sophisticated delivery.


You can see a complete list of all Joan Baez discography, or go back to the Joan Baez tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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