Joan Baez Vol. 2 – JOAN BAEZ*****

Wagoner’s Lad/The Trees They Do Grow High/The Lily Of The West/Silkie/Engine 143/Once I Knew A Pretty Girl/Lonesome Road/Banks Of The Ohio/Pal Of Mine/Barbara Allen/The Cherry Tree Carol/Old Blue/Railroad Boy/Plaisir D’amour

Joan Baez was the foremost female folk singer from the early and mid 1960s, acclaimed for the purity of her voice. Joan Baez Vol. 2 remained on the US album charts for two years. (US:13)

“Joan Baez was a pivotal figure in the folk revival movement of the 1960s. Her perfect pitch voice, her commitment to social causes, and her choice of material made her an important figure during the decade. Her second album was mainly traditional, which not only entertained but told timeless stories.”

“Where she sounded a little tentative on the first album, here she sings with magnificent assurance - she has found the voice she was searching for.”

“I am always blown away by the purity of Joan's voice. These songs were well-selected and performed with similar perfection, but something about the dated material holds me back and prevents me from fully enjoying them. The songs are also all very depressing. Typical folk, I suppose - all about death and murder.”

“The songs themselves need no introduction. This is as traditional as traditional music gets, and Baez gives it a very traditional treatment, accompanying her singing only with a guitar or banjo, or not at all. Even if you think you know these songs by heart, this collection is essential to any fan of '60s folk music in its purest form.”

“All the great Joan Baez tunes are here. Listening to it, I found myself back in my dorm room in college, singing along, remembering the words after all these years. I found some of the energy of the era revive within me. What a great time to be young and what a scene to witness.”

“Here is a young woman's voice so strong and lovely that it can take the simplicity and lasting melody of folk songs and give them the honour they deserve. Her voice has the range and purity to make you ache with its beauty.”

“These songs are classics, because they have singable melodies, express enduring emotions, and have universal appeal. Joan lifts them from the simple to the sublime.”