From Joan Baez being a bitch to heavy metal music in one thread, we are a convoluted/complicated bunch of people aren't we
From Joan Baez being a bitch to heavy metal music in one thread, we are a convoluted/complicated bunch of people aren't we
Indeed. Not so much "hijacking" as spiriting away to another galaxy.
I honestly never liked Baez much. Admire her for her convictions, but her vibrato just made my skin crawl, I"m sorry too say... a whole night of that would be very hard for me to take. But if you like her...hey, enjoy!
I haven't been able to take her seriously since she tried to lead the crowd through Amazing Grace at Live Aid, but I'd go see her cause she's who she is. Too much vibrato for me, but I'd go anyhow.
I used to make fun of her operatic voice and thought she seemed whollyerthanthou until I was working backstage at the Berkeley Community Theater in the 80's. She conducted herself with grace and good humour. Elizabeth Fraser and a female folk duo were waiting to go on stage and Joan Baez was going out of her way to encourage them and give her blessing. It could have been pompous but it was very touching in spite of my skepticism.
She makes fun of her own 'operatic' voice in the Bob Dylan film Don't Look Back!
I heard a later Elvis tune today and was reminded how I never cared for his vibrato, either.
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
I saw her at a festival a long time ago. I don't know much about her to be honest. However, I do know that she recorded what is perhaps the first rap song(from her 1977 album).
She was a great singer (albeit a Socialist one) back in the day. I somehow doubt she can still sing the way she did back when this album was done:
http://www.amazon.com/Every-Stage-2-...ords=Joan+Baez
We're all socialists. We all just don't want to admit it.
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
We could use someone like Baez for singing at our political demonstrations. For some unknown reason, whenever any left-of-centre political rally here is accompanied by free musical entertainment, it always seems to be something after the style of reggae - which, as i said in the reggae thread, is OK in small doses.
I prefer S.O.D.'s version of Diamonds and Rust. Loved their tribute to Hendrix too.
I only know one song from Joan Baez, and it's D&R, because Priest did it. I remember playing her version for some Priest heads back in the '80's when I found it on my sisters cassette.
Carry On My Blood-Ejaculating Son - JKL2000
I didn't realize Baptism was a collaboration with Schickele - makes me very curious, because my favorite Baez performance is from Schickele's score for the film Silent Running, a fantastic score for a personal favorite film of mine. I'll be seeking out Baptism now. I remember a friend of mine having the album when I was in 5th grade and I was scared when I read the album cover (poems about war and death if I remember correctly) - too scared to actually listen to the album. I was a sensitive child who had nightmares after I heard DOA by Bloodrock and would race to change the station when those organ tri-tones started. Sorry for taking the thread far afield again.
A taste of Baptism:
I, too, really like Silent Running. I forgot that was another Schickele/Baez collaboration, for I haven’t seen it in many years. I probably ought to remedy that. I, too, was also a sensitive child. Mom used to shuffle me out of the room whenever a preview for a horror movie came on (though what really did it for me were the commercials for Mrs. Butterworth, which were all kinds of creepy).
Confirmed Bachelors: the dramedy hit of 1883...
Before Baptism there was another, more typical Baez album titled Joan where Schickele also was involved in arranging. It has her take on "Eleanor Rigby."
She is now in Australia, and was a guest on "Q&A", a current affairs program on the ABC in which audience members get to ask questions of the panelists. To no one's surprise, she comes across as extremely articulate and politically aware - not just about US politics but politics in general. Since Australia just got a new Prime Minister a couple of days ago, there was plenty of animated discussion.
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