Bowery Songs Review

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Bowery Songs ReviewThere was disagreement among Amazon reviewers over the last studio album, Dark Chords On A Big Guitar (I loved it, some loathed it, without too many listeners feeling something in between). Bowery Songs should bring older and newer Joan Baez fans closer together, although I, personally, did not need yet another recording of "Joe Hill" or "Deportee," whose tunes I find tired and uninteresting (I'm one of those older Baez fans who happens to appreciate Joan's experimentations with more modern sounds). That having been said, I saw one of the shows from the tour that resulted in the recording of this CD, and it was one of JB's finest hours, combining the old and the new with grace, style, and wit; Joan's latest band is arguably the best group she has ever performed in concert with. Yes, there are some songs from Dark Chords..., but Greg Brown's "Rexroth's Daughter" may be even better than the studio version, and ditto Natalie Merchant's "Motherland" (with some fine electric guitar work). The sound is crystal clear and the band seems enthusiastically engaged, as Joan rises to the occasion. Steve Earle's "Christmas In Washington" is reprised as well.
The rest of the album includes songs spanning Joan's entire career. A reworking of the old folk chestnut "Jackaroe" is fun (nice bass work by Graham Maby, as on much of this album). "Carrickfergus," first heard on Joan's 1989 Speaking of Dreams album, is gorgeous, although more subdued here. I would have expected yet another recording of "Silver Dagger" to bore me, but wait -- there's a twist: the added banjo and the slowed tempo give the thing a new dimension (I wonder if Joan took a cue from Dolly Parton's spectacular, although much faster, bluegrass version on her The Grass Is Blue CD). Dylan fans may be annoyed by Joan's prettified rendition of "It's All Over Now Baby Blue," but I've always liked much of the Dylan catalog as performed by Joan, because whatever she lacks in grit she makes up for in the revelation of Dylan's beautiful tunes (revisit the JB album Any Day Now, if you haven't, recently) -- I admire Dylan's lyrics, but his own singing often obscures the fact that he has written some great melodies. This is emphasized, as well, in a refreshed arrangement of "Farewell Angelina," one of Joan's most oft-recorded numbers.
Finally, the two stand out tracks on Bowery Songs are among four never before recorded by Joan: Dylan's "Seven Curses," an adaptation of a much older folk song, and the traditional "Dink's Song." The former is performed with only Joan's own, superb guitar picking, and she sounds great singing this memorable melody. The latter also has a simple acoustic guitar arrangement but also features a chilling electric slide guitar noodling around behind, which gives the piece added atmosphere. Joan's voice may have aged, but here it is like a fine, vintage wine, full of flavor, and an echo of sunnier days. These two songs are, alone, worth the price of the CD, especially if you are already a Joan Baez fan.
Bowery Songs OverviewOver four decades after her landmark live album, In Concert, Joan Baez returns with Bowery Songs--a new live album that captures her November 6, 2004, performance at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. USA Today has called Baez "the matriarch of modern folk music" and Bowery Songs celebrates her career and legacy with both classic and previously unreleased material. It features four previously unrecorded songs: Bob Dylan's "Seven Curses," Steve Earle's "Jerusalem," the hymn-like "Finlandia," and the traditional "Dink's Song." Baez is supported on the album by her recent touring band, George Javori, Duke McVinnie, Erik Della Penna, and Graham Maby. The Washington Post recently said of Baez's live performances, "... still familiar after decades... she commanded newer compositions with grace and agility."

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