Joan Baez is 5 Devils

Overall Album Score: 8.5 out of 10

So, why am I reviewing Joan Baez again? Oh, I forgot already. Nobody ever reviews Joan Baez. That's a good thing for the other reviewers who forgo listening to her albums, but ... HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!! I'M TRAPPED AND I CAN'T GET OUT UNTIL I REVIEW EVERYTHING THIS DEMON WOMAN EVER RELEASED!!!!!!

But at least Joan Baez is respectable. Even though she's best known for being a political figure and not necessarily for her music, this stuff is pretty good. I'm still recovering for having to have listened to "Kum-freaking-bya" a few albums back, but ... it's been a nice ride so far.

Now, when I say that an artist is respectable, I also mean that she's bloody boring, too. The only thing relatively exciting in this album is her cover of Brazillian composer Villa-Lobo's "Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5," because there's an orchestra behind her. (Okay, by orchestra, I mean a cello and a couple pizzacato violins.) But ... seriously.

I really must mention that her cover of Phil Och's "There But For Fortune" rules mercilessly. It's not exactly a song that mananges to excite above what folk music is capable of, but it's so well done that it's hard to not like it. It was a great folk song to begin with, and Baez gives it her best shot. Her voice fits the song perfectly and her laid-back guitar picking was done extremely well. I give her kudos for that one.

Some stuff in this album really pales, however. "Go 'Way From My Window," for example, stinks. That song is good material for rock music graduate students doing a thesis on why folk music is stupid and boring. "Unquiet Grave" doesn't necessarily stink, but I recognized that song for also being covered by British-folk-band extraordinare Gryphon. Baez's sleepy rendition pales STRONGLY. But Gryphon wouldn't exist for another 10 years or so, so I can't hold that against her!

All in all, this is a good album, but this definitely isn't for anyone who doesn't like folk music in the first place. Your best bet would be to get some early Bob Dylan. You'll get used to the voice. Don't worry.

Overall Album Score: 8.1 out of 10 (Another formidable Baez release. She has yet to actually impress me, though. This is only a tad bit less inspired than her two previous live releases.)

Average Song Score: 8.4 (Joan Baez delivers another solid set of covers. She interestingly puts some added orchestration on a few of them. Others could have been more inspired than they were.)

Album Tilt: 8.0 (Kinduva bore to sit through.)

Artist Rating: 8.0 (Some of these are covers that the original artists would be proud to hear Baez do. Such as Phil Och's "There But For Fortune" is excellent. Others just seem lazy.)

Track Reviews

There But For Fortune 10/10

Joan Baez might be Satan, but this is a very pretty song. She didn't write it of course. Phil Ochs did, but at least Baez gives a solid rendition ofit. This is a straight-ahead folk song with very appealing guitar picking, a completely excellent melody and Joan Baez's typically lovely singing. Folk music might be more boring than my head can take, but this is good. (Oh, and this is a freaking political song about why bombing things is stupid. Oh yeah ... that was an intellectual interpretation there, man.)

Stewball 7.5/10

STEW!!!!!!!!!!! I like beef stew. Normally in a bowl, though. Not rolled up in a ball. Um ... this song isn't very compelling, so I can't really recommend this song. The melody is generic, the singing is kind of over-the-top this time, and the guitar playing ain't anything grand. Thi is a big blah.

It Ain't Me Babe 9/10

... Yeah, it is. Bob Dylan wrote this song about you. ... Hey, Baez is covering a DYLAN SONG!!!!! ... Bob Dylan is awesome, so ... this song is awesome, too. I'd personally rather listen to Dylan sing the bloody song himself than this cover, because Dylan has that voice and attitude that pierces your soul, but ... Baez has a prettier voice. Whatever floats yer boat.

The Death of Queen Jane 7/10

I don't know if I mentioned this before, but ... FOLK MUSIC IS BORING. This is a so-so cover of a cover from good old Mr. Hans Traditional, and ... yeah ... you know it. No royalties. This is a very simple song with a very lightly playing acoustic guitar and Baez sings words. I don't really like it.

Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 8.5/10

Very odd for Joan Baez ... there's actual INSTRUMENTATION here. There's a cello playing around and these pizzacato strings plucking everywhere. Joan Baez sings the most politcally compelling lyrics of her career: "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" It's interesting, because this is classical music (from Brazillian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos) and I'm used to just hearing another freaking old folk song. So ... the diversity is well received by me at least. It didn't really have to be more than six minutes long, but ... whatever, babe.

Go 'Way From My Window 6.5/10

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.... Joan Baez put ole donignacio to sleepy with the boring folk music............. Damn you, Joan Baez. It's only 1:30 in the afternoon and I'm not ready for bed yet.............

I Still Miss Someone 8/10

Just to prove to you that Joan Baez is essentially useless, this Johnny Cash cover makes me wonder WHY I JUST DON'T LISTEN TO JOHNNY CASH. This song sounds so dang trite when Baez does it. It's boring and her voice is just doode compared to Cash's. Screw this, I'm just going to review me some Johnny Cash, you stupid hippie freak.

When You Hear Them Cuckoos Hollerin' 8.5/10

The cuckoos are hollerin' "Quit messin' up my song!" ... Okay, Joan Baez isn't really messing up this song. She might be evil, but at least she can deliver perfectly nice folk music. This melody seems pretty derivative to me, but whatever. I like the guitar pickin' on this one and Baez's voice is fine.

Birmingham Sunday 8.5/10

Yay! It's a British folk song! Hoooooraaaaayyyy! This is really slow and boring, but it has a fairly enchanting melody. Baez's singing and guitar playing are pretty nice, too. So ... um ... whoop-de-doo.

So We'll Go No More A-Roving 9.5/10

The song's title makes me scratch my head, but this less than two minute song really makes an impression. Baez gives a vocal performance that makes a strong impression as she sings a catchy (and completely non-hokey) melody and does all these guitar strumming things ... This song is NICE.

O'Cangaciero 8/10

So, I'm really impressed that Joan Baez can sing stuff in another language. I have no idea if she's doing it fluently or not, because I'm no cunning linguist. The melody is fine, but it doesn't really intrigue me. Maybe that's part of why it's sucky being a covers artist ... but she should be able to choose more intriguing songs to play. I mean, this is fine, but COME ON.

The Unquiet Grave (Child No. 78) 8/10

Hah HAH! Joan Baez covered a song that Gryphon, the craziest Medieval folk cover band of the ages, would cover later. Of course, Gryphon's version is much, much, MUCH better than Joan Baez's dead potato version of it. (Gryphon seriously rules if you like this sort of thing, but you're not as boring and snobby as a folk fan. Have you guys heard any Gryphon? Highly recommended. Seriously, just forget about this Joan Baez person. Listen to freaking Gryphon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

The Tramp on the Street 9/10

Isn't this freaking album over with already? ... Actually this is a pretty interesting song for Joan Baez. I can detect another guitar or something ... so this ain't just Baez and her guitar, really. She talks about Jesus here, which is interesting, especially because Joan Baez is the devil. I like this song overall. It's not very exciting, but that extra guitar gives it some zing.

Long Black Veil 9.5/10

Aparently, Joan Baez liked that extra guitar so much on the previous track that she decided to give herself a pat on the back and do another song with the second guitar. ... YAY!!!!!!!! This song is country, but that's alright. This is a famous song (yeah, even I've heard it before) written a long time ago by Danny Hill. Joan Baez is one of the 8 billion people to cover this song and ... she does a pretty dang decent job of it here. (Oh, and she covered this on In Concert Vol. 2. I like it better here.)

Baez wants to protest in your village here.