All I ask of songwriters is a point of view, and Joan Baez has consistently given us that. A veteran of the hyper-politicised New York folk scene of the 1960s, she’s always delivered a strong view of the world as she sees it. And even with an album comprised entirely of covers, she still manages to pull that off. At the age of 67 Baez has sought the production skills of Steve Earle and surrounded herself with a cadre of sweet seasoned bluegrass players and judiciously placed folk instrumentation (Hawaiian guitars, bouzoukis, mandolins and harmoniums).
And the songs she’s chosen are as strident as ever, with songwriting contributions from Steve himself, and more from the likes of Thea Gilmore, Tom Waits and Elvis Costello. Generally all the political commentary is present and accounted for (war, class, immigration and starvation are all referenced) but there’s also a strong spiritual, questing element to this record with plenty of nods to rosaries, biblical passages and persons called Mary. And although one of the standout tracks is ‘The Day After Tomorrow’, Tom Waits’ letter home from the front (could be Vietnam, could be Iraq, could be Georgia), the actual standout is the closing track ‘Jericho Road’, Steve Earle’s rumination on life, death, and living, with a tough performance from Baez accompanied only by call and response backing vocals from her band and a handclap keeping the beat.
Baez’s voice has aged well. Her clear church-choir alto has mellowed into a softer, grittier, tougher and more life-soaked thing. Indeed, nowadays, she sounds less like she’s singing about the world as she sees it, and more about the world as it is.
Key Track: ‘The Day After Tomorrow’