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I love Joan Baez, so much, and I believe that her persona has never been thoroughly explored and examined as she deserves: when talking about this extraordinary artist, people often stop at a few essential traits that are now decidedly stereotypical. How many beautiful records, how many nuances, how many different feelings this wonderful woman has given me: the doleful and austere allure of "Vol. 2," the auteur folk of "Farewell, Angelina," the rustic simplicity of "One Day At A Time," the pride and hope of "Gracias A La Vida," the vivid brilliance of "Diamonds And Rust," the lush overflow of images and sensations of "Gulf Winds," the unfinished masterpiece "Blowin' Away" and the last, most precious twist, "Gone From Danger;" however, in her vast discography, there is one moment that further emerges and stands out; 1971, Joan Baez's farewell to the historic Vanguard Records, the label that had launched her star into orbit.
"Blessed Are..." is an overflowing double album, probably the most ambitious project of her entire career, representing the definitive crowning of a period of great change for the Latin-American singer. A bit of history: having definitively archived the era of pure folksinger with the overall disappointing tribute to Bob Dylan "Any Day Now" from 1968, Joanie completely changes direction, turns to country, and after a scholarly and utterly negligible "David's Album," hits the mark with the excellent "One Day At A Time," where, for the first time, she presents herself as a songwriter with the beautiful "Sweet Sir Galahad" and "David's Song." "Blessed Are..." comes across as an almost encyclopedic album, a summary of what Joan Baez had been up to that point: country, folk, rock, pop, and gospel meet and follow each other harmoniously, the Joan Baez interpreter takes by the hand and walks alongside the Joan Baez songwriter.
Among the countless interpretations with which the album is steeped, a choral and captivating "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" stands out, destined to become a mainstay of Joan Baez's repertoire, frequently performed in concert, and a tribute to the Rolling Stones with the spirited "The Salt Of The Earth", which fits Joanie like a glove both musically and textually. It should not be forgotten that "Blessed Are..." was recorded in Nashville, and thus country dominates the scene for much of the album, from a great classic like "Help Me Make It Through The Night" by Kris Kristofferson to the lighthearted and festive "The Brand New Tennessee Waltz", veering towards gospel nuances with "Heaven Help Us All" and the fun "Put Your Hand In The Hand". Among the most notable and remarkable interpretations are a bitter "Lincoln Freed Me Today", which portrays the sad disenchantment of an old ex-slave after only an apparent liberation, and "Deportee" by Woody Guthrie, a vibrant protest song in which Joanie once again sings of the racism and falsehoods of that great nation called the United States of America, and on a more intimate and personal level, the sweet folk ballad "Angeline" by Mickey Newbury and a wonderful and passionate bolero like "Maria Dolores".
After the taste in the previous album, in "Blessed Are..." for the first time can you accurately evaluate Joan Baez as a singer-songwriter who, as I have said before, for me is the best Joan Baez, the most important, the one I feel most connected and close to, and the original compositions are closely tied to the folk dimension of "Blessed Are...," Joanie expresses her creativity accompanying herself with the acoustic guitar, and always hits the mark with sweet and reflective ballads, characterized by very "plain" sounds but refined and tastefully arranged, such as the smooth, velvety, and consoling title track, where the glorified are the defeated, the humble, the marginalized, or the bittersweet and shaded country of "Outside The Nashville City Limits", the enchanting neoclassicism of "Milanese Waltz/Marie Flore", where a brief childhood friendship is evoked and especially songs veiled with melancholy and kindness, I think of the brief and poignant serenade of "When Time Is Stolen" and the dreamy "Gabriel And Me", songs in which you can hear Joan Baez's voice in all its enchantment, expressing itself over her beautiful melodies, further amplifying its charm.
However, beyond the sweetness, there are also darker shadows in "Blessed Are...," shadows that inspire Joanie to create two of the finest pieces in her songwriting repertoire, "Last, Lonely And Wretched" is a sparse and essential ballad: just guitar and voice, like in the beginning, and it is a song that ties a knot in your throat, heart-wrenching, of a sadness that almost inspires tears, and finally the wonderful "Three Horses", musically similar to the previous one but more expansive, disorienting and dreamlike, elevated by a visionary text of pure poetry, that unfolds in three verses dedicated respectively to the past, present, and future, words filled with allegories and reflections, the best ever written by Joan Baez. With such masterpieces in its tracklist, "Blessed Are..." is a product of the highest quality, which, despite being a double album, presents very few fillers and weak points; Joan Baez as an interpreter is, as always, excellent, four full saddles, the songwriter is simply wonderful, songs of a beauty and disarming simplicity, emotions, sighs, and reflections, and it is thus right and proper to reward such an important album with the highest marks, Joan Baez has never soared so high, not even in "Gulf Winds" and "Blowin' Away" that I personally adore, not even in the bestseller "Diamonds And Rust."
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 Blessed Are... (03:06)
(Words and Music by Joan Baez)
Blessed are the one way ticket holders
on a one way street.
Blessed are the midnight riders
for in the shadow of God they sleep.
Blessed are the huddled hikers
staring out at falling rain,
wondering at the retribution
in their personal acquaintance with pain.
Blessed are the blood relations
of the young ones who have died,
who had not the time or patience
to carry on this earthly ride.
Rain will come and winds will blow,
wild deer die in the mountain snow.
Birds will beat at heaven's wall,
what comes to one must come to us all.
For you and I are one way ticket holders
on a one way street.
which lies across a golden valley
where the waters of joy and hope run deep.
So if you pass the parents weeping
of the young ones who have died,
take them to your warmth and keeping
for blessed are the tears they cried
and many were the years they tried.
Take them to that valley wide
and let their souls be pacified.
© 1970, 1971 Chandos Music (ASCAP)
02 The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (03:26)
Virgil Caine is my name and I drove on the Danville train
Til Stonewall's cavalry came and tore up the tracks again
In the winter of '65, we were hungry, just barely alive
I took the train to Richmond that fell
It was a time I remember, oh, so well
(CHORUS)
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the bells were ringin
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the people were singin'
They went, na na na na na, na na na na
Back with my wife in Tenessee
And one day she said to me,
Virgil, quick come see
There goes the Robert E. Lee
Now I don't mind chopping wood
And I don't care if the money's no good
Just take what you need and leave the rest
But they should never have taken the very best
(CHORUS)
Like my father before me, I'm a working man
And like my brother before me, I took a rebel stand
Oh, he was just 18, proud and brave
But a yankee laid him in his grave
I swear by the blood below my feet
You can't raise a Caine back up when he's in defeat
(CHORUS)
05 The Brand New Tennessee Waltz (03:11)
Oh, my, but you have a pretty face,
You favor a girl that I knew,
I imagine that she´s still in Tennessee,
And, by God, I schould be there, too
I´ve a sadness too sad to be true.
But I left Tennessee in a hurry, Dear,
The same way that I´m leaving you,
´Cause love is mainly just memories
And everyone´s got him a few,
So when I´m gone I´ll be glad to love you.
(CHORUS)
At the brand new Tennessee Waltz you´re lit ´rally waltzing on air;
At the brand new Tennessee Waltz there ain´t no telling who will be there.
When I leave it´ll be like I found you, Love,
Descending Victorian stairs,
I´m feeling like one of your photographs
I´m trapped while I´m putting on airs,
And getting even by asking, "Who cares".
So, have all of your passionate violins
Play a tune for a Tennessee kid,
Who´s feeling like leaving another town
With no place to go if he did,
´Cause they´ll cath you wherever you hid.
14 Let It Be (03:51)
When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
Let it be, let it be.
Let it be, let it be.
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.
And when the broken hearted people
Living in the world agree,
There will be an answer, let it be.
For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be. Yeah
Let it be, let it be.
There will be an answer, let it be.
And when the night is cloudy,
There is still a light that shines on me,
Shines until tomorrow, let it be.
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary sings to me
There will be no sorrow, let it be.
Let it be, let it be.
Let it be, let it be.
There will be no sorrow, let it be.
Let it be, let it be,
Let it be, let it be.
There will be no sorrow, let it be.
Let it be, let it be,
Let it be, let it be.
There will be no sorrow, let it be
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