Well, we’re back! It’s been an abnormally long time since my last album review (in no small part due to the recently posted album recap I’ve been working on), but now we return to the reviews themselves. Our first album of the 60’s just so happens to be one of my favorite so far: Joan Baez’s (pronounced BYE-ez, something that took me an embarrassingly long time to realize) debut self-titled album is a masterpiece of acoustic folk. This is made even more impressive considering that not only was it her first release, but that she recorded it at age 19. A lot of musicians don’t even create their best work until twice that age. It’s a top-quality folk record, introducing the decade on a particularly high note.

Interestingly enough for a “singer-songwriter” album (does that label even apply in this context? I’m not really sure), this album consists entirely of traditional songs, which are either in the public domain or simply have no known author. Despite not having written a word of the lyrics, she truly makes each song her own, singing every song with emotion and accompanying her vocals with virtuosic guitar. Despite featuring nothing but voice and acoustic guitar, the album sounds lush, detailed, and almost operatic at points. Her guitar playing is intricate, soothing, and hypnotic. Her voice is equally fantastic: she has one of the most beautiful singing voices I’ve ever heard, and coupled with her instrumental expertise, this album becomes what I can honestly say is one of the greatest folk albums of all time.

Joan Baez. Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Even though the songs are traditional, their lyrical content still contributes quite a lot to the album overall. The record starts off strong with “Silver Dagger,” followed by “East Virginia” (a haunting track that, sadly, is only present on reissues, and not on the original release). Now, “lullaby-like” isn’t typically a positive descriptor under most contexts, but not only do I think that’s a perfect way to describe much of the album, but the songs are even better for it. Joan sounds like she’s trying to serenade you to sleep, like a mother would to her baby. So it’s most definitely a calming album, not to mention compelling, moving and emotional. Most of the tracks tell some sort of story, such as highlight “John Riley,” which I won’t ruin for you here. Some other of my favorite tracks include “Donna Donna,” “Mary Hamilton,” and the album’s closing track, “El Preso Numero Nuéve.”

Joan Baez’s self-titled debut is a marvel of acoustic folk. Beautiful singing, excellent guitar playing and classic, age-old lyrics make this album a true record for the ages. While she would later go on to be famous for her activism and political lyrics, this is still an album that deserves to be remembered. Yes, it’s much different from the material she would later become known for, but it is still an outstanding album in its own right. Any fan of folk who hasn’t heard this album is truly doing themself a disservice.

Favorite Tracks: “Silver Dagger,” “John Riley,” “Donna Donna,” “Mary Hamilton,” “El Preso Numero Nuéve”

Next Up: Elvis is Back! by Elvis Presley (1960)