Blowin' Away

by

Joan Baez

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The other reviews of this album make good points; it is not what I would recommend to someone wanting to buy their first Baez album. You have to know her work a bit to appreciate how different this album is compared to her albums prior to the release of "Blowin' Away". You would also have to know that she had just changed labels to "Portrait", a subsidiary of CBS Records. There is a small enclosure that came with the vinyl album when it was released in 1977 showing some recording "execs" trying to explain to Ms. Baez what they are hoping this album will be like; she sums up their blather with the comment "More commerical?" It may not be a milestone, but it is definitely unique, almost an oddity in Ms. Baez' work. And quite listenable.

"Time Rag" shows her spirit and probably represents what this album is, perhaps, about; "Rippin' along toward middle age/and my music career kinda missed a page". How well I believe most of Ms. Baez', um, "mature" fans can relate to that these days! And I've heard other versions of "Cry Me A River", but this is the one I think of more often than not - has more of a "bite" and bitterness to it than some of the more maudlin versions. "Yellow Coat" is similar to "Diamonds & Rust" in theme; people drift apart and are left with... ? However, when I bought the vinyl album in 1977 - yes I am quite ancient - I was most taken with "Altar Boy and The Thief". You would have to be quite young and just coming to terms with being gay to understand what such a song meant. That someone of Ms. Baez's stature and talent would have even bothered to write such a song, let alone put it on an album, in 1977, with a new recording company? Amazing.

As other reviews have pointed out, there are some excellent songs on this album, some may not be Baez at her peak, but overall it is an album I have listened to often since 1977 and that I still enjoy listening to - that makes it 5 stars for me!

BLOWIN' AWAY has several shing moments, but it's hardly one of Joan's best albums. The title track, however, is my favorite recording of this great song, which has also been covered by Ronstadt, Raitt, and most recently, Cher. Joan's is the best. The opening track, "Sailing", is also very good, and quite different from what you would expect from Baez, with multi-layered vocals and elaborate orchestration. And I love "Luba, the Baroness", which is Joan's own composition and really very touching. But those three songs are about it for this lesser album, worth having for big fans of Joan, but it won't convert those who aren't.