Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Scarlet Ribbons
2. Jimmy Brown
3. Careless Love
4. Auctioneer
5. Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair
6. John Hardy
7. We Are Crossing Jordan River
8. John Riley
9. Silver Dagger
10. House of the Rising Sun
11. Low Down Chariot
12. Wagoner's Lad
13. Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream
14. Geordie
15. What Have They Done to the Rain?
16. Troubled and I Don't Know Why
17. With God on Our Side
18. We Shall Overcome
19. Go 'Way from My Window
20. Mama, You Been on My Mind
21. There But for Fortune
22. Colours
23. River in the Pines

Disc 2:

1. Pack Up Your Sorrows
2. Swallow Song
3. Legend of a Girl Child Linda
4. Children of Darkness
5. Catch the Wind
6. I Am a Poor Wayfaring Stranger
7. Sweet Sir Galahad
8. Donna Donna
9. Long Black Veil
10. Mama Tried
11. Sing Me Back Home
12. Joe Hill
13. Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
14. Blessed Are
15. Hello in There
16. Love Song to a Stranger
17. In the Quiet Morning (For Janis Joplin)
18. Angel Band
19. Johnny I Hardly Knew Yeh
20. Gracias a la Vida

Disc 3:

1. Diamonds & Rust
2. Children and All That Jazz
3. Blowin' in the Wind
4. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
5. Jesse
6. Honest Lullaby
7. Jack-A-Roe
8. Marriott USA
9. Amazing Grace
10. Forever Young
11. Farewell, Angelina
12. Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
13. Here's to You
14. Blues Improv
15. Ring Them Bells
16. Preso Numero Nueve
17. Speaking of Dreams

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29791 in Music
• Released on: 1996-03-12
• Number of discs: 3
• Formats: Box set, Live

Amazon.com
This is a big ol' box of Baez; certainly more than any casual fan would need. The hits are here ("Diamonds and Rust," "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"), along with a treasure trove of rare duets (with Kris Kristofferson, Bob Gibson, Donovan, and others) and previously unreleased tracks (including a giddy 1965 concert duet with Bob Dylan on his "Mama, You Been on My Mind"). The depth and breadth of Baez's work--from her early traditional bent ("Silver Dagger") to her fine choices from contemporary writers (Merle Haggard, John Prine)--is well-represented. The striking beauty of her voice is, too. Newcomers, however, would be wiser to investigate single disc samplers from Vanguard and A&M. --Michael Ruby

Customer Reviews

Her music is her life .
Where would you begin if you were trying to explain the impression Joan Baez made, and continues to make, on our musical consciousness? I start here. You can listen to hours of albums, which is a delightful prospect as far as I'm concerned, but on the other hand, this collection truly encapsulates Joan's career. The three categories (rare, live, classic) are all represented. For those who want her best, it's here, too. The live performances are unusual, sometimes amusing, and always fresh, like "Mama, You Been on My Mind," a duet with Bob Dylan. Her amazing rendition of "Scarlet Ribbons," which opens the collection, is the perfect example of how she has always been able to find an interpretation that makes it seem as though we had never heard the song before. Her performance of "Joe Hill" deserves another whole generation in these times. The collection also includes little-known artists like Jeffrey Shurtleff, who performed with her for years. Several songs that she composed are also featured, like "Diamonds and Rust," which continues to be played on radio stations today. There's also my personal Dylan favorite, the archetypal Sixties anti-war ballad, "With God on Our Side." In the category of "rare" one must also include a trio performance with her sister Mimi Farina and Judy Collins, "Legend of a Girl Child Linda." The album also includes no less than fifteen previously-unreleased performances, enough to constitute a new album in themselves. For those who know Joan Baez only as an "influence" from the Sixties on today's female vocalists, this collection brings Joan's huge talent and continuing integrity into the clearest possible focus.

For the Hard-Core fans!
This extradordinarily complete box-set contains Joan Baez songs you've never heard of, never knew existed, never dreamed of! A live performance with the fabulous Odetta. Live performances with Bob Dylan, with Donovan. Early singing from before she was famous. Later songs that sound like they ought to be famous, yet you've never heard them before! And plenty of standard Joan Baez "must haves" like "Blessed Are ..."

This is the box set for people who are SERIOUS about Joan Baez. Once you have this massive collection, you can safely call yourself a fan. Other people who say "I like her too" will feel like oafs when they find out how much more comprehensive your collection is. They'll DROOL over the live performances you own.

This isn't the right thing to buy if you're new to Joan Baez. Not only is it a tad expensive for a newcomer, but it's also a little TOO comprehensive for someone who just wants the gist of her. There are some great songs ... and some "not so great" songs that are only interesting to fans because of their biographical/career-span significance. A new fan would have to wade through some songs she didn't really like in order to find the gems.

But for a die-hard fan ... this collection is the one that separates you from the riff-raff! A lot of this stuff, you CANNOT FIND anywhere else. The more you know about Joan's career, the more you'll appreciate some of these very rare finds!

A very serious collection.

An eclectic collection of classic Baez.
I've had this CD set for about a year now and I'm trying to wear it out. There is so much classic original material in here that it warms my heart. As a long time Joan Baez fan, like from day one when I saw her at Newport as a teenger in the 50's right up until today, this CD set brings me joy. I've worn out many original vinyl LP's of Joan's work and this remastered CD collection restored what I had lost. My only wish is that there would have been some stuff from her "Come From The Shadows" LP which can no longer be found anywhere in the world as far as I know. One of the greatest songs she ever sang was on that LP. It was titled "The Partisan" and revealed great emotion on Joan's part, a quality that makes her music live forever in the hearts of her fans.

"Rare, Live and Classic" is a "must have" for any true Joan Baez fan as far as I'm concerned. Even though it's a bit pricey the packaging and the enclosed book of rare photos and Joan's thoughts on the songs makes it a fantastic value worth every penny and then some.