Urban Folk Revival: “Joan Baez” (1960)

Her very first album, “Joan Baez” by Joan Baez is an impressive collection of meaningful folk songs, marked by Baez’s signature style. Her soaring soprano voice is well-showcased on this album, especially on songs like “Fare Thee Well (10,000 Miles).” She has a wide range and a real, crisp sounding voice, with a gentle, sweet vibrato. Most of her songs on this album feature a simple accompaniment of a guitar using a finger-picking styling. Baez’s songs often have complex melodies and unique chord progressions. What really shows through on this album is her elevated songwriting and thought-provoking lyrics, impressive for someone so young. Baez’s voice is very mature-sounding, surprisingly, as she was only 19 when she recorded the album.

A number of her songs have religious themes, characteristic of many folk songs around that time. However, she had several songs that had messages that are still relevant today, for example “Silver Dagger.” “Joan Baez” encompasses everything the urban folk revival stood for. Her “authentic” sound and meaningful lyrics, along with the simple guitar accompaniment made her style ideal for other urban folk revivalists. Her album made me feel as if I could picture myself sitting in a 1960’s coffeehouse listening to her play. I loved her whole sound and really enjoyed listening to this album.