From Every Stage

by Joan Baez

Overview

Listening to this album a quarter century after the fact is an eerie experience; as a Baez fan of the same period and of a politically similar orientation at the time, this reviewer was shocked by the vitriol of the opening number, "(Ain't Gonna Let Nobody) Turn Me Around," especially given that the shows where this album was recorded dated from 1975. Was anyone (except maybe the Reagan-ites) ever really that angry at the Ford administration? Otherwise, Baez's trembling falsetto is in beautiful shape on songs ranging from Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" to "Oh, Happy Day." The album was recorded on the tour supporting the release of Diamonds & Rust, but nothing of that album except the title track is represented here; rather, Baez performs five Bob Dylan songs (which get the most rousing reception), three of her better originals, including "Blessed Are" and "Diamonds and Rust," and a brace of traditional songs and covers of a handful of other composers' work, including "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." Apart from the opening outpouring of political venom, there's not too much controversy here -- a pair of songs, "Natalia" and "The Ballad of Sacco and Vanzett," dedicated to political prisoners and an ambitious but ultimately awkward adaptation of "Stewball" are as topical as most of the show gets. Baez is in superb voice and the backing septet, mostly heard on the second disc, has a surprisingly lean sound. Ultimately, From Every Stage is a good, albeit far slicker follow-up to Baez's two early-'60s live albums on Vanguard, though it says something about the nature of her history at A&M Records that five years into her contract with that label, all but a handful of the songs here were associated with her prior record label. ~ Bruce Eder

Product Details

Release Date:	02/25/2022
Label:	Beat Goes On / Bgo
UPC:	5017261214744
Rank:	1563

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Joan Baez   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Larry Carlton   Guest Artist,Guitar
James Jamerson   Bass
Jim Gordon   Drums
David Briggs   Keyboards
Dan Ferguson   Guitar

Technical Credits

Leonard Cohen   Composer
Gerald Moore   Composer,Composer
Joan Baez   Composer,Arranger
Earl Robinson   Composer
E. F. Rimbault   Composer
Emmylou Harris   Composer
John Fiore   Assistant Engineer
David Kershenbaum   Producer
John Herald   Composer
Galen Senogles   Assistant Engineer
M. Christian   Composer
Dawson   Engineer
Robbie Robertson   Composer
Huddie Ledbetter   Composer
Mary Travers   Composer
Ralph Rinzler   Composer
Merle Haggard   Composer
Dale Ashby   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Traditional   Composer
Noel Paul Stookey   Composer
John Newton   Composer
Bernie Grundman   Mastering
Bob Dylan   Composer
Bill Danoff   Composer
Bob Yellin   Composer
Joe Bellamy   Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Edwin Hawkins   Composer
Ennio Morricone   Composer
Al Hayes   Composer
Alex Kazanegras   Engineer,Remixing
Dave Loggins   Composer
Roy Apps   Composer
Bernard Gelb   Executive Producer
Arthur MacLear   Assistant Engineer
Robert Yellin   Composer
Jim Akens   Assistant Engineer
Corey Bailey   Assistant Engineer
Dan Agostino   Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Bill Ashby   Assistant Engineer
Bob Cato   Design
Doug Metzler   Photography
Dinky Dawson   Live Mixing
John Fiori   Assistant Engineer
Alfred Hayes   Composer
Shamshi Shusha Guppy   Composer