Joan Baez - Do I just not get it?


Hi,

I'm a relatively young music/audio guy (24). I recently bought a remaster LP of Joan Baez "In Concert" which I've heard is a great album, both musically and soundwise.

This is my first exposure to Joan Baez - and not meant to offend fans... But I could not make it past song two. Now I love singer/songwriter music, and certainly enjoy female vocals and acoustic guitar... but her voice! It is unlistenable! She uses so much vibrato and sounds like a sheep... baaaaaaa... Stevie nicks can at least get away with being a sheep because she has the rock music to keep the attention away... but joan Baez - How do you guys enjoy listening to this stuff? The vibrato is terrible!
goatwuss

Showing 3 responses by goatwuss

Wow

I was out for the weekend, and haven't seen any responses to this until now. Thanks for all the insight and discussion!

So it seems as though most of Joan Baez's popularity (past and present) stems moreso from her political messages communicated through her music than the actual music itself.

This is fine, though from my perspective in order for any messages to be communicated to me the tools have to be crafted well enough to not be abrasive to my senses and to my musical values.

The point comparing Joan to Bob Dylan was effective for me. I personally love Bob Dylan. Of course the main appeal of Bob Dylan is what he has to say. I feel as though Dylan is more a poet than a musician, and that he used music as a tool to communicate his poetry. I feel he did this effectively. Clearly his voice is not amazing, but it works for me. My girlfriend thinks he's terrible. Case in point.

In any case, I will sample some of the other Joan Baez music that some of you recommended to see if it more to my taste. I'll also try listening to my "In Concert" record again with some of the knowledge I've gathered from this thread to see if it grows on me. Otherwise, you'll be seeing an "only played once" NM copy of Joan Baez "In Concert" on the A'gon.

Merry Christmas
Swampster -

The point that I was trying to make, perhaps ineffectively, was that even though Bob Dylan can't sing, he can't sing in a manner that doesn't bug me. In other words, it works for him. From what I've heard of Joan Baez so far, it doesn't work for her, as her voice is unlistenable.

Only my opinion of course, always subject to changing. Feel free to disagree with it.
Swampwalker - Yeah, for sure the game goes for Neil Young. I like him, but if someone told me they found his voice unlistenable I'd understand why.

And no, it's not my gear ( :

My issue with her is not "thin-ness," it's that vibrato.