Joan Baez - Any Day Now (1968)

Joan Baez is an American folk singer who was an important part of the early 60s folk music revival.

Joan Baez was an early champion of Bob Dylan's work, and when he was just starting out she helped introduce him and his songs to her established audience in the folk community. They had also been briefly involved romantically. Before long though Dylan's fame eclipsed hers. She recorded many of his songs - seven of them by 1968. Her tenth album, Any Day Now, was made up entirely of Dylan songs, and was a double album.
It was recorded in Nashville, and saw Baez use substantial instrumental backing for the first time - not just subtle acoustic embellishments, but drums, bass, electric guitar, pedal steel, fiddle and keyboards. It could thus be called her true folk-rock debut. At the same time much of the music had a country feel, no doubt due to its use of top Nashville session musicians (including drummer Kenny Buttrey, pedal steel guitarist Pete Drake and pianist Pig Robbins), making it fit in with the country-rock sound that was becoming popular at the time. The sessions that produced the album also resulted in its follow-up, David's Album, which saw her truly embrace the country sound.
Of the sixteen Dylan songs, six had not at the time been released by Dylan himself. And one, "Love Is Just A Four Letter Word", he has apparently never even recorded.
The album was a great success both commercially (getting to #30 on the pop charts) and artistically, proving Baez as the greatest interpreter of Dylan's works.

Baptism: A Journey Through Our Time (1968) <|> David's Album (1969)
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