Two versions of a couple of folksongs I like quite a bit

I first heard 'The Trees They Do Grow High' on a vinyl LP we had, Joan Baez' Ballad Book. But I love Pentangle's version, too, along with virtually everything they've done. I was lucky to see Baez in concert a few years ago, one in the Lexington Opera House as part of the Troubadour Concert Series.

Another song traditional song I like a lot, although it's darker, is 'I Am Stretched on Your Grave'. Here are two versions. I prefer the Dead Can Dance version to O'Connor's.

This was on the tape, too...

I have the movie on VHS. Bruce Dern plays a character who tries to save the last of Earth's forests, which have been consigned to giant domes in space. I did always like the song, too. Here's Netflix' description of the film:

In a ruined future in which huge, orbiting spaceships preserve the last remaining trees from pollution and overcrowding on Earth, everyman botanist Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern) receives an order to destroy the trees. He refuses, but his actions set him up against his superiors and fellow crew members. Special-effects titan Douglas Trumbull directs this cult-status gem known for its innovative effects and powerful social themes.

It has three of the cutest robots in all of science fiction, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and some very scary twists as Lowell's actions have terrible consequences personally. If you've never seen it, I'd recommend it. It's available through the DVD plan on Netflix, or available from Amazon for $10.71, or $2.99 to rent on Amazon Instant Video (if you buy the DVD, you get a free promotional rental that will expire 24 hours after you watch it, but you have 30 days to do so, so you can watch it instantly).

Listening to

'John Riley' by Joan Baez

Several years ago I was partly laid off and as a result, was evicted from my apartment at the time.  During that stressful time, I abandoned my record collection, justifying it because I did not have any way to listen to the vinyl at the time. These included albums of my parents from the 1960s and my own coming of age in the 80s. YKWIA advised me against it, but I ignored very good advice, and if course came to regret it.

So it made me happy to find an audio tape I'd made of Joan Baez' Ballad Book album, one of the lost ones. Not too long ago I bought a CD boom box that still of all things had a tape player, because I wanted to listen to my old tapes. It also had an auxiliary so I can plug in my phone. So I get the best of both worlds.

I was very fortunate to see Baez in concert a couple of years ago, with great third row seats, and I enjoyed every bit of the show. But it's nice to have this as well.  It's nice as an accompaniment to reading as well.

Listening to:

No, she didn't do it during the concert the other day, but it's been in my head nonetheless:

So despite my brush with death, I got to go see Joan Baez

There were two standing ovations and three encores (including one where she did 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down' and another where she got the audience to sing 'Amazing Grace'. One of the best received was the 'Flora, the Lily of the West', which is set in Kentucky. Here's a video (not of our concert--cameras weren't allowed):


Her backing band was very talented. One guy played piano, mandolin, banjo, and fiddle, for example.

She was very engaging with the crowd as well. This was part of the Troubadour Concert Series, an all volunteer, community run show which has been running since 1993. Thursday they're having the Indigo Girls at the Kentucky Theatre, and in October Patty Loveless is coming. Some of the performers in the past include Arlo Guthrie, Alison Krauss, Don McCLean, Shawn Colvin, Riders in the Sky (I love their radio show--used to listen every Sunday at the comic store), Gordon Lightfoot, Suzanne Vega, and Lady Smith Black Mambazo, to give you an idea of their music.

I will say I was one of the younger people in the audience, and none of the twenty-somethings I mentioned the concert to really knew who Joan Baez was. But one of my co-workers plays her music regularly in her office and was thrilled with the prospect of her coming to Lexington. I hope she got to go.

Another great thing is when I bought the tickets from Ticketmaster I asked for it to search for best seats, as I really don't know the layout of the Lexington Opera House well. I wound up on the third row centre, very close to the stage but not too close. Joan was right in front of me. I also discovered that being on the sides had a problem in that the guitar in the spotlight reflected out to the audience, probably blinding a few people, something I'll keep in mind if I go to other concerts. I did find the constant changing of guitars distracting. She had one that was normal and one that had a clip to change the sound of the guitar, and a woman brought each out as needed, but they changed it every song. There was a guitar stand there; I don't know why it couldn't have been used instead. But that was the only distraction. Everything else was wonderful.

Anyway, I enjoyed myself thoroughly. I haven't been to anything to do with the arts or culture since the Petrie exhibit at UK's art museum, and that was last summer, so this was fun. And believe me, after my afternoon foray into traffic, I rather got into the singing of 'Amazing Grace'.

Stuck in my head all day

Yes, one more Joan Baez version of a traditional song. Bear with me, I'm on a folk song kick.

Yipee!

Barring any unforeseen problems, I'm going to get to go to the Joan Baez concert. I talked to my boss about working another day that week instead. The ticket should reach me in a few days (I just had them mail it--I don't trust e-mail links and printers to always work or such tickets to be accepted) and I did pay $7 to insure the ticket so if I can't go, or it's lost, etc., I can get my money back. I got a seat down near the front. Yay!

I hope I can go

Quite by accident today I cam across a concert I'd dearly love to go to, at a reasonable price. It's Joan Baez at the Lexington Opera House on July 20th. The best tickets are $49.99, which is rather good. I've loved her music from childhood. I even think I can make it home on the bus that night--the concert starts at 7:30 pm. The only snag? One of my store co-workers is off that week for a vacation and my boss has put 'no one else off' on the days that week. But I'll talk to her...maybe if I work on Monday or Thursday (my regular days off) she'll let me go. Wish me luck.

I know it's somewhat hokey and tree-hugging

but I still love the movie Silent Running with its crazy but determined forester, music by Joan Baez, and robots named Huey, Dewey, and Louie. I actually own a VHS copy; it may be time to watch it again.



Sadly, I had to explain to someone on YouTube that the Mike + The Mechanics song 'Silent Running' had nothing to do with the film, having come out 13 years afterwards (1972 for the film, 1985 for the song). But hey, I always liked that subversive little piece (Mike was Mike Rutherford from Genesis, by the way), so I'll include it here. It was linked to a movie, though. According to Wikipedia: 'Printed on the single "Silent Running" was a notation that it was from the movie On Dangerous Ground. The movie was released in North American in 1986 as Choke Canyon, and in the UK as On Dangerous Ground.'

Oh, just one more before bed

I have always admired Joan Baez, her music, and her principles. But the 45 I had as a child was this one, and although it is a cover of The Band's song, I will always associate it with her (even though she mangled the original lyrics some). I am a Southerner by birth and spent much of my life in the South, and this song called to me even at the age of four:



Incidentally, here are the original lyrics written by Robbie Robertson, with Joan's changes in brackets:

Virgil Caine is the [my] name, and I served [drove] on the Danville train,
'Til Stoneman's [so much] cavalry came and tore up the tracks again.
In the winter of '65, we were hungry, just barely alive.
By May tenth, [I took a train to] Richmond had [that] fell, it's [it was] a time I remember, oh so well,

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, when [and] all the bells were ringing,
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, and all the people were singin'. They went,
Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na,
Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na,
Na, Na, Na

Back with my wife in Tennessee, when [and] one day she called [said] to me,
Said [--] 'Virgil, quick, come and see, there goes the Robert E. Lee!'
Now I don't mind [them] choppin' wood, and I don't care if the money's no good.
Ya take what ya need and ya [Just take what you need and] leave the rest,
But they should never have taken the very best.

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, when [and] all the bells were ringing,
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, and all the people were singin'. They went,
Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na,
Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na,
Na, Na, Na

Like my father before me, I will work the land, [I'm a working man]
And like my brother above [before] me, who [I} took a rebel stand.
He was just eighteen, proud and brave, but a Yankee laid him in his grave,
And I swear by the mud [blood] below my feet,
You can't raise a Caine back up when he's [it's] in defeat.

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, when [and] all the bells were ringing,
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, and all the people were singin'. They went,
Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na,
Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na,
Na, Na, Na


Some time after the 1971 recording she said that she'd never seen the lyrics written out and had misheard them when learning the song. Since then she's changed how she sings it to reflect the original, apparently.

Enjoy. Good night.

Have I ever mentioned how much I like folk music?

Listening to:





and as a special bonus, even though it's not folk music and the embedding is disabled, is Alexandra Burke's rendition of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah'. (I am also highly impressed by the efforts of the set designers and crew who lined up so many candles in perfect harmony. Watch the video and see what I mean.) She has a beautiful voice, and won Britain's 'The X-Factor'.

Songs from the childhood of a bleeding heart liberal

There's 'Where have all the flowers gone?' (This is my favourite version of the Pete Seeger classic--the one done by the Kingston Trio), which was expanded:



Then there's Joan Baez singing 'The night they drove Old Dixie down':