WITH 'LET IT BE,' LESS IS MUCH, MUCH MORE

January 2, 2004

By ALAN K. STOUT

MUSIC ON THE MENU

Paul McCartney was indeed right.

McCartney has always said that he dislikes The Beatles' “Let It Be” album, mainly because of the strings and orchestration added to the original sessions, which were tacked on by renowned knob-twirler Phil Spector after the Fab Four decided to scrap the project. To McCartney, simpler was better, and he's been quoted as saying he simply hated what Spector did to some of the album's tracks, particularly his own “The Long and Winding Road.''

Now, with the recent release of  "Let It Be ... Naked,'' the world can finally decide for itself whether Sir Paul was right, and we can hear some of the songs as he had originally hoped and intended.

As anyone who's ever seen the "Let It Be'' film can attest, the album-in-making documentary shows a disjointed band that had grown greatly apart, but the album - even with Spector's lush tweaking - always did a fine job of masking such internal problems and letting the music shine.

"Naked,'' however, does so even better.

Here, the band sounds marvelously tight, and there's a fresh energy and warmth to the tracks, which have been remixed and digitally fine-tuned. It's just John, Paul, George and Ringo, original producer George Martin and some keyboard work from Billy Preston, and unlike the film, the vibrant recording gives no indication that the group is in its final stages.

(Only “Abbey Road,'' the band's true swan song, would follow.)

“It's a beautiful CD,” said Ringo Starr in an interview with Rolling Stone earlier this year, after he first heard the “`Naked” remixes. “Paul was always totally opposed to Phil, and I told him on the phone, `You're bloody right again. It sounds great without Phil.' Which it does. Now, we'll have to put up with him telling us over and over again, `I told you so.' ''

In the same interview, original “Let It Be'' engineer Glyn Johns went as far as to say that Spector  “puked all over'' some of the album's tracks and added that: “If you hear `The Long and Winding Road' without all of that schlock on it, it's fabulous just as it is.''

Indeed.

What's most striking when listening to the stripped down version of  “The Long and Winding Road'' is the beauty of the piano, which was completely lost in the Spector mix and perfectly accents the sadness of the song's lyrics. The ``Naked'' version also features a different vocal track than that of the original “Let It Be'' album. Here, McCartney sings, “Many times, I've been alone, and many times I've cried, anyway you've always known, the many ways I've tried,'' rather than ``anyway you've never known, the many ways I've tried.''

The changing of one simple word changes the meaning of the entire verse, and in some ways, changes the feel of the entire song.

There's also a stronger sense of soul of numbers such as “I've Got A Feeling,'' and of band unity on tracks like tracks like “Don't Let Me Down,'' where Lennon and McCartney, whose personal relationship was already strained, can be heard singing together in perfect harmony. The sequencing of songs is also superior to that of the original and provides for a much better sense of flow and balance.

Personally, I've never minded Spector's “schlock'' that much, and have always named “The Long and Winding Road'' as my all-time favorite Beatles number, but after listening to “Naked,'' it seems that the band's bassist may have indeed known best.

With these wonderful tracks, Spector simply should have abided by the album's title.

He should have let them be.

Beatle craze a local hit

Times Leader - August 31, 2003

By ALAN K. STOUT

TIMES LEADER STAFF WRITER

 August 31, 2003 

 SCRANTON - The history of the world's most influential rock 'n' roll band can be traced to the streets and pubs of Liverpool, England. It was there more than 40 years ago that John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr formed The Beatles and planted the seeds for a musical explosion known as “Beatlemania.''

What most people might not know, however, is that once The Fab Four brought their music to America, another blue collar town was instrumental in relaying the group's music to its millions of fans.

Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Throughout the 1960s, The Beatles' label, Capitol Records, operated one of its largest record manufacturing plants in Scranton. According to some reports, it was the largest such plant in the United States and at the height of “Beatlmania'' its employees worked long shifts pressing copies of the group's  records while trying to keep pace with demand.

 “All of a sudden it just took off,'' says Paul Lalley, 74, of Scranton, who worked at the plant until it closed in 1978. “It was big over in England, but it just carried right over the ocean into this country and it was just absolutely phenomenal.''

 Lalley says everything changed once The Beatles made their famous appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. Throughout the entire decade, he says, albums such as “Abbey Road'' and “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band'' were all pressed in Scranton.

 “We worked around the clock and probably had what were the best years in the recording business in many, many, many years,'' says Lalley. “In the shipping and receiving department, it was nothing to work 10, 12 or 14 hours a day. We had three shifts going at one time and we probably had 800 to 1,000 people there.''

 According to Alan Sweeney, president of the Lackawanna Historical Society, the history of making records in Northeastern Pennsylvania dates back to the former Scranton Button Co. That company, says Sweeney, also made phonograph records and even pressed copies of Irving Berlin's “Over There”' during the first World War. The Scranton Button Co. later changed its name to the Scranton Record Manufacturing Co. and was purchased by Capitol Records in 1946.

In addition to Beatles records, many classic recordings from the Capitol catalogue, including the music of Frank Sinatra, were pressed in Scranton. Elvis Presley records were also made in Scranton. Lalley, who continued to work at the facility when it became North American Records from 1973-78, says the plant was hired by RCA Records after Presley's death in 1977 to keep up with the demand of fans flocking to record stores to buy his music.

 (The old Capitol building is now occupied by Olympic Chimney Supply, which manufactures stainless steel chimney lining systems.)

 Lalley says he wasn't aware while he worked at Capitol of the historical significance of the work he and his co-workers were doing, or that Lennon and McCartney would later be viewed as two of the greatest songwriters of the 20th Century. He adds that while Capitol had three other record pressing plants in the country and that Beatles albums were also made at those locations, there's a good chance any vinyl Beatles album you come across was made in Scranton.

“To my knowledge, we made every album the Beatles put out,” he says.

 (An Internet search using the keywords “Scranton” and “Beatles'' revealed several websites dedicated to helping collectors determine which Capitol plant produced the records in their collections.)

Sweeney says that even WEA Manufacturing, a large CD-making plant located in Olyphant, has ties to the Capitol plant, since one of Capitol's employees, Roy Marquardt, later founded Specialty Records, which later became WEA.  And there's even a Scranton link to The Beatles first coming to North America. Sweeney says the late Geoffrey Racine, an executive with Capitol who spent about a year working in Scranton, met his wife while living there and later retired to Clarks Summit. Racine, while working for Capitol Records of Canada, was the man who first brought The Beatles to the label.

“He said he liked the beat of their music and he liked the song `I Want To Hold Your Hand,' “ says Sweeney. “He brought them to the label in Canada, where they became big even before they did in this country.”

 Frank Alba, 62, of Pittston Township, worked at Capitol in Scranton from 1963-69. He says his job at the plant was “record tester,” which required him to take records from the pressing area and inspect them for quality.

“I'd go back to a sound proof booth and play them on a record player, and listen to see if there were any scratches,” he says. “It was a fun job because I got to know every word from every Beatles song. I'd play one record for eight hours.”

Alba also has stories of the plant operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week making Beatles records. He says that after the band's appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, it was that one famous song that made for a busy schedule.

 “They made the 45s of `I Want to Hold Your Hand,' and I bet that's all they did for three months, for three shifts,” he says.

“They pushed out millions of them.”

No moss here: these Stones are still rollin'

 

The Times Leader
September 20, 2002

By ALAN K. STOUT
MUSIC ON THE MENU

PHILADELPHIA - Perhaps the most telling reason as to why The Rolling Stones should continue to tour forever came about midway through the band's remarkable concert on Wednesday night at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. Sure, they've got 40 years' worth of chart-toppers and rock classics in their catalog, but one of the show's most memorable moments came when the group dished out a fabulous cover of The O'Jays' "Love Train."

 Simply put: It was fun..

And so, still, are The Rolling Stones.
 
The band opened its show before the crowd of 36,000 with a fiery rendition of "Brown Sugar," and for the next two hours, it never let up in fervor or intensity. A stinging version of "Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It)" and a powerful performance of "Start Me Up" followed. Mick Jagger, who changed attire several times throughout the night, pranced and danced in his trademark fashion, while a shaggy and delightfully haggard Keith Richards frequently broke into a broad smile and tossed guitar picks into the audience.
 
"Hello, Philadelphia!" Jagger shouted. "How ya doin'? We are going to have a good time tonight - yes we are!"  Yes they did.  The Stones' stage was mammoth yet also fairly simple. Huge video screens over the stage provided great close-ups throughout the show, and Jagger worked the stage with command and charisma. The new "Don't Stop," during which Jagger played guitar, proved that the band can still write good songs, and numbers such as "Tumblin' Dice" and the '80s nugget "Undercover Of The Night" balanced the set list nicely.

 A beautiful performance of "Wild Horses" preceded an equally strong rendition of "You Can't Always Get What You Want," during which Jagger's vocals were particularly strong. A long, jangly, jammy, rootsy and ultimately bluesy performance of "Midnight Rambler" - spiced by Jagger's harmonica' - was another highlight.

One of the most enjoyable things about any Rolling Stones show is simply watching Keith Richards. He commands respect yet also inspires laughter, and his spaced-out yet edgy persona, combined with his musical talent, makes him one of rock's most interesting characters. And when he took to the microphone for a heartfelt performance of 1989's "Slippin' Away," he seemed to be where he most belongs: leading his rock band though a torrid show in a huge football stadium.

 A terrific and tribal performance of "Sympathy For The Devil" got the crowd involved, and the entire band then journeyed out on a catwalk to another stage in the center of the stadium for a few numbers, including 1994's "You Got Me Rockin' " and a cover of Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone." Back on the big stage, the group then tore through a soulful performance of "Gimme Shelter."

The set ended with a string of favorites: "Honky Tonk Woman," which came with some racy animation on the big screens; "Street Fighting Man;" and "Jumping Jack Flash," which offered some fierce guitar licks by Richards and Ron Wood. The encore was a driving and pounding rendition of "Satisfaction." And yes, plenty of fireworks went off over the stadium and plenty of confetti blew about over the aisles.

The Rolling Stones, now in their 40th year together, may never have played better than they are playing on this tour, and they sound excellent. The musicianship is outstanding, and the overall performance shines. Why some people even question The Stones' decision to continue touring is puzzling. They've earned the right. They've done the hard work. They wrote the songs. They spent all of those late hours in studio recording the tracks. They've toured for 40 years and have built themselves into what they proclaim is the world's greatest rock 'n' roll band.

They still deliver, and, most important - be it with "Love Train" or "Start Me Up" - they are still just plain fun.

Elvis' music is his lasting legacy

   Remember `The King' for his character, talent and contributions

By ALAN K. STOUT
MUSIC ON THE MENU 

Elvis Presley should still be here.

He should be 67 years old, and he should still be giving concerts. His golden voice - the best rock music has ever heard - should still be booming through arenas and he should still be recording new albums.

It was 25 years ago today, however, that the undisputed King of Rock 'n' Roll left the building at the tender age of 42. And he is, without a doubt, missed just as much today as he was on that August afternoon when we first learned of his passing.

A lot of rock-music writers like to use the word "derivative" when they talk about music. Sometimes they use it as a compliment, sometimes as an insult. All it really means is that an artist has been influenced by another. Everything in pop music - everything - is a Presley derivative.

Five years ago, on the 20th anniversary of Elvis' death, I wrote a column about Presley's importance to the history of rock music and his unparalleled significance in pop culture. Today, I'm sharing some of those same thoughts.  And that's because everything you read about pop music in this or any newspaper or magazine is reflective of Presley. The club listings. The concert listings. The album reviews and the interviews with the local bands and the big stars.  It all goes back to Presley.

It all goes back to the poor kid from Mississippi who came out of nowhere and, in 1956, helped kick open the door to a new and exciting sound.

It all goes back to the man whose early recordings such as "That's All Right," "Mystery Train" and "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" remain classics, and whose big '50s hits such as "Heartbreak Hotel," "Don't Be Cruel" and "Jailhouse Rock" set the table for the musical explosion known as rock 'n' roll.  It all goes back to the guy whose early '60s songs such as "His Latest Flame," "Little Sister" and "Are You Lonesome Tonight" sound as great today as they ever did, and the man whose voice was better than it ever was on his later recordings such as "Kentucky Rain" and "Always On My Mind." It all goes back to the man whose remarkable covers of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" seem to surpass the quality of the originals, and the man who, just weeks before his death, was still nailing challenging songs such as "Unchained Melody" and "My Way" in concert.

 Elvis' health, due to his own vices, failed him.  His voice never did.

Today, on the anniversary of his death, remember the good things about Elvis. Forget about the tacky wall murals, lamps and porcelain plates and rumors of  "sightings." Forget about the unwarranted mockery sometimes aimed at him by people without half his talent or character.  Remember the man who, even after his burst of fame, still referred to people as "ma'am" and "sir," and who even won over an initially hesitant and skeptical Ed Sullivan with his kindness and humility. Remember the man who, at the height of career, went off to Germany to serve his country in the Army. Remember the man who, while there, asked for no special treatment and quickly befriended the men in his unit.

Remember the man who loved to share his wealth - a man who would buy friends and even strangers automobiles, and who, if you admired a piece of jewelry he was wearing, would often take it off and give it to you.

Remember the man who was always quick to give credit to the unheard-of black artists from whom he borrowed much of his early sound. Remember the man who, with his remarkable " '68 Comeback Special," actually laid the groundwork for MTV's popular "Unplugged" series.

If you're out on the town tonight, ask your favorite band to play a little Presley. The good ones - the ones that know a little about the linkage of rock 'n' roll - will be happy to.  Artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Robert Plant and Billy Joel have all covered Presley's songs. Plant, according to one story, was actually able to meet Elvis and sing a few bars of "Love Me" with The King. In 1975, Springsteen, a star himself at the time, tried to scale the gates of Graceland hoping to meet his idol. KISS' Gene Simmons has said the band closed its Aug. 16, 1977, show with "Jailhouse Rock." The members of U2, in the rock documentary "Rattle and Hum," are shown visiting Presley's grave at Graceland. It is one of the most poignant scenes on the film. And five years ago, on the 20th anniversary of Elvis' death, our own Badlees, playing right here in Wilkes-Barre, offered a soulful cover of "Suspicious Minds."

If you're a fan of rock 'n' roll, take just a minute or two today to show him some of the same respect. Call your favorite radio station and request one of his songs, play one on the jukebox at your favorite hangout or just hum one of his tunes in your head.

Elvis Presley should still be here. And though he left us 25 years ago today, he is still with us in many ways. He is with us in pop radio, rock concerts and magazines, MTV and VH1 and so many things we encounter in everyday life.

He is with us, now and forever, in music.

It's why they call him The Boss

With “The Rising” Springsteen flexes his songwriting muscle

By ALAN K. STOUT

MUSIC ON THE MENU

August 2, 2002

With the release of "The Rising," Bruce Springsteen has cemented his place as one of America's most important and most treasured songwriters. It is an album perhaps only he could have written and an album America needed him to write.

Much of material on this poignant recording — Springsteen's first with the E Street Band in 18 years — was inspired by the events of 9/11. But rather than simply take us back to the rubble and carnage of lower Manhattan, Springsteen offers a more mournful and ultimately more sensitive approach. The songs are told in human terms and in thoughtful ways, and rather than flag-waving and anger, he focuses on the sadness and sense of loss within individual lives and homes and on the acts of subtle heroism that are now more inclined to be noticed in everyday life.

The record opens with the moody yet lifting "Lonesome Day," a tremendous track that talks of the need for fortitude and resiliency when dealing with heartache. Its burning guitars and gospel-like backing vocals help make it one of the album's most stirring numbers. "Into The Fire" sounds like a direct homage to the heroics New York's firefighters and police officers displayed on 9/11, while "Waitin' On A Sunny Day" talks of how, even during hard times, better times may still be on the horizon.

It is within songs such as "Nothing Man," however, that Springsteen strikes the deepest chords and paints the most human pictures. The gorgeous track tells the tale of an unassuming small town man who finds local notoriety as a result of his heroism. The character, however — forever changed by what he's experienced — is uninterested in such back-patting and feels frustrated at the quick return to normalcy within his community. The song, delivered with a soft sense of dignity and humility, is also one of the album's finest tracks.

With "Counting on a Miracle,"' Springsteen sings with sheer passion, and with "Empty Sky"' his creative brush paints the sorrowful picture of the loss of love through tragedy:

"I woke up this morning, I could barely breathe,

Just an empty impression in the bed, where you used to be

I want a kiss from your lips, I want an eye for an eye,

I woke up this morning to an empty sky."

Here, Springsteen again takes listeners away from the newscasts and wreckage of 9/11 and into the empty living rooms, the empty kitchen tables and empty hearts of the bereaved.

With the tribal, rhythmic and incredibly melodic "Worlds Apart" — clearly one of the best songs he's ever written — Springsteen expands the bounds of love even further. And with its Mid-eastern sounds and references, it could be interpreted as a love letter written by a soldier in combat to a woman back home.

"Where the distant oceans sing and rise to the plain,

In this dry and troubled country, your beauty remains

Down from the mountain roads, where the highway rolls to dark,

'Neath Allah's blessed rain, we remain worlds apart ...

We'll let blood build a bridge, over mountains draped in stars

I'll meet you on the ridge, between these worlds apart."

It is one of the album's most stunning moments.

The light, fun and funky "Mary's Place"' sounds as if it could have been included on Springsteen's first album, and "You're Missing" again visits the emotions of longing and emptiness that come with loss. The two tracks make for an interesting sequencing of numbers, but they do serve as a perfect segue into the album's next song and another of its hallmarks: "The Rising."

The song, an exhilarating and zesty plea for rebirth, rejuvenation and a heightened sense of spirit, could serve as an American anthem. For anyone who listens to it, it probably will.

The album closes, appropriately, with the prayerful "My City of Ruins."

Springsteen likely will pick up a load of Grammy awards next February for this alluring album, but that's probably not very important to him. With the release of "The Rising," he has, in a very real way, answered a call. There's a story, as told in the New York Times, that a few days after 9/11 an unintrusive fan approached Springsteen on the street and offered three simple words: "We need you."

Springsteen has answered, and though he was clearly inspired by everyday American heroes when he was writing this album, he also has — with sensitivity and empathy — reclaimed his own status as one.

McCartney proves he’s still Fab 

Times Leader - April 19, 2002 (click image to enlarge)

By ALAN K. STOUT

Times Leader Staff Writer

April 19, 2002

PHILADELPHIA - When Paul McCartney stepped onto the stage at the sold-out First Union Center on Tuesday night, he was carrying a lot more than just his trusty bass guitar. McCartney, still the biggest rock star in the world and one of its most important songwriters, was carrying the legacy of The Beatles. And, as he often has in recent years, he carried that hefty heritage with care, class and conviction.

McCartney, who first appeared to the crowd in silhouette form while holding his bass high over his head, opened the show with The Fab Four favorite  “Hello Goodbye.” A strong performance of Wings' “Jet'” followed, and it was clear from the get-go that the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was in top form.
   

“Hello Philadelphia!” McCartney shouted after the second number. “We have come to rock you tonight!”

He would not disappoint.

Breezy and true renditions of Beatles gems such as “All My Loving” and “Getting Better” served as an early indication that Sir Paul, despite a very impressive post-Beatles career, was not shying away from his roots. He sang such numbers with great enthusiasm and with a broad smile, and he did the same while dishing out Wings classics such as “Coming Up” and “Let Me Roll It.”

McCartney's staging was tasteful yet grand and sometimes dazzling, and a large video screen provided close-ups throughout the entire show. Additional video screens behind the stage often displayed images that fit the mood of the song performed. There were vintage clips of the Fab Four and crazed  “Beatlemania" fans during some of the Beatles numbers, plus images of gorgeous sunsets and photos of people who defined the times during which the songs were recorded.

Musically, McCartney's young band was solid and energetic, and the 59-year-old legend seemed to enjoy what it brought to the music. And despite McCartney's lofty status in the world of pop culture, he appears to be untouched by fame and seems to lack an inflated ego. He warmly introduced all of the group's members, allowed them all time to say a few words to the crowd and even asked the audience to give a hand to the technicians running the soundboard. And he himself displayed his own musical gifts by frequently switching from bass to guitar to piano. His voice was always on target.

McCartney performed several numbers alone, with just an acoustic guitar, including a marvelous rendition of “Blackbird” - which he said was inspired by the American civil-rights movement of the 1960s - and a crisp version of  “We Can Work It Out.”' Both drew huge roars from the crowd of 20,000, as did “Mother Nature's Son” and  “Fool On The Hill.”

Although the show was constantly charged with emotion and sentiment, two of the concert's most moving moments came when McCartney acknowledged the two fallen Beatles: John Lennon and George Harrison. To Lennon he dedicated “Here Today” - a song he wrote shortly after Lennon's death that dealt with their strained yet unbroken friendship - and to Harrison he dedicated  “Something.”  For the latter, McCartney played a ukulele given to him by Harrison.

Both numbers brought the house down.

McCartney, who helped organize last year's  “Concert For New York” and who held an unusually high public profile during the post-Sept. 11 days, also offered a fiery performance of  “Freedom,” a song inspired by the tragedy.  During the song, a huge tapestry of the Statue of Liberty descended from above the stage. Later, the Liverpool, England, native proudly waved an American flag while trotting about the stage. He also offered several more well-received numbers from his latest LP, “Driving Rain.”

Other highlights of this monumental musical event included “Band On The Run,” “My Love,”  “Maybe I'm Amazed,” a zingy rendition of “Back in the U.S.S.R.,” a powerful performance of  “Live and Let Die”' and a simple but poignant performance of “Let It Be.”  The set ended with the inspiring “Hey Jude,” during which McCartney asked the crowd to take over in singing its prominent chorus.

Encores included “The Long and Winding Road,” “Lady Madonna” and “I Saw Her Standing There.”  A second group of encores included “Yesterday,” a driving rendition of “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band” and a heartfelt and fun performance of “The End.”

McCartney, despite his grounded and unassuming demeanor, seems to know he carries much more than just his bass guitar with him to the concert stage. It seems he is well aware he also is carrying the legacy of The Beatles and the soundtrack to the lives of three generations. And, based on this show and all other accounts of this tour - his first in nearly 10 years - that's something he does with great pride and great love.

McCartney, to paraphrase another terrific song he performed on Tuesday, “carries that weight” very well.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul McCartney setlist.
April 16, 2002 - Philadelphia, PA

Hello Goodbye
Jet
All My Loving
Getting Better
Coming Up
Let Me Roll It
Lonley Road
Driving Rain
Loving Flame
Blackbird
Every Night
We Can Work It Out
Mother Nature's Son
Vanilla Sky
You Never Give Me Your Money/Carry That Weight
Fool on the Hill
Here Today
Something
Eleanor Rigby
Here There and Everywhere
Band On The Run
Back In The U.S.S.R.
Maybe I'm Amazed
C Moon
My Love
Can't Buy Me Love
Freedom
Live and Let Die
Let It Be
Hey Jude
The Long & Winding Road
Lady Madonna
I Saw Her Standing There
Yesterday
Sgt. Peppers Lonley Hearts Club Band 
The End 

 

MARRIAGE OF MESSAGE, MUSIC

PERFECT STYLE FOR FOLK IDOL JOAN BAEZ

Folk legend Joan Baez performs in 1973

By ALAN K. STOUT
TIMES LEADER STAFF WRITER
FEBRUARY 15, 2002

From the Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll: “Joan Baez was the perfect symbol of the early-sixties folk revival: young, sincere, technically gifted and equally committed to traditional songs and social action.''

 Indeed.

 Simply mention the name Joan Baez, and two things quickly come to mind: music and politics. And when Baez is asked if she's comfortable with that image, she doesn't hesitate to answer.

 “Oh yeah, absolutely,'' says the legendary folk artist, who will play the F.M. Kirby Center on Wednesday. “I was just talking to somebody, and he wanted to know how I felt when people recognize me on the street or stop me, and the ones that are the most moving are usually the ones where it's not just music, but when I've also made it into their lives in another way as well - and that would be politically and sometimes spiritually.

 “They'll talk about the spirit, or they'll talk about courage or things that came as a result of either a concert or something that I did, and it affected them in a certain way.”

 Baez, 62, also has made a splash on the pop charts with songs such as “Diamonds and Rust” and her cover of The Band's “The Night They Drove Ole Dixie Down.” Her professional and one-time personal relationships with Bob Dylan have served as muses for some of her work, and even during the height of her commercial success she was highly involved in the civil-rights movement and was outspoken in her opposition to the war in Vietnam. In the '80s, she toured on behalf of Amnesty International and appeared at 1985's “Live Aid”' concert.

 Again, there is a recurring theme: music and social action.

 “I think they're what make me tick. I would have been very socially active whether I sang or not. I don't know how I would have expressed myself, but that feeling did come first, when I was about 10. The voice was a gift. I have nothing to do with the voice, other than maintenance and delivery.”

Baez in 1971

Despite rock music's steady progression and electrification throughout the '60s, Baez always remained true to folk. Her classic soprano voice usually was framed by simple guitars and an earnest message.

 “I don't do the other stuff very well,” she says with a laugh. “I felt comfortable with folk, and I think that's what my voice was made for. When you hear rock from women, they're singing in the low register, and they're belting, which I don't do very well. I might have if I had trained in that direction, but I didn't train - period - until my mid-30s. Clearly, for me, this was the most comfortable place I could land in the world of music.”

 Although Baez has earned seven gold albums, has been Grammy-nominated and is often referred to as the “Queen of Folk,” she names none of those accomplishments as her proudest musical endeavor. Instead, she holds the most affection for the work from very early in her career.

 “I didn't listen to my own music until about four years ago, and I was awed. I thought it was extraordinary, what this 20-year-old was doing. During those years, when the music was so beautiful, I was so challenged, as I had such terrible stage fright. I was the opposite of what everyone thought they saw on stage.

 “That really took courage.”

Ad for Joan Baez show at Kirby in 2002

Even then, Baez was connecting with her audience - and doing it with her songs in a low-key and unpretentious manner. When asked if folk music, by its nature, makes it easier for artists to connect with their fans, she offers a somewhat humorous analysis.

 “I'm wondering what the connection is with Barbra Streisand coming down those steps in her gown. People love her, and they love that scene - and I hate it. I like her voice ... but that scene with the glitter, the diva thing and all that crap with the stand-up comedy jokes that are all rigged ahead of time, it's the antithesis of what I do.

 “I don't know ... those people that go there, I've never talked to one of them - but they must be moved.”

 Baez will have her own way of moving the audience at The Kirby on Wednesday. Opening acts Richard Shindell and the duo of Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer were hand-picked by Baez to join the tour and likely will share the stage together at some point during the show.

  “In both cases, it was the songs,'' Baez says when asked why she's touring with the two acts. “Richard's songs are extraordinary. It's as though he has written them for me. And when I heard Dave's songs, I had a similar reaction. There's something about an inexplicable spiritual plane. It hasn't been true with everybody I've gone out with, but this time, that is the case.”

  As for her own set, Baez says the song list should please her and her fans.

  “It's a happy medium and something that's still slightly challenging for me. If there's something that I'm tired of, I don't sing it - even if somebody keeps calling for it. But I can tell you that people will be satisfied and that I do get off on singing something that I know they love.”

 (Since this story was published, Joan Baez has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys, and was recognized by Kennedy Center Honors.)

You can listen to the audio version of this interview here:

https://youtu.be/8VPxvMzEfqk