Judy Collins - Maid of Constant Sorrow/Golden Apples of the Sun

UK mid-price two-on-one reissue combines her first & second albums on one CD, 'Maid of Constant Sorrow' (1961) & 'Golden Apples of the Sun' (1962) both of which are out-of-print domestically. Includes new liner notes & rarely seen photos. 2001. Album Description

Dark, brooding, deep standard-setter for the folk movement

Although Judy Collins is frequently seen as the lesser light of the early 1960s folk revival vis-a-vis Joan Baez, in fact the two were quite different. Whereas Baez was traditionally feminine in her vocal approach and at times almost spiritual in her musical approach, Collins at least in her early years was darker, deeper, harsher and more earthbound.

Anyone looking on these first two Judy Collins albums for something with traditional folk beauty will be seriously surprised by the intensity and darkness found in her performances. The opening track, the title tune of her first album "A Maid of Constant Sorrow" sets the tone with its quite un-nerving acoustic guitar and Collins' deep voice. The first side of that album is quite remarkable in its dark depths, especially in the intense murder tale "Tim Evans", where Collins' throaty vocals creates an atmosphere that approaches one of rage. "The Prickleye Bush" is almost as good, and even the seemingly upbeat "O Daddy Be Gay" on the second side possesses emotional intensity in an era when artistry was considered more significant.

Her second album, "Golden Apples of the Sun", covers the last half of the tracks here and is not quite so intense as "A Maid of Constant Sorrow". Nonetheless, it makes up for this slight deficiency with its heartbreaking sadness that announces itself from the opening title track. Quieter than Judy's first album, it is hard not to cry when listening seriously, and the heartbreaking character becomes even more apparent on "Tell Me Who I'll Marry" and "Twelve Gates to the City" which sound like nightmares if you try to imagine yourself in the position of the characters being sun about.

All in all, this is traditional folk music at its absolute darkest and most intense. These are songs that truly told the stories of ordinary people from the times they were written in a way hard to comprehend for people today. November 16, 2008

A Follower At This Point

By all rights, I should we reviewing the other twofer of early Judy Collins,3 & 4: JUDY COLLINS #3 / THE JUDY COLLINS CONCERT, because it wasn't until the 3rd album, I feel, that Judy finally found her true voice. What is very interesting to do, if you are a Judy Collins fan AND a Joan Baez fan (not so much if you already favor one over the other), is to directly compare the songs Judy did on these first two records with the common songs from the early Baez catalog. There is a tentative quality to Judy's approach completely absent from the Baez renditions of "Man [Maid] Of Constant Sorrow," "Wild Mountain Thyme," and "The Great Selchie of Shule Skerry" (titled "The Silkie" on JOAN BAEZ Vol. 2). However, it's on a couple of the exceptions, "John Riley" and "Fannerio," which rival the Baez versions, that we hear the seeds of Collins' artistic vision. On the first, a nice difference in the guitar figures augments a reading as deep and expressive as the Baez version is pretty. Where Judy's voice rises and swells with emotion, Joan is cold and distant, despite sounding gorgeous. On "Fannerio" (entitled "Fennario" on JOAN BAEZ IN CONCERT), Judy is strong and forceful, were Joan is light and lilting. These differences are what begin to separate the two women who helped to define the folk music revival of the late 50s and early 60s, and who both began to redefine the boundaries of what was "authentic" folk music. Judy sounded more like the troubador, whereas Baez was this lovely, remote and highly polished singer (although untrained -- Judy did have formal training, but it was in classical music and musical theatre).

When Collins came back with her third album, an immediate contrast bloomed with her rendition of "Anathea." On these first two records, Collins is not using her full range (maybe was still too afraid to). One also begins to notice an eclecticism beginning to emerge, with more contemporary fare by Bob Dylan, Ewan MacColl, Shel Silverstein, and Pete Seeger. Minkoff/Hellerman's "Come Away Melinda" (covered to haunting effect later by Bobbie Gentry) is surely at home with the traditional material, but what it really points out is that Collins was already restless to push beyond traditional folk. Of course, all of the successful ones did begin to embrace modern music, from country and rock'n'roll to blues and jazz. It was either that or perish, thanks in large part to Bob Dylan. Judy chose to pursue pop, Broadway shows, standards, and sophisticated singer/songwriter stuff, along the way becoming a fine songwriter herself. Baez stuck with a narrower spectrum of musical styles than did Collins (but was no less compelling for it, IMO).

It's on this first couple of outings that Collins comes off almost as a Joan Baez wannabe. Still, as on her "John Riley," "Fannerio," and "Bonnie Ship the Diamond," a clear difference is already apparent. There is an energy to these pieces. With Baez, you might think she's barely breaking a sweat, concentrating completely on the melody she's singing and the sound of her own voice. Collins cares less about always being perfectly on pitch and gives herself over to the stories the songs are telling, and when she belts out the fast ones, an artist of great expression begins to emerge. If you want to see where all this lead, check out her 1966 masterpiece, IN MY LIFE, an album of fantastic variety and stunning vocal prowess. The electricity she brought to "Bonnie Ship the Diamond" and on JUDY COLLINS #3, "Coal Tattoo," would be channelled into wondrous interpretations of songs from musicals, Dylan and Leonard Cohen covers, and a sublime reading of the title tune, by Lennon/McCartney.

Being something of a completist, I eventually purchased the first four Judy Collins albums on two CD's, and I'm not sorry I did. What this first couple of albums illustrates is in retrospect: Baez started strong, but had lost her commercial stature (album sales and public support, not artistic) by the late sixties. Judy Collins hit her stride in 1966, and grew into a unique and celebrated artist from these humble beginnings, MAID OF CONSTANT SORROW & GOLDEN APPLES OF THE SUN. Like Baez, she soon suffered the critics' barbs from time to time, yet continued to forge ahead, right up to the present. Recent albums by Collins and Baez, PORTRAIT OF AN AMERICAN GIRL and DARK CHORDS ON A BIG GUITAR, respectively, are among the best work of their careers. In a way, these two women have become more similar as their voices have aged, and their music shows an awareness of changing times, and what must be done to remain relevant. Their latest works could not be more different than their first recordings of the sixties, and in some ways, are better. April 5, 2008

The First Two From Judy Collins

Many years ago, I owned both of these LP records. It is GREAT to see them re-issued on CD. The first four recordings are perhaps the very best from Judys' "folk period". (see my review of 3 & 4)
If you are a fan of folk-era music, this CD is a must !

November 21, 2007

The first two folk albums from a young Judy Collins

This import CD reissues the first two Judy Collins albums from the early 1960s when she was singing traditional folk material with her crystal pure soprano voice accompanied by acoustic guitar. Collins had been trained as a classical pianist and when she turned to folk music she brought along the sensibilities of a classicist as she became one of the main interpreters of folk songs in the Sixties (choosing between Collins and Joan Baez as your personal favorite was the question of the day, not that you could go wrong with either selection).

"A Maid of Constant Sorrow" was released in 1961 and listening to it will surprise her fans because this is not the Judy Collins they are used to hearing. In retrospect it is clear that Collins is still learning how to use her voice to her advantage; she tends to stay more in her lower register at this point and the glorious high notes we associate with her singing is seen only in spots (e.g., "Wild Mountain Thyme"). But even in these early days there are some nice little gems, such as "The Pickilie Bush," "Tim Evans," and especially "John Riley." I especially liked her sea shanty "Sailor's Life," where her youthful enthusiasm helps carry the song along.

Her 1962 release "Golden Apples of the Sun" shows significantly more confidence as a singer. What is interesting to me is the obscurity of these traditional folk songs, although she does branch out into some other genres, such as gospel with "Twelve Gates to the City." The best tracks on this second album would be the title song, the ballad "Fannerio," and "Crow on the Cradle." Note: Spike Lee's father, Bill Lee, plays bass on this album.

These two albums are more of historical interest at this point, because you are not going to find them to be quintessential Judy Collins. However, if you remember the times you can appreciate that this was a period when folk music did not mean commercially viable songs but more "authentic" music. The bottom line is that fans of that voice are going to appreciate hearing it at the beginning of one of the celebrate careers in folk music. March 29, 2003

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