She had a sweet voice and was unexcelled in her accompaniment on the Rhythm Guitar. She liked to sing about the unjust differences and conficts between the social classes. Listen to her ballad of Matty Groves on YouTube! However, as much as I admired her Music, I have the distinction of saying that my late Father-in-Law arrested her as she was leading a demonstraton against the Vietnam War outside the Army Recruiting Station in Oakland, California. My father-in Law was an Alameda County Deputy Sheriff. Hal
@Hal Pollner Interesting story! Was she acting illegally, disrupting "social order", blocking traffic, or simply observing Constitutional Commitment? Frank
I've never been a great fan of Joan Baez..much as I'm a HUGE folk fan. A couple of her early songs were really good... but as for Matty Groves...that has singularly got to be my favourite folk song..we even named our boat after it... It's an Old English Ballad dating way back to the 1700's ... and undeniably the best rendition IMO is by Sandy Denny and Fairport Convention...in '69
She was exercising her Constitutional Rights, but she was disrupting the streets and businesses while doing it. The Law was compelled to act, and rightly so. Hal
If you've never heard this powerful folk song, Google it and listen to the story as sung by Joan Baez. At the 2 minute and 2 seconds mark, Joan's guitar becomes alive and thunders away to the dramatic climax. The thing that impresses and delights me is that the song is played in a dark and foreboding Minor key until the very last word "England", where it changes to a Major key! This is just like seeing a Sunrise! If I knew how to transfer an online musical performance to the Forum, I would, so I hope one of you can do it! Thanks, Hal
Hal I love that song, possibly my favourite song of all time ...we even named our Boat after the song title..however.. I absolutely hate Joan Baez version, I am a Huge fan of Sandy Denny and Fairport convention and their version for me cannot be beaten!!! I could be here all day posting Fairport music...I adore them so much, and we've been to many of their concerts... Sadly we lost Sandy years ago... but here's Fairport playing the song from 2012 ..and to this day they still play live outdoor gigs, close to our home....
I tried to listen to those other versions of Matty Groves, but quit listening after 10 seconds or so. There just wasn't the sensitivity and the drama compared to the Joan Baez version, and the words were indistinct compared to Joanie's well-articulated speech and her lovely voice. The "rock band" didn't have the puriity of the solo acoustic guitar and the beautiful singing voice. This isn't just MY assessment of the song, but the true value of the performance. Nope...nothing touches the Joan Baez version of the Ballad of Matty Groves! Hal
Fairport Convention are a folk band... not rock... read the history of Matty Groves and it's alternate names here https://www.songfacts.com/facts/fairport-convention/matty-groves
The problem with the other versions is that they're backed by a BAND, which is not as sensitive and delicate and emotional as a solo guitar and a solo voice. Hal