Baptism (Bonus Track Version)

Concept albums were gaining popularity in the late '60s, as the album format itself was becoming more popular than the vinyl single (though folk music rarely had singles). Joan Baez had already struck on a strong working relationship with classical music composer and arranger Peter Schickele on her two previous albums: the seasonal Noel and the singularly beautiful Joan. For Baptism, she opted to read and sing famous poetry over orchestration provided by Schickele, addressing the violence of 1968 in an unusual and artistically novel way. Walt Whitman's "I Saw the Vision of Armies," Arthur Waley's "Minister of War," and Norman Rosten's "In Guernica" take on added weight. Her vocals are soothing even when the sentiments clearly aren't, and her singing voice brings out James Joyce's "Of the Dark Past," e.e. cummings' "all in green went my love riding," and Henry Treece's "Old Welsh Song," "Who Murdered the Minutes," "Oh, Little Child," and "The Magic Wood" to great effect. The album is a beautiful collaboration between two musical artists and words that have lasted for decades.