The Greatist Recordings of All Time

54."I Dreamed i saw Joe Hill Last Night"-Joan Baez

Joan Baez was the 2nd performer at Woodstock 69.Ritchie Havens opened
the festival with his awesome guitar and vocal style;which at Woodstock
he seemed to even be more intense-if that's possible-than ever.He's a huge
talent with incredible ability's to improvise and mix a multitude of world
folk style's into his own unique sound.In short-he's a tough act to follow.
Joan came on the stage next and performed an incredible version of
the folk standard "I Dreamed i saw Joe Hill Last Night".Her voice is
so clear and powerful that in a sense-Joan Baez is in a class by herself.
She has the skills and power of a great opera singer-yet she choose's to
sing songs about the common working people of the world with just an
acoustic guitar to accompany her vocals.There is a purity to Joan's
performance of this classic and mesmerising folk song that the audience
at Woodstock clearly recognized.Standing in front of 500,000 people
alone on stage in the spotlight would be pretty intimitdating for the
average solo performer-but there's nothing average about Joan Baez.
She takes total command of the stage singing with such power and
confidence that i can't think of another performer who could have
taken a solo performance,under these conditions,and deliver the kind
"tour de force" performance that Joan does.Astounding,i believe,would
be the best word to describe of her performance at Woodstock.
Astounding and transendant-She take's the song to another level of
intensity and power that is truly masterful.Joan Baez gets her
message across and then some with a grace that is truely an
unforgetable expierience.