Joan Baez Diamonds & Rust CD

Principally recorded at A&M Studios, Hollywood, California on January 21-24, 1975.

Principally recorded at A&M Studios, Hollywood, California on January 21-24, 1975. Includes original release liner notes by Bernard Gelb.

Joan Baez scored the biggest commercial success of her career with this 1975 album by tapping into the '70s singer-songwriter zeitgeist in the manner of Joni Mitchell's post-BLUE albums. Baez even recruited Mitchell and her then-current band, the L.A. Express, for the fusion-like groove of "Di Da," and salted the other tracks with guest shots by pop-jazzers Tom Scott, Hampton Hawes, and Larry Carlton. Baez also includes covers of Jackson Browne's "Fountain of Sorrow," John Prine's "Hello in There," and Stevie Wonder's "Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer."

DIAMONDS AND RUST is perhaps best viewed as Baez's response to Dylan's confessional BLOOD ON THE TRACKS, including two songs directly addressing their '60s romance (the title track and "Winds of the Old Days"). As in the past, Baez also performs a song from Dylan's most recent album, in this case, "Simple Twist of Fate" from the aforementioned record. DIAMONDS AND RUST is an oddity in Joan Baez's career, but it's one of her strongest albums.

Recorded live in Bilbao, Spain in 1989.

Personnel: Joan Baez (vocals, guitar); Mercedes Sosa (vocals); Jean Marie Ecay (guitar); Costel Recea, John Acosta (cello); Cesar Cancino (piano); Laytham Armour (keyboards, synthesizer); Jose Agustin (bass); Begnat Amorena (drums); L.A. Mass Choir (background vocals).

Personnel includes: Joan Baez (vocals, acoustic guitar, Moog synthesizer, ARP synthesizer); Joni Mitchell (vocals); Larry Carlton (conductor, acoustic & electric guitars); Dean Parks (acoustic & electric guitars); Red Rhodes (pedal steel guitar); Sidney Sharp, William Kurasch, James Getzoff, Carl La Magna, Robert Konrad, Ronald Folsom, Tibor Zelig, William Hymanson, Robert Ostrowsky, Raymond Kelly (violin); Isabelle Daskoff (viola); Jesse Ehrlich (cello); Tom Scott (flute); Hampton Hawes (piano); Larry Knechtel (piano, electric piano); David Paich (piano, electric harpsichord); Joe Sample (electric piano, Hammond organ); Malcolm Cecil (Moog synthesizer, ARP synthesizer, programming); Reinne Press, Wilton Felder (bass); Jim Gordon (drums); Gordo (percussion); Bob Margouleff (programming).

Personnel: Joan Baez (vocals, acoustic guitar, Moog synthesizer, ARP synthesizer); Joni Mitchell (vocals); Larry Carlton (conductor, acoustic & electric guitars); Dean Parks (acoustic & electric guitars); Red Rhodes (pedal steel guitar); Sidney Sharp, William Kurasch, James Getzoff, Carl La Magna, Robert Konrad, Ronald Folsom, Tibor Zelig, William Hymanson, Robert Ostrowsky, Raymond Kelly (violin); Isabelle Daskoff (viola); Jesse Ehrlich (cello); Tom Scott (flute); Larry Knechtel (piano, electric piano); David Paich (piano, electric harpsichord); Hampton Hawes (piano); Joe Sample (electric piano, Hammond organ); Malcolm Cecil (Moog synthesizer, ARP synthesizer, programming); Reine Press, Wilton Felder (bass); Jim Gordon (drums); Gordo (percussion); Bob Margouleff (programming).

Engineers: Rick Ruggieri, Henry Lewy.