Judy Collins - Maids Golden Apples (25 tracks) +Album Reviews

A Maid Of Constant Talent & Good Taste

Sasha | at sea...sailing somewhere | 11/01/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When a young artist names her first two albums not "Judy" or "Collins" but "A Maid Of Constant Sorrow" and "Golden Apples Of The Sun",you know she takes herself seriously.Originaly released in 1961. and 1962. their names were all I knew until I saw this CD recently."Who will buy this?" I wondered just to see the only copy snatched right in front of me.The comparisons with first two Baez albums are inevitable (some songs were recorded by both) althought Collins shows much more passion and involment where Baez seemingly seduces herself with the beauty of her voice.On these early albums Collins is frighteningly devoted keeper of the flame and her repertoire is almost exclusively traditional - which means not only ethereal beauty but also a certain (to some ears,overpowering) seriousness,cleverly mellowed by inclusion of joyous "O Daddy Be Gay",a cousin to her "Grandfather" recorded years later.Althought I honestly love these songs and listen only this CD for days,these early albums are today much more significant as seeds of Collins later trademarks (voice will soar much higher in the future,she slipped W.B.Yeats into traditional folk collection just to later blossom into first-rate art-pop singer) and as they were product of their Greenwich Village times,they may sound a bit dated to some modern ears.But they are still hauntingly beautiful to me,I waited their re-release for too long."

Maids and Golden Apples

D. Coons | Mesa, AZ USA | 01/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Thanks to Judy Collins and Wildflower Records for liberating these wonderful recordings. While I have loved many of her later efforts (and disliked a few others), Ms. Collins' early albums have always remained among my very favorites. I had become concerned that they would never be released as CDs and have been obsessively guarding my vinyl copies.While Judy never had the purest folk voice or most authentic provenance for her songs, she was still the most compelling folk singer of the sixties. In listening to these wonderful songs again, I was reminded that her ability to project emotion through a recording was just magnificent. For Judy Collins fans, these are a great chance to hear her fresh and direct. For folk revival fans, they are absolute treasures.So let's have the other two lost abums!"

Reissuing the first two Judy Collins albums on one CD

Lawrance M. Bernabo | The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota | 04/13/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

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