Judy Collins - Very Best of (16 tracks) +Album Reviews

Indispensible Judy

pspa | Boston, MA USA | 12/23/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Judy Collins never really got credit for being one of the great folk singers of the 60s, perhaps because of her transformation later in life into an art/torch singer, perhaps because she largely did not write her own material. But this CD shows her range and versatility as a folk singer, featuring of course her immortal covers of Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now and Stephen Sondheim's Send In The Clowns, but also showcasing a variety of beautiful and moving renditions of less familiar songs. Since You Asked and My Father particularly come to mind. If you already own Colors of the Day, her 1972 greatest hits album, the major addition here is Send in the Clowns; if you are looking for just one CD, this one is definitely better because of a more expansive selection."

Folk at its most pristine

Pieter | Johannesburg | 05/16/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These sixteen tracks encompass all of Judy Collins' most popular and familiar songs and make for delightful listening. There are covers of songs by The Byrds (Turn! Turn! Turn!), Leonard Cohen (Suzanne), Dylan (Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues) and Joni Mitchell (Both Sides Now) and Judy transforms them all with her beautiful voice. It's hard to pick favourites, but I love her version of Who Knows Where The Time Goes and Send In The Clowns more than any other versions. This graceful album concludes with her stunning a cappella rendition of Amazing Grace, a song that amazingly made the UK Top 20 in 1971. Once you've heard these songs, you'll want to investigate further and you won't be disappointed since Collins had a prolific output, all of which is good, most of which is great."

The voice of an Angel...

Steven Cain | Temporal Quantum Pocket | 08/13/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an exceptional album by any standards and ridiculous value.

While most of her classics are on here, there are many other tracks that blew me away - such as the ONLY example of the danceable, single version of Chelsea Morning to appear on an album.

The other two songs that were a surpsise sensation to me were Judy's own song, Since You've Asked, and her simply breathtaking version of the old whaling song Farewell To Tarwathie. This is made all the more haunting by the presence of whale song from humpback whales, which Judy added in herself, from a tape that came from a marine biologist friend, Dr. Roger Payne.

To cap it all, the mini booklet contains wonderful bio info and many stunning shots of this impossibly beautiful woman.

Invaluable."

Superb

Peter Reeve | Thousand Oaks, CA USA | 03/13/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Judy, Joni or Joan? Who do you prefer? They were the essential North American songstesses of the sixties folk/protest movement. Joni Mitchell was clearly the best songwriter of the three (indeed, one of the best of her generation) and the most accomplished musician. Joan Baez had the best voice; the greatest range and clarity, and the most lyrical tonality.

Judy Collins is somewhere in between. Her voice is clearer and surer than Joni's, but with not quite the range and tone qualities of Joan's. And her songwriting abilities (as evidenced by four tracks on this CD) are passable but unremarkable. But when she covers other writers' songs, especially traditional songs, and stays within her range, she is superb.

Joshua Rifkin's arrangement for Just Like Tom Thumb Blues, incorporating harp and flutes, is truly beautiful. Also outstanding is Farewell to Tarwathie, a traditional whaling song. These two by themselves are worth the price of admission. There are two Joni Mitchell songs here. Both Sides Now is great, probably the best recording of it. Chelsea Morning is good (this is the version the Clintons heard, and which inspired their daughter's name) but it lacks the quirky charm that Joni brings to it. On Song for Judith, she pushes her voice too high and this is the weakest vocal performance on the CD. This is odd, because it is her own composition, so you would think that she would have written it to suit her range. Her rendition of the Sandy Denny song Who Knows Where the Time Goes, is probably the best there is, even better than Sandy's own recording, which is saying something, as Sandy's voice was very beautiful.

You need to hear Joan, Joni and Judy. As an introduction to, or sampling of, the latter, this CD, a true 'best of' with good sleeve notes, is the one to go for.

"

A great single CD of Judy's music

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 04/13/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the most important folk-pop singers of the twentieth century, Judy recorded most of the songs for which she is best remembered in the sixties although she recorded plenty of great music in the seventies. Judy had three major international hits (Both sides now, Amazing grace, Send in the clowns) but she certainly deserved to have plenty more.

Among the other songs are Who knows where the time goes (written and first recorded by Sandy Denny), Chelsea morning (written, like Both sides now, by Joni Mitchell), Someday soon (a country song) and Turn turn turn (originally recorded by Pete Seeger with lyrics lifted from the biblical Book of Revelations, this song became famous when covered by the Byrds).

For a really in-depth Judy Collins compilation, go for the double-CD, Forever. If you only want a single CD of Judy's music, you'll find all the classic tracks here."

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