Search - Judy Collins :: Voices

An Intimate Album of Judy Collins own Songs

Greg Dexter | Vancouver | 02/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This orginally was produced by the book publisher, Clarkson Potter in 1995 in a package containing the CD, a book with an illustrated essay about her voice and her piano and a insert of the songbook. Here we have the CD re-release of the 13 songs all composed by Judy Collins sung accompanying herself on her piano. Perhaps people will associate Ms Collins with her excellent covers of songs by people such as Leonard Cohen (as on her latest release of all her recordings of his songs called "Democracy") Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan. Her choice of repetoire has always been a great spectrum of some of the best songs of her generation but the selection of songs written by her on this CD are also equal to any of those written by others I think. Starting with her first composition "Since You've Asked" she sings most of the songs she has written and recorded in other settings and arrangements along with two new songs that appear only on this record, "Voices" and "Sailor's LIfe." If you like Judy Collins, this recording will be a welcome addition to your collection and you may, like me, find it one of your favourites of her amazing 40 (and counting!) years of recording."

Judy Collins Sings Her Own Songs

H. F. Corbin | ATLANTA, GA USA | 03/01/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After I groused recently in a review about not much liking a recent CD where different singers record songs that Judy Collins has written and stating further that wouldn't it be great if she made her own recording of her music, Bill W., for whom I will always be grateful, informed me that indeed Ms. Collins had produced such a CD in 1995.



Ms. Collins sings 13 of her original songs roughly in the order she wrote them and accompanies herself on the piano in all of them. As her fans know, Judy studied classical piano for many years and plays beautifully. It is obvious that after so many years that Judy still has that clear glorious voice and even does new things with some of the songs, taking them up higher at the endings, than in the original recordings. She sings most of my favorites here: "My Father," "Albatross," "Secret Gardens," "Houses," and "Open The Door (Song For Judith)." I wish she had sung also "Song for Martin" and "Che."



Before singing the haunting "Secret Gardens," "where the old stay young forever," Ms. Collins reads a letter that her great-grandmother wrote in 1942, that, according to the liner notes-- which are very informative-- was discovered by accident. It is obvious that the apple does not fall far from the family tree in this instance as Great-grandmother Booth has the same sensitivity as her great-granddaughter as she talks about love, family life, a young man going off to service, the fact that the family will never be together this way again-- things that show up in many of Ms. Collins' lyrics. "My Father" remains one of my favorite songs ever. (I remember where I was the first time I heard it.) It is particularly poignant that Judy wrote the song three weeks before her father's death and he never got to hear it; the line "watch the Paris sun set in my father's eyes" is heart-wrenching as her father was blind from the age of four.



Ms. Collins has the rare ability to take banal phrases-- for example, "open the door and come on in" and with her magic make them into somethng beautiful. But then there are exquisite combinations of words" such as "amythest fountains" and "lavender and leather."



Born in 1939-- you can do the math-- for about 50 years Judy Collins has moved us with her beautiful voice, her original songs, her politics, her humanity. Many of us have loved her for a very long time from a distance. And, yes, Ms. Collins sings Collins better than anyone else on earth. Listening to this wondrous CD is a little like, to paraphrase her, "having a rainbow coming around the bend." This one is for the time capsule."