At some point, someone decided that what unassuming folk songstress Joan Baez needed was a big budget double album. While Joan moved further and further from the bare recordings of her debut with each subsequent release, Blessed Are… is a massive affair. Most of the songs have about a dozen people involved, and many of the songs have pushed past the boundary of folk straight into country western.

But…it’s not bad necessarily. It’s just strange seeing an artist who’s most well known because of her friendship with Bob Dylan embracing such commercial pursuits. The record is actually pretty good. And for all of its production, it never feels over produced. Songs that call for sparse arrangements are left sparse, allowing Joan’s voice space to breathe. Also, this album showcases Joan’s songwriting–her own compositions take up about half of the tracklist. The only shortcoming here is the very fact that it is a double album. I’m not quite done with the first disc, and I’m about ready for the record to finish.