Joan Baez - Diamonds and Rust in the Bullring

"Diamonds And Rust In The Bullring" was originally released on vinyl in a limited edition, but this wonderful recording with its fantastic sound deserves the remastering that Kevin Gray has now produced for Analogue Productions. Joan Baez gave a concert at the bullring in the Basque city of Bilbao in 1988: a mixture of English and Spanish songs that delighted the audience.

The first part of the recording consists of well-known hits by other artists, such as the audiophile classic 'Famous Blue Raincoat' by Leonard Cohen. In the second half, she performs songs in Spanish, including a rendition of Sting's "They Dance Alone (Gueca Solo)", here called "Ellas Danzan Solas". But Baez's version of "Txoria Txori", a Basque folk song, was particularly moving, with the audience singing along in unison. Her duet with Mercedes Sosa, 'Diamonds & Rust', is also one of the album's highlights.