|
Born to the Breed: A Tribute to Judy Collins | 
| Artist: Various Artists
Label: Wildflower
Category: Music
List Price: $17.98
Buy Used: $11.25
You Save: $6.73 (37%)
New (47) Used (8) from $11.25
Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 4263
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 1313
UPC: 687348131322
EAN: 0687348131322
ASIN: B0018K6QSQ
Release Date: October 14, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Very good condition. All artwork included, may have some shelf wear or promotional markings. Disc will play without any skips or defects. In stock and ships within 48 HOURS of order!! FREE upgrade to first class shipping!! Satisfaction guaranteed.
| |
| Tracks:
| • | Secret Gardens | | • | Easy Times | | • | Fisherman's Song | | • | Albatross | | • | Fortune of Soldiers | | • | Song for Martin | | • | Since You've Asked | | • | My Father | | • | Born to the Breed | | • | Trust Your Heart | | • | Fallow Way | | • | Weaver Song (Holly's Song) | | • | Song for Sarajevo | | • | Che | | • | Since You've Asked |
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
Born To The Breed is an all-star tribute to one of the leading lights of the folk music movement, Judy Collins, and is released through her own independent record label Wildflower Records. The idea for Breed came from a casual compliment Collins received from another iconic female singer. "It started because Chrissie Hynde said to me, 'You know, one of my top 10 favourite songs is 'My Father.' And I thought, 'Why don't I get her to record that?'" says Collins. Other singers contributing to the project include Joan Baez, Rufus Wainwright, Dolly Parton, Hynde, Dar Williams, Jimmy Webb, Shawn Colvin, Leonard Cohen, Arlo Guthrie, Amy Speace, The Webb Sisters and Puressence's James Mudriczki .
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 Disappointing November 26, 2008
H. F. Corbin (ATLANTA, GA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Doing a tribute album is always a dicey undertaking and works best, if at all, when one singer does all the songs and has a much better voice than the writer/singer whose music he or she is performing. Judy Collins' tribute albums to Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen come to mind as good examples of a performer who sings far better than Dylan or Cohen ever will. The chief problem with this CD of songs written by Ms. Collins and sung by several individuals is that with the exception of Joan Baez, Ms. Collins' voice is so much better than the contributors here. Shawn Colvin's rendition of "Secret Gardens," a beautiful nostalgic song about childhood, growing up and growing old, gets this CD started off with a less than auspicious beginning. Her voice is simply not very pleasing. Dolly Parton's version of "Fisherman's Song" is far too cutesy; Ms. Parton certainly knows better. One of the most moving things Ms. Collins has ever written is "My Father." The only other singer who does it justice is Nina Simone. Practically everybody else should leave it to Ms. Collins. She accompanies herself on the piano in her haunting version of this song. I kept hearing her delicate filigree in contrast to the loud accompanying piano cords on this arrangement. I could see someone like Rene Fleming recording "My Father." It is such a classy song. I have been humming the anthem "Che" since listening to James Mudriczki, but I do not hear his voice. I hear Judy's. The accompaniment is way too loud and drowns out the singer.
There are two really fine surprises here. Leonard Cohen reads rather than sings "Since You've Asked." His beautifully resonant bass voice is perfect for reading poetry. The best work by far here is Rufus Wainwright's singing of "Albatross" as he has a dialogue with a cello and piano accompaniment that is beautiful beyond description.
Hearing these fine songs written by Ms. Colllins made me want to dig out all my CD's and LP's and hear her sing them once again. She should produce a CD of her singing only her songs as she has done for Cohen, Dylan and the Beatles. Now that would be a musical treasure.
 A FRESH LOOK AT JUDY COLLINS' MUSIC AND POETRY November 25, 2008
Movielovr777
This is a splendid compilation of Collins' songs, sung by some of the most evocative singer/songwriters of any generation. It shines with all the love, joy, ache and vivid imagery of Judy's best storytelling. Somehow, hearing these song/stories sung by other voices reminds us of the universality that Collins brings to her finely crafted poetry.
With the likes of Shawn Colvin, Joan Baez, Dar Williams and Dolly Parton on hand to sing these songs, bringing them to life and illuminating the slices of life they contain, you might think of this as a 'woman's collection' of music---but then you hear the pure, aching depth of feeling that Jim Lauderdale and Rufus Wainwright bring to the songs they sing, and you're struck by how easily Judy's music crosses the lines of gender and experience.
And just when I thought that the songs here could be no more sublime, Kenny White brings a quiet elegance to 'Song for Martin' and Leonard Cohen does a simple lyric reading of 'Since You've Asked' that puts the fine point on just what a true poet Collins is.
And thankfully, unlike so many 'Tribute' CD's of some artists' music---like Joni Mitchell, et al---that gets reinterpreted, reworked and re-invented by other artists, this collection feels like a perfectly respectful balance of Judy's intent with her songs and the new perspective and talents of the artists who make them their own.
Enjoy this wonderful collection of Judy's songs sung by singers and friends that truly understand the meaning she weaves into her poetry and melodies!
 Quite good, as far as tribute albums go... October 29, 2008
David A. Grant (Austin, TX USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Let me preface this with my bias -- I absolutely adore Judy Collins and think that her original songs rank among the greatest material ever produced by a singer/songwriter. I was very excited to hear about this project and greatly looked forward to hearing these wonderful songs interpreted by such a wide array of artists.
The reality is, however, that this is a tribute album. Like all tribute albums, it is uneven. Some performances are better than others, and some artists appeal to me while others don't. Unlike most tribute albums, this one is pretty good overall -- chalk that up to the quality of the songs.
Particularly good, in my opinion, are the performances by Shawn Colvin, Dar Williams, Rufus Wainwright and Bernadette Peters. These interpretations are true to the artists' own styles, giving the songs a real authenticity. Also good, but not great, are the performances by Dolly Parton, Jimmy Webb and Joan Baez. Unfortunately, in these cases, I wish these artists had recorded the songs a few years back, as each of them is not sounding as good as they did in years past. (I haven't listened to any Dolly Parton releases in a number of years, and I was surprised how much her pure soprano voice has turned husky, to be honest.)
Two pleasant surprises here were James Mudriczki's "Che," with its electronica/club feel, and Leonard Cohen's spoken rendition of "Since You've Asked." Both were completely unexpected, and yet delightful and compelling.
Of the remaining songs, most aren't bad, but they didn't grab me the way the above songs did. There's certainly a wide range of styles and arrangements represented here.
Any fan of Judy Collins or of any of these performers will find something to like here -- you can't go wrong with this one.
What A Tribute Album Should Be October 29, 2008
Mark D. Prouse (Riverdale (Bronx), NY)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
There are some wonderful interpretations of original Judy Collins songs by very well known artists, most notably Chrissie Hynde on "My Father," the unexpected and truly gorgeous "Trust Your Heart," warbled by Bernadette Peters, and a dream come true, Baez doing my all-time favorite Collins song, "Since You've Asked." None other than Jimmy Webb himself croons "The Fallow Way," to roughly elegant effect. The younger generations offer their takes on Judy, too. Rufus Wainwright does a knockout quasi-classical rendition of "Albatross," and while staying faithful to the Collins arrangement, he manages to make it his own. Dar Williams, once mentored by Baez, has grown into a unique, contemporary folk artist, as has Shawn Colvin. Colvin's "Secret Gardens" felt rushed to me, but then I was comparing it to Judy's own version, surely one of her own finest recorded moments, to be fair I listened a few times; after a while Shawn's subtle and quicker version is growing on me. The little-known songs "Easy Times" and "Weaver Song (Holly's Song)," done by Jim Lauderdale and Dar Williams, respectively, are also highlights of this recording. Dolly Parton throws her hat into the ring with a spirited version of "Fisherman's Song," and Leonard Cohen himself shows up to recite a reprise of "Since You've Asked.
But the Judy cover that impressed me the most was not by a super famous act: that's "Fortune Of Soldiers," by The Webb Sisters, whom I think topped the Collins original (the only song representing the FIRES OF EDEN album). The unusual version of "Che" by James Mudriczki also deserves special note. I wonder how popular it will be with some Judy Collins and/or folk fans, but I like this one a lot. It is the one entry that truly took a risk. Sort of Clannad meets Gypsy Kings, gets mixed up with a Techno Lounge Lizard (think Cerrone), and surrenders to a DJ. Psychedelic, man.
Few tribute albums in recent memory, mine anyway, have as many fine performances. This is what a tribute record should be. Each of these artists did it their own way, and this meant that some of the tracks were relatively unchallenging. Doesn't matter, because most of them give it their all, too. Letting in some younger musicians was a good move, and while this may or may not be a Judy Collins vanity project (she's founder and CEO of the Wildflower music label, which released this), a wide range of interpretations and musical styles, with some artists totally hitting theirs out of the ballpark, combine to provide an insightful overview of an influential, iconic songwriter and vocal stylist.
I was only disappointed by two things about this fairly generous album (it's over an hour long): no one writing about Judy Collins. I would have liked at least a few brief sentences from each performer, and a nice little bio would have been good, too. The second thing is entirely subjective, and that's the absence of "Home Before Dark" and the title song from one of Judy's best (and underappreciated) albums, FIRES OF EDEN. "Song For Judith (Open The Door)" was another one I'd hoped somebody would do, and although this was a tribute to Judy the writer more than the performer, Sandy Denny's "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" would have made a fitting finale. Maybe somebody like Annie Lennox or k. d. lang could do that one - maybe together! And why didn't Joni Mitchell show up? Her "Both Sides Now" helped get Mitchell noticed, but it was also a HUGE hit for Judy... Okay, so much for wishful thinking - this is still a very fine tribute, so I'm giving it five.
Exceptional and interesting collection of covers October 28, 2008
R. Kyle (USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Anyone alive in the 60's and 70's has heard Judy Collins' wonderful folk music. It's not so common to hear her today, but she's made a strong impression on many artists as you can tell when you read the lineup on this CD.
You've got a variety of takes on what was originally folk music. Dolly Parton gives an upbeat country flair to "Fisherman." The techno-vibe on "Che" by James Mudriczki is very different while Shawn Colvin's cover of "Secret Garden" reminds me a lot of Judy's own.
There isn't a bad song in the bunch. The production values are excellent and the artists chosen for the covers are all good. This CD is well worth the price for fans of Judy Collins' work and others who enjoy folk music.
Rebecca Kyle, October 2008
|
|
|
|
powered by full speed | |
