John Riley

When Joan Baez recorded her first album, simply titled Joan Baez, in 1960, she opted for the Vanguard Records label over an offer from Columbia. This debut album, comprising thirteen traditional folk songs, was an intimate project. Baez's voice and guitar are the central focus, with Fred Hellerman collaborating on some parts. What's unique about this recording is the absence of backing vocals, trumpets, and extensive string arrangements, giving it a very direct sound focused on the essence of the songs.

The album, released under the Vanguard Records umbrella, began to gain traction and, although it didn't immediately reach the top of the charts, its impact solidified. By 1962, the success of her next work, Joan Baez Vol. 2, which reached number 15 on the Billboard 200 and remained there for 140 weeks, also boosted recognition for the earlier material. In 1983, critic Kurth Loder, for Rolling Stone, described the recording process as quick, completed in four days in Manhattan, at a local hotel.