Play Me Backwards is an album by the American musician Joan Baez, released in 1992.[2] The album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Recording.[3] Baez supported it with an international tour.[4]
| Play Me Backwards | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 1992 | |||
| Recorded | Nashville, 1992 | |||
| Genre | Folk-pop, country pop | |||
| Length | 36:19 | |||
| Label | Virgin[1] | |||
| Producer | Wally Wilson, Kenny Greenberg | |||
| Joan Baez chronology | ||||
| ||||
In 2011, Play Me Backwards was reissued on CD with a bonus disc of 10 previously unreleased tracks, including "The Trouble with the Truth", "Medicine Wheel" and a cover of Bob Dylan's "Seven Curses".[5]
Production
editRecorded in Nashville, the album was produced by Wally Wilson and Kenny Greenberg.[6][7] Baez sought out material after being dismayed with the songs pitched to her; she spent 14 months trying to find the right songs.[8][9] The album's first single, "Stones in the Road", for which Baez shot a video, was written by Mary Chapin Carpenter.[10][11][12] "Through Your Hands" was written by John Hiatt.[13] "I'm with You" is about Baez's son, Gabriel.[14]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [15] |
| The Indianapolis Star | [16] |
| Rolling Stone | [17] |
The Boston Globe called Play Me Backwards "mostly an album of mature, surprisingly percussive folk-pop love songs that marks her finest work since her Diamonds and Rust album of 1975."[18] The Sun-Sentinel wrote that "Baez's erstwhile hyper-quivering soprano thankfully does not flutter so much, and has deepened marvelously with age."[7]
The Chicago Tribune deemed the album "a surprisingly relaxed, rhythmic and modern set that sounds like it could have been recorded by any one of a number of today's folk-and country-flavored pop female singer-songwriters."[19] The Indianapolis Star noted that "Baez's voice sounds as pure as ever."[16]
Track listing
editAll tracks composed by Joan Baez, Wally Wilson and Kenny Greenberg, except where indicated.
- "Play Me Backwards"
- "Amsterdam" (Janis Ian, Buddy Mondlock)
- "Isaac and Abraham"
- "Stones in the Road" (Mary Chapin Carpenter)
- "Steal Across the Border" (Ron Davies)
- "I'm with You" (Baez)
- "I'm with You" (Reprise) (Baez)
- "Strange Rivers" (John Stewart)
- "Through Your Hands" (John Hiatt)
- "The Dream Song"
- "The Edge of Glory"
Personnel
editMusicians
edit- Joan Baez - guitar, vocals
- Greg Barnhill - backing vocals
- Richard Bennett - electric guitar
- Ashley Cleveland - backing vocals
- Chad Cromwell - drums
- Jerry Douglas - Dobro, guitar, lap steel guitar, Weissenborn
- Carl Gorodetzky - violin
- Kenny Greenberg - acoustic and electric guitar
- Vicki Hampton - backing vocals
- Mike Lawler - organ, synthesizer
- Bob Mason - cello
- Edgar Meyer - upright bass
- Jonell Mosser - backing vocals
- Steve Nathan - organ, Wurlitzer
- Cyndi Richardson - backing vocals
- Jerry Roady - percussion
- Tom Roady - percussion
- Chris Rodriguez - backing vocals
- Pamela Sixfin - violin
- James Stroud - drums
- Marcos Suzano - percussion, berimbau
- Willie Weeks - bass guitar
- Kristin Wilkinson - viola
- Wally Wilson - synthesizer, piano, producer
- Glenn Worf - bass guitar
Others
edit- James A. Ball - engineer
- Peter Coleman - engineer
- Tom Dolan - design
- Roy Gamble - engineer, second engineer
- Aaron D. Jacoves - A&R/executive producer
- Eric Gorodetzky - engineer, second engineer
- Kenny Greenberg - producer
- Mick Haggerty - art direction
- Bob Ludwig - mastering
- Melanie Nissen - photography
- Greg Parker - engineer, second engineer
- Ed Simonton - engineer, second engineer
- Kevin Smith - mixing
- Taylor York - engineer
References
edit- ^ Brozan, Nadine (14 Oct 1992). "Chronicle". The New York Times. p. B8.
- ^ Galvin, Peter (Nov 1992). "Play Me Backwards by Joan Baez". Interview. 22 (11): 44.
- ^ "Joan Baez". Recording Academy. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
- ^ "Joan Baez Getting Active in Music Business Again". Orlando Sentinel. Reuters. 6 Nov 1992. p. A2.
- ^ "Joan Baez: Play Me Backwards - Proper Music". Proper Music. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (24 Oct 1992). "Joan Baez Goes Back To Her Folk-Club Roots". The New York Times. p. 1:17.
- ^ a b Lannert, John (19 Nov 1992). "Baez Is Back". Sun-Sentinel. p. 3E.
- ^ Catlin, Roger (20 Nov 1992). "With new album out, Joan Baez has plenty to play in Springfield". Hartford Courant. p. B4.
- ^ Plotnikoff, David (17 Jan 1993). "Joan Baez: a folk singer not a fossil". Toronto Star. p. D6.
- ^ Flick, Larry (27 Nov 1992). "New Baez album melds folk with rock". St. Petersburg Times. p. 11B.
- ^ Barnes, Harper (21 Mar 1993). "Protest Still Hooks Baez". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 3F.
- ^ Willman, Chris (22 Oct 1992). "Joan Baez Blends Old, New". Los Angeles Times. p. F7.
- ^ Joyce, Mike (15 Nov 1992). "Joan Baez: 'Play Me Backwards'". The Washington Post. p. G9.
- ^ Hentoff, Nat (13 Jan 1993). "On Disc: Baez is back". The Wall Street Journal. p. A2.
- ^ "Play Me Backwards Review by Kelly McCartney". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
- ^ a b Schoch, Eric B. (27 Nov 1992). "Joan Baez: 'Play Me Backwards'". The Indianapolis Star. p. B9.
- ^ "Joan Baez Play Me Backwards". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 30 October 2007. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
- ^ Morse, Steve (6 Nov 1992). "Joan Baez and Judy Collins are back on the move in the '90s". Arts & Film. The Boston Globe. p. 43.
- ^ Heim, Chris (27 Nov 1992). "Joan Baez and James McMurtry". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. M.