Play Me Backwards
| 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 | ||||
| ||||
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]
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
[edit]Recorded 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
[edit]All 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
[edit]Musicians
[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 (October 14, 1992). "Chronicle". The New York Times. p. B8.
- ^ Galvin, Peter (November 1992). "Play Me Backwards by Joan Baez". Interview. 22 (11): 44.
- ^ "Joan Baez". Recording Academy. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ "Joan Baez Getting Active in Music Business Again". Orlando Sentinel. Reuters. November 6, 1992. p. A2.
- ^ "Joan Baez: Play Me Backwards - Proper Music". Proper Music. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (October 24, 1992). "Joan Baez Goes Back To Her Folk-Club Roots". The New York Times. p. 1:17.
- ^ a b Lannert, John (November 19, 1992). "Baez Is Back". Sun-Sentinel. p. 3E.
- ^ Catlin, Roger (November 20, 1992). "With new album out, Joan Baez has plenty to play in Springfield". Hartford Courant. p. B4.
- ^ Plotnikoff, David (January 17, 1993). "Joan Baez: a folk singer not a fossil". Toronto Star. p. D6.
- ^ Flick, Larry (November 27, 1992). "New Baez album melds folk with rock". St. Petersburg Times. p. 11B.
- ^ Barnes, Harper (March 21, 1993). "Protest Still Hooks Baez". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 3F.
- ^ Willman, Chris (October 22, 1992). "Joan Baez Blends Old, New". Los Angeles Times. p. F7.
- ^ Joyce, Mike (November 15, 1992). "Joan Baez: 'Play Me Backwards'". The Washington Post. p. G9.
- ^ Hentoff, Nat (January 13, 1993). "On Disc: Baez is back". The Wall Street Journal. p. A2.
- ^ "Play Me Backwards Review by Kelly McCartney". AllMusic. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ a b Schoch, Eric B. (November 27, 1992). "Joan Baez: 'Play Me Backwards'". The Indianapolis Star. p. B9.
- ^ "Joan Baez Play Me Backwards". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 30, 2007. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ Morse, Steve (November 6, 1992). "Joan Baez and Judy Collins are back on the move in the '90s". Arts & Film. The Boston Globe. p. 43.
- ^ Heim, Chris (November 27, 1992). "Joan Baez and James McMurtry". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. M.
