Starparade

Joan Baez’s Starparade, released on the German label Hör Zu, captures the folk singer at a pivotal moment—her voice and acoustic guitar stripped to their essentials, channeling the protest spirit of early 1960s folk music into intimate studio arrangements. The sparse production lets her phrasing and lyrical conviction dominate, a counterpoint to the orchestral folk-pop that was beginning to dominate radio. This is Baez in her element: unadorned, purposeful, and politically engaged.