Joan Baez
 

For some reason I've always ignored her because I don't really know why. But tonight I was coming down with my best friend and watching No Direction Home trying to relax and Joan Baez came on and she did some old hymn about jesus being our savior or some crap like that I can't really remember but what struck me was how beautiful it was, her voice and just her and the guitar it was so honest and pure and even though I didn't agree at all with the words I was really struck by it. She did a bunch of Bob Dylan covers too, I don't know if I'd say they were better or not they were just different and it was beautiful.

Here's some songs;
YouTube - Joan Baez - With God on Our Side (Live 1966)
YouTube - Joan Baez - Farewell Angelina (Live 1966)
YouTube - Joan Baez - It Ain't Me, Babe (Live 1965)
YouTube - Joan Baez - It Ain't Me, Babe (Live 1965)

her version of 'the night they drove ol dixie down' is great too

i've been meaning to listen to her. i picked up a double lp of hers for 25 cents at a yardsale. i think it's a live performance or something.

That sounds like her From Every Stage album, which I always liked a lot. I particularly like her cover Of Boulder to Birmingham on that album.

I recommend the Blessed Are album.
She really does have a beautiful voice, one of my first memories of music as a child.

Sweet Sir Galahad, at Woodstock, in which she calls her writing "mediocre". I wonder if she truly meant that, or if it was just really hard not to have your writing compared with Bob Dylan back then when you were a folk singer

YouTube - Joan Baez - Sweet Sir Galahad

Her voice has aged pretty nicely too, it might not as clear as it used to be, but I enjoy her lower register.

House Of The Rising Sun:
YouTube - Joan Baez - House of the Rising Sun

Her cover of Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You (predates LZ's obviously, but it's such a great song, it's hard to mess it up)
YouTube - Joan Baez - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You

The first time i heard her debut it brought tears to my eyes. By far my favourite female singer-songwriter.

I really need to get into her material, I've never really given her a listen.

^^^
YouTube - Joan Baez - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

She's one of the best!

I highly recommend Joan Baez, as one of the original Woodstock 1969 performers she has one of the most beautiful voices in music. I'm not sure about her new stuff, but definitely check out some of the videos of her at Woodstock on YouTube.