CD CORNER : ‘60s Folk Music Heroes Are Still Recording

For much of the ‘60s and early ‘70s, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, John Hartford, Laura Nyro and Tom Paxton were among the most prized names in contemporary pop music.

The hits either written or recorded by these artists ranged from “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” (written by Robbie Robertson, but a hit for Baez), “Gentle on My Mind” (written by Hartford), “Both Sides Now” (written by Joni Mitchell, but a hit for Collins), “The Last Thing on My Mind” (written by Paxton) and “Wedding Bell Blues” (written by Nyro and a hit for the 5th Dimension).

Eric Andersen, Townes Van Zandt and Jesse Winchester are other names sometimes raised by music fans from that era who grumble about the absence of similarly reflective, folk-tinged singers and songwriters around today.

Actually, there are some writers in this tradition active today, including Tracy Chapman, Michelle Shocked and James McMurtry.

But many ‘60s and early ‘70s folk fans will no doubt be surprised to find that several of their old heroes--including the eight mentioned above--are still recording, though on small, independent labels such as Cypress, Gold Castle and Sugar Hill.

Their work--along with selections by Doug Sahm, Holly Near, Ian Tyson, Sylvia Tyson, Bob Neuwirth, Karla Bonoff, Spider John Koerner and Sandy Bull--is showcased on “Still Amazing After All These Years,” Volume 7 in ROM Records’ valuable series of theme-oriented CD compilations.

Keith Holzman, production supervisor, and Mara Zhelutka, series consultant, put the 60-minute CD together by taking one track each from albums released in 1988 or 1989 by the artists on the various other labels.

Except for Baez’s version of George Michael’s “Hand to Mouth” (a socially conscious tune from Michael’s “Faith” album), all the selections were written by the performers represented on the album. It’s been a long time between hits for these artists, but there is an imagination and heart in the best of these tracks that suggests many of them are worth renewed examination.

COMPILATION, PART II: I.R.S. Records celebrates its 10th anniversary with its own sampler featuring numbers by 22 artists who have been on its roster over the years. Titled “These People Are Nuts!,” the 74-minute package includes such rarities as the Police’s punkish “Nothing Achieving” (the B side of the group’s first British single in 1977) and Oingo Boingo’s original EP version of “Only a Lad” as well as such hits as the Go-Go’s’ “We Got the Beat” and Timbuk 3’s “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades.”

ON THE WAY: “The John Lennon Collection,” the retrospective Lennon package that has been long available as a 15-track vinyl album and a 17-track cassette album, will finally be in CD. A Capitol Records spokeswoman said the package, due in stores Nov. 11, is being released in association with Geffen Records and will contain two bonus tracks, “Move Over Ms. L” and “Cold Turkey.” The album’s other selections range from “Give Peace a Chance” and “Imagine” through “(Just Like) Starting Over” and “Watching the Wheels.”