Joan Baez to Reissue “Play Me Backwards” With Additional Tracks

Joan Baez recently announced the reissue of her 1992 album Play Me Backwards as a nicely expanded set – but you’ll have to pony up if you want it in the States.

Play Me Backwards marked a lot of firsts for the folk singer: her first album in Nashville since Come from the Shadows (1972), her first of many collaborations with songwriters/producers Kenny Greenberg and Wally Wilson, her main collaborators for most of the 1990s and her first music video, for the track “Stones in the Road.” The album was a considerable success in its own right, earning a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Recording.

But it turns out there was more to the record, as this new edition from Proper Records suggests. The set will be expanded with no less than 10 previously unreleased demos, including “Seven Curses,” a long-unreleased song written by Bob Dylan. (His own demo was only recently released!) It will also feature new artwork and a new essay by Arthur Levy.

Now here’s the rub: Proper will only release the CD in the U.K. and Europe, so you’ll have to import the disc if you want a copy. However, another label, Diverse Records, will release the expanded set as a 180-gram double LP that will be available in all territories. The sets are out March 14, and you can see the track list after the jump.

Joan Baez, Play Me Backwards: Expanded Edition (Proper Records, 2011)

  1. Play Me Backwards
  2. Amsterdam
  3. Isaac & Abraham
  4. Stones in the Road
  5. Steal Across the Border
  6. I’m with You
  7. I’m with You (Reprise)
  8. Strange Rivers
  9. Through Your Hands
  10. The Dream Song
  11. Edge of Glory
  12. Medicine Wheel (Demo)
  13. Rise from the Ruins (Demo)
  14. Trouble with the Truth (Demo)
  15. Much Better View of the Moon (Demo)
  16. Seven Curses (Demo)
  17. In My Day (Demo)
  18. Dark Eyed Man (Demo)
  19. We Endure (Demo)
  20. The Last Day (Demo)
  21. Lonely Moon (Demo)

Tracks 1-11 released as Virgin 86458-2, 1992. Tracks 12-21 previously unreleased.

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Mike Duquette
Mike Duquette

Mike Duquette (Founder) was fascinated with catalog music ever since he was a teenager. A 2009 graduate of Seton Hall University with a B.A. in journalism, Mike paired his profession with his passion through The Second Disc, one of the first sites to focus on all reissue labels great and small. His passion for reissues turned into a career, having written at and worked for all three major catalogue music labels and contributing to Allmusic, Billboard, Discogs, City Pages and Ultimate Classic Rock. He's penned liner notes for Verve, Chess, Mondo and Soul Music Records.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Mike lives in Astoria, Queens with his wife, a cat named Ravioli, twin daughters and a large yet tasteful collection of music.

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