The title of this album is wide off the mark. Even on the Vanguard label itself there are lots of great songs omitted here, like the title track, Satisfied Mind and Hard Rain's Gonna Fall from Farewell Angelina and Walls Of Redwing, I Dreamt I Saw St. Augustine or Boots Of Spanish Leather from her Dylan album Any Day now or even Lady Mary or Gospel Ship from her early In Concert album.
That doesn't mean that these nine tracks aren't good! There But For Fortune is a particularly graceful and moving song, whilst The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down was of course her greatest ever hit from 1971. I also like her version of Wayfaring Stranger, the old standard Pack Up Your Sorrows and the powerful live version of We Shall Overcome, the old sixties anthem.
With her large oeuvre on the label, this Vanguard Best Of album could have been really special. Until a proper collection of her best work on the label is issued, I recommend the aforementioned individual albums plus Hits: Greatest And Others, an album that includes the beautiful Brand New Tennessee Waltz and Love Is Just A Four Letter Word. For her best post-60s work, I recommend the Diamonds collection.
