Buffy Sainte-Marie

Buffy Sainte-Marie's name is forever connected to the protest branch of the great folk revival in the early-to-mid-'60s, and more specifically to songs like "Universal Soldier" and "Cod'ine." The Best of the Vanguard Years cuts a wider swath, however, featuring Sainte-Marie's work from 1964, when the above songs were released, to 1969, when her music had acquired a more experimental, rock edge. The collected tracks mix these different eras at random, moving from stark acoustic songs like "Cod'ine" to rock & roll numbers like "He's the Keeper of the Fire" to country pieces like "Take My Hand for a While." While this is a bit jarring, perhaps it serves to give a listener new to Sainte-Marie a more even understanding of her work. Through all of these stylistic changes, though, the forceful, often trembling intensity of Sainte-Marie's voice creates a powerful unity. There are great jewels here, including "Groundhog" from her second album, Many a Mile, and "Rolling Log Blues" from Little Wheel Spin and Spin with guitar work from the great session player Bruce Langhorne. A couple things sound dated here, specifically Sainte-Marie's early version of Joni Mitchell's "Circle Game" with its overripe pop production. These odd cuts are exceptions, though. The Best of the Vanguard Years offers a fine intro to an artist who never allowed politics or musical style to limit her vision. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide