Any Day Now

Released in December 1968, Any Day Now is a double album consisting entirely of Bob Dylan covers. Recorded in Nashville, it represents a pivotal moment in Joan Baez's career where she began to move away from the strictly solo acoustic format toward a more collaborative, country-influenced sound. The album features prominent Nashville session musicians, including Grady Martin and Norbert Putnam, who provide a tasteful, understated backdrop to Baez's three-octave soprano. The tracklist spans Dylan's career up to that point, including then-unreleased material from the 'Basement Tapes' sessions like 'Tears of Rage' and 'I Shall Be Released.' The centerpiece is a side-long, eleven-minute rendition of 'Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands.' Critically, the album is regarded as one of the finest Dylan tribute projects ever recorded, praised for Baez's ability to soften Dylan's jagged edges without losing the songs' inherent power. It solidified her transition from a traditional folk singer to a sophisticated contemporary interpreter.