Diamonds & Rust

Released in April 1975, Diamonds & Rust represents the commercial and artistic peak of Joan Baez's mid-career transition. Moving away from the purely traditional folk and protest music that defined her 1960s output, this album embraces a sophisticated folk-rock and pop-inflected sound. Recorded at A&M Studios, it features a high-caliber backing band including members of the Crusaders and Joni Mitchell's LA Express, which accounts for the album's smooth, jazz-adjacent textures. The title track is widely considered her finest original composition, a poignant reflection on her relationship with Bob Dylan that solidified her status as a top-tier songwriter in her own right. Critics, including those at AllMusic, have praised the album for its vocal maturity and the successful integration of contemporary 1970s production. It remains her most popular and accessible work, bridging the gap between the Greenwich Village folk scene and the polished California singer-songwriter era.