Living

iTunes Review

Judy Collins had a very strong run of albums since her emergence in 1961. Living, from 1971, continues the streak by focusing on what made Collins a success in the first place. Four of her favorite songwriters contribute half the album. Collins picks five first-rate gems: Leonard Cohen’s “Joan of Arc” and “Famous Blue Raincoat,” Ian Tyson’s “Four Strong Winds,” Joni Mitchell’s “Chelsea Morning” and Bob Dylan’s absurdist “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” are given straight, powerful performances that cement Collins’ status as one of the few singers who could sing anything and make it her own simply by singing it. Collins never resorts to quirks or idiosyncrasies. Her touch on Hamilton Camp’s musical version of William Butler Yeats’ “Innisfree” is made for Collins, while her own compositions, “Song for Judith (Open the Door),” “All Things Are Quite Silent” and “Easy Times” (co-written with then-lover, actor Stacy Keach) complement the album’s flow. The arrangements are moderate, with nothing overpowering the basic chemistry.