3 Surprising Electric Numbers by Folk Artists Who Usually Keep It Quiet

When we want something that will shake our skulls from our spines, we’ll listen to Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, or The Who. If we want the opposite, we’ll listen to Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, or Cat Stevens. In other words, musicians do different things and serve different purposes. However, every so often, musicians change up what purpose they serve. That being said, here are three surprising electric numbers by folk artists who tend to keep it quiet.

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“Take A Look At My Heart” by John Prine

The legacy of John Prine is wrapped in wise words, simple guitar riffs, and clever lyrics that, no matter how many years pass, will always be enlightening and hilarious. While Prine’s catalog as a musician has more simple folk songs than it does classic rock ‘n’ roll numbers, he still has a couple of those. Including this 1991 track, “Take A Look At My Heart”.

Released in 1991, Prine’s track isn’t on the same level as the bands we mentioned above. However, it packs a sonic punch that regular Prine fans are not necessarily used to. In short, it’s a pleasant side quest in the Prine canon. Also, if you listen closely, you just might figure out which famous musician is singing background vocals.

“The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” by Joan Baez

Joan Baez‘s style primarily revolves around making sure the audience hears the words she’s written. Although there are a handful of songs in which that seemingly wasn’t her MO. One of the more notable singles in which Baez went electric was on her 1971 cover of The Band’s iconic single, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”.

Released in 1971, Baez’s rendition of The Band’s classic is an electric folk-rock version with an upbeat tempo and a more soulful feel. Don’t get us wrong, this song is still clearly a product of Baez’s. But there is also certainly something different about it. It’s a step away from her norm, but it seamlessly fits into the rest of her catalog.

“Kodachrome” by Paul Simon

Paul Simon never let up when it came to dropping incredible lyrics song after song, but he did change his tune quite often. And one song that is arguably the best time he did so is on his 1973 rock ‘n’ roll single, “Kodachrome”. If you search hard enough, you can find several songs where Paul Simon goes full rock ‘n’ roll, but this is certainly one of the most notable.

This is not the normal Paul Simon, but it is a version of Paul Simon we love. Instead of the intellectual and poignant Paul Simon, we get a rambunctious and unrestrained Paul Simon. The majority of Simon’s acoustic music is phenomenal, but this is certainly a major breath of fresh air.

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