這張民謠女皇Joan Baez(1941-)的《Joan Baez Diamond and Rust in the Bullring》，是她在1988年西班牙畢爾包鬥牛場的現場錄音，在LP與CD時代(1989年推出)就已經是人手一張的發燒大碟，筆者在1990年代初就已經買過，隨著時間的遷移，香港LPCD M2 Mastering 也將之推出了高音質版，雖說索價超過250港幣，但確實有一買的價值，不管是音場的凝聚，或是吉他的撥弦聲，都有更清楚的表現。封面的速寫是Joan Baez自己畫的，很精準也很確實的傳達了這場熱氣騰騰的現場演出。
該場演出的開場曲〈Diamond and Rust〉雖說Joan Baez在自傳中表示其描寫的是她和丈夫的感情，但所有的樂迷都知道，這首歌是在寫她和Bob Dylan(1941-，他上回在台北的現場，讓筆者從此對這位前任傳奇的印象大壞，發誓再也不聽他現在的任何專輯)的一段感情。至於說了些什麼，就請自己體會吧..........。
Well I'll be damned
Here comes your ghost again
But that's not unusual
It's just that the moon is full
And you happened to call
And here I sit
Hand on the telephone
Hearing a voice I'd known
A couple of light years ago
Heading straight for a fall
As I remember your eyes
Were bluer than robin's eggs
My poetry was lousy you said
Where are you calling from?
A booth in the Midwest
Ten years ago
I bought you some cufflinks
You brought me something
We both know what memories can bring
They bring diamonds and rust
Well you burst on the scene
Already a legend
The unwashed phenomenon
The original vagabond
You strayed into my arms
And there you stayed
Temporarily lost at sea
The Madonna was yours for free
Yes the girl on the half-shell
Would keep you unharmed
Now I see you standing With brown leaves falling around
And snow in your hair
Now you're smiling out the window
Of that crummy hotel
Over Washington Square
Our breath comes out white clouds
Mingles and hangs in the air
Speaking strictly for me
We both could have died then and there
Now you're telling me
You're not nostalgic
Then give me another word for it
You who are so good with words
And at keeping things vague
Because I need some of that vagueness now
It's all come back too clearly
Yes I loved you dearly
And if you're offering me diamonds and rust
I've already paid.
民謠女皇Joan Baez 今年也七十二歲了，她在2003年時還推出了《Dark Chords on a Big Guitar》這張錄音室專輯，雖說聲音不如以前那般清越動聽，但那份屬於歲月的老練和睿智，還是讓人回味無窮，出道五十年仍能維持如此身手，實屬不易。
Joan Baez 在1980年代末就已經剪去了她那招牌的黑色長髮，取而代之的是一頭清爽俐落的短髮，說真的，還真有些不習慣......。
該場演唱在風雨交加中進行，其中的第八首Llego Con Tres Heridas(英文為： I come with three wounds)，作曲人為Eliseo Parra，作詞者是西班牙詩人Miguel Hernandez(1910-1942，死於佛朗哥將軍獨裁政權的迫害)，歌曲中所指生命中最重要的三件事為生命，愛情，與死亡。
