There is a boxed set coming out of all their music, by the way, on Vanguard, due in stores November 13 (a friend of mine was involved, so I have this info).

To me, the songs still hold that wonderous charm -- and the Swallow Song, Children of Darkness, Miles, actually make me pause whatever I'm doing and take a deep breath, as the best songs do. Some of the music, if you're being picky, does sound silly sometimes -- on one I can't think of, Mimi does a little nonsense-sound warble (maybe it's Reno, Nevada?) that sounds dated.

I recently read a year-old review of their last reissue and the writer said they, like most "folkies," were "too polite and restrained by half" and that the music did not hold up. He also argued a point David Hajdu made in his book "Positively Fourth Street," that Richard was the first forerunner of folk-rock, not Dylan. AND he said Mimi could not sing (as I've heard others say!)

Maybe I'm not objective enough, because there is so much nostalgia packed into my listenings of these two. What are your feelings? I do recall very quickly getting over Joan, both when I heard them, as well as discovering old blues and country and the new singer-songwriters and interpreters.