RECENTLY is a rich and eclectic collection of songs. Baez"s voice is glorious and chilling, warm and at times hauntingly distant. For lovers of "60s folk, her sound is a symbol of soulful beauty, and not much has changed here to diminish that. She speaks out against apartheid, and more specifically, about the tragic death of many prisoners of conscience. "Asimbonanga" finds Baez singing about the South African activist, Steven Biko, crooning, "Steven Biko/We haven"t seen/We haven"t seen our brother/Where he is/Where he died." On Peter Gabriel"s "Biko," her reading of the line, "When I try to sleep at night/I can only dream in red..." is transfixing. A compelling album throughout, RECENTLY merges Joan Baez"s outspoken ideology with her folksy roots. On 1988"s RECENTLY, Baez performs a mixture of songs, in a variety of musical settings. From Mark Knopfler"s "Brothers in Arms," to Peter Gabriel"s "Biko," to her own compositions, she combines her usual folk sensibilities with pop music and, unsurprisingly, political protest. Personnel: Joan Baez (vocals, guitar); Fred Tackett, Paul Jackson, Jr., Caleb Quaye (guitar); Laythan Armor, John Hobbs, Cesar Cancino (bass); Abraham Laboriel (bass); John Robinson, Alex Acuna (drums, percussion).