I bought this CD for one of the wierdest reasons ever. It's listed on Amazon.com's Essential of the Year List for 1976, that was the year I was born, so I decided what the heck and bought this CD not knowing anything about it, boy am I glad. This CD is great. The sounds are awesome, and Joan Armatrading is a very skilled songwriter/musician. So many songs on here are phenomenal like "Water With The Wine" which tells such a heartfelt story. "Tall In The Saddle" which is inspirational at times for me. "Down to Zero" and of course "Love and Affection" are also great songs. It's easy to see where people like Natalie Merchant, Sarah McLachlan, and so many of today's top female artists could have been influenced by this music. I feel that Joan has a stronger emotional attachment to her songs than any of these others do nowadays. A great CD and a great find.

Whatever happened to Joan Armatrading? She simply dropped off the face of the planet sometime in the 1980s and it is our loss. This debut album shook England during my teens. I remember trying to learn the lead solo in Tall in the Saddle, slow-dancing with an early girl friend to Love and Affection (wait until you hear the saxophone solo)

This music is full of memories for me and still has great power to move so many years later. Ms Armatrading is a wonderful songwriter and a fabulous guitarist. If enough of us buy her back catalogue maybe she'll come out of retirement.

This is by no means Joan's first album but it seems it's a favorite of many and alot of fans.I only have two of her recordings (the other being a cassette tape of her 1983 'The Key' album that I also enjoy alot).This is considered her best 70's album and I can certainly see why.Basically what Ms.Armadrading does is combine her singer-songwriter styled acoustic music with electric instruments and bringing in other styles of music such as blues,R&B,jazz and a lite funky groove into the mix.

The key to the music is quiet electism as she weaves in her questioning tales of love,commitment and confusions over the same,all delivered in that wonderful deep,husky voice she has.'Joan Armatrading' works as an intimate album lengh set piece-it's very cohesive and includes slower and faster songs.Of the more mellow tunes "Help Yourself" is my favorite is is definately a reflection on her independant streak."Join The Boys" is a fun uptempo piece with a mildly funk groove and a bluesy melody."Love And Affection" is the best known song here and it's a great one to be known for.

All and all this is one classic album (albeit with some apparent cult status) that I thouroughly enjoy and I will highly recommend to others.Critics standards for classic albums are usually highly subjective all around and doesn't agree with everyones tastes (in my case the status of waaaaayyy overrated Nirvana album 'Nevermind' comes to mind) but this truely deserves any praise given to it!Great to listen to deeply,put on to relax or in a few cases to sway your head to!

Armatrading's self-titled 1976 masterpiece represents the best musical performance of her career to date. Sultry, introspective lyrics (try "I am not in love/But I'm open to persuasion..." from "Love and Affection," her best known song) combine with exquisite guitar work and a powerfully unique voice to make this a special recording. "Down to Zero," "Love and Affection," "Join the Boys," and "Tall in the Saddle" are my favorites.

It wasn't her first album, but 'Joan Armatrading' helped win her legions of fans. And rightly so. The song "Love and Affection" is one of the most beautiful ballads ever recorded - and a song I will never tire of. There are other standout tracks on this album including "Down to Zero", "Water with the Wine" and "Join the Boys".

I'm really grateful that I got to see her in concert in Australia in 1985. Her performance of "Willow" will stay in my mind forever.

If you only want one Joan Armatrading album, buy this. But be warned, you will want more after listening to the song "Love and Affection". Or how about "Willow" (which is on another album)?