Phil Ochs was a singer/songwriter folk artist that I’ve seen mentioned time after time on different articles related to other folk artists I’ve listened to as of late. I figured it’s about time I check out an album of his. Ochs unfortunately died by suicide at the age of 35 back in 1976, but had been an influential figure in the counterculture of the 1960s and quite outspoken about the war in Vietnam and the different civil rights injustices in the U.S. of the time. This album, All the News That’s Fit to Sing (1964), was Ochs’ first official album, and covers a variety of topics relating to the different injustices and acts of aggression that were present in the time period relating to the United States. I’ve always been fond of this protest sort of music, and I’ve really been digging folk music lately, so I’m pretty stoked to check out this album. With that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“One More Parade” starts out very gently as the march of what sounds to be a drum that gradually morphs into an acoustic guitar fades into the soundscape. Oh wow, I really dig this sound already. There’s a couple of different acoustic guitar parts: one that has a bit of a rapid folksy gallop, while the other seems to add some flavorful accentuations to the melody via a mixture of chords and different lines that add to the narrative of the tune. Oh wow, this is sweet. It almost reminds me a bit of the Marty Robbins song, “El Paso”, with a new wartime protest setting. Great tune, and I’m excited to hear the rest of the album.
Oh wow, “The Thresher” starts out with some really tasty folksy acoustic guitar on one side of the soundscape that has a pleasant pluckiness to the voicing of the different notes, while a super gentle strumming of another acoustic guitar seems to sit behind the vocals and almost take on a breezy flamenco sort of sound. I really dig the cadence in the vocal line, which has a predictable yet dynamic sound that adds a lot of flavor to the narrative of the tune. Great track.
“Talking Vietnam” starts out with some super flavorful high notes on an acoustic guitar that gets an upbeat tune grooving with a sardonic delivery of vocals from Ochs that remind me a lot of what Country Joe McDonald was doing at the time. Holy smokes, this is sweet. There’s a ton of energy behind the vocals that drives home the protest quality of the tune. Wow, great track.
“Lou Marsh” begins with a sincere and delicate sounding acoustic guitar line that gets into a gentle gallop, which nearly sounds as if it’s from a folk song from the British folk-revival of the 1960s, though the vocals bring a certain North American quality to the song. Wow, this track is sweet. Oh wow, the storytelling in the tune has a massive presence that reminds me of other folk artists like Bob Dylan or John Prine. Wow, great tune.
“Power and the Glory” starts out with a ton of flavor coming from the intricate sounding and quick moving acoustic guitar line that have plucky quality, which is soon joined by another acoustic guitar on the other side of the soundscape with the more softly strummed keeping pace with the guitar. Oh wow, this is sweet. The presence of Ochs’ voice really reminds me a ton of Marty Robbins’ tune, “Big Iron”. Great track.
Oh wow, “Celia” has a super delicate quality with the acoustic guitars and the sweetness of Ochs’ voice, which seems to take on a certain serene quality while the narrative of the song and the album gradually moves along. Holy smokes, there’s nearly a bluesy intonation to this pleasant folksy singer/songwriter sort of tune. Super sweet track.
“The Bells” is a musical adaptation by Ochs of a poem by Edgar Allen Poe, which starts out with an acoustic guitar part that nearly sounded like bells in a tower ringing and cuing the tune into motion. Wow, this is super sweet to hear an intriguing musical adaption that has such pleasant and interesting dynamic sound in both the vocals and the guitar parts. Great tune.
“Automation Song” almost has a bit of a twang to the guitar at the beginning of the tune, which is soon joined by a soft strumming from a second acoustic guitar that drives the tune forward really nicely. Oh wow, this tune is sweet. The soundscape nearly verges on a sort of country folk sound at times, but never seems to cross that threshold that I have in my mind to possibly be such. Great track.
Oh wow, “Ballad of William Worthy” starts out with some super tasty and dynamic acoustic guitar lines that are a pleasant backdrop to this protest tune. Ochs’ voice nearly picks up a Dylan-esque nasally quality at times, especially at the most sardonic parts of the tune, but Ochs switches back to the folksy singing voice he’s used throughout much of the album in a super pleasing and nearly tension-relieving manner. Great tune.
Oh wow, “Knock On the Door” has a ton of weight behind this folk tune as Ochs seems to be critical of different fascist movements and events throughout the past half of a century before the album was released. I really dig this tune a lot. Great track.
Oh wow, “Talking Cuban Crisis” nearly takes on a certain talking blues quality while recalls topics related to the Cold War while bringing a nearly blues-inflected folksy whimsy that keeps the tune feeling playful while still protesting. Great track.
“Bound for Glory” starts out with a really sweet and plucky acoustic guitar line that is soon joined by a more softly strummed acoustic rhythm guitar and an incredibly tasty harmonica that seems to evoke an early Bob Dylan sort of sound. The harmonica is the only other instrument aside from the two acoustic guitars and Ochs’ voice thus far into the album. Wow, this song is super sweet. This tune nearly has a lullaby type of sound as things seem to be gradually winding down. Super sweet track.
Oh wow, “Too Many Martyrs” immediately covers the story of Medgar Evers with folksy sounding weighty vocals and an emotionally heavy acoustic guitar line in the background. Wow, great track.
“What’s That I Hear?” starts out with a super natural sounding segue into this tune, with acoustic guitar lines and a vocal performance that seems to move with the weight produced in the last track with a nearly hopeful quality. Wow, great tune.
“Bullets of Mexico (Unreleased Version)” bring things to a really flavorful finish as the quick movements of the Flamenco sounding guitar that has a nearly a baroque quality to it while Ochs seems to tie the album up with some really flavorful folksy vocals that tie the narrative of the album up nicely. Great track and a great way to finish the album.
Wow, this album was pretty sweet. If you enjoy folk artists like Bob Dylan or John Prine, you might want to consider checking out this album, especially if you enjoy protest songs as well. Wow, I’ll be revisiting this album soon and I can’t wait to check out more of Ochs’ work. Fortunately for us, he made quite a bit of music for the world before his untimely death. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely hope that you enjoy the experience at least as much as I did.
-A