American

Phil Ochs - All the News That's Fit To Sing (1964) [Full album]

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• published: 19 Dec 2014
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1. One More Parade 00:00 2. The Thresher 03:21 3. Talking Vietnam 06:19 4. Lou Marsh 09:55 5. Power and the Glory 14:05 6. Celia 16:25 7. The Bells 19:41 8. Automation Song 22:53 9. Ballad of William Worthy 25:08 10. Knock on the Door 27:23 11. Talkin' Cuban Crisis 30:15 12. Bound for Glory 32:02 13. Too Many Martyrs 36:23 14. What's That I Hear 39:15 15. Bullets of Mexico 41:20 (From the original liner notes) About the songs: ONE MORE PARADE This is outstanding among the many songs Phil has written. World peace is a chief concern linking together the whole new school of young topical songwriters. THE THRESHER The loss of the U.S. nuclear sub Thresher with all hands inspired songwriters all over the country who write ballads about the tragedy. This is one of the very best. TALKING VIETNAM Along the same lines as Cuban Crisis, but the humor here is much more biting and bitter. But then there are deeper layers of hypocrisy wich must be cut through. LOU MARSH One of Phil's best songs, in lyrics and music. Pete Seeger has said of it, "It has beautiful poetry and deep compassion rarely equalled." POWER AND THE GLORY Considered by many to be Och's "masterpiece" and ranked close to Guthire's This Land. CELIA Peter Seeger arranged for Phil to meet American Bill Pomeroy and hear Pomeroy's story of this ten-year, prision-enforced separation from his lovely Filipino wife, Celia Mariano. Even as they talked, song ideas raced through Phil's mind, word came that world-wide protests had at last unlocked the door to Celia's prision cell. Phil finished the song anyway, and it is one of the most beautiful love songs in American music. THE BELLS Here the influence of Bob Gibson is plain, in a musical interpretation of the famous poem by Edgar Allan Poe. AUTOMATION SONG Like Guthrie, Phil Ochs has a profund concern for the American working man. The same feeling expressed here has led Phil to write songs for, and several times visit, the improverished mining families of eastern Kentucky made jobless by automation. BALLAD OF WILLIAM WORTHY A song about the man who has become the "cause celebre" in the fight of Americans for freedom to travel. When Whorty heard that Phil had written this song, he came to New York's "Thirside" coffeehouse to hear him sing it. KONCK ON THE DOOR is a chilling reminder of that unknown terror which is felt by all peoples living under a totalitarian system. TALKING CUBAN CRISIS is satire of the highest order and shows Phil's skill in finding humor where none could possibily exist. Mark Twain would have understood what Phil was trying to do. Many tensed-up faces relaxed for the first time in days when Phil sang this song around. BOUND OF GLORY A tribute to Woody Guthrie first published in Mainstream. "One of the sad aspects of the growing fame of guthrie and his songs is the lack of understanding by some and the prostitution by others," Ochs wrote in an article in the same magazine. TOO MANY MARTYRS "Oh, God no, we've already got too many martyrs," Phil's friend, the folkmusic critic John Dunson, said on hearing about the assassination of the Negro Freedom leader, Medgar Evers, thus giving Phil the tittle to this song. They had no way of knowing that a greater martyrdom was still to come. WHAT'S THAT I HEAR One of the root inspirations for today's young songwriters is the valiant, singing struggle of the 20 million American Negro people for equality. The sounds of that battle is what Phil Ochs hears in this song, but you can also find even deeper meanings if you look for them. — GORDON FRIESEN, 1964 BULLETS OF MEXICO This song was mysteriously included on the LP version instead of the listed "Knock On The Door." It is a tribute to Ruben Jaramillo, the leader of a revolutionary movement in the state of Guerrero during the '60s. Personnel: Phil Ochs, guitar, vocals. Danny Kalb, second guitar. John Sebastian, harmonica on "Bound For Glory" (uncredited)