Phil Ochs was one of the great folksingers of the 1960s, in many ways better than Bob Dylan, though he is not nearly so well known today, likely because his career was cut short by his 1976 suicide. I was raised on his music.
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On May 22, a new CD of never-heard Ochs music (demos and songs that were recorded for albums but dropped from the final release) comes out: "Phil Ochs, The Best Of the Rest: Rare and Unreleased Recordings."
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In @AmerSongwriter, @PaulSZollo gives a fascinating breakdown of each track on the disc, from the ultra-rare "Take It Out of My Youth" and "I Wish I Could Have Been Along" to equally obscure versions of "The War is Over" and "No More Songs."
americansongwriter.com/rare-phil-ochs…
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americansongwriter.com/rare-phil-ochs…
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He also notes the impending publication of "I'm Gonna Say It Now: the Writings of Phil Ochs" by @backbeatbooks, "damn near all of Phil’s non-song works...short stories, poetry, criticism, journalism and satire."
books.google.com/books/about/Im…
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books.google.com/books/about/Im…
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Maybe you've not heard of Ochs, but your favorite folksingers have.
Billy Bragg: "[Ochs was a] born writer. He played guitar because that was the language his generation was speaking. Today, his questioning voice chimes as clearly as it ever did.”
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Billy Bragg: "[Ochs was a] born writer. He played guitar because that was the language his generation was speaking. Today, his questioning voice chimes as clearly as it ever did.”
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Tom Morello: "Phil Ochs was a tireless crusader for justice. He is one of the all-time great activist troubadours. With wit and fire, his songs skewered the evildoers of his day and remain perfect examples of how to fight the power with guitar in hand.”
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Tim Robbins: "Phil Ochs told the truth before it was ready to be accepted and before it was politically expedient. He was the kind of truth-teller that made liberal allies nervous because his truth demanded an accountability to their own compromise.”
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