The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #110120   Message #2310570
Posted By: GUEST,Joseph de Culver City
08-Apr-08 - 05:48 PM
Thread Name: Review: Phil Ochs
Subject: RE: Review: Phil Ochs
Guest Gerry- Well said. John on the West Coast- Right you are                                                                   I was on the west coast (US) back in the 60's and right you are Phil Ochs was not as well known, even after he started making all his recordings in LA. He is a somewhat problemmatic figure in popular culture, and I think at least some of that is due to things which have nothing to do with his music. Many felt that he was beyond the pale for wearing a gold lame suit on the cover of his 'Greatest Hits' record. Let's just say he had a sense of humor that was not always shared by members of the general public.

I think that most will agree that he wrote eloquently about matters of concern to all at a time when many who spoke out were punished for doing so. I was a young man at the time, and perhaps my perception of his work is skewed by my youthful memories, but I found him riveting and fearless as a live performer. Seeing videos of him in the present time only reinforces my feelings.