Phil Ochs
 

Phil Ochs is similar to Seeger, Guthrie, Dylan and all that, though most similar to Guthrie and Seeger. Vocally hes most like Seeger music wise Guthrie. I think I may like him best because I like his lyrics best and hes more consistent with good lyrics than Dylan is. "It's always the old to lead us to the war it's always the young to fall now look at all we've won with the sabre and the gun tell me is it worth it all?"

He was a protest singer but preferred to be called a topical singer. He usually played at political events, his best known songs were "Power and the Glory", "Draft Dodger Rag", "There But for Fortune", "Changes", "Crucifixion, "When I'm Gone", "Love Me I'm a Liberal", "Links on the Chain", "Ringing of Revolution", "Outside of a Small Circle of Friends", and "I Ain't Marching Anymore". Towards the end of his life he developed various problems and eventually killed himself in 76. This was just a kind of quick summary, read more here.

Recommendations:
The Highway Man
Here's To The State Of Richard Nixon
Love Me, I'm a Liberal
Power and Glory

MySpace.com - Phil Ochs - New York, New York - Folk - www.myspace.com/loveliberals

horribly boring besides the fact that he has horrible character and was so upset that he wasn't as big as Dylan. I hate Phil Ochs.

I'm loving his voice and lyrics but the music itself is not that interesting.

Whoever says Phil Ochs is boring, I'm gonna strap headphones on your ass and force you to listen to the lyrics. They are simple, yes, but he puts so much meaning into them.

His lyrics are meaningful but lyrics and music are somewhat separated, good music without decent lyrics is crap and great lyrics with no music is nothing. The music behinds his lyrics is okay but my point is that the music is not to be ignored.

I never was very impressed by Och's music--tunes or lyrics. IMHO, there were a number of folk artists who were better, in both the traditional and protest sub-genres of folk music.

I've never thought of Phil Och as a big name in folk music. He hung around with Dylan and Peter, Paul & Mary, Judy Collins and others, but he never approached their magnitude as a star. He wrote some good songs that other people made big hits out of. Of couse, Townes Van Zandt was known more as a writer than a singer and others had big hits with his songs. I think Och was a talented guy. Certainly more talented than myself...lol...but never of the calibre of Bob Dylan, Barry McGuire, and many others.......Just my view of it. Doesn't necessarily make me right and someone else wrong.

I pretty much agree with Mizzou's assessment of Ochs--he was never really one of the big names in folk music. Most of his hardcore fans are people who are pretty much in agreement with his political and social views.

Folk Singer for the FBI: The Phil Ochs FBI File by Eric Blair (Book) in History

This is why I love Phil Ochs.

so why?