I've never heard of this artist, or this song prior to this post - but I likey!

Good choice.

Surely Meeks, at least, has heard of Phil Ochs

I would be surprised if she hadn't.

oh yesh! This is a Phil Ochs song? I likey him too. I will have to scrounge the original version, then.

That Phil Ochs song is a longtime fave ("Outside..."). Just seeing the title is going to put the melody in my head all day. That whole album is great. I'm also quite fond of "Tape From California" which I think is from the album after that.

I didn't even recognize "When I'm Gone" as a Phil Ochs song, but that was a great cover. Now I have to break out the vinyl and see if it's on an album I have.

Somehow I managed never to heard Mike Oldfield's Moonlight Shadow until quite recently, and it was good for a bit of gooseflesh.

Phil Ochs is so terrific. I grew up hearing his music - what a melodic sense, and what a beautiful voice. Tragic ending to his life. I also feel that he could've used a good editor - some of his topical songs drag on too long after the point has been made - but he managed to tell some beautiful stories despite that. "Changes" and "Pleasures of the Harbor" are totally timeless songs. I love "Bracero," and it's still pretty contemporary.

I once posted about Ochs on MeFi and got an email from his sister as a result - she hosts a sort of regular gathering at her place in NY somewhere, where people play and sing his songs. It was interesting to hear about, but I have never gone.

Pleasures of the Harbor was maybe the most played record, for me, through college. It's so original, strange, and good. I did not know very many other people who loved it. I saw him a several peace demontrations. He was always good to get the crowd revved up, usually playing at the podium into the single mike.

His descent into bitterness and craziness was sad. Some of his antics in the musical circles made the news, then him hanging himself on a closet door, (as I remember).

Sad.

Thea Gilmore has the soul to pull that song off well, IMO.

Kind of Like Spitting did an entire album of Phil Ochs covers. I haven't heard much off of it, but he's pretty dang good, in general.

Pleasures of the Harbour was a huge album for me, because I heard it when I was so young-- I was about 9 or 10-- and I loved it without reservation, especially the title song and The Crucifixion. I thought they contained the greatest poetry I'd ever heard. I quite fell in love with the picture of Phil Ochs on the cover, with his green coat and hat, as well. You might, in fact, trace my taste in men (penniless brooding artists, mostly) right back to that iconic image.

It's so original, strange, and good.

Yes, it is. I still love it, and not just because it was part of my childhood, but because it's genuinely magical.

jokeefe, driving back to the office, I was thinking about that album (I have recently bought it on Amazon MP3) and I was in college, as I said, but the cover was magical also and I was just wondering why I did not adopt that sartorial style for myself (might have gotten laid more), then I camein here and read your comment.

Funny.

Phil was one of the good ones, and like Dylan he refused to let his audience get complacent and smug-witness the Buddy Holly medley on his live album (they booed him. in 1971! Get a grip, folkies) and especially "Love Me, I'm a Liberal." and I ain'y a Marchin' Anymore" is one of the 10 or so best anti-war songs ever.

I never heard of this song. Never heard of Thea Gilmore. Never heard of Phil Ochs either. THANK GAWD for Metachat for introducing me to the best things in life that I've never heard of!

Doohickie, 3 good things. Thea Gilmore is really good. This is from an album of covers she did called Loft Music. Her own stuff is about 60/40 great/mediocre. Which is good, in my book.

Ochs is a legend, rightly so.