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Rocking with angst

Angst and agony Phil Ochs

Folksinger/ songwriter Phil Ochs was born December 19, 1940, El Paso, Texas. He was a man of contradictions, a patriotic American who came to prominence as one of the harshest critics of the establishment in the mid 60s folk protest boom, while on the other side, a renowned ‘folkie’ who went ‘electric’ after it had been newsworthy to do so.

He moved to Queens, New York, with family and followed family tradition by attending military school in Virginia. He later studied journalism at the Ohio State University and began writing songs soon after. Ochs went solo post his misadventure with a group called Sundowners. Within a few years he moved to Greenwich Village and joined the folk protest circle that boasted the patronage of poet, singer and songwriter, Bob Dylan.

By the time he recorded All the News, Ochs had merged his literary/ journalistic background with a songwriting style that was direct and abrasive. He hit his stride on I ain’t a Marchin’. The title tune and Draft Dodger Rag, became anti-war anthems, despite a ban that prevented him from being broadcast on American radio and TV. During and after the ban, Ochs remained active in the causes and protest movements.

Harbor, contained some of Ochs best tunes namely, Outside of a small circle of friends and The party. After the albums release, he moved to L.A., where he recorded, Tape from California. It included, Joe Hill, the anti-war anthem, War is Over and When in Rome. Gunfight, saw Ochs, dressed in gold lame’, singing his own greatest hits, as well as Merle Haggard’s, Okie from Muskogee. In 1973, while on a trip to Africa, Ochs was a victim of a mysterious assault in the course of which he was nearly strangled and his vocal chords, severely damaged. In the early 70s, he lived in Africa and occasionally performed in London, even though his voice had pretty much gone. In 1974, he reunited with Bob Dylan at a New York concert he organised to protest the military junta in Chile. A little before that event, he released the Watergate- era protest, Here’s to the State of Richard Nixon. It was the last record released in Ochs’ lifetime. His last appearance was at New York’s Folk City on October 23, 1975. Six months later, Phil Ochs, who suffered from severe depression, hanged himself at his sister’s home.

A. GEORGE ANTONY

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