What's That I Hear?: The Songs of Phil Ochs: CD
AllMusic Review by Bruce Eder
Twenty-eight songs by Phil Ochs, covered by several generations of musicians, from Tom Paxton("Draft Dodger Rag"), Peter Yarrow ("There But for Fortune"), Dave Van Ronk ("Outside of a Small Circle of Friends"), Eric Andersen ("When I'm Gone"), and Iain Matthews ("Flower Lady") to the Roches ("The Bells," which offers
AllMusic Review by Bruce Eder
Twenty-eight songs by Phil Ochs, covered by several generations of musicians, from Tom Paxton("Draft Dodger Rag"), Peter Yarrow ("There But for Fortune"), Dave Van Ronk ("Outside of a Small Circle of Friends"), Eric Andersen ("When I'm Gone"), and Iain Matthews ("Flower Lady") to the Roches ("The Bells," which offers the best singing here), Agnelli-Rave and the Charmers ("Chords of Fame"), and Sid Griffin & Billy Bragg ("Sailors and Soldiers"). The quality of the performances is uniformly first-rate, and it's astonishing to discover the full range of admirers that Ochs' songs attract, as well as the sheer selection of songs, some of which Ochs never got to record officially -- few key bases are left untouched in the two-hour-plus collection, although it would have been nice if someone had covered released obscurities such as "Basket in the Pool." The notes are very thorough, personal, and affecting.
CD 1 Track Listing:
Power and the Glory / Magpie
Boy in Ohio / David Buskin
Jim Dean of Indiana / Sammy Walker
Chords of Fame / Lauren Agnelli / Agnelli-Rave & The Charmers / Dave Rave & the Charmers
There But for Fortune / Peter Yarrow
Flower Lady / Ian Matthews
I Ain't Marching Anymore / Arlo Guthrie
Is There Anybody Here? / SONiA
Draft Dodger Rag / Tom Paxton
Changes / Nancy Tucker
The Bells / The Roches
Pleasures of the Harbo / Rod MacDonald
Tape from California / Greg Greenway
Another Age / John Wesley Harding
When I’m Gone / Eric Andersen
CD 2 Track Listing:
What’s That I Hear / Kim & Reggie Harris
Hands / Pat Humphries
Bracero / John Gorka
Sailors and Soldiers / Billy Bragg / Sid Griffin
The Highwayman / Steve Gillette / Cindy Mangsen
Gas Station Women / Frank Christian / Christine Lavin / Megon McDonough
Outside of a Small Circle of Friends / Dave Van Ronk
Crucifixion / David Massengill
Here's to the State of Mississippi / Katy Moffatt
Freedom Riders / Kim & Reggie Harris / Magpie
Iron Lady / Anne Hills
There But for Fortune / Rex Fowler
No More Songs / Karen Savoca
Released 1998.