Phil Ochs

September 5 - 12, 1 9 9 6 [Off the Record]

*** Phil Ochs

LIVE AT NEWPORT

(Vanguard)
Phil Ochs fans occupy two distinct camps. Most prefer the Greenwich Village topical folk he wrote for Elektra through 1965. Others favor the more complex and personal pieces he recorded for A&M in California thereafter. Taped at the Newport Folk Festival in '63, '64, and '66, this is the first live Ochs record to cater to both crowds.
The earlier recordings offer direct, somewhat rushed versions of acutely pointed material. Some of those points seem dated now; whereas "Links on the Chain" remains a biting attack on corporate unionism, his anthems about Vietnam and early civil-rights battles suffer from obsolescence. Still, liberals will bask in the afterglow, and PBS yuppies will appreciate Peter Yarrow's praise as he introduces Ochs.
Fans of his later works are better served here; none of the 1966 recordings has been previously available. The wait was well worth it, for a far more confident Ochs hit the festival stage that year. His stark voice crystallized some intricate, difficult compositions, leaving compelling renditions of "Half a Century High" and "Cross My Heart" and a epic rendition of "The Party."
More Ochs albums have been issued since his 1976 suicide than during his lifetime. The merchandising of his romantic legend proceeds apace (watch out: Sean Penn has threatened to star in the film biography!), but Live at Newport has the least sentimental liner notes on any posthumous Ochs release, and the songs speak for themselves. A vital CD and a worthy testament.
-- Dan Booth