Zack: Electronic Music for the Mind and Body is one of those pivotal San Francisco hippie albums that really got students up in arms. It’s pretty obvious why. The album combines elements of psychedelic rock (and its subgenre of acid rock) and folk to create its sound, then mixes in some real fist-pounding lyrics. The finished product is a protest album perfect for the dirty, flower-laden Country Joe fans. One of the interesting aspects of hippie music is how closely connected all the prominent musicians of the time were. At least I’ve always found that interesting. They wouldn’t just see each other at award ceremonies or bump into each other if they just so happened to both be using the same studio. Musicians back then would hang out and drop acid with each other. They would meet up and do impromptu jams in each other’s garages. It was a different time. EMMB has a perfect example of this. The song Grace is a dedication to the lead singer of Jefferson Airplane, Grace Slick. How many musicians to do you see today writing tribute songs to their contemporaries? Maybe one of their musical icons whose relevance has faded with the years, but someone that you share the stage with regularly at all the big festival events? Incredible. But the best part about this album isn’t the tributes, it’s the revolutions. The song Superbird is an attack song at LBJ. As far as I could tell, it compared him both to a superhero-wannabe (a criticism of his Great Society programs and/or his continued efforts in Vietnam) and a supervillian who seeks to ruin the country or the world or something. I don’t know. I wasn’t really following that closely. Anyway, EMMB is a fun example of what the ‘60s were all about from one of the less widely known bands of the era, but an important one nonetheless. It really captures both the traditional sound and attitude of one of America’s most famous counter-cultures and also manages to stand the test of time as a legitimately good album.
Favorite Tracks: Superbird; Death Sound Blues; Grace
Emily: My experience with Country Joe and the Fish dates all the way back to 10th grade. In my American Studies class (basically 20th century American history with a bit of literature thrown in), we had to do presentations on different topics throughout the year. There were a few themed days, and when we reached the '60s we had Woodstock Day. Besides getting to wear tie-dye, flowy skirts, and John Lennon glasses, a few people did presentations about Woodstock - the musicians, the crowd, and the lasting influence it had. One of the mini-presentations was about Country Joe and the Fish - specifically, the band's performance of the I Think I'm Fixing to Die Rag and it's accompanying cheer of "GIVE ME AN F! GIVE ME A U! GIVE ME A C! GIVE ME A K! WHAT'S THAT SPELL? FUCK! WHAT'S THAT SPELL? FUCK!" Well, 15 year old me and my friends found this hysterical, so for the rest of the year we would mouth the Fuck Cheer to each other across the room during class and incorporate it into conversation as much as possible. I hadn't really thought about Country Joe since then, but when I saw the band on the list I was super excited to listen. Sadly, this is not the album with the rag, but it's a great example of what Country Joe stood for. Psychedelia and drug culture intermingle with powerful social and political messages. Not many people know about Country Joe and the Fish (beyond my American Studies class, of course), but if you're looking for a band that encapsulates the '60s sounds and sentiments, they're definitely it.
Favorite Tracks: Death Sound Blues; Superbird; Happiness is a Porpoise Mouth
No comments:
Post a Comment