# The Strange Magic of: Phil Ochs



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Phil Ochs is one of the more wistful figures in popular music. An early friend and associate of Bob Dylan, he made something of a name for himself as an anti-war, protest singer, but in the flux and swirl and change of the later 1960s Ochs sought to craft a new kind of music for himself--songs of cynicism and irony but also reflecting a sad tenderness. This resulted in far and away the best of his albums, The Pleasures of the Harbor, 1967, full of arresting songs that were unfortunately set to a strange and contrived musical ensemble background instead of his usual simple guitar. The critics mostly savaged the album, seemingly unconscious of the actual quality and originality of the songs themselves. Long troubled by mental illness and alcohol abuse, Ochs committed suicide in 1976. But here he sings _Flower Lady_ from that album, accompanied only by his guitar. The album remains a wonderful treasure, but one wishes that Ochs had recorded it just with a simple accompaniment of acoustic guitar and maybe bass.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Here is a very nice live version of the title song of the album, _The Pleasures of the Harbor._


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

One of Phil Ochs' most inspired, haunting songs, _Changes_, was covered by Gordon Lightfoot (another fine singer). Here is Phil's own version. Ochs, as I mentioned in replying to a post on Jimmie Spheeris, like Spheeris was one of a small group of male troupador singer-songwriters--Tim and Jeff Buckley, Jim Croce, Harry Chapin--who left us some great songs but left the scene early--too early.


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## cwarchc (Apr 28, 2012)

A troubled man, with a passion for his view
He made some very good arguments against "the man"
As well as being a great songwriter


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