Today’s Album of choice! Phil Ochs – All The News That’s Fit To Sing.

Posted on by Opher

I was writing an article on my Phil Ochs book for the RNR magazine which made me get my Phil Ochs albums out and listen once more to the great Phil Ochs.

I chose All The News That’s Fit To Sing – his debut album. It contains a number of my favourite numbers – songs of anger like Too Many Martyrs, One More Parade and Power And The Glory as well as songs of great emotional impact and beauty such as Cecelia. An album doused in the heady fumes of civil rights, injustice and antiwar. An album of great passion and optimism.

A great pleasure to play it once more.

  1. “One More Parade” (Ochs, Bob Gibson) – 3:00
  2. “The Thresher” – 2:50
  3. “Talkin’ Vietnam” – 3:38
  4. “Lou Marsh” – 4:04
  5. “Power and the Glory” – 2:15
  6. “Celia” – 3:08
  7. “The Bells” (E. A. Poe, with musical adaptation by Phil Ochs) – 3:00
  8. “Automation Song” – 2:08
  9. “Ballad of William Worthy” – 2:15
  10. “Knock on the Door” – 2:47
  11. “Talkin’ Cuban Crisis” – 2:40
  12. “Bound for Glory” – 3:15
  13. “Too Many Martyrs” (Ochs, Bob Gibson) – 2:46
  14. “What’s That I Hear” – 2:00
  15. “Bullets of Mexico” – 2:34 – bonus track on CD
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Phil-Ochs-Track-Every-Album/dp/1789523265/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3NV3OO5LH85F5&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.PtxBgqTQenyYhaE4sPnjnkhXU7j65BPE6KRtLgvQ2iiv6xiTfRepaCYAjQ1iysk0JqB2-WQeZuPpoJNREv5LAke5yqG5tcHeWEHmCCc7nPy_1WwE2S68a-3denb0DJ1xhxy3LjYl9Rf–QfR8xXqofRoTp0kOIhShRdaa0PzwH4syV-LUHC-F59I4YzeTy7kvhMIiZgOxz84W3zokbhdhjGVAQESY0Bkbj4S5CtsJM8.engzxEj77a1kRtVOoALZbEafeX44JQDJLL9ABwQF72U&dib_tag=se&keywords=opher+goodwin&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1732117079&s=books&sprefix=opher+goodwin%2Cstripbooks%2C1055&sr=1-4

6 thoughts on “Today’s Album of choice! Phil Ochs – All The News That’s Fit To Sing.”

  1. What a wonderful trip down memory lane with Phil Ochs’ debut album! Your description of the songs’ themes and emotional impact is truly captivating. I’m curious, how do you think Ochs’ music and message from that time resonate with audiences today?

    Reply

    1. Thank you. I think Phil had a vision of a world that was fair, war-free and based on equality and freedom. That is why he was so for the civil rights movement, unions and against the Vietnam war. I think those sentiments are universal and still held by many people today in these troubled times. Phil foresaw the rise of this fascist backlash and it destroyed him. That is why I think his songs will always have a place. He spoke up for a better world and that’s even more pertinent today.

      Reply

      1. It’s interesting that people have this mindset because Humanity has never operated that way. I think we are all moving towards that ideal, but i suspect it’s still a long way off.

      2. I think if we take the long view and look back through history we are getting better. We are gradually becoming more civilised. Long way to go but it’s worth striving for.

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