Customer Reviews

Broadside Tapes 1

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is not the quintesential work of excellence for the casual fan wanting to round out a "folk collection". It is, instead, a vouyeristic look into a young songwriter breathlesly exploding with creative lust. The material (never intended for public release) is more a precurser for later greatness. It allows us to see and feel the roots of Ochs's talent and his desire to explore, share, and create. Intended solely as a vehicle to be shared by "Broadside" personnel, it provides wonderful insight for true Och's fans. Casual fans would be better served by other album releases, most notably,"Farewells and Fantasies".

The Broadside tape has that refreshing immediate quality in being recorded at the offices of Broadside magazine with which Phil was heavily associated. The songs span Phil featuring the immediate issues of the day to more lyrical, timeless matters - examples being 'Spaceman' , If I knew.' The quality of the songs is surprisingly goos and the album throws up a number of interesting oddities- examples being 'Christine Keeler' where Phil's sharp eye wittily surveys a British sex scandal and "I Shoulda Known Better' being Phil (and Eric Anderson's) acoustic cover of a Beatles song.The background chirping of a parakeet and the clattering of a typewriter in no way detracts from the performance, complete with Phil's brief verbal intros.

I am a folk purest. i do not like the over produced sounds of Ochs pop albums. this is the album to buy if you love topical folk. it is direct and crisp. i count these many songs amongst the best he ever wrote. ballad of alfred packer, ballad of john henry faulk, spaceman, time was. i would name them all as excellent. must have for any phil ochs folkie fan!

His very first CD is as good as any! I recomend this to all.Some of the songs are The Ballad of Alfred Packer,Ballad of John Henry Faulk,That's the way it's gonna be,Remember Me,Time Was,also The beatles song I Shoulda Known Better is a nice addition I recomend all his music.He doesn't have any average songs. Even Bob Dylan has some average songs[not that many though].PHIL OCHS gets an 11 out of 10 BEST LYRICS EVER ANYWHERE!

This CD was a gift from an old girlfriend of mine and is a particular favorite. It is very raw and I think it gives an idea of what the folk music coffeehouses of the 60s sounded like before Bob Dylan went electric. Very much an understated set of music though unfortunately some of the tunes are in a way dated because the topics are forgotten news stories. Nonetheless, a very enjoyable CD which is unlike anything else in my collection.

This is the real Phil Ochs! He was a fabulous writer and singer and he is missed.

Please listen to the song samples before buying this cd-Phil Ochs's style of singing is quite different than his other cds. With the exception of the song "I Should of Known Better," The Broadside Tapes does not reflect Phil Ochs's usual sense of humor nor the strong emotion that he typically put into in his songs. In addition, the sound quality is worse than in any other album of his. There are frequently noises in the background, and at times I can't even hear the lyrics he is singing. Even the pamphlet that came with the cd stated that "Obviously, these are not tapes of studio quality." Finally, although there are a few songs that are easy to tell what he is protesting, such as Remember Me, Another Country, and Time was, it is frequently difficult to understand his purpose. All cds by Phil Ochs are special because he was an extremely unique person in his ways of viewing life. While I enjoyed a couple of songs on this cd, I am doubting whether I got my moneys worth. If you plan on buying this cd, it is more to get a background on Phil as a singer than to hear an effective protest cd of Phil Ochs.