Thursday 20 September 2012

Pleasures of the Harbour - Phil Ochs


Pleasures of the Harbour was an album released in 1967, which I remember hearing back then, but only became reacquainted with recently. The artist is Phil Ochs, a folk singer of that era, who somewhat rivalled Dylan as a composer and performer of topical protest songs. And like Dylan he began at a certain point to create music of a more personal and experimental nature. Pleasures of the Harbour, although having protest songs on it, also had two lengthy songs (eight minutes plus), Pleasures of the Harbour and The Crucifixion, of a completely different direction from Ochs previous music.

Both songs, in my opinion, have been severely damaged by overproduction, in one a swelling orchestral score, in the other an electronic soundtrack. Nevertheless, both songs are powerful, moving, unique. Even though I had not heard them for over forty years, they immediately leapt into my memory and took me to the same beautiful and haunted place they had 45 years before.

Ochs voice is unique, a sparse, earthy, noble and deeply human sound, the lyrics are poetry, the cadenced melodies unfold in hypnotic progression.

There are a number of shorter live versions of these songs on youtube, and although not ideal, I find them better than the original studio versions.

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