Country Joe and the Fish: I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die (1967) ***** I first saw Country Joe and his Fish Heads in the Monterey movie. They were incredibly psychedelic...or should I say "hi hi hi hi!!!!" They were fuckin' awesome. A complete trip. Watch it on a psychedelic drug and you're right there with them...watch it on pot and you're groovin'....watch it straight and marvel at how high Country Joe is. The important thing is to let the music TAKE you AWAY...
Side 1: The album starts off with the infamous "Fish Cheer" and it still sounds great. And with the current state of American politics today, sadly still very relevant.
[Aside: How the hell is George Bush still at 42% approval rating? How the hell did he get voted back in????? Don't the Americans realize how E V I L he and his administration are!!!???? The media has a shit load to do with it. But, please....look deep into his eyes and try to find some humanity. I'll bet you can't. I'm serious. Next time he's on tv, stare into his eyes. Very scary.
And his VP shoots people!!! Hey, if the media can manipulate the news, can't I?]
Side 1 (continued): "Who Am I?" is next and it's a very pretty song. "Pat's Song" is a little dated, but I find it charming, and it rocks out the last half. In fact, I'm starting to freak out...oh, it's back to the psychedelic ballad style. I take it back..."Pat's Song" is a great song. "Rock Coast Blues" is fine. "Magoo" hits the psychedelic trail once again, "the sky is so big, the earth is so small," and I'm sitting here on acid once again looking into the sky (your eyes) and, no. Wait..."the stars are so big, the earth is so small," and I'm sitting here on acid again....ah, the late 60s. As my friend Randy said in a comment..."Ah Acid".
Side 2: "Janis" ("electrical sound"...gotta love psychedelic lyrics) is Joe's song for one-time girlfriend Janis Joplin. "Thought Dream" has Joe pleading for them not to drop that h bomb on him. I think he means hydrogen bomb, but could it be "heroin" bomb? The Guru and I were debating what drugs Joe was on at Monterey and she thought it could be heroin...I think it's more acid with a bunch of other shit mixed in (alcohol, weed); but it wouldn't shock me if the Guru was correct. Not that it matters...Joe's still alive and doing well and this song is very enjoyable. "Thursday" is weird and seems to float in space somewhere. "Eastern Jam" is what it says it is (of course...Eastern music done by west coast white boy hippies) and "Colors for Susan" ends off the album gently and peacefully.
This album is definitely of its time. However....it's scary how relevant some of the politics are today. Where the fuck have the hippies gone??? We need them now! Countries are burning and the media feeds the lies of the political figureheads. I refuse to call them leaders because they are NOT leaders...they are selfish bastards...I'm talking about political figureheads the world round. People are fucking getting killed over fucking CARTOONS!!! This has nothing to do with religion. This has everything to do with politics and propaganda. We live in a frightening time, yet, we remain largely....silent. There's a modern day Vietnam happening right now in Iraq and the whole mideast seems close to exploding. The weather's gotten totally fucked...I'm sure it has nothing to do with us destroying the environment. Yet we remain largely passive.
STOP! Enough negativity. Let's do a cheer for the brave people who actually have humanity in their souls and are doing all they can to spread it around.
Gimmie an F! Gimmie a U! Gimmie a C! Gimmie a K! Gimmie an I! Gimmie an N! Gimmie an A!
What's that spell?
What's that spell?
FUCKIN A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One more time!!!!!!!
FUCKIN A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You see? Listening to this album can still get you stirred up. I love it! I picked up the original lp at my fav record store. This is currently my only Joe album, but that will change.
Country Joe's fantastic web site with tons of his songs on there for your listening pleasure and lots of educational reading material, lyrics etc. Read his thoughts on the war in Iraq.
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Time to have some fun.
I think Bob Dylan is hilarious. Guru T-Lu has always disagreed with this assessment, and doesn't seem to get it. It must be a fucked-up guy thing.
I purchased "Uncut presents NME Originals: Bob Dylan and the Folk Rock Boom 1964-1974" and I'm only up to 65, but Dylan has had me laughing out loud many times already. As has Donovan, and the writers! Oh God, the writers! Hilarious. Here's some samples:
"What kind of people do you take an instant dislike to?"
BD: "People that shake. An instant dislike - wham! Most of the time I throw them against a wall. I have a bodyguard. Toppo! Is Toppo in there? I have a bodyguard to get rid of people like that. he comes and wipes them out. We wiped out three people last week."
"Do you paint?"
BD: "Yeh, sure."
"What sort of painting?"
BD: "I painted my house."
I love how the journalists back then excused Dylan's rude behavior (somewhat justified at times) as the fact that he was a "poet". Well. I've published a few poems, read and attended many poetry readings, hung out with way too many poets, and from what I've discerned...Most poets wouldn't brush off a journalist. Most poets can't shut the fuck up when talking about their poetry, yet when BD does the brush off and is rude, it's because he's a "poet".
Let's face it: Dylan was a P U N K! Especially in 65-66. His live music with The Hawks was pure "punk". Maybe that's why I don't remember the punks attacking Dylan like they did so many others (especially Yes, Pink Floyd, Beatles and so on).
He was also a poet. Bob Dylan's official web site.
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