1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #79. Country Joe And The Fish - Electric Music For The Mind And Body (1967)

Country Joe And The Fish - Electric Music For The Mind And Body (1967)

Label – Vanguard
Producer – Samuel Charters
Art Direction – Uncredited
Nationality –USA
Running Time – 44:03

Track Listing (standout tracks listed in bold)

1. Flying High
2. Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine
3. Death Sound Blues
4. Porpoise Mouth
5. Section 43
6. Super Bird
7. Sad And Lonely Times
8. Love
9. Bass Strings
10. Masked Marauder
11. Grace

My only exposure to Country Joe and the Fish was their appearance at Woodstock and the famous ‘fish cheer’. You know the one. “Gimme an F” – yeah – that one. So this record and the story of Country Joe and the Fish was all new to me. This is their full-length debut and my my - it is really pretty good. A very big surprise.
It’s definitely different – that’s for sure. It is perhaps one of the most important and enduring records of the psychedelic era – with the band's swirl of distorted guitar and organ at its most inventive. This songs are downright fun and delightful. In fact, you could say they are witty. The tracks range in mood from good-times to the apocalypse! All with soaring guitar and keyboard excursions ("Flying High," "Section 43," "Bass Strings," "The Masked Marauder"), there is the group's folk roots ("Sad and Lonely Times"), an ode to Grace Slick ("Grace"), and in-your-face politics ("Superbird"). Where else will you hear an album that advises Lyndon Johnson to "drop some acid"!
In reading about the band – I found out an interesting tidbit about their name. Country Joe & the Fish was a compromise name. Quoting Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong about a revolutionary resembling "the fish who swim in the sea of the people". Based on this quote they were named "Country Mao & the Fish." Instead, they used "Country Joe" as a reference to lead singer Joe McDonald. But also Joseph Stalin -- "Country Joe" was a nickname for the Soviet dictator!! Who knew!
The record is fun – and recommended!


You can purchase the CD here.

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MARCH 11
Mark Stein from Vanilla Fudge is 62; George Kooymans from Golden Earring is 61; Rami Jaffee from The Wallflowers, Foo Fighters, Soul Asylum, Pearl Jam and others is 40;

ON THIS DATE:
1970 At the Grammys: Crosby, Stills & Nash win Best New Artist. They beat out Led Zeppelin.
1997 Paul McCartney becomes SIR Paul McCartney as he is knighted by Queen Elizabeth
2004 Aerosmith begin their Honkin' On Bobo North American tour in Houston, with Cheap Trick the opening act.

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Monday, March 30 THIRD EYE BLIND House Of Blues Lake Buena Vista