Darren McLeod
11/20/05, 06:29 PM
Tribute albums are strange beasts. Often they butcher the classic songs they have recreated by trying to convert the song too heavily to their own musical style; other times they stick too close to the original, leaving no reason to listen to this new rendition. On their tribute to the late folk icon Phil Ochs, Kind of Like Spitting fall into neither of these categories, but to another common problem - being overshadowed by the brilliance of the original recordings.
Phil Ochs, for those that aren't well-versed in the man's life, was a topical (read: political) folk singer who lived mostly in the shadow of his contemporary, Bob Dylan (who once said "I just can't keep up with Phil. And he's getting better and better and better"). He began his career playing acoustic folk numbers, many of them being protest songs based on current and past events. During the second half of the sixties, he began to incorporate a band and orchestration in his songs, trying to create a folk-pop hybrid, somewhat like Dylan did. This tribute album covers primarily the former half, featuring songs from several different albums spanning his career.
The EP was recorded on a vintage two track machine, which gives it a nostalgic feel, not unlike Ochs' recordings. The lack of production is sometimes enchanting, adding energy and character, but often inhibits the listener's enjoyment of the album. A prime example is the cracking layered vocals of the opener, "I'm Tired." Though their harmonies might work well under better production values, they become grating with the low quality recording.
However, when Kind of Like Spitting avoid the layered vocals, they perform some covers quite admirably. Their rendition of the classic alibi song for avoiding war, "Draft Dodger Rag," actually improves upon the original in some areas by filling it with more energy and emotion than the original, and the wavering youthful vocals seem better suited than Ochs' own croon for the chorus of "Sarge, I'm only eighteen, I've got a ruptured spleen / and I always carry a purse / I've got eyes like a bat and my feet are flat / and my asthma's getting worse." The inclusion of some of Ochs' harder to find songs, such as the classic "You Can't Get Stoned Enough" is a great bonus as well.
The EP truly hits its stride near the end. Ochs' "When I'm Gone" becomes almost prophetic as Kind of Like Spitting sing "There's no place in this world where I'll belong when I'm gone / and I won't know my rights from wrongs when I'm gone / And you won't find me singin' on this song when I'm gone / So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here." The next song, "I Ain't Marching Anymore" manages to keep the high energy of the original without resorting to the poor layered vocals that are found on so many of the faster songs on the first half of the EP.
The true highlight of the album is the final track, "Remember Me," which focuses around the plight of an "unknown soldier who died in World War II". The added production of instrumentation during the chorus gives the song a fuller sound than the rest, and their adaption manages to stay true to the original while successfully bringing the song into the 21st century.
The underlying problem throughout the EP is that most songs, though not poor by any means, stray too far from Ochs' intended tone. Songs that were meant to be ironic ("Outside of a Small Circle of Friends") end up losing that original feel when converted into a fast-paced indie tune.
A tribute album has many goals, but two of the most important are to raise awareness of an artist; and to pay homage to him. Kind of Like Spitting certainly deliver on these objectives, but one can't help but feel that Ochs' fans may not be very receptive to nine songs that, for the most part, do not quite live up to the genius of the originals. Nevertheless, if you haven't yet listened to the late Phil Ochs and are unsure of where to start, Kind of Like Spitting have put forth an accessible collection of some of his greatest tunes that is a great entry point for getting to know his library.
--
Band Website: http://www.hushrecords.com/kols.html
Phil Ochs, for those that aren't well-versed in the man's life, was a topical (read: political) folk singer who lived mostly in the shadow of his contemporary, Bob Dylan (who once said "I just can't keep up with Phil. And he's getting better and better and better"). He began his career playing acoustic folk numbers, many of them being protest songs based on current and past events. During the second half of the sixties, he began to incorporate a band and orchestration in his songs, trying to create a folk-pop hybrid, somewhat like Dylan did. This tribute album covers primarily the former half, featuring songs from several different albums spanning his career.
The EP was recorded on a vintage two track machine, which gives it a nostalgic feel, not unlike Ochs' recordings. The lack of production is sometimes enchanting, adding energy and character, but often inhibits the listener's enjoyment of the album. A prime example is the cracking layered vocals of the opener, "I'm Tired." Though their harmonies might work well under better production values, they become grating with the low quality recording.
However, when Kind of Like Spitting avoid the layered vocals, they perform some covers quite admirably. Their rendition of the classic alibi song for avoiding war, "Draft Dodger Rag," actually improves upon the original in some areas by filling it with more energy and emotion than the original, and the wavering youthful vocals seem better suited than Ochs' own croon for the chorus of "Sarge, I'm only eighteen, I've got a ruptured spleen / and I always carry a purse / I've got eyes like a bat and my feet are flat / and my asthma's getting worse." The inclusion of some of Ochs' harder to find songs, such as the classic "You Can't Get Stoned Enough" is a great bonus as well.
The EP truly hits its stride near the end. Ochs' "When I'm Gone" becomes almost prophetic as Kind of Like Spitting sing "There's no place in this world where I'll belong when I'm gone / and I won't know my rights from wrongs when I'm gone / And you won't find me singin' on this song when I'm gone / So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here." The next song, "I Ain't Marching Anymore" manages to keep the high energy of the original without resorting to the poor layered vocals that are found on so many of the faster songs on the first half of the EP.
The true highlight of the album is the final track, "Remember Me," which focuses around the plight of an "unknown soldier who died in World War II". The added production of instrumentation during the chorus gives the song a fuller sound than the rest, and their adaption manages to stay true to the original while successfully bringing the song into the 21st century.
The underlying problem throughout the EP is that most songs, though not poor by any means, stray too far from Ochs' intended tone. Songs that were meant to be ironic ("Outside of a Small Circle of Friends") end up losing that original feel when converted into a fast-paced indie tune.
A tribute album has many goals, but two of the most important are to raise awareness of an artist; and to pay homage to him. Kind of Like Spitting certainly deliver on these objectives, but one can't help but feel that Ochs' fans may not be very receptive to nine songs that, for the most part, do not quite live up to the genius of the originals. Nevertheless, if you haven't yet listened to the late Phil Ochs and are unsure of where to start, Kind of Like Spitting have put forth an accessible collection of some of his greatest tunes that is a great entry point for getting to know his library.
--
Band Website: http://www.hushrecords.com/kols.html