I Ain't Marching Anymore

As the conflicts and divisions in American society deepened in the mid-60s, Phil Ochs sharpened his songwriting pen on 1965s I Aint Marching Anymore to deliver some of the most passionate and pointed protest songs of the decade. WIth topics ranging from American militarism, civil rights, labor struggles and the Vietnam War, the album may sound dated...or maybe not.

Legend has it that Bob Dylan once devastated the young Ochs by calling him a "journalist" instead of a musician. There's a grain of truth to Dylan's barb, and it explains both the power and limitations of Och's art. Much of his topical material can't stand time's test, although the urgent, black humor of "Here's to the State of Mississippi" and the antiwar anthem "Draft Dodger Rag" still smacks of relevance, no matter how distant their subjects. No doubt the unexpected assassination of Kennedy and the growing mire of the Vietnam War gave Ochs the anger and intensity these songs show. This 1965 album is an essential document of the decade, a glimpse into Och's obsessive genius. --Roy Francis Kasten