The Psych Ward–Electric Music for the Mind and Body by Country Joe & the Fish
The Psych Ward–Electric Music for the Mind and Body by Country Joe & the Fish
One of the first things that occurred to me upon first hearing Electric Music for the Mind and Body was how good it is. It also occurred to me that the band should have been better known. Young people in the late 60s certainly knew Country Joe & the Fish, but the band and their music quickly fell out of favor with those who came of age later. By the time the Viet Nam War, a cause they protested frequently and fervently, ended, the aggregation was nothing but a relic of a bygone era. They attached themselves admirably to a movement, but that movement was specific to a place in time. When that time passed, so did their career. By the time punk, disco, power pop, and other musical trends of the 70s came along, old Country Joe and the Fish couldn’t give their records away. Fortunately, their notoriety has been re-established in recent years by psychedelic rock enthusiasts.
I happen to be one of those enthusiasts. Personally, the reason why I didn’t “discover” Country Joe & the Fish sooner than I did is because the name put me off. I suppose I assumed they had something to do with country music–never a favorite of mine. Thus, I put their music on the proverbial back burner. Well, they’re not country. They’re folky, for sure, but a lot of rock music stems from folk. They have a lot of protest songs in their canon, which is typical of folk artists. They’re also psychedelic. Psychedelic folk-rock might be the most concise description for this band’s music—or at least for the first album Electric Music for the Mind and Body.
Electric Music starts with “Flying High”, a little ditty that is likely about tripping on acid. It’s got a hippie groove that features Country Joe McDonald’s nasally, twangy vocal style and Barry “the Fish” Melton’s under-rated guitar leads.
“Section 43″, an instrumental track, is another highlight. At nearly seven and a half minutes, it’s the longest song on the album, and it’s quite an adventurous one. There’s no formula here. It changes from one section to another throughout. It increases in intensity, slows down, and builds up again with Melton’s slicing guitar licks before moving on to the next segment—a wild ride.
“Bass Strings” is the most psychedelic song on the album. It’s a slow, hypnotic track that contains straightforward drug references and, in the closing moments, a voice whispers, “L-S-D” over the mix. There’s no ambiguity here as to what inspired this number.
The album’s final cut, “Grace”, is a slow, druggy dirge with odd lyrics about cold rain and a “silver streak flash”. The out-of-synch double-tracked vocals create an eerie psychedelic effect. It’s a love song, as the words “I love you” bring the song and the album to a close.
Electric Music for the Mind and Body is a classic psychedelic album that deserves more recognition. You’ve got to forgive the outdated references to LBJ, etc. because this is one worth hearing.
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