COUNTRY JOE AND THE FISH-I FEEL LIKE I’M FIXIN’ TO DIE.

dereksmusicblog ♦ October 29, 2013 ♦ 2 Comments

COUNTRY JOE AND THE FISH-I FEEL LIKE I’M FIXIN’ TO DIE.

Country Joe and The Fish’s influence on rock music can’t be underestimated. One of the greatest psychedelic rock bands of the sixties, their music was a fusion of rock, folk, psychedelia and acid rock, which influenced several generations of bands, They were a band like no other. After all, how many bands names have been influenced by communist politics? Their name was a reference to Joseph Stalin and a quotation from Chairman Mao. So it’s no surprise that Country Joe and The Fish’s music was highly political. 

That’s almost an understatement. Country Joe and The Fish were at the vanguard of the anti-Vietnam war movement. They played at the anti-Vietnam teach-ins in 1965 and four years later, played at the Woodstock Festival. By then, the classic lineup of Country Joe and The Fish had changed. They were together from their 1967 debut album Electric Music For The Body and Mind, through 1967s I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die and 1968s Together. For these three albums Country Joe and The Fish were psychedelic rock royalty. On this trio of albums, were some of the greatest protest albums ever recorded.

This included the anthemic anti-Vietnam war song I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die. It was the title-track to their 1977 album I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die, which was recently rereleased by Vanguard Masters. It’s recognized not just as one of the best albums of Country Joe and The Fish’s career, but as a seminal psychedelic rock album, which I’ll tell you about. Before that, I’ll tell you about the making of I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die.

Having released their debut album Electric Music For The Body and Mind in January 1967, Country Joe and The Fish watched as the album reached number thirty-nine in the US Billboard 200. Released to commercial success and critical acclaim, the five members of Country Joe and The Fish, started work on the followup, I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die. Country Joe McDonald wrote eight of the ten tracks. This included The Fish Cheer/I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag, Who Am I, Pat’s Song, Rock Coast Blues, Magoo, Janis, Thought Dream (Introducing The Bomb Song And The Acid Commercial) and Colors For Susan. David Cohen and Gary “Chicken” Hirsh penned Thursday. They the cowrote Eastern Jam with Barry Melton and Bruce Barthol. These ten tracks became I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die.

When recording of I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die began, Country Joe McDonald sang lead vocals, played guitar, bells and tambourine. The rhythm section included drummer Gary “Chicken” Hirsh, bassist Bruce Barthol who also played harmonica, and guitarists Barry Melton and David Cohen. Some of I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die was recorded in 1966, the rest in March 1967. Producing I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die, was Samuel Charters. I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die was then released in November 1967.

On the release of I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die in November 1967, it reached just number sixty in the US Billboard 200. This was disappointing, given the critical acclaim the album enjoyed. I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die  didn’t surpass the commercial success of Electric Music For The Body and Mind. Despite that, I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die is now seen as a classic album. I’ll now tell you why. 

Opening I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die is The Fish Cheer/I Feel Like I’m-Fixin’ To-Die Rag. It’s perceived as one of the best protest songs of the sixties. The lyrics tackle the Vietnam War head on. Country Joe McDonald delivers lyrics which are scathing, bleak and have a dark humor. A fusion of rock, folk, psychedelia and acid rock, unfolds. It’s similar in sound to Electric Music For The Body and Mind. There’s an obvious Frank Zappa influence.  As the track unfolds, Country Joe McDonald becomes a carnival barker. He works the crowd into a frenzy. Then he delivers a no holds barred lyrics. Accompanying him, as he makes it clear whose side he’s on, are a myriad of sound effects, organ and buzzing bass. They combine with harmonies and whoops, providing the perfect backdrop to Country Joe’s lyrics. The result is a classic protest song, that’s still relevant today. All that’s changed is the name of the war.

Just an acoustic guitar accompanies Country Joe’s vocal on Who Am I. Soon, the rhythm section, chiming guitars and percussion enter. Still, your focus is on the vocal. The reason for this is simple, the lyrics. With lyrics like: “while the wheels of fate slowly grind my life away,” Country Joe lyrics full of pathos. As he sings: “nowhere to run to, Who Am I,” a confused Country Joe asks questions he needs answers to. 

Pat’s Song meanders into being. Guitars chime, while bells ring and Country Joe’s vocal is thoughtful. He paints pictures, that unfold before you eyes. These pictures are vivid and lysergic. Later, you’re introduced to the mysterious Pat, who Country Joe pays homage to. To do this, he fuses folk, country rock and psychedelia. There’s the organ that played an important part on their debut album. Then there’s the scorching, searing guitars and most importantly, Country Joe’s melancholy, dreamy vocal on this homage to the ethereal beauty, that is Pat.

Rock Coast Blues gives Country Joe and The Fish the chance to stretch their legs. They unleash a fusion of blues and country rock. At the heart of the arrangement are the guitars. They’re played with power and accuracy, matched every step of the way by the rhythm section. Other times, the arrangement is understated and pensive, a perfect foil for Country Joe’s wistful, soul-searching vocal.

Magoo has an understated introduction. Chiming guitars, hissing hi-hats and claps of thunder combine. As for Country Joe’s vocal, it’s heartfelt and full of heartache. Effects envelop his vocal, giving it a distant and lysergic, reverberating into the distance. Innovative, musical genres melts into one on this mysterious, pensive and lysergic track.

Janis sounds like a homage to Janis Joplin, with Country Joe telling of the effect she had on him. He bares his soul. This he does against a backdrop of guitars, rhythm section and wistful harmonica. Harmonies carousel around, which is apt, as parts of the arrangement are reminiscent of a fairground carousel. As for Country Joe delivers a mesmeric, heartfelt vocal, which is hauntingly beautiful.

Thought Dream (Introducing The Bomb Song And The Acid Commercial) sees a return to familiar influences. An organ that sounds like it belongs in a fairground accompanies Country Joe, whose part carnival barker, part preacher. The rest of the band add tight, hummed harmonies. He sings call and response, while the band unleash some rocky licks. From there, the organ, chiming, crystalline guitars and rhythm section accompany Country Joe as he delivers an emotive, impassioned vocal. As his vocal drops out, the band showcase their considerable talents. Then with a minute to go, it’s all change, and a reprise of an earlier part of this compelling, genre-sprawling and groundbreaking track.

Just crystalline guitars, bass and hissing hi-hats combine with Country Joe’s pensive vocal Thursday. As he sings: “I Found You,” it’s impossible to judge if he’s happy or heartbroken. He seems bereft of emotion. Then as his vocal drops out the band take charge. Fusing country rock and folk, Country Joe’s mysterious, but ethereal vocal adds a psychedelic twist to this thoughtful, mysterious track.

Drums are panned hard right as Eastern Jam begins. The bass is panned hard left. In between sits a crystalline guitar. It chimes, reverberating Country Joe and The Fish unleash some scorching, searing licks. Soon, they’re into the groove, feeding off each other. They’re jamming, each encouraging the other to greater heights. The guitars lead the way. Showboating, it’s a mesmeric Eastern Jam. When you think things can’t get any better, the licks become even more fiery, searing, soaring above the arrangement, resulting a genre-melting Eastern Jam.

Colors For Susan closes I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die. It’s another instrumental. Deliberate, thoughtful guitars meander, cymbals crash and bells chime. Jazz, psychedelia, folk and rock combine with drama, mystery and power. It’s as if Country Joe and The Fish are just jamming, bouncing musical ideas off each other. There’s a free jazz feel to the track, as if they’re feeding off each other, experimenting and seeing what happens. This works, resulting in a six-minute mysterious, thoughtful opus, which reaches a dramatic crescendo.

Despite not matching the commercial success of their debut album Electric Music For The Body and Mind, I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die is an ambitious, adventurous and innovative album. Featuring thoughtful, poignant lyrics, some of which are full of social comment, the music on I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die is cerebral and intelligent. It’s music for the mind. Other songs seek answers to “big” questions, including Who Am I? Then there’s relationship songs and closing I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die, two peerless, inventive instrumentals. During these tracks, just like the album, musical influences and genres melted into one.

Everything from acid rock, country, folk, jazz, psychedelia and rock was fused by Country Joe and The Fish on I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die, which was no ordinary album. Mind you, Country Joe and The Fish were ordinary bands. They were innovators, agitators who wanted social justice. Some people called them rebels. They were more than rebels, they were rebels with a cause. 

That cause was stopping the Vietnam War. While they weren’t able to do that, they recorded one of the best protest songs of the sixties, I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die. Ironically, nearly four decades later, the song is just is relevant. All that’s changed is the name of the war. In many ways, Country Joe and The Fish were music’s conscience. They proved this in 1969, when Country Joe and The Fish took Woodstock by storm with a show-stopping version of I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die. That was one of Country Joe and The Fish’s finest moments.

Another of Country Joe and The Fish’s finest moments was I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die, which was recently rereleased by Vanguard Masters. They’ve released I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die as a luxurious and lovingly compiled double album. Disc One features the stereo version, with Disc Two featuring the mono version and two bonus tracks. Then there’s in-depth sleeve-notes and a replica of The Fish Game, which came with the original version of I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die. Quite simply, this is the definitive version of I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die. No other version of Country Joe and The Fish’s comes close to Vanguard Masters’ version of I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die a cerebral, psychedelic, lysergic and groundbreaking classic. Standout Tracks: Who Am I, Rock Coast Blues, Eastern Jam and Colors For Susan.

COUNTRY JOE AND THE FISH-I FEEL LIKE I’M FIXIN’ TO DIE.