Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune

If you know much about Phil Ochs -- his songs, his life, the time in which he lived -- you will be very, very disappointed in this disconnected attempt. As an 82-year-old almost-reformed folk and protest singer (guitar, banjo, harmonica) of the 1950's through the present day, I lived in that era, knew many of the people/issues/wonders of the time. Perhaps an analogy would be in expecting a heaping plate of huevos rancheros and getting a few little pieces of ham, no onion or tomato, mixed into a small portion of dry scrambled eggs. While providing much information, it was very "scrambled"... The focus on his psychological and negative issues, rather than the wonderful songs and his organizing of meaningful social protest was at best confusing and at worst misleading. And for heaven sakes, LET THE MAN SING! Only a few incomplete songs were presented. Not one complete song. It is his SONGS that were the important part of his life, his contribution to the world. How great it would have been to hear a few of his complete songs, perhaps a few sung by others. The bits and pieces of commentary seemed repetitive and boring after awhile. I wanted to hear the songs and words of Phil Ochs, not the multiple sameness of self-serving comments of others. What could have been a balanced presentation of his greatness hindered by his lifestyle and medical issues came across as only a self-centered, egotistical, unlikeable young man. Self-centered, yes, and egotistical, yes... do you know anyone in the entertainment world who isn't?..... but to dwell, and DWELL on this aspect of his personality is unfortunate. The medical reason for his erratic behavior was never mentioned. In later life, he was diagnosed as being bi-polar. Not much was known about the disease in those days, or it's treatment. He hung himself at age 35. Worth seeing? Yes, but only because there simply isn't much else out there. Borrow or rent a copy if you can. Buy as a last resort. And then watch, heave a heavy sigh, and say, "Oh, it could have been so much more!"

There couldn't be a better or more complete review of Phil Ochs and his career. Along with a fair amount of live performance clips, you have a very wide and inclusive series of comments from his family and closest friends. There is an overall feeling of melancholy throughout, especially if you know how his life ended. Although as prolific and skilled a songwriter as Bob Dylan, who Ochs greatly admired, you learn that Dylan never acknowledged Ochs as an equal and the two existed in a sort of Thomas Edison/Nikola Tesla relationship in their shared years on the public stage. I hadn't known much about his world travels until watching this documentary and it's a fascinating segment as Ochs befriends a Chilean folk singer and, well before Paul Simon or Peter Gabriel, goes to Africa to blend his song stylings with African influences. Sadly, it was while in Africa that Ochs suffered a mugging during which he was nearly strangled to death. Though surviving, his vocal chords were irreparably injured and that seemed to be a turning point in his life. He began drinking heavily and his family's history of mental illness finally caught up to him. His end was tragic, given his boundless talents, but I think it can be said that posthumously he now receives the critical acclaim he seldom realized during his amazing life.

Phil Ochs was a folk singer and songwriter who got his start in the early 1960's and is best known for his anti-war and pro-civil rights songs. That in itself does not distinguish him; there were many folk singers who sang topical political songs in the 1960's. What does stand out, however, is that he was easily one of the most talented songwriters to come out of that era and style, challenging many of the best known folk artists with lyrics of topical beauty and potency.I first became aware of Phil Ochs a few years after his death. I have always preferred lyrics of substance to popular songs and love songs. The first time I heard him, I was struck by the anger of his words, which were coolly contrasted by his soothing voice and plaintive guitar. Phil Ochs saw himself as someone who could make a difference and his pointed lyrics were always directed where he thought they could do the most good. Of particular power were the songs he wrote about racial injustice. When N.A.A.C.P activist Medgar Evers was assassinated, Ochs responded with Too Many Martyrs, a song which not only wrung all the possible emotion out of this tragedy, it powerfully skewered the killer's brutality with all the anger and rage appropriate to such a cowardly crime. "While we waited for the future for freedom through the land, the country gained a killer and the country lost a man." This song alone would be a remarkable legacy if it was the only hard-hitting, angry and perfectly placed lyric he ever wrote. But it was just one of dozens of songs that Phil Ochs wrote that seemed to single-handedly take on all the injustices of a generation. The eloquence of his lyrics, the rage at the status-quo, and the utter absurdity of many of the incidents he wrote about came together to form a perfect commentary on an imperfect world.This Documentary covers multiple aspects of Phil Ochs' life and legacy. There were more than a few facts of which I was not previously aware, and the circumstances of his suicide are finally clearer and easier to accept. The film contains many voiceovers by the artist himself, a device which at times makes it sound like he is narrating his own life story. I always knew that Ochs wanted to be "popular" and that the popularity he sought eluded him for the most part, even while he left behind an important body of politically charged work. I was not aware of his deep but surreptitious rivalry with Bob Dylan, or that the two were close friends. While some of his songs seem relevant only to the turbulent sixties, a remarkable number of his lyrics are still capable of stirring deep emotions, even more than forty years after he recorded them. There But For Fortune, Changes, and the eerily prophetic When I'm Gone are songs I have listened to hundreds of times over the past thirty-five years, and I never tire of them. As for the songs that were ripped from then-current headlines four decades ago, I often find that it's comforting to listen to Too Many Martyrs, Here's To the State of Mississippi, Santo Domingo or Is Anybody Here and know that somebody gave a damn. That somebody was Phil Ochs and his music will continue to live as long as we remember these struggles and face new ones.As an entertainment, a commentary on the life of Phil Ochs, or as a history of the changing times of the sixties, I cannot recommend the documentary Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune heartily enough. I thought I knew the man through his music, but there was much, much more to his story than I was able to glean from his music alone, and this film covers much of it.It appears that the soundtrack for the film is now out of print. That's a shame, as it contains a lovely acoustic version of No More Songs that I have been unable to find anywhere else. I am hoping that eventually I can pick up a used copy of the CD at a reasonable price.Anyone who is familiar with Phil Ochs music but not his life needs to see this film. If you are unfamiliar with his music, viewing the film will be an amazing experience. The documentary includes commentary by Sean Penn, Joan Baez, Judy Henske, Christopher Hitchens and many more. And to anyone who wants to know more about his wonderful music, I suggest you start with the Elektra CD with the same name as this film (There But For Fortune). In the meanwhile, I leave you with but one verse of There But For Fortune; you decide if his lyrics will reach you or not.Show me the alley, show me the trainShow me the hobo who sleeps out in the rainAnd I'll show you a young man with many reasons whyThere but for fortune may go you or I...Highly recommended.

A very fine film indeed. Mixes snippets of Phil's performances and interviews, with the politics of the time (Nixon, Vietnam, Allende etc) and comment from those who were there (Ed Sanders, Judy Henske etc). Covers Phil's last years without any gloss. Very sad.I was surprised by the amount of footage of Phil in performance that still exists - would be nice to have a whole DVD of these in full.Beware it's Region 1, so you'll need a way of playing it.I'm inspired to go and replay all my Ochs CDs (which I am appalled to note are currently mostly deleted).

This film covers the life of Phil Ochs in very honest and no frills manner which for me makes it all the more compelling. I have long enjoyed his moving and passionate protest songs and always been intrigued by his personal life and struggle with the moral questions and confusions that the 60s civil rights movement threw up and his depression and mental illness and sadly his ultimate suicide. Great documentary - thoroughly recommend it.

Too few people have even heard of Phil Ochs & I find that incredibly sad. His music moves me like very few people's can. He was a topical/protest singer & that is why some may think his songs have lost some of their relevance, however the human themes are still the same even if the events are not. Such a wonderfully talented individual & an informative, engaging look at his life & music.

A fascinating look at a truly great singer/songwriter. A man with a social conscience, an activist and a unique writer. It's a tragic tale of a man I saw perform in the sixties and who is still relevant today.

Great DVD a very sad end to a wonderful talent He is missed