Electric Music For The Mind And Body
Country Joe & The Fish
1967
Album Summary
Electric Music for the Mind and Body is Country Joe and the Fish's debut album. Released in May 1967 on the Vanguard label, it was one of the first psychedelic albums to come out of San Francisco. Tracks from the LP, especially "Section 43", "Grace", and "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine" were played on progressive FM rock stations like KSAN and KMPX in San Francisco, often back-to-back. A version of the song "Love" was performed at the 1969 Woodstock Festival. "Grace" is a tribute to Jefferson Airplane's lead singer, Grace Slick.
WikipediaI find it very hard to get excited about an album like this. It was probably big or important in its time (67, right at the beginning of the whole psychedelic pop-rocknsummer of love shit) but this is the same crap I've heard a done much better a million times. I paid more attention to the lyrics to see if I was missing something groundbreaking - cool cats, diggin trips, fuck LBJ, nothing new to see here. And I get that these are cliches now but might not have been at the time, doesn't make them less annoying. It's raw, and I fucking love raw albums, but these guys needed a couple more takes of a few of these songs. And the bluesy track that could have been a nice song was ruined by the loudest tambourine I've ever heard in a song, followed later by the loudest maracas I've ever heard in a song. "Death sound". Maybe I'd have enjoyed it if I'd heard it before I heard Jefferson airplane, grateful dead etc. Or if I never watched ANY Vietnam movies. Or if I dropped some acid first. Other than that, great album.
Fuzzy, loosey goosey blues and psych. A pleasant surprise, but I feel like it loses the plot near the end. I like how, at one point, they drop all pretense and just whisper the letters "LSD". Favorite tracks: "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine", "Love"
blues-y patchouli oil old school hippy stuff. Rugged, gritty, leftist. That classic "I recorded this in a tent" aesthetic.
On the whole, I liked it. Good, old-school, jazz-infused psychedelic rock. There were some things I didn't like though. The guitars were occasionally too high-pitched and whiny for my liking (although I really liked the more swamp-style twingey guitar parts) and the vocals weren't the best either. Still, a nice listen overall.
Who could forget the time that LBJ fought the Fantastic 4 and Doctor Strange? This album is on DRUGS
Excellent stuff. Love finding bangers on this list that I've never heard of. Loved the weirdness of it
4.5/5. Might be low-key some of the best stuff from 60s Cali psych at the time
Really enjoyed this one, especially the dark psychedelic sound that it has.
Groovy, I love it. The first tracks are perfect, the last ones are a bit less interesting to me, but still very good
Messy, chaotic, weirdly mastered, and I loved it. I like this kind of fail music.
Liked this a lot. Great guitar, some powerful lyrics, good sound. A K-Town Banger in my opinion.
I was pretty sure by the album cover that I would be listening to some old psychedlic rock on this one, and that was correct. I also expected that I wouldn't be fond of it. However, I found myself liking the bluesey/psych fusion of it with the occasional twangy guitar. If they had refined this a bit more, could have seen it make a 5. Favorite songs - Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine, Super Bird, but also Love. As is, 3.6/5
I liked this one! Probably a 3.5 but I was into the psychedelic sound and it was deep and complex. Plus there was something a little extra/different with it. A few good stories in the songs and they were all solid until the last one. Would listen again easily so I'll bump up to 4.
Of it's time in the best way, that great late 60's political idealism mixed with psychedelia. Had never heard any of this before, but I may be a new fan.
they're jammin. bluesy with a country twang. nice lead guitar work. a bit psychedelic at times. i liked the keyboard sound. I liked the track Bass Strings a lot. Section 43 was a cool instrumental. At first it was a little too country for me but i liked it as it progressed and got more psychedelic
A surprisingly great album. I wasn't expecting psych rock from a group called Country Joe and the Fish, but this record blew me away. Section 43 is beautiful, and every other track is similarly good.
Surprised by this hidden gem. The harmonica in section 43 is superb, love is a beautiful sound, Death Sound is haunting. Awesome album and pscyhrock at its finest.
I sort of feel this has been overshadowed by what came after, so it's important to remember this did come first.
I LOVE this style of music and this is a great find that I'll have to go back to again and again! The singer has a wonderful tone of voice and the music has a great groove!
I liked this album and admittedly have not listened to hardly any country joe. It was a nice change of pace to hear some good old psychedelic rock. Bet this was a fun band to see live.
Was expecting it to be more experimental silly psychedelic type sounds but was rather straight forward. Overall pretty enjoyable. Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine stood out for having a great groove.
To 5-star or not to 5-star: aye, that's the dilemma. I suppose I need to evacuate some sputum of criticism before I praise. The forays into blues perpetrate a minor incident of white-rocker-trying-to-sing-blues-without-suficient-force-or-authenticity, but in this case it's in no way an unforgivable offence. And thankfully so, because a lot of the album works like a bastard. The initiated will detect a similar vibe to the Doors' first album; two of the main differences is that this lacks the occasional European vibe the Doors generates, and also that Jim Morrison was one of the greatest white blues-hollerers. Of course, the all-American nature of Electric Music for the Mind and Body is hardly a reason to lambaste the album, and it's pleasantly eclectic within its parochialism. Aside from nascent psychedelic rock we have the aforementioned blues, but also pop touches, straight-up rock, some country twangs and mild Dylanesque wit. That said, the album reaches its apex towards the end, where it gets properly psychedelic; LSD explorations are the reason you listen to this. And I was prepared to give it five stars, but a final listen has demonstrated that the album doesn't cohere enough, that the poppiest number is somewhat weak, and by bringing up the Doors' first album, I raised a beast that the album cannot hope to vanquish. 4-and-a-half stars. That, my friends, is hesitancy captured by the graphical representation of luminous celestial entities.
Listened Before? N WOW! Another psychadelic surprise for me! Didn't expect to like this one as much as I did. Putting it into rotation. Added to Library? Y Songs added to Playlist: Death Sound, Porpoise Mouth
Really solid overall. I especially like "Sad And Lonely Times" and "Porpoise Mouth"
At first listen, they sound like Cream. Not a bad thing. I was concerned I was getting yet another ridiculous electric, rave album, but this is refreshingly psychedelic, bluesy rock. There's also a Three Dog Night/The Guess Who. Overall, this album clicks. It also doesn't overstay its welcome at 44 minutes. In hindsight, I see why this album makes the list. Taking into consideration that this is 1967, the band and the album are part of a musical movement, but while they didn't rise to the mainstream enough for me to hear them, they clearly innovated and inspired others who did. Section 43 sounds familiar - and it has a real vibe to it that I imagine played well to Doors audiences. This album is pretty slick.
Here's another one that I never heard and that I was meaning to check out for quite some time now. Thanks, 1001 Albums Generator. It doesn't sound like anything I was expecting. In the end there was equal parts deception and excitement. The album doesn't sound as filthy as I thought it would. What I hear is something like The Doors with a country singer (which I somehow like) and a little too much white blues (which I dislike), but it is okay. It's not the Buffalo Springfield and it is not the 13th Floor Elevators, but there is a garage undercurrent that I appreciate, and it might be the predecessor of both, and the execution is far more compelling than say Big Brother And The Holding Co. It is an interesting example of early San Francisco psychedelia in any case, and I will give Country Joe & The Fish that. A record with a historical importance that is somehow enjoyable, but I am still to decide whether or not is an album to own.
As with all output of the prime American Psychedelic era (a really narrow window actually) it’s hard not to judge it in context of that grim looming reality that Hunter S. Thompson described so thoroughly- that this wave would very shortly break, and roll back. For me anyway it makes some of the most intolerable Hippie Shit (e.g. The Masked Marauder) grate a little more. Still, the energy and innovation here are real.
This album unlocks a new feature on Spotify that makes the surroundings smell like Patchouli...
There are albums I listen to twice because I really enjoyed them and albums I listen to twice because I feel like I wasn't listening to/for the right things. This one falls into both.
This is my type of music. Music like this reminds me we all have different tastes in music and so it's ok for most people to like Drake and for just me to like Country Joe or Pere Ubu. The stereo mixing makes it engaging to pinpoint locations of the surreal noises around your room, especially if you're high. It's cool and bluesy, which makes it chiller to listen to compared to the heavier more garage-influenced acid rock of their contemporaries (e.g. Electric Prunes, Big Brother). In a lot of ways this is like a slightly less experimental and more accessible United States of America. A never-ending surplus of fun and surprising moments. I like his dreamy voice and share of high pitched guitars. Lots of variety, just listen to the difference from the acid "Love" (performed at Woodstock alongside the first 2) to the surreal "Bass Strings" to the whimsical "Masked Marauder." Their use of silence and sharp transitions allows these different styles to be coherent and smooth rather than harsh. Will seek out again. Favorites: Flying High, Lorraine, Porpoise Mouth, Bass Strings, Masked Marauder, Grace
A good album, but the styles of the songs vary too much, from simple rock'n'roll and blues rock to tracks that lean into folk and prog.
A hair greasy and honky for one's tastes, but the bluesy mood and tempos are well sustained and the cuts land coherently and, for the most part, effectively. One worried about the novelty act factor (partly because of the silly name), which never materializes so score one for low expectations. "Sad and Lonely Times" is terrific. There is overindexing on the organ on the latter half of the record, which overreaches generally. But, as a whole, the album works well as a jaunty melding of blues and psychedelia and just a touch of country (alas, the silly name works out to be inapt). Glad to have heard.
Unusually unknown bluesy grooves - really enjoyed it. It is a very much a period piece but there are some tracks here that really groove
used to listen to my dad's Country Joe records when I was a kid, though I'd never heard this one. Not in love with all the songs but the bluesy psychedelic thing is pretty great.
I'm listening to this record on the way back from teaching some disabled children how to swim. It's really cheered me up after a few of the weaker children drowned when I dunked them under the surface. Well done, Joe & The Fish, you've really saved my weekend.
The name of the album and the band, combined with the album cover, gave me a pretty clear idea of what the music would be. It did not disappoint.
Yes. Could listen to this album a bunch. Every song isn't great but i like the twang and The vocals are appealing
Good songs throughout, and a cohesive sound that is perfect for an evening on a porch or a leisurely drive. Missing the special something to pump it for me, but still really good.
This was cool! Not very polished or well-produced, but the guitar was great and the vibes were fun, not to mention good songs. Better than I expected for sure.
Ok, this was the start of something. It was the beginning of something. An era. A generation. And I get it.
This album was so damn trippy...but I think I loved it musically. I honestly have no idea why because this spectrum of music usually turns me off. Favorite track: Section 43
I was initially not excited for an album by a band named "Country Joe and The Fish", but this album was actually really good. Even when it was just instrumental pieces, I was entertained, which can't be said for many psychedelic rock albums. It's very close to a five stars, but I just didn't love it enough to give it such a rating. Even so, there were quite a few really good songs on here, especially right at the end of the album, and was nothing I didn't like. Grace gave me chills, which a song has never really done to me before. It's an amazing song. My favourite songs were Grace, The Masked Marauder, and Bass Strings.
Such a fun album. Provides the perfect soundtrack for when structures are crumbling around you and you need to transform trauma into hilarity!
Pluspunkt: erinnert mi an The Doors Punktabzug: erinnert mi an The Doors
Àlbum interessant però alhora un xic dispers. Barreja molts elements, rock, blues, psicodèlia, i tot i que l'inici és molt potent la segona meitat no acaba de fer-li justícia. Malgrat tot, un disc interessant, un descobriment. I una confirmació més de la bona collita del finals dels 60.
Are there any 1960s psychedelia albums that didn't make this list?? This one has quite a clean, robust sound, somewhere on the rockier end of the psychedelia spectrum of this period. Some blues and r&b influences sneaking in. But there are also some space-age moments and a little psych whimsy here and there. I can respect the quality of this, even though it's not to my tastes. 3*
Solidan acid/psiholedijski album. Jednostavno ovakvi albumi ne pašu toliko kada je vrijeme depresivno. Više paše na lijepo vrijeme time je odmah i pozitivniji mindstate i za takvo vrijeme ovakvi albumi bolje pokazuju svoju sliku. Nisam imao puno vremena za preslušavanje albuma pa vjerujem da nije u potpunosti opravdana ocijena, ali tako je kako je. 3.3/5
An interesting psychedelic album. Some fun tracks to listen to but unfortunately some meh ones that just don't really strike a chord as well.
A-typical of its time and a testament to the death of modern music. These lads are obvisouly top of their game musically, but lost in a sea of talent for them to stand out to me. Dozens of bands like this have been a by product of the era so for me, my lack of knowledge and experience creates an ambiguous blur of 8 minute tracks and gratuitous organ solos. A fun album however nothing overly original from the wider genre of psyche rock. A fun listen, nice grooves and solos. Fun social nods especially in “Super Bird”.
Acid/Psych rock bands of the day tend to be meandering or simple in a lot of their music, preferring to play with the guitars and see what cool sounds they could pull up rather than focusing on songwriting. It's fine. I don't mind too much because the music isn't bad but it also isn't memorable. Giving it credit for being a cornerstone of the genre, but that's about it.
Strangely enough the vocals sound terrific on hear, but the mixing and production are awful. The guitars and drums are way too sharp, and some sounds are strangely isolated throughout the entire record. Why am I only hearing the drums through my right earcup, and the vocals only through my left? It ruins what could be very nice record with a perfect balance between more dark and spiritual psychedelic tunes and noisy folsky tracks. Such a shame, still a 3/5 for the music besides the obvious prioduction flaws.
Overall this would get a 2.5 if Super Bird wasn't such a great song. That knocked it up at least 1/2 point to 3 stars.
Well, it's fine. One track that was jusssst hippie style instrumental was getting on my nerves, but tracks with vocals were fine.
Another one I have no preconceived idea of. It's kind of sloppy and bluesy. Sounds like it would've been cool at the time? Not so sweet Martha Lorraine is better. Genuinely odd, and a bit less of a bluesy trudge. Odd fairground organ and some texture to it. When this is good, it sounds like a less up its own bumhole Doors. Which is great. All the psychedelic fun, none of the 'The ancient snake, woo incest' crap. It's great. The album goes between being maybe a bit much, and great and direct. It's ultimately enjoyable though, and I quite like the politics of the album, the fun 2.5 minute fun songs mixed with 7 minute psych/proto-prog stuff, and that it definitely sounds ahead of its time.
Props for this being a pioneering psychedelic album. I confess to not hearing much of this band outside of "Feel like I'm Fixin to Die". It is an *important* record that wasn't really something I'm into at the moment. It might be worth another listen to digest, but it didn't strike me as something I'll have on rotation.
It was okay, nothing particularly distinguishing about it. There were a lot of more innovative groups around the same time.
Pretty good psych-rock. I am wavering between a 3 and a 4, but since nothing specifically grabbed me I'll go down to a 3.
I like psychedelia but this one gets kinda boring during some of the instrumental passages.
Dafür fehlt mir dann doch die Dröhnung. Aber an sich ganz gut, wenn auch manchmal die elektrischen Sounds zu präsent waren
4th January 2021 Listened in the morning when I first got up on first day back at work. Seb and justo came round, Laura made fish and we played ticket to ride. Pure 60s psychedelia, but I liked the bluesy heavy tracks.
This album is fine. Not bad, not great. Some great guitar licks though.