Electric Music For The Mind And Body

I 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.

Well, it’s better than the Grateful Dead, but that’s a low bar.

Electric Music for the Mind and Body by Country Joe and The Fish (1967) McDonald’s moniker “Country Joe” is a reference to Joseph Stalin, and Barry Melton’s moniker “The Fish” is a reference to Mao Zedong (Wikipedia); you see, mommies, daddies, and managers were post-WWII socialists. This was music that was loved at the time because it was so ‘counter-cultural’. And it was loved by people who celebrated their difference from the mainstream by imitating each other. This mindset was perfectly parodied by Dick Shawn in the 1967 Mel Brooks classic “The Producers”. The ‘message’ is carried by trite lyrics that clunk along and stop just short of expressing feeling. It’s what you get when you turn red diaper babies loose in the studio. Lyrically, the album seems to be excusing itself by saying, “Since I’m stoned, I don’t have to make sense”. There’s one weeny stab at amateur political satire of LBJ (“Superbird”) that can be reduced to “I don’t like you, nyaah, nyaah”. And when a songwriter says (“Sad and Lonely Times”), “I can’t find the words to tell you how I care”, the listener can’t help but say, “Well, keep searching and get back to me”. Lead guitar has some nice moments (“Death Sound”, “Bass Strings”) with sparkling blues runs, inventive rapid tremolo and tasteful reverb, but it’s slapped against lead vocals that utterly lack soul. Plus, the bass strings on “Bass Strings” are seriously out of tune (actually, this is the case on most of the album). And there’s often an annoying mismatch between the gimmicky guitar effects (e.g., “Porpoise Mouth”) and the lyrical mood. Organ and harmonica on the pretentiously ‘psychedelic’ extended “Section 43” are strictly amateur. The closing track “Grace” (supposedly a tribute to Grace Slick) is so bad I can picture Slick saying, “Thanks, but no thanks.” It’s all about love, peace, getting high, stop the war, yada yada. And it’s all so plastic—an album that begs not to be taken seriously. 1/5

Was having a bad day. couple of beers and this CD fixed me.

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"

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.

blues-y patchouli oil old school hippy stuff. Rugged, gritty, leftist. That classic "I recorded this in a tent" aesthetic.

Well that Xmas recycling is not going to sort itself, I'd better get a crack on. For some reason our yellow bin cycle doesn't really align with Xmas, so it's a bit of struggle, what with two weeks of normal recycling and then all the Xmas boxes and stuff, but then that's Canterbury Bankstown council for you. Sorry did someone say something about Country Joe and the Fish, sorry, I didn't catch that..on a par with Stephen Stills? I can't hear you over the sound of boxes being scrunched.

Apparently you can judge a book by its cover. My favourite part was the song that randomly played right after this album finished on Apple Music. Check out “Screamin’” by The Paul Butterfield Blue Band.

Probably the best Country Joe and the Fish album

Excellent stuff. Love finding bangers on this list that I've never heard of. Loved the weirdness of it

beautiful

Great psych!

tri bom o som

Who could forget the time that LBJ fought the Fantastic 4 and Doctor Strange? This album is on DRUGS

Meh. Groovy, but only as a period example

These fuckers were at Woodstock and I was served this album during Daylight Savings Time. These things are both true and more substantial than I care to admit. Drugs and drug music have gotten much better since this album was released. Yet we still can't fix Daylight Savings Time or create another successful Woodstock.

Wow. A psychedelic rock album from 1967? These guys were truly innovators. There were definitely no other psychedelic rock albums from this time period! I'm sure this album belongs on the list and is not just a footnote in one of the most oversaturated music genres of all time! Country Joe should shut up and let THE FISH speak for a moment. I want to hear some blubs. Truly one of the albums ever. 2/5.

4.5/5. Might be low-key some of the best stuff from 60s Cali psych at the time

Un viaje sonoro espectacular, recomendable

Really enjoyed this one, especially the dark psychedelic sound that it has.

Wow.

Groovy, I love it. The first tracks are perfect, the last ones are a bit less interesting to me, but still very good

Nice

9/10 - pretty good album

What a fantastic record.

Well, I approach this with a great deal of nervousness. Country? Ew. Is it actually country? No, thank the lord it isn't. It's psychedelic rock, which is on every measure better than country. Speaking of "country", I absolutely love the filth of "Not so sweet Martha Lorraine". Clearly a reference to Shakespeare's "Country Matters", this is a song about sex. A bookish woman has learnt about sex from books and by rote. She doesn't take pleasure in it, but uses it. She wants him "to die" is obviously, glaringly la petit mort, the little death. Wiping the tears "from his friend's eye" is sordidly descriptive. She's using sex, using it to bring him to climax even - but she's never learnt "the country ways" - she doesn't know how to take any of that pleasure for herself. And he's lamenting that. What a cracking little track and what a story it tells!

swampy psychedelia? sign me the fuck up — 10/10

Had never heard of them before but loved it. All the sounds, the twang, the catchiness of the lyrics, I probably saved half the album to my music. This is why I'm doing this project, to find things like this. And also, what a name!

Amazing listen all the way through

One surprise in this project is how much I like psychedelic music. Certainly wasn’t much of a thing for me when I was younger. Through this project, though, the psychedelic-laced albums more often than not appeal. This album is no exception. I listened to it three times today and each time enjoyed it more! I dig it not just as a historic album but also as a groovy listen.

Nice album.

What a fun album

I really enjoyed this album, maybe the electric stuff got a little too loud but when they go folksy, yum, I liked it so much I easily listened twice

Scrappy hippies are my kind of wannabee cowboys.

Messy, chaotic, weirdly mastered, and I loved it. I like this kind of fail music.

Great psych album, beyter than early dead.

Good jams!!

Pretty chill trippy vibes

Liked this a lot. Great guitar, some powerful lyrics, good sound. A K-Town Banger in my opinion.

Yeah I was into this. Blusey aand cool

Loved the politics

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

04/14/22

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.

Very nice discovery. I like the mix of genres in this one.

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

Didn't really know what to expect, but I liked this!

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.

Pretty basic blues album, liked the jams a lot

Acid soaked bluesy Summer of Love goodness.

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.

Et rikt album, et ekte bøljeband band.

Rock psicodélico sesentero. Está bien. Venga, un 4.

Ok, this was the start of something. It was the beginning of something. An era. A generation. And I get it.

One of those songs that will be around forever for good reason.

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.

guitar riffs

Brilliant! I enjoyed the vibe

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

Far out man

A little bit of a lot of genres

Didn't know a single thing about this but it's rather good psychedelia with Flying High the best of a decent bunch.

Best: Super Bird Worst: Grace

Debuutalbum van psychedelica-pioneer Country Joe & The Fish, en een van de eerste albums binnen het genre uit San Francisco. Sterke tracklist, goed luisterbaar. leukste nummer: Love Het nummer "Grace" is een hommage aan leadzangeres Grace Slick van Jefferson Airplane.

Gezellig.

A bit of psych a day keeps the doctor away.

Very good, I liked it quite a bit

4.0 - Considering some other 1967 releases ("Sgt. Pepper's", "Velvet Underground And Nico", Doors' debut, "Surrealistic Pillow", "Are You Experienced") it's no wonder this records feels like a footnote. Still, it certainly outshines other albums within the psychedelic canon (see "The 13th Floor Elevators"). This feels like a complete and cohesive artifact of the Haight-Ashbury sound and there are genuinely trippy, LSD-laden jams. Particularly, "Porpoise Mouth" and "Section 43" create a swirly, colorful atmosphere in the middle. "Bass Strings" is also a highlight.

It was pretty good. I'd listen to it again. Wasn't my absolute favorite, but it had some tracks to listen to again.

What an awesome surprise of an album. Guess they didn’t like LBJ much?

Fantastic bluesy album with some psychedelic influences

Lots of good tracks, interesting 60s vibe. Probably not the best album in this style I've listened to, but knowing they were one of the first to do it gets an extra star

I really like their sound. The songwriting isn't that great, and maybe that's why they're not really remembered all that well compared to their colleagues. Best track: Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine

Late 60's San Francisco sound from Joe and the Fish. It's full of peace and love and a touch of the brown acid. Very good stuff. The music, I mean...not necessarily the acid. But, hey man, it's your trip.