In the West . . .

Review Score: (8/10)
For Phil Ochs fans, the long-awaited CD release of TAPE FROM CALIFORNIA is a real cause for celebration. It has been out of print for many years and it took a lot of effort on my part to get a copy on vinyl. Along with his album THE PLEASURES OF THE HARBOR, TAPE FROM CALIFORNIA documents what Phil perceived to be the cancerous immorality eating away at America's institutions and conscience. The title track, "White Boots Marching in a Yellow Land," "Half a Century High," "The War is Over," and especially "When in Rome" relentlessly pursue the theme of internal decay. "When in Rome," Phil's longest song ever, presents the history and future of the United States as those of a modern Roman Empire. Phil sees the American (Roman) Empire as corrupted force that has become the very evil it had intended to replace. The entire album (save one song) thematically leads up to this revelation; it's a unified whole as are all of Phil's later, introspective albums (PLEASURES OF THE HARBOR, TAPE FROM CALIFORNIA, REHEARSALS FOR RETIREMENT, GREATEST HITS). For those of you already familiar with Phil Ochs, this album will fill an important space in your collections. Those of you who are NOT familiar with Phil's work, listen to his topical albums first (ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO SING, I AIN'T MARCHING ANYMORE, PHIL OCHS IN CONCERT), so will be able to understand his transformation in context.

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• Outstanding reissue of a great American Artist's work
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