Phill Ochs vs Tom Paxton / Buffy St Marie vs Joan Baez

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Battle of 1960s folk , who reigns supreme

― anthony, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Aside from the issue of names (no buffy SM = no buffy VS), you could wipe these four from history and not change a thing. I quite like Baez in the Woodstock film. Ochs = most overrated whatever of all whatever

― mark s, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

they all suck

― M. Matos, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think you're forgetting Buffy's contributions to the Performance soundtrack - with husband Jack Nitzsche she made some of the most thrilling electronic recordings I have ever heard. Having been thoroughly disappointed by the rest of her oeuvre I would hesitate to claim Buffy as a folk giant.

― Guy, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

She's on the Performance soundtrack? I never even noticed, and I've watched that one many times. Not only have I never heard her sing, I've never known anyone who has either. Her albums are always available for 10 cents at thrift shops, though.

I was in Safeway a couple weeks ago, and Joan Baez's "Diamonds and Rust" came on the PA, and her voice almost made me drop my groceries and run out. It's "pretty" but yet so totally irritating at the same time.

― Sean, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

buffy's goth spooky on "coedine" and "the ballad of hollis brown" and she was sexy to a kiddie me when she on sesame street.

I always feel sorry for Baez during Don't Look Back, when Dylan's ass- kissin' running buddy says "she's wearin' one of them see-through blouses where ya don't even wanna", and she doesn't really fight back though she's clearly capable... she's such a schoolmarm.

― fritz, Thursday, 20 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two months pass...

As a true child of the 60s, I still feel the influences each of the four had on my life - and I still listen to such songs as "Universal Soldier" and "I Ain't Marchin' Any More" when I need reminding that each individual makes his or her own choices and each of us can make a difference. One thing to keep in mind when assessing the contributions of these folk singers is that some were more prolific songwriters than others, meaning their songs were also recorded by other singers, expanding their influence.

― Jerri Beck, Sunday, 2 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

three years pass...

revive

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 3 December 2004 02:29 (twenty-one years ago)

buffy is great, especially illuminations. and ESPECIALLY the illuminations lp cover. i think of her falsetto as purposefully evocative of weird witchy stuff, whereas Joan's comes across as more or less defacto (tho granted that's a pretty weird sound to just 'fall back on' no matter what scene you're coming from). i like buffy better after her first few lp's; joan less.

i've never knowingly heard tom paxton but phil ochs is very dull.

― jones (actual), Friday, 3 December 2004 04:07 (twenty-one years ago)

i meant vibrato not falsetto

― jones (actual), Friday, 3 December 2004 04:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Tom Paxton wrote "The Last Thing on My Mind," covered well by both Porter and Dolly and the Move, so that's something. I have never listened to Phil Ochs, what am I, crazy? Joan Baez is a menace--Mimi Fariña was cuter, anyway. I always get Buffy St. Marie mixed up with Melanie, I don't know why, and I think Melanie was better--"What Have They Done to My Song, Ma" is such a hilarious and kind of good Dylan thing, done well by Ray Charles, and that's something too. In general, I just hate folkies and their music so no one wins here.

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Friday, 3 December 2004 04:52 (twenty-one years ago)

"codine" is the best song any of them ever wrote. i don't know as much as i should about buffy ste.-marie.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 3 December 2004 05:16 (twenty-one years ago)

"Codine" is an incredible song. I'll never forget how pleasantly jarred I was when I went to see "Boys Don't Cry" in the theater, and the Charlatans version came on. I have no friggin' clue how it was supposed to tie into the scene (the Swank character basically getting 'into costume'), but DAMN did sound great pumping out through that cineplex sound system. my faves Quicksilver also did a decent version of it. And of course, Buffy's is great; always loved that Charlatans one the best, though. Buffy's Illuminations is fairly worthy of the hype.

Phil Ochs is great. I have everything he did. He wasn't perfect -- as a human being or a musician -- but endlessly fascinating. He had a handful of really great songs, mostly from his post-protest phase -- "Outside a Small Circle of Friends", "Chords of Fame", "Pleasures of the Harbor. "Crucifixion". fuckin' "Tape From California". What an. .. interesting comment from Matos up there. Not too surprised though.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Friday, 3 December 2004 05:31 (twenty-one years ago)

I listened to the Dylan Bootleg Series Rolling Thunder thing again a few weeks back, though, and I've gotta say ... Joan Baez really started to get on my nerves.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Friday, 3 December 2004 05:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Ochs' voice is just about unbeatable. Paxton has about 10 really great songs and a lot of folk-era white noise. I could take or leave Buffy and Joan.

― C0L1N B3CK3TT1, Friday, 3 December 2004 05:51 (twenty-one years ago)

"Morning Again" always seals my love for Paxton, though. Maybe I'm just a sucker for "morning" songs (Joni Mitchell's "Morning Morgantown" to thread!).

― C0L1N B3CK3TT1, Friday, 3 December 2004 05:53 (twenty-one years ago)

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