Search - Various Artists :: Songs of Protest

Jammed with the politics and poetry of the sixties

Thomas Lapins | Orlando, Florida USA | 10/24/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This cd is everything you want in a specialized anthology. "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" is pure art and poetry. It takes you full circle and makes your heart sink. "Eve Of Destruction" is full of rage and insight and truth. It's atomic in its message and presentation. "With God On Our Side" is one of Dylan's best songs (best version is by Baez). Pure poetry again. And the whole cd goes on like that. Great sound. The somber "Society's Child" and the hauntingly barefoot on shards of glass "Abraham, Martin And John" slices you in two. "Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today)" is Motown exploding. "War" keeps the message movin'. "Signs" was always one of my favorite radio songs. This is a must for anyone who lived through the late sixties and early seventies and felt the rage and fear at the destruction and insanity from sea to sea. This collections serves as both great music and powerful inspiration. Buy it!"

The Sixties Weren't Just About Peace And Love

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 04/02/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As a child of the Sixties, I have a very strong emotional connection to these songs and as such find this a very enjoyable collection. If, however, you were to unearth these songs from a time capsule and listen to them for the first time thirty-plus years after they were first recorded, you might wonder what the fuss is all about. Certainly some of these songs were of the moment. To use an old cliche: You had to be there. After all, at age 30, Sonny Bono was a bit long in the tooth to play the angry young man. And "It's Good News Week" sounds more comical than biting satire. But many of these songs retain their potency. Certainly, the carnival sound of "The 'Fish' Cheer/I Feel Like I'm Fixin'-To-Die Rag" is the perfect antithesis of the brutality of the Vietnam War. The Rascal's "People Got To Be Free" evokes John Lennon's sentiment that "All You Need Is Love." The Kingston Trio's version of "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" is a sad reminder of the price to be paid for war. Dion's "Abraham, Martin And John" still gives me chills. The one really glaring omission from this set is Dylan's "Masters of War." Only Edwin Starr's "War" comes close to matching Dylan's outrage.If you need to remind yourself that the Sixties weren't all peace and love, this collection does a more than adequate job of showcasing the protest genre. RECOMMENDED"

Protest songs reflecting the anger of the Viet Nam era

Steve Meng (Steve@CSM-Consulting.co | Tampa, Florida | 12/05/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Songs of Protest presents a collection of tracks from the Viet Nam war era. While most of the music protests the war, a few tracks express anger on other topics.From the early war years are the Kingston Trio's "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction," "With God on our Side" by Manfred Mann, and Donovan's "Universal Soldier." Anyone of music listening age in the mid 60's surely remembers McGuire's angry voice and the questions he asks.More recent war protest tracks show the songwriters maturing in the message. From the Woodstock era, Country Joe and the Fish performed "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-die-rag", more commonly known as "The Fish Cheer." This isn't the Woodstock version, you don't have to worry about your kids overhearing it. Gimmie an F!Rounding out the later war protests are Hedgehoppers Anonymous with "It's Good News Week", the Temptations "Ball of Confusion," and The Animals masterful "Sky Pilot."The remaining tracks focus on personal freedoms and relationships. One of the better known classics is Janis Ian's interracial love dilemma in "Society's Child." Phil Ochs sings "I Ain't Marchin' Any More," the Rascals classic "People Got To Be Free," and the Five Man Electrical Band's "Signs" each state their protest of the "over thirty generation"This collection is sure to bring back memories for all baby boomers."