The Gastonia Gazette from Gastonia, North Carolina • Page 25

Do-It-Yourself People Singers Now Writing Own Music MARY CAMP PELL AP N'cwsfcatiircs Writer When Roger Miller sang "King of the Roatt," (he news was Jt was the biggest pop song of tho year and llio same person wrote the lyrics and lime and sang it. The do-il-all-yourself writer and performer is no longer news Four rcpresciilalive new albums are by Phil Qchs, Joni Webb and Slll and in some cases adding instrumental accompaniment. Phil Ochs (pronounced Oaks) from El aso has been around awhile. He's listed, in thc Schwann catalog with three LP on Elektra, the Hi'st in 1964, and one, out this His second LP for A "Tope from California," has just been released. We're not calling what Ochs does folk any more, not even urban folk.

topical and politically "new left." Side one of "Tape from California" is (tie more interesting of this "now" album. The first sung, from California," slicks in your mind (though all ils stream of consciousness' words won't stick) much like Ochs' earlier song, "Small Circle of Friends." Stream of consciousness, used here a couple more limes, is supposed lo bring the song into the listener's mind at least partly by feeling rather than intellectually. Ochs is a master of vignette descriptions. One line will describe something so clearly that the picture is complete; the next line can be about something different. In the tille song, for example, (here's a line, "a poster of a movie star walked by." No other words are needed.

Ochs is outspokenly antiwar and has sung at antiwar rallies. The new album includes "White Boots Marching in a Yellow Land" and "The War Is Over." The former has some of those graphic one-liners. "The War Is Over" contains the most shocking line on the statement toying with (reason. Ochs uses tlie traditional folk vorse and chorus 'form. This and (lie theme of "Joe Hill" and (he tune make it sound a Idt like a Woody Gulhrie song.

Ochs' singing is clearer here than on any other song, although he is reasonably easy lo understand all the way through. Joni Mitchell, 24, from Canada, has her first album out, "Joni Mitchell," on Reprise. There's not a bad song on Her bcsl-known composition, "Both Sides Now," isn'l on the LP. "Night in the City," which also is being heard around and about, is. Miss Mitchell plays piano anil guitar and designed (lie album's psychedelic art cover.

Miss Mitchell's concerns are love and things. She has a lot of insights to share, but she doesn't shove them al the listener. She sounds much like Judy Collins. But in "Night in (he City" her voice is ready at any instant lo lake off in a Swiss yodel. It's a very individualistic, memorable delivery.

"Jim Webb Sings Jim Webb" was brought cue by Epic after Webb's songs "Up, Up and Away," "By (he Time I Get lo Phoenix" and "Mac Arthur Park" became hits for other singers. However, the songs Epic has predate these hits, and since Webb is only 21 now, this album really is "early Jim Webb." When (he Oklahoman begins to record for Dunliill as he intends to, he's bound lo sound a long way beyond this. John Hartford, from St. Louis, who wrote "Gentle on My Mind," and sang it (Glen Campbell heard that and then recorded it himself), has his fourth LP out on RCA, "Housing Project." He says al Ihe beginning thai each song is a room, therefore the name. On some of these, he plays 12-string banjo.

Hartford says in one song, "I'm so deep in like I'm almost in love." One song, "I Didn't Know the World Would Last Tills Long," has the above-suffering melancholy of one of Rod McKuen's besl. Hartford isn't trying to be deep, significant or exciting and it's possible to enjoy this record very much on Hartford's own quiet terms. RE JACKET PLUS RTREL 1Q.OO< y.nec* 1 Boy's Shop Downtown and Dixie Village THE GASTONIA GAZETTE, Aug. 21, Lazy Bones strap for girls in brown. 8 7.95 8.95 Lazy Bones strap for girls in black.

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