Turned Up And Turned On was recorded on June 13, 2004 at the South Parade Pier, Southsea UK by Country Joe McDonald and The Original Country Joe Band which is effectively the latest incarnation of Country Joe and the Fish.
Country Joe and the Fish were founded in the San Francisco area in 1965-66 as a political device; partially of necessity, and partially for entertainment when the Free Speech Movement was organizing a series of demonstrations on the Berkeley campus against the war in Vietnam. Joe McDonald had been editing a magazine called Rag Baby and supposedly ran out of material. He decided to do a "talking" issue of the magazine and had an EP pressed with four songs, two of which were "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag" and a satire of President Lyndon Johnson called "Superbird".
The political aspect of Country Joe has not changed in the last forty years and with four of the five original members of the band back together they seem as though they haven't been apart. The music it self is tight with poetic lyrics and protests.
Let me make one note here: I think that protest songs are an art form that most artists cannot do, and especially cannot do well. This is because they turn into nothing but name calling. "Superbird" is one of those that falls into the camp of nothing but name calling. "Cakewalk to Baghdad" could have been great; yes, it starts out using David Perle's name, but only in reference to who coined the term "Cakewalk to Baghdad", but falls from grace by being reduced to name calling. On the other hand, "An Untitled Protest" is good, but probably the best protest song ever written has to be "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag." Now that is what a protest song should be — in this case, a satire that at once makes your feelings known as well as infecting your head with a tune that won't go away — and those kazoos!
Article comments
1 - Lee Felsenstein
A point of history - the Free Speech Movement did not organize any demonstrations against the Vietnam war - it was an umbrella organization that fought for the right of student to organize for any political activity, and it dissolved itself shortly after that right was effectively won.
The FSM created the political and cultural space for other organizations such as the Vietnam Day Committee to form and organize the demonstrations for which Country Joe wrote his songs.
Much more detailed information can be found on the web page of The Free Speech Movement Archives.
2 - T. Michael Testi
Lee,
Thanks for the info, I do appreciate it. Anything to make the record more accurate.
T.