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Death of a Rebel: A Biography of Phil Ochs
Book by Eliot, Marc
364 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 24, 2011
Two substantial biographies have been published about the life of Phil Ochs, this being the earlier, but it was revised and updated in a subsequent 1989 edition.
I was introduced to the music and lyrics of Ochs by my father and WFMT's "Midnight Special" program in the early sixties. Making my first true friends in high school, I found a community which included others familiar with that program and with Ochs and his associates from NY's Greenwich Village and later Chicago's Gate of Horn days: Dave Van Ronk, Bob Dylan, Odetta, Jim and Jean, Tom Paxton, Eric Anderson etc. I liked them all, but I respected Ochs the most because of his continuing, courageous political commitments. As he sang of Woody Guthrie: "Oh, he sang on our streets/And he sang in our halls,/And he was always there when the unions gave a call." Phil was famously generous with his time, a regular and unpaid presence at antiwar demonstrations.
By the end of high school I'd seen him play thrice: twice at the University of Chicago and at least once in Grant Park during the 1968 Democratic Convention when he'd joined us after a bloody night in front of the Conrad Hilton Hotel. In college, in 1972, I saw him once more and even spoke briefly with him after a small rally for Eugene McCarthy's abortive second bid for the White House. Like myself, a McCarthy supporter and a democratic socialist, Phil was torn between the hope of reform and the rage of the radical.
In 1976, while I was in seminary in New York, I learned of his suicide an attended the memorial concert for him at the Felt Forum in downtown Manhattan where I saw many of the aforementioned folk performers as well many others pay their final tribute.
Emotionally speaking, I suppose he was some sort of idealized older brother or father figure for me during his life and a martyr figure upon his death. If you care about such things as hungry children in Chad or unemployed parents in Haiti, if it bothers you that so much of human suffering is avoidable, if it shames you that so much of this unnecessary suffering is consequent upon the policies of our government, then you ought give Phil a listen.
I was introduced to the music and lyrics of Ochs by my father and WFMT's "Midnight Special" program in the early sixties. Making my first true friends in high school, I found a community which included others familiar with that program and with Ochs and his associates from NY's Greenwich Village and later Chicago's Gate of Horn days: Dave Van Ronk, Bob Dylan, Odetta, Jim and Jean, Tom Paxton, Eric Anderson etc. I liked them all, but I respected Ochs the most because of his continuing, courageous political commitments. As he sang of Woody Guthrie: "Oh, he sang on our streets/And he sang in our halls,/And he was always there when the unions gave a call." Phil was famously generous with his time, a regular and unpaid presence at antiwar demonstrations.
By the end of high school I'd seen him play thrice: twice at the University of Chicago and at least once in Grant Park during the 1968 Democratic Convention when he'd joined us after a bloody night in front of the Conrad Hilton Hotel. In college, in 1972, I saw him once more and even spoke briefly with him after a small rally for Eugene McCarthy's abortive second bid for the White House. Like myself, a McCarthy supporter and a democratic socialist, Phil was torn between the hope of reform and the rage of the radical.
In 1976, while I was in seminary in New York, I learned of his suicide an attended the memorial concert for him at the Felt Forum in downtown Manhattan where I saw many of the aforementioned folk performers as well many others pay their final tribute.
Emotionally speaking, I suppose he was some sort of idealized older brother or father figure for me during his life and a martyr figure upon his death. If you care about such things as hungry children in Chad or unemployed parents in Haiti, if it bothers you that so much of human suffering is avoidable, if it shames you that so much of this unnecessary suffering is consequent upon the policies of our government, then you ought give Phil a listen.
January 8, 2008
Though there are now a few pretty good Phil Ochs bios out there, this one is a good introduction to the man. Others might have a bit too much detail for the average joe, especially those not familiar with the life and music of Mr. Ochs. He was taking risks when others played it safe (Dylan, i'm looking at you!) He took chances, said what he had to say....and his world crumbled....hanging himself in 1976 in Far Rockaway, Queens. One of the most beautiful tragic souls to ever swim through the sewer what is the music industry. Ahhhh, There But for Fortune!.....
August 16, 2012
I read this book in 2-1/2 days! Absolutely engrossing. Eliot deftly handles difficult aspects of Phil's life, personality and legacy. In no way a hagiography, this biography of what Eliot calls Ochs's "life and times" deals with Phil's misogyny & chauvinism, paranoia, mental illness and alcoholism, while at the same time revealing Phil as an idealistic (though flawed) and, at times, success-hungry artist and performer. I was afraid I would end up hating Phil Ochs after reading about his many faults, especially his abuse of the women in his life, but I ended up just feeling sorry and broken-hearted for this man who never (in his mind, definitely) achieved the success and critical acclaim he deserved.
June 12, 2023
Phil Ochs was a protest singer who came up next to Dylan in the Village folk scene, and a leading anti-Vietnam war activist who organized the infamous '68 convention protests. I have always loved his earnest outrage, biting satire, and brash melodies, and felt they were more relatable than the obfuscating Dylan. I wondered why he never achieved Dylan's fame, and why his life ended tragically. This book answers those questions in loving detail, rich with the history of the folk scene, radical politics, and protest movements Phil was swimming in. And it doesn't shy away from Phil's dark side: the depression, misogyny, and the alcohol abuse that marked his decline.
The reason this biography is so riveting is the passionate voice of its author, Marc Eliot. Eliot was a contemporary music critic who hung out with Phil Ochs at the time, and he wears his heart and his opinions on his sleeve. It's way more than just a checklist of events in Phil's life. He dives deep into analysis of Phil Ochs lyrics, recounts memorable performances, tells you which songs are the best and why. He reconstructs painful and traumatic moments from multiple angles. He knows you love Phil Ochs for his iconoclasms, so he excerpts interviews and op eds he wrote for radical magazines. We even get a full transcript of his testimony at the trial of the Chicago 7, where the judge had to stop him from taking out his guitar on the witness stand. This is only one of a great many anecdotes that blew my mind.
Death of a Rebel is not really only about Phil's tragedy: it's about the death of a movement. Phil Ochs was a singing activist, both playing at and organizing rallies. His music and politics were idealistic, radical, but also reactionary in a way. He thought feminism was a CIA plot to destroy the left. He supported socialist communalism but ignored his own daughter. His anti-capitalism was infused with good and evil tropes learned from Hollywood westerns. Him and his friends started something, but still had so much left to learn. Ochs wound up at an ideological dead end, crushed by the failure of the ‘68 protests. I should stop my ranting and raving here but I beg you, please listen to some Phil Ochs records, and pick up this book.
The reason this biography is so riveting is the passionate voice of its author, Marc Eliot. Eliot was a contemporary music critic who hung out with Phil Ochs at the time, and he wears his heart and his opinions on his sleeve. It's way more than just a checklist of events in Phil's life. He dives deep into analysis of Phil Ochs lyrics, recounts memorable performances, tells you which songs are the best and why. He reconstructs painful and traumatic moments from multiple angles. He knows you love Phil Ochs for his iconoclasms, so he excerpts interviews and op eds he wrote for radical magazines. We even get a full transcript of his testimony at the trial of the Chicago 7, where the judge had to stop him from taking out his guitar on the witness stand. This is only one of a great many anecdotes that blew my mind.
Death of a Rebel is not really only about Phil's tragedy: it's about the death of a movement. Phil Ochs was a singing activist, both playing at and organizing rallies. His music and politics were idealistic, radical, but also reactionary in a way. He thought feminism was a CIA plot to destroy the left. He supported socialist communalism but ignored his own daughter. His anti-capitalism was infused with good and evil tropes learned from Hollywood westerns. Him and his friends started something, but still had so much left to learn. Ochs wound up at an ideological dead end, crushed by the failure of the ‘68 protests. I should stop my ranting and raving here but I beg you, please listen to some Phil Ochs records, and pick up this book.
January 8, 2022
The music of Phil Ochs came into my life at a time where my political consciousness was being crystallized, and he became integral to the linkage in my brain between the violently sincere passion of the artist and the soul of the socially conscious thinker. But I have always been horrified and fascinated by Ochs the self-destructing doomed genius, in much the same way I am drawn to the films of Fassbinder. I think partially these obsessions have given me the chance to play out the phantasmagoric fantasy of my own decay, embitterment, monstrosity and death from a safe distance, while I simultaneously do everything in my power to keep my soul intact and my body safe and my mind secure.
That, and Ochs was a brilliant writer -- funny when he wanted to be, heart-wrenching when he dug deep, and impassioned when he felt enraged. Reading about his life, and having a fuller breadth of his cruelty, misogyny, and tormented rage revealed to me has been not a shock, not a revelation, but something of a sobering confirmation. You can hear the darkness in every corner of his work -- some of his ugliest moments ("I've Had Her" comes to mind) are some of his most fascinating.
The crucial finale of Rehearsals for Retirement really sums it up as it concerns the life-long struggle Ochs was the starring player of -- where the political met the personal and could not be untangled. You can't really separate art from artist, not when the artist is someone like Phil Ochs who made himself his art. But if you listen to "My Life" and you don't understand, all of this, at least on some level, if your soul doesn't beautifully ache, even just a little, then I don't know what to tell you.
Eliot renders this all without overdoing it. His writing is plain and simple, his chronicle linear, his documentation unadorned. When he does write briefly about Ochs's music in a more analytical way, he gives just enough to chew on so as to highlight some of the more unnerving or inspiring aspects of Ochs, the man.
That, and Ochs was a brilliant writer -- funny when he wanted to be, heart-wrenching when he dug deep, and impassioned when he felt enraged. Reading about his life, and having a fuller breadth of his cruelty, misogyny, and tormented rage revealed to me has been not a shock, not a revelation, but something of a sobering confirmation. You can hear the darkness in every corner of his work -- some of his ugliest moments ("I've Had Her" comes to mind) are some of his most fascinating.
The crucial finale of Rehearsals for Retirement really sums it up as it concerns the life-long struggle Ochs was the starring player of -- where the political met the personal and could not be untangled. You can't really separate art from artist, not when the artist is someone like Phil Ochs who made himself his art. But if you listen to "My Life" and you don't understand, all of this, at least on some level, if your soul doesn't beautifully ache, even just a little, then I don't know what to tell you.
Eliot renders this all without overdoing it. His writing is plain and simple, his chronicle linear, his documentation unadorned. When he does write briefly about Ochs's music in a more analytical way, he gives just enough to chew on so as to highlight some of the more unnerving or inspiring aspects of Ochs, the man.
May 30, 2024
The 1996 biography, There But For Fortune, is a much more definitive book on Phil. Death of a Rebel just lacks general insight and emotion in regards to the music. The author seemed sidetracked piecing together Phil's relationship with Dylan and other pop-culture related trivia. Additionally, there's way too much a focus on the mental illness that plagued Phil's final years. Almost to an insulting degree. He may have had to face some serious problems but he was also a human being whose work deserves to be valued over his illness.
September 27, 2018
Disappointing. Well researched but not very insightful. Too often it's... "and then Phil did this". Too much interest in his relationships w Bob Dylan and Jerry Rubin...
March 8, 2022
Read about the people that wrote the songs you listen to… sometimes you find out they were not who you thought they’d be.
April 25, 2023
3.5 stars
Death of a Rebel is the story of Phil Ochs life, times, beliefs, and dreams. Phil Ochs was a songwriter and protest singer that was banned and blacklisted for most of his career. One of Phil’s most famous songs was “I ain’t marching anymore.” Phil Ochs marched to the beat of his own drum. He was a nut but an interesting nut who lived life on his terms.
I first discovered Phil Ochs when I heard the song – “Here’s to the state of Mississippi.” I was moved by it so much that it inspired me to read this book today. Phil was part of the early New York folk scene in the early 60s and befriended many famous musicians of that era, including Bob Dylan. Like Dylan, Phil wrote his own material. He never made it to television or played at Woodstock or had huge concerts, but he seemed to have a loyal following. There was a rise and fall with him, and it seemed that the rise of rock music, and the fall of radical politics metaphorically was also a downfall of Phil’s career.
The way the author Marc Eliot portrays Phil in the book is kind of confusing. It hasn't really integrated an overall view, in particular Phil's drive for success as opposed to his very real idealism for the causes he supported. In the 1970s, it became still harder for Phil to reconcile the ongoing struggle for social reform with his desire to be a star.
Phil went on many brave adventures. He went down to the Jim Crow south in the 1960s to protest for civil rights. He was in Chicago during the infamous 1968 Democratic convention He went to Chile in the 1970s and met singer-songwriter-political activist, Victor Jara, before he was murdered by the Pinochet government. Phil idolized Elvis and wanted to be the Elvis of the working class. Elvis Guevara, the ultimate mixed metaphor that was Phil’s splattered rebellious soul.
He also was an alcoholic that had been in countless accidents due to his drinking. He never asked for help or admitted that he had a problem according to Eliot. It's a little disturbing to read what a jerk Phil was a lot of the time... except maybe when he was singing. He also had a serious problem with women. He had a thing for prostitutes and never seemed to keep a loving relationship going for a long time. It's quite apparent that he suffered from legitimate mental illness worsened by alcohol.
Later in Phil’s career he engaged in a lot of narcistic behavior. He would perform in a gold suit from Elvis’s costumer, Nudie Cohn. He also refused to be called Phil Ochs anymore and wanted to be called John Train. His alcoholism and mental illness made him look like a sick, thoughtless person. He never got clean, had a poor diet, didn’t exercise, and had bad hygiene. Eliot portrayed him often as a bum, but somehow seemed to have a lot of friends in spite of it.
Not uncommon for a lot of activists, he cared more about causes than any individual people including his brother, father, ex-wife, and daughter. It was never strongly explained why he cared about these causes other than the song lyrics. Phil’s apparent suicide also symbolized the death of the student movement. It can also be that his failing career caused him to drink himself to death. There was also an FBI file on Phil as thick as the Manhattan phone book. He was labeled a communist by the FBI from 1963 till his death. Who can judge anyone on what that can do to a person. Phil was a victim of the “Lenny Bruce syndrome,” a talent that seemed unlimited somehow twisted into one more narcissistic psychotic on a death trip from which nothing and no one could have saved him.
Death of a Rebel was originally published in 1979. The revised edition I read released in 1995 included records of all the FBI surveillance that Phil was under. I understand the Ochs family was not happy with Eliot’s first edition. More interesting to me, and what improved the reading experience for me is the Afterward to this Edition which covers 20 pages of updates, revisions, and final thoughts about Phil’s life -15 years later from the original publication and 18 years after Phil’s suicide. I wish the entire book was written like the last 20 pages, but I credit Marc Eliot for writing this.
Death of a Rebel is the story of Phil Ochs life, times, beliefs, and dreams. Phil Ochs was a songwriter and protest singer that was banned and blacklisted for most of his career. One of Phil’s most famous songs was “I ain’t marching anymore.” Phil Ochs marched to the beat of his own drum. He was a nut but an interesting nut who lived life on his terms.
I first discovered Phil Ochs when I heard the song – “Here’s to the state of Mississippi.” I was moved by it so much that it inspired me to read this book today. Phil was part of the early New York folk scene in the early 60s and befriended many famous musicians of that era, including Bob Dylan. Like Dylan, Phil wrote his own material. He never made it to television or played at Woodstock or had huge concerts, but he seemed to have a loyal following. There was a rise and fall with him, and it seemed that the rise of rock music, and the fall of radical politics metaphorically was also a downfall of Phil’s career.
The way the author Marc Eliot portrays Phil in the book is kind of confusing. It hasn't really integrated an overall view, in particular Phil's drive for success as opposed to his very real idealism for the causes he supported. In the 1970s, it became still harder for Phil to reconcile the ongoing struggle for social reform with his desire to be a star.
Phil went on many brave adventures. He went down to the Jim Crow south in the 1960s to protest for civil rights. He was in Chicago during the infamous 1968 Democratic convention He went to Chile in the 1970s and met singer-songwriter-political activist, Victor Jara, before he was murdered by the Pinochet government. Phil idolized Elvis and wanted to be the Elvis of the working class. Elvis Guevara, the ultimate mixed metaphor that was Phil’s splattered rebellious soul.
He also was an alcoholic that had been in countless accidents due to his drinking. He never asked for help or admitted that he had a problem according to Eliot. It's a little disturbing to read what a jerk Phil was a lot of the time... except maybe when he was singing. He also had a serious problem with women. He had a thing for prostitutes and never seemed to keep a loving relationship going for a long time. It's quite apparent that he suffered from legitimate mental illness worsened by alcohol.
Later in Phil’s career he engaged in a lot of narcistic behavior. He would perform in a gold suit from Elvis’s costumer, Nudie Cohn. He also refused to be called Phil Ochs anymore and wanted to be called John Train. His alcoholism and mental illness made him look like a sick, thoughtless person. He never got clean, had a poor diet, didn’t exercise, and had bad hygiene. Eliot portrayed him often as a bum, but somehow seemed to have a lot of friends in spite of it.
Not uncommon for a lot of activists, he cared more about causes than any individual people including his brother, father, ex-wife, and daughter. It was never strongly explained why he cared about these causes other than the song lyrics. Phil’s apparent suicide also symbolized the death of the student movement. It can also be that his failing career caused him to drink himself to death. There was also an FBI file on Phil as thick as the Manhattan phone book. He was labeled a communist by the FBI from 1963 till his death. Who can judge anyone on what that can do to a person. Phil was a victim of the “Lenny Bruce syndrome,” a talent that seemed unlimited somehow twisted into one more narcissistic psychotic on a death trip from which nothing and no one could have saved him.
Death of a Rebel was originally published in 1979. The revised edition I read released in 1995 included records of all the FBI surveillance that Phil was under. I understand the Ochs family was not happy with Eliot’s first edition. More interesting to me, and what improved the reading experience for me is the Afterward to this Edition which covers 20 pages of updates, revisions, and final thoughts about Phil’s life -15 years later from the original publication and 18 years after Phil’s suicide. I wish the entire book was written like the last 20 pages, but I credit Marc Eliot for writing this.
March 25, 2009
This was a good book about one of my heroes.
September 29, 2009
phil ochs was awesome.
Want to read
June 8, 2011I'm very excited about this gift from my dad. I LOVE Phil and while his life-story is difficult, I also find it really inspiring.
February 21, 2016
Engrossing and heartbreaking. I enjoyed this but it brought me to tears, and I hate crying.
Read
December 3, 2017An interesting, well written biography of Phil Ochs. He was active in the early sixties folk revival as a singer songwriter. He wrote many topical songs, similar to Bob Dylan before he went electric. Some of his songs were covered by Joan Baez and others. He hung out with that crowd in NY. But he had conflicting ambitions, to be famous and know for his songs. Unfortunately, he lacked the talent and temperament to be a star and still be beloved. Through the late 60's into the 70's, the quality of his songs and his popularity become the inverse of his efforts. He suffered from serious psychological issues, which he denied and self-medicated. He hung himself at age 35 in 1974.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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January 1, 2019Read this a million years ago, probably when it was fairly new. It made me so angry that it was several years before I could enjoy the music again, and is the reason I very rarely read books by or about anyone whose entertainment work I enjoy.
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