Rehearsals for Retirement
Encyclopedia
Rehearsals For Retirement was Phil Ochs
' sixth album, released in 1969 on A&M Records
. Recorded in the aftermath of Ochs' presence at the 1968 Democratic National Convention
in Chicago
(where his exploits included selecting and purchasing a pig for Abbie Hoffman
and the Yippies to nominate for President), it is the darkest of Ochs' albums, a fact exemplified by its cover, a tombstone proclaiming that Ochs had died in Chicago. Yet is is perhaps the richest in humor and sarcasm.
"Pretty Smart On My Part," the album opener, is a satirical, sardonic celebration of cultural paranoia and its violent expression in American culture. It depecits a right-wing reactionary, who plans to, among other things, "assassinate the President and take over the government" (perhaps impervious to sarcasm, the FBI noted the song Ochs' lengthy FBI file). In "The Doll House," a song about the empty passion of a visit to whore house, Ochs sings one of the refrains mimicing the 1960's vocal delivery style of Bob Dylan
, underscoring the Dylanesque lyrical style of the song. The two, once friends, had become estranged in recent years. To the evident delight of a Vancouver
audience, Ochs also performed the refrain this way in a recorded live performance, eventually released as There and Now: Live in Vancouver 1968
[sic]. The Rehearsals for Retirement version features the baroque piano stylings of Lincoln Mayorga
, who assisted Ochs on all his A&M albums.
In the verses of "I Kill Therefore I Am" (except for the final one), Ochs ironically sings the praises of a police officer clearly guilty of brutality. "William Butler Yeats Visits Lincoln Park and Escapes Unscathed" is Ochs' telling of the events that unfolded in Chicago, followed by an upbeat jaunt ("Where Were You in Chicago?") playfully berating those who weren't there. The 1968 disappearance of the USS Scorpion
was the inspiration for "The Scorpion Departs But Never Returns," the lyrical style of which contrasts sharply with Ochs' other song about a lost nuclear submarine, "The Thresher," from his debut album
. Whereas "The Thresher" is a simplistic, preachy, moralizing ballad, "Scorpion" is filled with inegmatic symbolism, deep passions, and mixed with very cinematic descriptions, most of which express the imagined conditions and changing states of mind (apprehension, fear, denial, etc.) as the Scorpion crew realizes its rapidly declining fate. "Scorpion," along with "When in Rome" from Ochs's previous album is often cited as a masterpiece of Och's songwriting.
"The World Began in Eden and Ended in Los Angeles" seems to portray Ochs' then-home as a hellhole, as all metropoles eventually end up. In "Doesn't Lenny Live Here Anymore," the singer, while in loneliness and despair prepairs his suicide, is visited by of a woman seeking out her ex-lover.
Perhaps the most despairing track on the album is "My Life," in which Ochs states bluntly, "my life is now a death to me," a line which perhaps presages Ochs' suicide seven years later. using a simple structure the lyrics rock on a precarious balance between hope and despair. He also asks the FBI to "take your tap from my phone and leave my life alone."
Phil Ochs
Philip David Ochs was an American protest singer and songwriter who was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, earnest humanism, political activism, insightful and alliterative lyrics, and haunting voice...
' sixth album, released in 1969 on A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
. Recorded in the aftermath of Ochs' presence at the 1968 Democratic National Convention
1968 Democratic National Convention
The 1968 Democratic National Convention of the U.S. Democratic Party was held at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois, from August 26 to August 29, 1968. Because Democratic President Lyndon Johnson had announced he would not seek a second term, the purpose of the convention was to...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
(where his exploits included selecting and purchasing a pig for Abbie Hoffman
Abbie Hoffman
Abbot Howard "Abbie" Hoffman was a political and social activist who co-founded the Youth International Party ....
and the Yippies to nominate for President), it is the darkest of Ochs' albums, a fact exemplified by its cover, a tombstone proclaiming that Ochs had died in Chicago. Yet is is perhaps the richest in humor and sarcasm.
"Pretty Smart On My Part," the album opener, is a satirical, sardonic celebration of cultural paranoia and its violent expression in American culture. It depecits a right-wing reactionary, who plans to, among other things, "assassinate the President and take over the government" (perhaps impervious to sarcasm, the FBI noted the song Ochs' lengthy FBI file). In "The Doll House," a song about the empty passion of a visit to whore house, Ochs sings one of the refrains mimicing the 1960's vocal delivery style of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, underscoring the Dylanesque lyrical style of the song. The two, once friends, had become estranged in recent years. To the evident delight of a Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
audience, Ochs also performed the refrain this way in a recorded live performance, eventually released as There and Now: Live in Vancouver 1968
There and Now: Live in Vancouver 1968
There And Now: Live in Vancouver 1968 [sic] was a 1990 archival release of a concert by Phil Ochs in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, at the PNE Garden Auditorium on Thursday, March 13, 1969...
[sic]. The Rehearsals for Retirement version features the baroque piano stylings of Lincoln Mayorga
Lincoln Mayorga
Lincoln Mayorga is an American pianist, arranger, conductor and composer who has worked in rock and roll, pop, jazz and classical music.-Pop music in the 1950s and 60s:...
, who assisted Ochs on all his A&M albums.
In the verses of "I Kill Therefore I Am" (except for the final one), Ochs ironically sings the praises of a police officer clearly guilty of brutality. "William Butler Yeats Visits Lincoln Park and Escapes Unscathed" is Ochs' telling of the events that unfolded in Chicago, followed by an upbeat jaunt ("Where Were You in Chicago?") playfully berating those who weren't there. The 1968 disappearance of the USS Scorpion
USS Scorpion (SSN-589)
USS Scorpion was a Skipjack-class nuclear submarine of the United States Navy, and the sixth ship of the U.S. Navy to carry that name. Scorpion was declared lost on 5 June 1968 with 99 crew members dying in the incident. The USS Scorpion is one of two nuclear submarines the U.S...
was the inspiration for "The Scorpion Departs But Never Returns," the lyrical style of which contrasts sharply with Ochs' other song about a lost nuclear submarine, "The Thresher," from his debut album
All the News That's Fit to Sing
All The News That's Fit to Sing was Phil Ochs' first official album. Recorded in 1964 for Elektra Records, it was full of many elements that would come back throughout his career. It was the album that defined his "singing journalist" phase, strewn with songs whose roots were allegedly pulled from...
. Whereas "The Thresher" is a simplistic, preachy, moralizing ballad, "Scorpion" is filled with inegmatic symbolism, deep passions, and mixed with very cinematic descriptions, most of which express the imagined conditions and changing states of mind (apprehension, fear, denial, etc.) as the Scorpion crew realizes its rapidly declining fate. "Scorpion," along with "When in Rome" from Ochs's previous album is often cited as a masterpiece of Och's songwriting.
"The World Began in Eden and Ended in Los Angeles" seems to portray Ochs' then-home as a hellhole, as all metropoles eventually end up. In "Doesn't Lenny Live Here Anymore," the singer, while in loneliness and despair prepairs his suicide, is visited by of a woman seeking out her ex-lover.
Perhaps the most despairing track on the album is "My Life," in which Ochs states bluntly, "my life is now a death to me," a line which perhaps presages Ochs' suicide seven years later. using a simple structure the lyrics rock on a precarious balance between hope and despair. He also asks the FBI to "take your tap from my phone and leave my life alone."
Side One
- "Pretty Smart on My Part" – 3:18
- "The Doll House" – 4:39
- "I Kill Therefore I Am" – 2:55
- "William Butler Yeats Visits Lincoln Park and Escapes Unscathed / Where Were You in Chicago?" – 3:29
- "My Life" – 3:12
Side Two
- "The Scorpion Departs But Never Returns" – 4:15
- "The World Began in Eden and Ended in Los Angeles" – 3:06
- "Doesn't Lenny Live Here Anymore?" – 6:11
- "Another Age" – 3:42
- "Rehearsals For Retirement" – 4:09
Participants
- Phil Ochs - guitar, vocals
- Larry Marks - producer
- Lincoln MayorgaLincoln MayorgaLincoln Mayorga is an American pianist, arranger, conductor and composer who has worked in rock and roll, pop, jazz and classical music.-Pop music in the 1950s and 60s:...
- piano, accordion - Bob Rafkin - guitar, bass
- Kevin KelleyKevin Kelley (musician)Kevin Daniel Kelley was an American drummer, best known for his work with the rock bands The Byrds and the Rising Sons. Kelley also played drums for Fever Tree, although it is unknown whether he was an official member of the group or not...
- drums (rumored) - Ian Freebairn-Smith - arrangements