
Given their origins, both geographically (San Francisco) and stylistically (founder Joe McDonald and lead guitarist Barry Melton first hooked up in a jug band), it wasn't surprising that the ragtag Fish sounded like an acid-soaked, plugged-in folk band when they debuted in '67. Simultaneously the most political and funniest of all the Northern California bands, the Fish's yippie-hippie philosophy was reflected in songs like "Superbird" (about Lyndon Johnson), "Flying High" (about getting you-know-what), and the bluesy free love saga, "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine." That they could periodically wax serious as well (the wide-angled instrumental "Section Forty Three" and the moody "Bass Strings") only added more bite to their satiric pungency.
--Billy Altman Customer Review: Whoah there.
This is hands down, the best album of all time!!!! Sounds best on vinyl.
Customer Review: A Masterpiece
Wow! What to say about this highly entertaining and great piece of music. So, the Commie Pinko band can really rock! Everyone (conservative that is) back in the sixties thought of these guys as communists and agitators. Funny thing is they only had a few political songs. The rest make some of the greatest psychedelic music to come out of San Francisco. I remember seeing this album in the record stores and always wanted to get it but just never did. I ended up getting Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die instead. Now that album is fantastic... but we are talking about this one. Some 30 odd years later, I finally get a copy of the CD. Wow! The tunes are mostly blues based and Barry and David have incredible guitar chops. I particularly like their minor key runs and the fuzz guitar. This group of guys had some real chemistry and I don't know about the third album, but this one and the Fixin' album are just incredible. Favorites are Death Sound, Flying High, just to name a few. Death Sound is how psychedelic blues should be played! When I think back on it, I can hear a lot of Barry Melton and David Cohen influence in my guitar playing. Highly recommended.
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