Of course there are too many noteworthy songs of protest to fit onto one collection, even (or especially) if you're limiting yourself to the '60s, as Rhino does on this compilation. Still, it does a good job of mixing monster hits by
Barry McGuire,
Sonny Bono,
Dion,
the Kingston Trio,
the Temptations, and
Edwin Starr with more obscure cuts.
Country Joe's "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" is here, as well as
Sonny Bono's self-pitying "Laugh at Me," the pre-electric
Donovan cover of
Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Universal Soldier," and
Manfred Mann's fine, overlooked cover of
Dylan's "With God on Our Side." The most hard-to-find songs span the opposite ends of the spectrum. "It's Good News Week," a 1966 hit for the
Jonathan King-led group
Hedgehoppers Anonymous, is a lightweight catalog of social ills that retains considerable period charm. Far more earnest is
Phil Ochs' "I Ain't Marching Anymore," represented here by the non-LP, electric folk-rock version released as a single in 1966. Although it made no commercial impact, it holds up to the best protest anthems of the era, both musically and lyrically.
–
Richie Unterberger, Rovi