[Phil Ochs] has been especially effective in his talking blues, where his wonderful sense of humor has forced hostile audiences to laugh and even question their beliefs on such controversial topics as Cuba and Vietnam. Ochs' style is not poetic, it is, rather, straightforward and natural, well adapted to the understatement of the talking blues. (pp. 87-8)

["Talking Cuba"] is typical of Phil Ochs' work in its humor, and in the number of its versions—he is always rewriting and improving his songs. (p. 88)

His training as a journalist is an invaluable asset. Ochs' songs contain clearly stated ideas that are at times brilliantly merged with flowing tunes.

Perhaps the best example is "Links on the Chain." The central image is a chain that represents labor's strength. (pp. 88-9)

Josh Dunson, "Song Writer-Singers: Phil Ochs," in his Freedom in the Air: Song Movements of the Sixties (copyright © by...