I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die

I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die
Studio album by Country Joe and the Fish
Released	November 1967
Recorded	July and August 1967
Studio	Vanguard, New York City
Genre	Psychedelic rock
Length	44:56
Label	Vanguard VSD 79266
Producer	Samuel Charters
Country Joe and the Fish chronology
Electric Music for the Mind and Body (1967) I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die (1967) Together (1968)

I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die is the second studio album by the influential San Francisco psychedelic rock band, Country Joe and the Fish, released at the end of 1967.

The second album was released just six months after the first and is another prime example of the band's psychedelic experimentation. It again features organ-heavy psychedelia and Eastern melodic lines, with more acoustic guitar than the debut. During this time, the band continued to build on their growing fame by performing at local venues like the Fillmore Auditorium. The album, as a whole, fit well in the psychedelic scene of San Francisco. The band effectively used satirical humor to express their outspoken views toward the Vietnam War and other hot topics of the counterculture. Although the rest of the tracks were not as well-known, they were still accessible and showcased Country Joe McDonald as a lead vocalist. With the creativity of the band reaching a peak, the band began touring nationally and became positively regarded for their live light shows.

Songs and Recording

Recordings took place in Vanguard studios in 71 West 23rd Street, New York City, during July and August 1967 with the exception of "Thought Dream" which was an outtake from the February 1967 sessions for Electric Music for the Mind and Body.

The title track remains one of the most popular Vietnam protest songs from the 1960s, having originally appeared in folky acoustic form on an October 1965 EP titled Rag Baby: Songs of Opposition. It was originally considered for the debut album but held over by producer Samuel Charters on account of its controversial lyric. On the album, "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag" appears following "The Fish Cheer", which at concerts became a Country Joe standard. At Woodstock, Joe had the crowd yell F-U-C-K instead of F-I-S-H. Another of the more well-known numbers is the charming waltz-time track "Janis", which opens side two and was written for McDonald's then-girlfriend Janis Joplin. It is the second song written for a female musician included on their albums, the other being "Grace" on the debut in honor of Grace Slick.

Other songs on the album include the closing instrumentals "Eastern Jam", which features raga-inflected fuzz guitar work from Barry Melton and "Colors for Susan", a slow, meditative acoustic guitar piece which conjures a similar mood to the quiet parts of "Section 43." In addition, two short interlude pieces, "The H-Bomb Song" and "The Acid Commercial", appear back-to-back in-between "Thought Dream" and "Thursday." Both pieces were often performed during the band's live shows as comic relief.

Release and Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Rolling Stone	(Favorable)

The album was released in November 1967 and eventually peaked at #67 on Billboard in early 1968. Two singles were released in the wake of the album, neither of which charted. These include "Janis"/"Janis (instrumental)" and "Who Am I"/"Thursday".

The original album sleeve contained a poster for "The Fish Game", a huge 22 x 33-inch fold-out board game sheet for throwing a dice and moving five band-member cut-out paper pieces around on. Various goals are available for the game such as "scoring a joint".

The original Rolling Stone review was favorable, as was its entry in the 1979 edition of the Rolling Stone Record Guide, where it was given four stars and deemed a worthy successor to the debut which demonstrated the group's maturation. By contrast, Richie Unterburger at AllMusic declared it an inferior period piece compared to its predecessor but noted the title track, "Who Am I?" and "Thursday" as touching psychedelic ballads.

The title song faced a legal challenge from the estate of New Orleans jazz trombone pioneer Edward "Kid" Ory, whose daughter Babette claimed that McDonald had appropriated the melody for his song from Ory's classic "Muskrat Ramble" as recorded by Louis Armstrong & his Hot Five in 1926. A 2005 judgment upheld McDonald's copyright on the song, claiming that Ory had waited too long to make the claim.

The 2013 digi-pack double disc set includes both stereo and mono versions of the album, the latter available for the first time since 1967. Bonus cuts include an unreleased alternate mix of the title track (minus sound effects) and an instrumental version of "Janis" (the original flip side to the single of the same name), both on the mono disc, and a deluxe 40-page booklet stuffed with rare photos and memorabilia. It also comes complete with a replica of The Fish Game, as included in original LPs.

Track listing

All songs by Country Joe McDonald, except where noted. "Janis" is the first song on side two of the original LP.

1. "The "Fish" Cheer/I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag" – 3:44
2. "Who Am I" – 4:05
3. "Pat's Song" – 5:26
4. "Rock Coast Blues" – 3:57
5. "Magoo" – 4:44
6. "Janis" – 2:36
7. "Thought Dream" – 6:39
8. "Thursday" (Cohen, Hirsh) – 3:20
9. "Eastern Jam" (Barthol, Cohen, Hirsh, Melton) – 4:27
10. "Colors for Susan" – 5:58

The 2013 digi pack double disc set includes two bonus cuts added to the mono disc.

11. "Janis" (Instrumental) - 2:37
12. "I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die" (Alternative Mix) - 3:02

Personnel

Country Joe and the Fish

• Country Joe McDonald – vocals (tracks 1-8), acoustic guitar (tracks 2, 5, 6, 10), rhythm guitar (tracks 3, 7), organ (track 8)
• Barry Melton – 12-string guitar (track 1), vocals (tracks 1, 5), kazoo (track 1), rhythm guitar (tracks 2, 4, 5), lead guitar (tracks 3, 4, 6-9)
• David Cohen - calliope (tracks 1, 6), vocals (track 1), lead guitar (tracks 2, 5, 9, 10), organ (tracks 3, 7), bells (track 3), rhythm guitar (track 4), harpsichord (track 6), acoustic guitar (track 8)
• Bruce Barthol – bass; vocals (track 1), barking (track 1), harmonica (track 6)
• Gary "Chicken" Hirsh - drums; wine bottle (track 1), congas (track 9), bells (track 10)