Country Joe and the Fish, hereinafter referred to as CJ&TF, is another group which, between first and second records, has gone through a number of changes. The first thing that strikes you is the record cover, far more professional and, thank God, tasteful in execution than the first one. Similarly the production of the music and the songs are also done with more experience and taste.

Their first record was done far too early in their development and reflected a great deal of amateurish on all sides. For example, the organ on the first LP, which many people found so appealing as a sound because it was so familiar and so easy to understand, has by comparison matured tremendously in approach and content. Similarly the guitar work is much more sophisticated.

On top of this, CJ&TF have worked in a better studio and added sounds and effects to their record that are not a part of the group. However, there are certain problems that still remain; the CJ&TF cheer that opens the record is very funny and from it one can very well intuit the whole funky Berkeley bag that CJ&TF come from. On the other hand, the LSD commercial—listen to it twice—is an essentially tasteless bit.

"Janis," the song written for Janis Joplin of Big Brother and the Holding Company, hereinafter referred to as BB&THC, was not at all the track to pick for single release. The "Bomb Song" would have been more commerical. They are better at being political than at trying to be hip.

The music is fairly simple in concept. "Eastern Jam" is not as involved in Eastern-influenced- electronics and patterns as Butterfield's "East-West." However it has an elementary hypnotic effect, and if that effect—as in "Colors for Susan" as well—is what they're after and that is the way they want to go about it, then CJ&TF are into their thing. (RS 3)