After a run of early 60s hits, Missouri-born songwriter Eugene McDaniels had a political phase, Compared to What being the unparallelled highlight. Above is the version performed by Les McCann and Eddie Harris at Montreux in 1969, and here’s Daniels talking about it last year. I wish I’d had a chance to interview him — he seems like a total gent.
And finally, the Roots and John Legend performing it last year:
DORIAN LYNSKEY is the author of 33 Revolutions Per Minute: A History of Protest Songs, published by Faber and Faber (March 2011) and Ecco (April 2011). He writes for the Guardian, The Word, Q, Spin and Empire.
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