Rag Baby

Time Flies By is the most significant new release from stalwart Bay Area singer/songwriter Country Joe McDonald in a good many years, even if it doesn’t offer anything different enough to alter the established assumption of who he is. A newly recorded double-CD set, it gathers songs from throughout his career, some going back to the days of his old band Country Joe and
the Fish ( “Section 43,” “Who Am I” ), and some written as recently as last year. Musically, it’s a mixed bag that touches on all of McDonald’s favored genres, from jug band tunes to straight-ahead rockers and stripped-down folk. For the occasion, McDonald called in some old friends, among them drummer Greg Dewey, who played in the Woodstock-era Fish, and a handful of guests (the Rowan Brothers, The Persuasions). Sans frills and fuss, they have put together a simple, effective home recording that shows McDonald is still an affecting deliverer of songs.