Tracks: You're Gonna Miss Me / Roller Coaster / Splash 1 (Now I'm Home) / Reverberation (Doubt) / Don't Fall Down / Fire Engine / Thru the Rhythm / You Don't Know / Kingdom of Heaven / Monkey Island / Tried to Hide
While Dylan was the lyrical inspiration for the genre, this is the first band to refer to themselves as psychedelic rock. Formed in Austin, Texas in 1965 by guitarist and vocalist Roky Erickson, electric jug player Tommy Hall, and guitarist Stacy Sutherland. Their debut has a raw, rough noisy garage band sound, drug inspired, "You're Gonna Miss Me" is an enduring classic. I might like their more polished follow up, Easter Everywhere a little more, but this, and the next listed album, is where the sound really gets going. 1966 is your true launching point.
Tracks: Color Dreams / Pink Ether / When Rain Is Black / It's All a Part of Me / Turned On / Psychedelic Moon / Shadows on the Wall / Crystal Nite / Trip #76 / Wake Up and Find Me / Your Choice to Choose / On Off-Off On
This acid fueled release might have been the first album to use to term psychedelic in its title (near to it was the Blue Magoos, "Psychedelic Lollipop", which sound-wise was more garage than psych) - recorded in the dark, reportedly under the influence of LSD, over the course of 2 days - with strange overdubs and offbeat vocals (lead and backing). Lyrics are a hippy trip, and while a product of the time and the genre, I'm not going to ding it too much it for that (okay, "Psychedelic Moon" is goofy), because for the most part it effectively takes listeners on a hallucinogenic journey to the past.
Tracks: Up Down Turnaround World / Long Years in Space / Feeling Zero / Over the Rainbow / Changes Brought to Me / Please Leave Me Alone / Chocolate Angel / Happy Child / Patterns / Happy World of Captain K / She's Got no Identification / Hobbit's Dream
Starting off an Oregon R&B, surf band, before moving to San Francisco, where they were influenced by that musical scene. Their lone release features several psyche gems, like the moody mantra-like "Long Years in Space" - but they also blend in sunshine pop, a silly cover and nursery rhyme fluff, a screaming instrumental/spoken word, with bits of Jefferson Airplane - like the Electric Prunes debut, it's all over the place, but this is stronger - some great songs, some fair, but never a dull moment. A 1997 compilation (Long Years in Space) includes previously unreleased material.
Tracks: S. F. Sorrow Is Born / Bracelets of Fingers / She Says Good Morning / Private Sorrow / Balloon Burning / Death / Baron Saturday / The Journey / I See You / Well of Destiny / Trust / Old Man Going / Loneliest Person
Pretty Things have been around for a while and have seen their sound change, but they dabbled with the psychedelic on a couple of albums, with this also earning the distinction of the first rock opera, which tracks the progression of a character named Sebatian, from birth to eventual disillusionment - life is a tragedy, illustrated in the stellar "Balloon is Burning", where S.F. loses the love of his life in the Hindenburg disaster, grim stuff, but an incredible listen, produced by Norman Smith (The Beatles, Pink Floyd). The song that came out before, "Deflecting Grey" is pretty wild too.
Tomorrow (February 1968)
The United States of America (March 6, 1968)
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Jefferson Airplane, Surrealistic Pillow (Feb 1, 1967)
Cream, Disraeli Gears (Nov 2, 1967)
Pink Floyd, Piper at the Gates of Dawn (Aug 4, 1967)
The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Are You Experienced (May 12, 1967)
The Zombies, Odessey and Oracle (April 19, 1967)
Love, Forever Changes (Nov 1, 1967)
Tracks: My White Bicycle / Colonel Brown / Real Life Permanent Dream / Shy Boy / Revolution / The Incredible Journey of Timothy Chase / Auntie Mary's Dress Shop / Strawberry Fields Forever / Three Jolly Little Dwarfs / Now Your Time Has Come / Hallucinations
The only studio release from UK freakbeat band that featured Steve Howe (Yes) on guitar, with Keith West as vocalist and songwriter. The stellar "My White Bicycle" was the song that brought me to the LP, but there's a lot to enjoy beyond that one, like "Hallucinations", which reminds me of Cream. I've been listening to the 1999 remaster, but in 2023 Howe reworked the album, with extra tracks, as "Permanent Dream"
Tracks: The American Metaphysical Circus / Hard Coming Love / Cloud Song / The Garden of Earthly Delights / I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife for You, Sugar / Where Is Yesterday / Coming Down / Love Song for the Dead Ché / Stranded in Time / The American Way of Love (I. Metaphor for an Older Man - II. California Good-Time Music - III. Love Is All)
Electronic, acid rock with a political slant. Founded in Los Angeles in 1967 by composer Joseph Byrd and vocalist Dorothy Moskowitz, with electric violinist Gordon Marron, bassist Rand Forbes and drummer Craig Woodson. They disbanded shortly after releasing their debut. Their sound is both jarring and melodic, primitive yet progressive - while short lived, they had an influence on several who came after (Portishead, Broadcast). A 2004 reissue included bonus tracks.
Red Crayola, The Parable of Arable Land (June 1967)
Tracks: Free Form Freak-Outs, with songs, Hurricane Fighter Plane / Transparent Radiation / War Sucks / Pink Stainless Tail / Parable of Arable Land / Former Reflections Enduring Doubt
Freak-outs by The Creative Ugly, coupled to 6 nightmarish numbers from Mayo Thompson (vocals, guitars), Steve Cunningham (bass), and Rick Barthelme (drums). The standout is "Hurricane Fighter Plane", which always makes me feel ill at ease. It's like the music equivalent to "Eraserhead". Maybe it's that 3 note bass (?) line that repeats over and over. Or the static and off-key arraignment. The song weirds me out, but I can't stop listening to it. I love it even though it makes me feel... off. The LPs been recategorized as Noise Rock, rather than psychedelic, though truth be told, as AllMusic's Mark Demming wrote, "it exists on a plane all its own".
The Moody Blues, The Search of the Lost Chord (July 26, 1968)
Tracks: Departure / Ride My See-Saw / Dr. Livingstone, I Presume / House of Four Doors - Part 1 / Legend of a Mind / House of Four Doors - Part 2 / Voices in the Sky / The Best Way to Travell / Visions of Travel / The Actor / The Word / Om
A musical journey of discovery - an exploration of the self and the world, as filtered through a veil of mysticism and philosophy... sometimes poetically serious about its themes, at others, taking a piss out of it all when it comes too close to pretention. The Blues are experimenting with new instruments, seeing just how far they can push the boundaries, while keeping to a sound that is melodic and flows like water. And if all of that reads like cosmic hooey, I can't help it, the record has that effect on a person. "Ride My See-Saw" and "Legend of the Mind" are two of the highlights.
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Tracks: She Has Funny Cars / Somebody to Love / My Best Friend / Today / Comin' Back to Me / 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds / D.C.B.A.–25 / How Do You Feel / Embryonic Journey / White Rabbit / Plastic Fantastic Lover
The Sgt. Pepper's inspired Bathing at Baxter's might be freakier, but I prefer the tunes on this one, with classics like the dreamy "Today", "Plastic Fantastic Lover", and “White Rabbit” - a tune that opens with the minimalistic rat-a-tat-tat of the drums, a throbbing bass, and a snake like guitar lick - it builds in intensity as it goes, telling the surreal tale of Alice in Wonderland as drug metaphor. Grace Slick has a strong contralto voice. Her singing weaves sinuously and powerful, matching the force of the music note for note. It reaches its frenzied peak and climaxes in a storm of crashing drum and guitars… 2 minutes and 30 seconds of pure rock and roll bliss.
Airplane personifies and acts as the perfect soundtrack to the Haight-Ashbury counterculture, folk, psychedelia movement of the 60s.
Tracks: Strange Brew / Sunshine of Your Love / World of Pain / Dance the Night Away / Blue Condition / Tales of Brave Ulysses / SWLABR / We're Going Wrong / Outside Woman Blues / Take It Back / Mother's Lament
R&B given a psychedelic makeover. Aside from the throwaway number at the end ("Mother's Lament" mars this masterpiece) “Gears” is Cream's most consistent effort, with songs about Ulysses (my favorite here), strange brew and a bearded rainbow. The cream of crop for this band, though Wheels of Fire, with the amazing "White Room" is pretty awesome too.
The Who, The Who Sell Out (Dec 15, 1967)
Tracks: Armenia City in the Sky / Heinz Baked Beans / Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand / Odorono / Tattoo / Our Love Was / I Can See for Miles / I Can't Reach You / Medac (Spotted Henry) / Relax / Silas Stingy / Sunrise / Rael 1 & 2 - (the 1995 CD included several bonus tracks)
This is my favorite Who album because it’s fun and very catchy. With radio commercials interspersed between the tunes, it's like having the radio in record form. “I Can See for Miles” is the LPs highlight, though not it's only ace. There are surreal sounds and acoustic ballads with pretty harmonies ("Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand"). I remember how the cover stood out on the record racks, you just had to check it out to hear what it was all about - a successful ad campaign all around.
Tracks: Astronomy Dominé / Lucifer Sam / Matilda Mother / Flaming / Pow R. Toc H. / Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk / Interstellar Overdrive / The Gnome / Chapter 24 / The Scarecrow / Bike
Syd Barrett's Floyd was a different animal - While self-consciously surreal, it's done with such fresh-faced exuberance that I was easily charmed. "The Gnome" is a hoot and "Bike" is equally fun, I loved its shifting tempos, and the way it moves from sing-song vocals at the verses, into an off-kilter, non-chorus, accompanied by theremin-like backing, which ends with a clipped explosion of percussion. The LP might not have the polish and gravity of later PF works, but it's that freewheeling spirit that drew me in. I liked the psychedelic flourishes. I liked the playful vocals and strange trippy lyrics. I liked the overall production - Norman Smith was George Martin's right-hand man before helming this project, and his work is tight, while maintaining an open experimental feel.
Original US Track Order: Purple Haze / Manic Depression / Hey Joe / Love or Confusion / May This Be Love / I Don't Live Today / The Wind Cries Mary / Fire / Third Stone from the Sun / Foxey Lady / Are You Experienced? - 1997 CD Bonus Tracks: Stone Free / 51st Anniversary / Highway Chile / Can You See Me / Remember / Red House
A lot of the greatest, familiar tunes are here (Purple Haze, Hey Joe, Foxey Lady, Wind Cried Mary) but there is so much more to enjoy. Mitch Mitchell's unique jazzy drums and Noel Redding's trebly, chord-heavy bass lines add layers to Jimi's smooth guitar work. Blues and psychedelic rock collide brilliantly, and even lesser tunes have something to offer ("Remember" features some of Jimi's best vocals, for example). "Axis: Bold as Love" and "Electric Ladyland" are two other psych classics well worth experiencing, but the bands stellar debut is my go-to Hendrix.
Tracks: Care of Cell 44 / A Rose for Emily / Maybe After He's Gone / Beechwood Park / Brief Candles / Hung Up on a Dream / Changes / I Want Her, She Wants Me / This Will Be Our Year / Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914) / Friends of Mine / Time of the Season
The Zombies are best known for 3 hits, "Tell Her No", "She's Not There" and the stupendous number found on this masterpiece, "Time of the Season". This psychedelic, keyboard pop, is boosted by expressive vocals and lyrics that probe a variety of subjects, including the great "Care of Cell 44" which is a letter sent to a girlfriend in jail. Hooky popper "This Will Be Our Year" (but I need the horns), the haunting "Butcher's Tale" with Chris White's effective, warbly vocals, and "Beachwood Park" a flower power gem, are among the cuts that make this a timeless classic - even as it embraces the era so completely, Odessey never sounds dated. The CD includes both Mono & Stereo mixes (and there are differences) and the bonus songs on my copy includes "Imagine the Swan" and "If It Don't Work Out", which has an incredible groove, I just love the arrangement of the instruments on that track.
Tracks: Alone Again Or / A House Is Not a Motel / Andmoreagain / The Daily Planet / Old Man / The Red Telephone / Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale / Live and Let Live / The Good Humor Man He Sees Everything Like This / Bummer in the Summer / You Set the Scene
After the heavy electric of "Da Capo", Love returns with this lush, acoustic masterpiece. Lee has kind of a Johnny Mathis thing going on with his vocals and this style meshes perfectly with his singing. Lyrical it's a juxtaposition between light and dark. "Andmoreagain" is one of the most beautiful tunes I've ever heard, and as a whole this album transports me, from the memorable opening track, to the epic closer, with its changing time signature signaled by beguiling horns (and Lord, those strings), Forever Changes takes me on psychedelic journey. I've read that "Wonder People" was left off the LP because Lee felt it didn't fit, is that lyrically, because musically it suits the record better than the Dylanesque "Bummer in the Summer" the only (minor) misstep on an otherwise flawless collection. (but hell, I just switch them out and I'm in Heaven).
Tracks: Opening Ceremony / Porpoise Song (Theme from Head) / Ditty Diego—War Chant / Circle Sky / Supplicio / Can You Dig It? / Gravy / Superstitious / As We Go Along / Dandruff? / Daddy's Song / Poll / Long Title: Do I Have to Do This All Over Again? / Swami—Plus Strings, Etc.
A difficult choice between 2 bits of Monkee madness - Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. is my overall favorite, with tracks that certainly fit the criterion, what with Mickey's Moog contributing to the vibe; but Head is even more out-there; a soundtrack to their avant-garde feature film, it blends 6 new songs, with sound collages overseen by Jack Nicholson that gives the release a bit of a Revolution 9 flavor. Peter's contributions were among his finest - the groovy, "Can You Dig It" with its memorable guitar work (supplied by Tork?) and, "Long Title: Do I have to Do This All Over Again?" (dig that Lance Wakely bass). Also, Goffin & King's hypnotic "Porpoise Song" is a surreal, keyboard infused Acid classic. Last but not least, lets close with 2 I've spoken of previously on this blog...
Alice Cooper, Pretties for You (June 25, 1969)
Tracks: Titanic Overture / 10 Minutes Before the Worm / Sing Low, Sweet Cheerio / Today Mueller / Living / Fields of Regret / No Longer Umpire / Levity Ball / B.B. on Mars / Reflected / Apple Bush / Earwigs to Eternity / Changing Arranging
Not an album you'll see named often in lists like this, but I unapologetically love it. To quote myself - "Puzzling and original, Cooper’s experimental lo-fi debut album is like nothing you’ve ever heard from the band. There are little snippets of songs, bits that start here then suddenly go there, and lengthy but utterly enthralling instrumental segments... it's trippy and weird and raw, but not unfocused, there are catchy guitar licks (Living), bass lines (Apple Bush), harmonicas (Cheerio) and melodies to dig." for more on it, check out my full review... Cooper - Part 1
The Beatles, Revolver (Aug 5, 1966)
Tracks: Taxman / Eleanor Rigby / I'm Only Sleeping / Love You To / Here, There and Everywhere / Yellow Submarine / She Said She Said / Good Day Sunshine / And Your Bird Can Sing / For No One / Doctor Robert / I Want to Tell You / Got to Get You into My Life / Tomorrow Never Knows
"Magical Mystery Tour" is arguably the most psyche of the Beatle psychedelic albums, and Pepper's is the one that changed the musical landscape, but "Revolver" is my favorite, and while it offers a wide mix of styles and personalities, Lennon's She Said and Tomorrow Never Knows are prime, mind-bending examples of the style, and marks the lad's transition to a whole different musical realm. For more of my thoughts on these and other records... Beatle Rankings
Psychedelic Cinema of the 60s
Movies with a groovy look, a groovy sound with a story that's a trip - here are a few I dug
1965: Juliet of the Spirits * 1966: Daisies * 1967: Magical Mystery Tour / The Trip
1968: 2001: A Space Odyssey / Yellow Submarine / Head / Barbarella / The Girl on a Motorcycle / Danger: Diabolik * 1969: Easy Rider / Psych-Out
