The 60's Psych Thread (lyrics, blues, dance, instrumental, jazz)

Molecules · 07-14-2008, 11:36 PM

Pink Floyd at UFO Club

Reviews

Asylum Choir - Look Inside the Asylum Choir (1968)
Cream - Disraeli Gears (1967)
the Human Instinct - Stoned Guitar (1970)
Jefferson Airplane - After Bathing At Baxter's (1967)
Jefferson Airplane - Crown of Creation (1968)
July - July (1968)
Love Live Life + One - Love Will Make A Better You (1970)
Luv Machine - Luv Machine (1971)
the Misunderstood - Before the Dream Faded (1966)
The Mops - Psychedelic Sounds In Japan (1968)
Tomorrow - Tomorrow (1968)
Various Artists - Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968

For clarity's sake, when I say 60's psych I refer to: psychedelic rock, psychedelic/baroque pop, experimental/avant-garde psych, psychedelic folk, garage rock... and personally I've not encountered anything that could be described as psychedelic (in the conventional sense) from any earlier than 1965. The cut-off year for the featured albums should be 1969 but there are some 1970/71 albums which probably warrant a mention...

Psychedelia typically incorporates: lyrics about psychotropics and perception of reality, a jazz/Eastern influence (modal structures), keyboards (melotrons, Vox and Hammond organs) and more often than not an abundance of studio effects (flanging, reverb, etc).

Since psych is one of the cornerstones of my musical worldview I intend to mend the gap and periodically post some reviews of what I consider to be essential albums. I won't be posting a review of Sgt.Pepper's or Revolver anytime soon because you can't move for reviews of the 'must own' classics these days; but the thread is open for anybody to post their own reviews within the 'psychedelic guidelines' above. In fact I implore people to participate as I'm not too good at this crap...

It might well be that many forum members find it all a bit dated and icky, but I would argue otherwise - without this period of development there'd be no: progressive rock, heavy metal, 'neo-psychedelia'/shoegaze, an awful lot of punk or indeed an awful lot of post-punk.

I'll crack on then! My first review up soon.

lucifer_sam · 07-14-2008, 11:49 PM

Great idea! I'm looking forward to see your first review. I'm hoping to see some general classic albums (Workingman's Dead, etc.) just so I can see your take on the albums, but it is your thread of course.

Rainard Jalen · 07-15-2008, 01:24 AM

Psych... Blues Magoos should count, presumably...

Molecules · 07-15-2008, 01:37 AM

Jefferson Airplane - 'After Bathing At Baxter's' (1967)

In February 1967 Jefferson Airplane's previous album 'Surrealistic Pillow' yielded the phenomenal hits 'Somebody To Love' and thru-the-looking-glass staple 'White Rabbit'...

So when RCA heard the follow-up they must have swallowed their cigars.
Within the year the group had recorded and released 'After Bathing At Baxter's' - an altogether heavier and more experimental proposition. We're not exactly talking John Cage here, but when the harmonies of Grace Slick and Marty Balin (a sound that defines the era for many) are committed to an LP of suites written entirely about the LSD experience you sit up and listen to the results...

Track one fades in with feedback, or the sound of an oncoming brain train... Jorma Kaukonen's lead guitar is pushed right to the front of the mix creating an instant impact; behind which intricate vocal harmonies are soon woven. Make no mistake, Jefferson Airplane may have actually made the album on acid but this ain't no fratboy binge - the creative floodgates have been opened.

No doubt Sgt.Pepper's release earlier that year was a chin-scratcher for the San Francisco stoners. The short instrumental on track two, 'A Small Package Of Value Will Come To You, Shortly', makes it clear we are no longer in chart-courting 'Somebody To Love' territory. It's a disorientating cacophony of jazz drumming, xylophone and nonsensical rambling; a precursor to the 9-minute bad-tripper 'Spare Chaynge'.

Studio experimentation aside, the freak-outs and spine-tingling melodies are abundant; from the galloping 'Watch Her Ride' to the whimsical 'Martha'. Most of the songs are immediate and J.A. have retained their accessibility and 'outdoor festival jam' vibe, whilst offering us a harder, more layered sound. Clearly being possibly the biggest psychedelic band of all time didn't hurt the musicianship either and everybody's playing is on point, no using standard psychedelic sound effects as a crutch.

'After Bathing...' doesn't suffer comparison to 'Surrealistic Pillow'. If you want a more popular/folky slant on free love you'll feel like the latter; the album in question though just rocks alot more whilst keeping those familiar elements that make it archetypal of the West Coast sound and a real psychedelic gem. It was a bold risk they took alienating the primetime Ed Sullivan audience but it paid off...

It's just come to my attention that the allmusic.com rating stands at 3 and a half stars. This is bollocks.

4.25/5

Molecules · 07-15-2008, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rainard Jalen

Psych... Blues Magoos should count, presumably...

mais oui!

Piss Me Off · 07-15-2008, 05:28 AM

I've been playing the 13th Floor Elevators debut a fair amount lately, i think i've caught the psych bug!
I only have the one Jefferson Airplane song, White Rabbit, which is absolutley gorgeous, consider this album on my list.

pheurton · 07-15-2008, 06:11 PM

Volunteers is my favourite jefferson record, although the christian undertones can piss me off.

Seltzer · 07-16-2008, 07:33 AM

I used to be a fairly big fan of the late 60s early 70s psychedelic rock... all the big names as well as bands like Fuzzy Duck, Tamam Shud, Corpus, Irish Coffee, Felt, Rock Island, Goldenrod etc... I haven't given them a listen in aaaages though.

Molecules · 07-17-2008, 07:53 PM

July - 'July' (1968)
link

And so we fumble blindly into my second choice for a poorly constructed review - now crossing the Atlantic for a sample of the idiosyncratic UK scene.

This one's a real corker, just had to be made by a bunch of acidheads from Ealing.
There are a truckload of obscure releases from the psychedelic boom that sold poorly on release; but over time were unearthed by fat loners with beards at Dutch record fairs and are now highly sought after. This sole album by July is one such rarity. Fortunately it's a hit with music bloggers and rightly so; their sound is very trippy, nicely produced and musically proficient.

Raga abounds and between electro-acoustic mantras ('The Way') and wah-wah workouts ('Crying Is For Writers') phase silky basslines and cascading tablas. It's archetypal psych ofcourse so don't expect anything revelatory from the lyrics (or do?); still - they fit the sound like a glove.
It's not all good news however, as invariably with these albums there are one or two tracks that haven't aged too well ('Hallo Who's There', 'Jolly Mary'); but this is more than worth a download for the sublime moments where it all comes together.

Low-budget, long-forgotten, but a fine specimen from the crest of the psychedelic rock wave. Oh and two of the members apparently went on to fame and fortune in Jade Warrior. Terrific.

4.0/5

jackhammer · 07-18-2008, 02:33 PM

Great thread. An area of music I should frequent more. Are we going to see some Iron Butterfly and The Move? I am lacking in their music too

07-14-2008, 11:36 PM	#1 (permalink)
Molecules daddy don't Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: the Wastes Posts: 2,577	The 60's Psych Thread Pink Floyd at UFO Club Reviews Asylum Choir - Look Inside the Asylum Choir (1968) Cream - Disraeli Gears (1967) the Human Instinct - Stoned Guitar (1970) Jefferson Airplane - After Bathing At Baxter's (1967) Jefferson Airplane - Crown of Creation (1968) July - July (1968) Love Live Life + One - Love Will Make A Better You (1970) Luv Machine - Luv Machine (1971) the Misunderstood - Before the Dream Faded (1966) The Mops - Psychedelic Sounds In Japan (1968) Tomorrow - Tomorrow (1968) Various Artists - Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968 For clarity's sake, when I say 60's psych I refer to: psychedelic rock, psychedelic/baroque pop, experimental/avant-garde psych, psychedelic folk, garage rock... and personally I've not encountered anything that could be described as psychedelic (in the conventional sense) from any earlier than 1965. The cut-off year for the featured albums should be 1969 but there are some 1970/71 albums which probably warrant a mention... Psychedelia typically incorporates: lyrics about psychotropics and perception of reality, a jazz/Eastern influence (modal structures), keyboards (melotrons, Vox and Hammond organs) and more often than not an abundance of studio effects (flanging, reverb, etc). Since psych is one of the cornerstones of my musical worldview I intend to mend the gap and periodically post some reviews of what I consider to be essential albums. I won't be posting a review of Sgt.Pepper's or Revolver anytime soon because you can't move for reviews of the 'must own' classics these days; but the thread is open for anybody to post their own reviews within the 'psychedelic guidelines' above. In fact I implore people to participate as I'm not too good at this crap... It might well be that many forum members find it all a bit dated and icky, but I would argue otherwise - without this period of development there'd be no: progressive rock, heavy metal, 'neo-psychedelia'/shoegaze, an awful lot of punk or indeed an awful lot of post-punk. I'll crack on then! My first review up soon. __________________ [SIZE="1"]Eff em tumble her Last edited by Molecules; 11-15-2009 at 07:49 PM.

07-14-2008, 11:49 PM	#2 (permalink)
lucifer_sam Unrepentant Ass-Mod Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 3,921	Great idea! I'm looking forward to see your first review. I'm hoping to see some general classic albums (Workingman's Dead, etc.) just so I can see your take on the albums, but it is your thread of course. __________________ first.am

07-15-2008, 01:37 AM	#4 (permalink)
Molecules daddy don't Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: the Wastes Posts: 2,577	Jefferson Airplane - 'After Bathing At Baxter's' (1967) In February 1967 Jefferson Airplane's previous album 'Surrealistic Pillow' yielded the phenomenal hits 'Somebody To Love' and thru-the-looking-glass staple 'White Rabbit'... So when RCA heard the follow-up they must have swallowed their cigars. Within the year the group had recorded and released 'After Bathing At Baxter's' - an altogether heavier and more experimental proposition. We're not exactly talking John Cage here, but when the harmonies of Grace Slick and Marty Balin (a sound that defines the era for many) are committed to an LP of suites written entirely about the LSD experience you sit up and listen to the results... Track one fades in with feedback, or the sound of an oncoming brain train... Jorma Kaukonen's lead guitar is pushed right to the front of the mix creating an instant impact; behind which intricate vocal harmonies are soon woven. Make no mistake, Jefferson Airplane may have actually made the album on acid but this ain't no fratboy binge - the creative floodgates have been opened. No doubt Sgt.Pepper's release earlier that year was a chin-scratcher for the San Francisco stoners. The short instrumental on track two, 'A Small Package Of Value Will Come To You, Shortly', makes it clear we are no longer in chart-courting 'Somebody To Love' territory. It's a disorientating cacophony of jazz drumming, xylophone and nonsensical rambling; a precursor to the 9-minute bad-tripper 'Spare Chaynge'. Studio experimentation aside, the freak-outs and spine-tingling melodies are abundant; from the galloping 'Watch Her Ride' to the whimsical 'Martha'. Most of the songs are immediate and J.A. have retained their accessibility and 'outdoor festival jam' vibe, whilst offering us a harder, more layered sound. Clearly being possibly the biggest psychedelic band of all time didn't hurt the musicianship either and everybody's playing is on point, no using standard psychedelic sound effects as a crutch. 'After Bathing...' doesn't suffer comparison to 'Surrealistic Pillow'. If you want a more popular/folky slant on free love you'll feel like the latter; the album in question though just rocks alot more whilst keeping those familiar elements that make it archetypal of the West Coast sound and a real psychedelic gem. It was a bold risk they took alienating the primetime Ed Sullivan audience but it paid off... It's just come to my attention that the allmusic.com rating stands at 3 and a half stars. This is bollocks. 4.25/5 __________________ [SIZE="1"]Eff em tumble her Last edited by Molecules; 07-15-2008 at 02:20 AM.

07-15-2008, 05:28 AM	#6 (permalink)
Piss Me Off Moodswings n' Roundabouts Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: At the corner of Dude and Catastrophe Posts: 4,512	I've been playing the 13th Floor Elevators debut a fair amount lately, i think i've caught the psych bug! I only have the one Jefferson Airplane song, White Rabbit, which is absolutley gorgeous, consider this album on my list. __________________ Last FM Rate Yr Music Muxtape

07-16-2008, 07:33 AM	#8 (permalink)
Seltzer Fish in the percolator! Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Hobbit Land NZ Posts: 2,870	I used to be a fairly big fan of the late 60s early 70s psychedelic rock... all the big names as well as bands like Fuzzy Duck, Tamam Shud, Corpus, Irish Coffee, Felt, Rock Island, Goldenrod etc... I haven't given them a listen in aaaages though. __________________ In the Court of King Crimson \| Last.fm \| RYM

07-15-2008, 01:24 AM	#3 (permalink)
Rainard Jalen Music Addict Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 2,221	Psych... Blues Magoos should count, presumably...

07-15-2008, 06:11 PM	#7 (permalink)
pheurton n/a Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 990	Volunteers is my favourite jefferson record, although the christian undertones can piss me off.

07-17-2008, 07:53 PM	#9 (permalink)
Molecules daddy don't Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: the Wastes Posts: 2,577	July - 'July' (1968) link And so we fumble blindly into my second choice for a poorly constructed review - now crossing the Atlantic for a sample of the idiosyncratic UK scene. This one's a real corker, just had to be made by a bunch of acidheads from Ealing. There are a truckload of obscure releases from the psychedelic boom that sold poorly on release; but over time were unearthed by fat loners with beards at Dutch record fairs and are now highly sought after. This sole album by July is one such rarity. Fortunately it's a hit with music bloggers and rightly so; their sound is very trippy, nicely produced and musically proficient. Raga abounds and between electro-acoustic mantras ('The Way') and wah-wah workouts ('Crying Is For Writers') phase silky basslines and cascading tablas. It's archetypal psych ofcourse so don't expect anything revelatory from the lyrics (or do?); still - they fit the sound like a glove. It's not all good news however, as invariably with these albums there are one or two tracks that haven't aged too well ('Hallo Who's There', 'Jolly Mary'); but this is more than worth a download for the sublime moments where it all comes together. Low-budget, long-forgotten, but a fine specimen from the crest of the psychedelic rock wave. Oh and two of the members apparently went on to fame and fortune in Jade Warrior. Terrific. 4.0/5 __________________ [SIZE="1"]Eff em tumble her

07-18-2008, 02:33 PM	#10 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	Great thread. An area of music I should frequent more. Are we going to see some Iron Butterfly and The Move? I am lacking in their music too __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”