MovieChat Forums > Festival Express (2004) Discussion > Must-have psychedelic albums of the flow...

Must-have psychedelic albums of the flower power era?

posted 15 years ago by PaperShredder
8 replies | jump to latest

Somewhere around the end of the last year I started to seriously purchase the music of the late 60's (and the very early 70's) and it's safe to say a whole new world of music opened up to me and I knew there was definitely no turning back.

For about a year now I've been listening exclusively stuff that was recorded during this (way too) short experimental period in the history of popular music. Obviously I've already found, heard and learned a lot but I got a nagging feeling that I've still only scratched the surface.

There must be dozens of spectacular psychedelia/acid rock albums I haven't even heard about yet. If you can lend me a helping hand so that I can continue my exciting and surprising musical journey to those wild days of the past it will be highly appreciated. All good recommendations are more than welcome. Thank you in advance.

[–] Nan00k 15 years ago

There's so much good stuff. Maybe you can list what you've heard so far and what you've liked, so we can make more informed recommendations...?

But some albums can't wait, so here's a few off the top of my head that you may not have heard already:

Frank Zappa - Freak Out!
Van Dyke Parks - Song Cycle
The Kinks - Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society
Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes
Nick Drake - Bryter Layter
Anything from Faces - Seriously recommend just blind buying the box set Five Guys Walk Into a Bar... Not psychedelia, but the best damn Rock 'n Roll you'll ever hear.
Frank Zappa - Fillmore East - June 1971
Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles - Live!

[–] PaperShredder 15 years ago

Thank you. I sense that I've probably found a right person to guide me, considering I got none of these albums you mentioned...at least not yet.

Perhaps a complete list of every good band/album/song I've already found would be too long but at least I could say I got all the albums (all I've been able to found, that is) from Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Jimi Hendrix, Country Joe & The Fish, Love, Sly & The Family Stone, The 13th Floor Elevators, The Doors, The Byrds (well, the ones that are more psych than country), Strawberry Alarm Clock, Kaleidoscope (both US and UK), all the essential early Santana albums (before he became more funky at the latter half of the 70's)...

I've noticed that there are plenty of bands that only made one or two (if that) album and vanished, however usually leaving behind one masterpiece. Pussy, Velvett Fogg and Clear Light, for example. Terrific records. I have a strong feeling that there are plenty of more just yet to be found.

I guess I could say I prefer a really sleazy acid fuelled, guitar driven, mind bending trip music but I'm so obsessed by the sounds of the late 60's I got nothing against the psychedelic soul scene or more baroque Strawberry Alarm clock type pop-psychedelia either, as long as it sounds innovative.

Still, if I would have to name something I've especially fell in love with just to give you a rough idea of what I might enjoy...

The Pretty Things: The Psychedelic Years 1966-1970
This band is awesome! I only got this double CD from them but I've been playing it endlessly and never grow tired of hearing it. All fantastic songs, definitely my favorites so far.

Pussy: Pussy plays
Perfect album and also a perfect example of the type of a sound I absolutely adore...all those marvellous fuzzy guitars blew me away. Delicious...

East Of Eden: Mercator projected
Wicked, beautiful, surprising, ingenious, simply put: incredible album...

Country Joe & The Fish: Section 43
Just a one track that stands out from their debut album. I love the whole album but I have to mention Section 43 separately because it's a song that I've been listening over and over and over again for a year now. There's something so magical about this instrumental, when I close my eyes it really takes me back in time somewhere in the 1967 San Francisco. Never found anything quite like it.

Oh well, this post could be a lot longer once I get going but I guess this already partly answers to the question. I have to start checking out those albums you recommended. Thanks again and if you think of something else I might like, don't hesitate to share your thoughts...

[–] Nan00k 15 years ago

Ah, so it looks like you are a fan of the blues-inspired "heavy psych." Not my forte, but I got some great recommendations from a Swedish blog that I can't find any more by "heavypsychdude." Here are a couple remnants: http://www.frameworkmx.com/search.php?q=augusti+2007 http://rateyourmusic.com/list/heavypsychman/heavy_psych.

A couple standouts for me are: Dragonfly, Mecki Mark Men, Stone Garden and The Firebirds.

Of the albums I recommended, Os Mutantes is probably the closest to what you're after, although they are all great albums. A couple more to add, even if they are more mainstream, but I didn't see them on your list:

Big Brother & the Holding Company - Cheap Thrills (or really any (Janis Joplin, but this one's a friggin' classic)
Pacific Gas & Electric - Get It On (more blues than psych)
The Band - The Band (you can't go wrong with any of their albums, although they're more country/folk-leaning)
Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority (more on the jazzy side, but great)
I'm a huge Zappa fan, and the two albums I mentioned are standouts, but any album in that magic time period will have great stuff to offer (with perhaps the exception of Ruben & The Jets). He poked fun at all kinds of genres and movements, and that one was doo-wop. The thing is, while poking fun, he often made music better and more interesting than the genres he was parodying.
Can - Tago Mago (more on the prog side, but I think you'll like it)

[–] FawnOmatic 15 years ago

This has been a very interesting thread for me to read. I don't have any new suggestions from the actual area but just in case you are interested there is a current band that you might enjoy ... that is, if you don't already know them. Their name is Dead Meadow and my personal fav. cd is the self titled. Anyway, just wanted to add that in case someone was interested.

Again, greatly entertaining topic.

[–] YoungerThanYesterday 14 years ago

How can you love Late 60's San Francisco and not mention the most important band of that era....The Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead (1967)
Anthem Of The Sun (1968)
Aoxomoxoa (1969)
Live/Dead (1969) The 23 minute version of Dark Star should blow you away.

[–] gerardgraetrex 15 years ago

I got seriously into this music in the 1980's. At the time I hated all the contemporary music (Madonna, Heart, Dire Straits, Wham, Phil Collins, U2, Queen....it brings back bad memories thinking about it.) I was in a record shop in London in 1985 and I heard the most amazing track which I found out later was called "Pulsating Dream" by a U.S. group called Kaleidoscope, recorded in 1967. It was wild. The sound and lyrics blew me away. I later discovered as much as I possibly could about the whole Psychedelic/Acid rock/Prog/Folk scene. I don't knowe what was wrong with studios in the 80's but the music had a horrible over-produced sound. These 1960's records had a beautiful, warm textured sound and amazing lyrics. I recommend;Kaleidoscope..........Side Trips, Beacon From Mars, Incredible.
H.P. Lovecraft........H.P. Lovecraft and H.P. Lovecraft II, Live 1968
Country Joe & the Fish....Electric Music For The Mind & Body, I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die, Here We Are Again, C.J. Fish
The Sons Of Champlin....Loosen Up Naturally, the Sons, Follow your Heart
Spirit....Spirit, The Family That Plays Together, 12 Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus
Mu....Mu, End Of An Era (look up Merrell Fankhauser)
Kak....Kakola
SRC........SRC, Milestones
Steve Miller Band.......Children Of The Future, Sailor
Family....Music In A Doll's House
David Axelrod......Songs Of Innocence
The Incredible String Band...5000 Spirits, The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
The Fugs...Tenderness Junction, It Crawled Into My Hand Honest!
The Millenium....In The Beginning
The Electric Flag.....The Trip, Long Time Coming
Gandalf........Gandalf
Pearls Before Swine.....Balaklava
Moby Grape....Moby Grape, Wow
Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band....Safe As Milk, Strictly Personal
The Byrds....Fifth Dimension, Younger Thasn yesterday, Notorious Byrd Brothers
Buffalo Springfield .......Buffalo Springfield Again, Last Time Around
The Nazz....Nazz, Nazz Nazz, Nazz III
MC5.....Back In The USA, High Time
Spooky Tooth....Spooky Tooth, Spooky Two
Love....Love, Da Capo, Forever Changes, Four Sail, Out Here, False Start
Fairport Convention.....What We Did On Our Holidays, Liege & Lief
Pentangle....Basket Of Light, Sweet Child, Cruel Sister, Solomon's Seal
Traffic......Mr. Fantasy, Traffic
Mighty Baby.......Mighty Baby
Quintessence....In Blissful Company, Quintessence, Dive Deep
I shouldn't have to mention The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, The Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Santana, Canned Heat etc. I'm still discovering stuff to this day and I've been at it 23 years! There are two box sets worth having;"Nuggets" (4 x cd's) and "Love Is The Song We Sing" (4 x cd's) Amazon have got them.
Best wishes
Go ride the music!
G Graetrex

[–] thepartydjz 15 years ago

The heaviest acid rock tune of all time is King Crimson - "21st Century Schizoid Man"

[–] Bodine 11 years ago

One of Pink Floyd's earlier albums, "Umma Gumma" sounds like something you would definitely want. We used to trip out on it in the late 60's, early 70's...