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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2015 at 12:07
Any Friendsound fans in here? Pretty obscure group from the US, but man are they ever good! To me their 1969 debut 'JoyRide' (and sole release) is damn near unbeatable. Such a charmer, especially if you dig the sounds of Germany from around the same time. A true gem people!


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2015 at 12:45
Originally posted by Toaster Mantis Toaster Mantis wrote:

Thanks for the upcoming clarification, Steve. Since there's at least one generation gap (if not several of them) I'm on the wrong side of, it's somewhat difficult for me to really perceive The Doors and VU as part of the same culture as 13th Floor Elevators, the Beatles' later albums, early Pink Floyd or even darker heavier stuff like The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Blue Cheer. I mean, they were experimental and artistic rock music groups from that era who used a lot of drugs but I experience (pun intended or not? I'm not sure) their creative priorities as somewhat different.
I think the easiest way to look at the early American Psych Rock scene is to realize just what a large country the United States is and that many of the early Psychedelic Rock 'movements' developed independently of each other and each had a different agenda in regards to Psychedelic Rock. The very insular Texas movement that the 13th Floor Elevators and other regional Texas Psych bands evolved out of in the mid sixties, was centered around the University Of Texas in Austin which had labs that legally made LSD. These Texas band's musical influences included 50's Rock And Roll, Country, R&B, California Surf and Blues music. Their main aim in the Psych Rock stakes was to inform people via their lyrics that spiritual growth and enlightenment could be obtained through LSD use. This message was basically plastered over their own synthesis of music from their influences that came to be called Garage Rock. So they were essentially Psychedelic/Garage Rockers.
The Bay Area California groups evolved more or less independently of the Texas scene. They were mostly Folk musicians that swapped their acoustic guitars for electric ones after the cultural onslaught of The Beatles on America, as well taking cues from the Byrds and the fact that the Elevators and other Texas bands shook up the Bay Area scene with their own brand of electric guitar rock in 1966. Something that really annoyed the Bay Area folkies at the time.
 
These band's from California developed a different strain of what was called "acid rock" at that time, as they were initially about audience and band participation in actually taking hallucinogenic substances and the report between audience and band as they performed. This is why groups such as the Grateful Dead and Moby Grape did not have obviously spacy sounding music except for the occasionally veiled reference to drugs or getting high.
 
The Doors from LA were on a different track as they wanted to be both mainstream rock stars and have lyrics that delivered poetic messages. The acid community simply ate them up, especially in wake of their debut album which hinted at expanded consciousness and the fact that the band's name was based on Aldous Huxley's famous book on mind expansion titled The Doors Of Perception.
 
I think it's good to keep in mind that this genre and the bands that fell into it were making up the rules as they went along. There was simply no previously existing template for American Psychedelic Rock.
 
It's also helpful to keep in mind that the Texas scene was almost extinct as a main player in American Psych Rock by 1968, while the California band's were just really getting started.
 
As for as the Velvet Underground, they fell into a New York east coast area of art rockers that were adopted into the Psychedelic Movement by the music media as nothing similar existed in the NY area at that time. The VU hated being lumped in with the 'acid crowd' as their drug of choice was speed and heroin. But it was a drug none the less and their acceptance by the counter culture ended up with the group being labeled as Psych Rock. I personally never saw them that way and few acid fans that I know ever played their albums, or even owned any.(!)
 
This explanation is not all encompassing as it leaves out the impact that Hendrix, Cream and Vanilla Fudge had on California groups like Blue Cheer. 
 
So with America, it all comes down to widely separated regional Psych Rock groups with deferent agendas and styles from one another. As I stated, they made up what was American Psych Rock as they went along.
 
At least until the Beatles came along and defined the genre commercially as sounding like something that came off of Sgt. Pepper's.
 
I hope this helps.


Edited by SteveG - March 02 2015 at 15:57
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2015 at 14:40
British Psych Rock pioneers:
Donovan: Sunshine Superman 1966.
With so much exposition spent on American Psych Rock pioneers, I think it's time to turn to the true world effecting British pioneers.
 
I think that enough has been written over the years about the revolutionary nature of both the songs and the recording techniques of The Beatles' first Psychedelic Rock classic, the Revolver album from 1966. To me personally, Revolver trumps Sgt. Pepper's in overall song quality. (If only Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane were included on Pepper's! Wow.)
 
 
Revolver 1966. Absolutely Revolutionary. The effect on Psych and Prog Rock? Absolutely Incalculable!
 
Scottish folk troubadour Donovan, one of the few musicians to be a good friend of the Beatles, released an incredible Psychedelic Folk Rock album in 1966 titled Sunshine Superman. Both album and title track single as well as album track Season of The Witch were major hits in the U.S.
 
Along with Revolver, Sunshine Superman was incredibly important to the development of Psych Rock, especially in the U.K., where these types of musical motifs would reinforce those found on The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's album that was to come in the following year of 1967.
 
Backing up his mega hits a year later with the world wide Psych Rock smash Mellow Yellow, Donavan along with the Beatles, was a true pioneer as well as being a crucial architect for the newly emerging British Psychedelic Rock genre.


Edited by SteveG - February 27 2015 at 10:10
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2015 at 16:01
In my pocket.
 
Something I was holding onto for knobby/permy/jacksiedanny/Kayleur before David pinned him out.
 
Allmusic guide album review of Days of Future Passed:
 
 
Review by  [-]

"This album marked the formal debut of the psychedelic-era Moody Blues; though they'd made a pair of singles featuring new (as of 1966) members Justin Hayward and John Lodge, Days of Future Passed was a lot bolder and more ambitious. What surprises first-time listeners -- and delighted them at the time -- is the degree to which the group shares the spotlight with the London Festival Orchestra without compromising their sound or getting lost in the lush mix of sounds. That's mostly because they came to this album with the strongest, most cohesive body of songs in their history, having spent the previous year working up a new stage act and a new body of material (and working the bugs out of it on-stage), the best of which ended up here. Decca Records had wanted a rock version of Dvorak's "New World Symphony" to showcase its enhanced stereo-sound technology, but at the behest of the band, producer Tony Clarke (with engineer Derek Varnals aiding and abetting) hijacked the project and instead cut the group's new repertory, with conductor/arranger Peter Knight adding the orchestral accompaniment and devising the bridge sections between the songs and the album's grandiose opening and closing sections. The record company didn't know what to do with the resulting album, which was neither classical nor pop, but following its release in December of 1967, audiences found their way to it as one of the first pieces of heavily orchestrated, album-length psychedelic rock to come out of England in the wake of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's and Magical Mystery Tour albums. What's more, it was refreshingly original, rather than an attempt to mimic the Beatles; sandwiched among the playful lyricism of "Another Morning" and the mysticism of "The Sunset," songs like "Tuesday Afternoon" and "Twilight Time" (which remained in their concert repertory for three years) were pounding rockers within the British psychedelic milieu, and the harmony singing (another new attribute for the group) made the band's sound unique. With "Tuesday Afternoon" and "Nights In White Satin" to drive sales, Days of Future Passed became one of the defining documents of the blossoming psychedelic era, and one of the most enduringly popular albums of its era. On CD, its history was fairly spotty until 1997, when it was remastered by Polygram; that edition blows every prior CD release (apart from Mobile Fidelity's limited-edition disc) out of contention, though this record is likely due for another upgrade -- and probably a format jump, perhaps to DVD-Audio -- on or before its 40th anniversary in 2007."

It seemed like a waste to just toss this and I'm sure he'll back sooner or later.


Edited by SteveG - March 02 2015 at 15:59
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2015 at 16:32
Originally posted by Guldbamsen Guldbamsen wrote:

Any Friendsound fans in here? Pretty obscure group from the US, but man are they ever good! To me their 1969 debut 'JoyRide' (and sole release) is damn near unbeatable. Such a charmer, especially if you dig the sounds of Germany from around the same time. A true gem people!





Seconded. I just wish for a high quality CD reissue. It's high time for it.



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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2015 at 16:40
Has anyone heard the group The Troll? Released a sole album titled Animated Music in 1968 containing some of the best worst garage/psych I've ever heard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa7fmR8FfAo

One of my favorite songs right now. So overly goofy and tongue in cheek.

Here's the whole album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgUoX2Ndlhg

Edited by Sheavy - February 25 2015 at 17:24
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 26 2015 at 08:30
^Yes, indeed! The Troll were either from Michigan or Chicago (depending on the source info) and the Animated Music  album from 1968 ran the gamut from Beatles-like pop to pseudo-psych garage rock. I still have the original vinyl LP so it might be time for an upgrade!
 
There were also 2-3 other garage rock bands in the sixties with a similar name like The Trolls or just Trolls that also produced some good songs. I'm really glad you included the album's title as this cut down on the usual confusion.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 26 2015 at 08:30
Originally posted by Sheavy Sheavy wrote:

Originally posted by Guldbamsen Guldbamsen wrote:

Any Friendsound fans in here? Pretty obscure group from the US, but man are they ever good! To me their 1969 debut 'JoyRide' (and sole release) is damn near unbeatable. Such a charmer, especially if you dig the sounds of Germany from around the same time. A true gem people!




Seconded. I just wish for a high quality CD reissue. It's high time for it.




Yeah I don't get it. Seems crazy that Friendsound is overlooked, when contemporaries The Advancement and Fifty Foot Hose both have had reissues of their sole album on cd. Between the 3, and I really dig them all, I'd still go for 'Joyride'. I think I gave it 4.5 stars, when I reviewed it, but that's just numbers. I genuinely adore that thing. Sounds like early Krautrock.....but from the StatesBig smile

One of my favourite things about the album is it's distinct naive feel - the playful and curious touch. Childsong fx is exactly that: some field recording of children playing and talking round a (guessing here) playground. Yet what makes it flow and ultimately work is the music surrounding it. The whole album is like that. Childish in all the wrong places - without ever becoming humorous.




Edited by Guldbamsen - February 26 2015 at 08:41
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 26 2015 at 08:39
^I agree. Reissues are pretty much de rigueur right now as a way for record companies to still make some money, along with their seizing on the current vinyl craze. Joyride is a wonderful album that deserves the full makeover treatment.

Edited by SteveG - March 02 2015 at 16:04
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 26 2015 at 08:46
Oh boy - don't get me started on long overdue reissuesLOL Clivage's Mixtus Orbis is one of those - an album I personally believe to be one of PAs best kept secrets. I guess it has a fair bit of psych in there as well, so the folks from this thread should definitely take notes. Psych-fusion-blaxpoitation-Indian-funk-zeuhl-prog albumTongue



Edited by Guldbamsen - February 26 2015 at 08:52
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 26 2015 at 08:49
^Thanks. I will definitely check it out as it sounds like it's right up my alley!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 26 2015 at 09:04
I updated my post with a link to the album SteveSmile

I've been busy in real life, so I have probably missed a good chunk of the discussion, but has there been any mentions of the early Steve Miller Band albums? Children of the Future and Sailor are classics in my book - Brave New World and the subsequent ones aren't half bad either. Hell BNW contains one of my fave Steve Miller tunes ever in Kow KowHeart
Another thing worth mentioning about the early incarnation of this band is that it inadvertently came up with the following decades signature Mellotron sound on their very first album. Jim Peterman's work with the instrument on 'In My First Mind' is astonishingly good and about as innovative as you could get anno 1968. He never gets any mentions though, which I find a little sad tbh. He deserves more credit.




Edited by Guldbamsen - February 26 2015 at 09:06
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 26 2015 at 09:15
^No Steve Miller posts yet except in passing. I was expecting Svetonio to jump on that as early SM is one of his favs, but no input yet. But Steve Miller is definitely coming to the Psych lounge soon, as he fits in with Brit Psych posts as I'm pretty sure that both his first two albums were recorded in the U.K. And that mellotron!

Edited by SteveG - February 26 2015 at 09:21
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 26 2015 at 09:37
The debut was recorded in London. Not sure about Sailor.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 27 2015 at 10:00
The Moody's Get On The Bandwagon:
In Search of the Lost Chord  1968.
 
 
Boyed by the success and acceptance of their previous album Days Of Future Passed by the American counter culture, the Moody Blues follow up album the excellent In Search Of the Lost Chord dispensed with orchestrations, embraced American counter culture icon Timothy Leary in song (Legend of a Mind) and helped to define the main characteristics and musical, as well as sonic, motifs of Psychedelic Rock from 1968 to the present. Layered over what is essentially, for the most part Folk Rock, The Moody's surrounded gorgeous songs like Voices In The Sky with Indian instrumentation such as sitar and tablas while starting to ingrain the Indian spiritual philosophies of keyboard player and mellotron pioneer Mike Pinder.
 
In Search of the Lost Chord is an album that actually sounds more dated to me than Days of Future Past from 1967, but it is a beautiful almost pastoral work of definitive late sixties Psychedelic Rock. And the album cover is among the best of it's era.


Edited by SteveG - March 02 2015 at 16:03
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 28 2015 at 18:40
To maybe salt the wound, I don't think Moodies DOFP album is Psych. It's much too clean and straight-laced. Sure, it's a creative slab of Pop-meets-Orchestra, but it's not psych to me.
Lost Chord - now that's more like it.......and DOFP is notoriously dated sounding to my ears.......

Edited by Tom Ozric - February 28 2015 at 18:48
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2015 at 12:35
^I didn't write the rules regarding Psych Rock Tom, I only report them.
 
I'll state again that the drugs came before the music so some not so obvious albums were initially pulled into the drug listening experience. DOFP being one, The Doors' album debut being another. Neither album contains the stereotypical music motifs and studio recording tricks that we associate with later sixties Psych Rock.
 
Neither does the first Psychedelic Rock album produced in 1966 by The 13th Floor Elevators titled The Psychedelic Sounds of The Thirteen Floor Elevators, which most people would view as garage rock.
 
Understandably, like many people, your head tells you that this music can only be categorized like so many other genres in that is has to have easily identifiable or musical motifs like those found in other genres like meta,l and specifically metal subgenres like Thrash which is instantly identifiable by it's short manic riffs.
 
I knew going in that Psych Rock and it's origins are largely unknown and misunderstood, so there's no salt that I was not prepared for. And I like a the challenge of dispelling age old musical myths. And it has a challenge, whew!
 
For a greater clarification, I present my final sixties rock post below:


Edited by SteveG - March 02 2015 at 16:07
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2015 at 12:48
Originally posted by SteveG SteveG wrote:

^I didn't write the rules regarding Psych Rock Tom, I only report them.
 
I'll state again that the drugs came before the music so some not so obvious albums were initially pulled into the drug listening experience. DOFP being one, The Doors' album debut being another. Neither album contains the stereotypical music motifs and studio recording tricks that we associate with later sixties Psych Rock.
I understand what you're referring to regarding DoFP, Steve. It was rather like us in the early/mid-70s using Traffic's Low Spark of High Heeled Boys or even Cat Stevens' Tea for the Tillerman. Mellow out rather than crash. Wink
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2015 at 12:56
The Demise of Psychedelic Rock and it's lasting impression on post sixties consciousness:
 
With the eventual abandonment of both LSD and  the mind altered music making that produced Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's, Magical Mystery Tour and the single Strawberry Fields Forever by The Beatles; that was soon replaced with their anti Psych Rock of the White Album and Abbey Road, the British psychedelic rock machine came to a quick halt. Only The Moody Blues would continue to carry Psych Rock into the seventies while contemporary British acts got heavier or turned to full blown Prog Rock. The last nail in the British psychedelic coffin was the release of The Beatles so-so release Let it Be in 1970.
Let It Be
 The last nail in the Psych Rock coffin. Let it Be 1970.
 
 A Question Of Balance
The keepers of the British Psych Rock flame. Moody Blues: A Question of Balance from 1970.
 
 
For America, the Psych scene was over almost as quick as it started. The Jefferson Airplane and Moby Grape would do two sucessful acid tinged rock album a piece like JA's Surrealistic Pillow and After Bathing At Baxter's, (both from1967) before going into straight hard rock while The Doors would retreat into Blues Rock that culminated with their great final album L. A. Woman.
 
The last holdout in the American Psych Rock stakes were the posthumous albums released from Jimi Hendrix titled Cry Of Love and Rainbow Bridge which forever cemented in human consciousness that Hendrix was the inventor and eternal caretaker of Acid Rock.
La Woman
So long Psych! The Doors rock out! L.A. Woman from 1971.
 
 The Cry Of Love
The late great Jimi Hendrix. The spiritual keeper of American Acid Rock.  The posthumous Cry of Love album from 1971.
 
 
The rest, as they say, is history remembered.


Edited by SteveG - March 02 2015 at 09:41
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2015 at 14:19
After Bathing At Baxter's is more Psych than Surrealistic Pillow IMHO.
The Stones' Satanic Majesties out-psychs Sgt. Pepper's.
Of course, all 4 above mentioned albums are a great experience !!
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