US Pyschedelia 66–67

Bob Dylan – Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35 – Blonde on Blonde – June 1966

A track from one of these greatest albums of all time. 

Blonde on Blonde. It should need no introduction and should be in every serious record collection. It fuses psychedelia with metaphysics and existentialism with rock and roll.

When released, Dylan was the coolest guy on the planet..so…a great place to start..

And remember…. “Everybody must get stoned”

Simon & Garfunkel – The Sound of Silence – Sounds of Silence – January 1966

Released earlier as an acoustic number in 1964 (yes, the song is that old) it became fully realized following a shot of electricity that Paul Simon was not even aware of and it became a defining moment in his career.

The song went on to have yet another life when it featured in the iconic 60s film Mrs Robinson.

The Mamas and Papas – Monday, Monday – If You Can Believe You Eyes and Ears – March 1966

The original “I don’t like Mondays) song. A hugely successful song that was taken from the group’s debut album. 

The Song seems a bit cutey to be included in this selection of US psychedelia but it might surprise some to know that the song was performed at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.

Yeah…the one where Hendrix burned his guitar…

Love – Softly To Me – Love – March 1966

Another song taken from a Love’s debut album which went on to sell 100,000 copies which was quite a feat.

It came out on the now famous Elektra label and was their first rock release after being a label know for releasing folk records.

Although Arthur (more about him later) wrote most of the tracks this song was written by band member Bryan Maclean.

Fun Fact: McLean is singer Maria McKee’s half-brother

The Beach Boys – God Only Knows – Pet Sounds – May 1966

Incredibly, Pet Sounds was The Beach Boys eleventh albumand was produced, arranged, and primarily composed by Brian Wilson with lyricist Tony Asher co-writing on a number tracks.

The album was well received critically and is regarded as one of Rock and Pop’s greatest moment.

It may seem a little tame today but the melodies are gorgeous.Especially this one…

The Byrds – Eight Miles High – 5^th Dimension – July 1966

Often regarded as one of the songs that defined the emergingpsychedelia era, The Byrds certainly shaped the ways that listeners got used to processing a more avant approach to the guitar.

The introduction of so-called drone rock was definitely influential not only on the West Coast but also for those listening in New York – such as The Velvet Underground.

The Monkees – Take A Giant Step – The Monkees – October 1966

Written by Gerry Goffin and Carol King the song was originally released as the b-side to Last Train to Clarksdale.

Critic Eric Lefcowitz describes the song in his piece MonkeeBusiness as “proto-pyschedelic” 

That’s enough to get included here.

13^th Floor Elevators – Slip Inside This House – The Psychedelic Sounds of – October 1966

Long considered to be amongst the originators of psychedelia,they were the first band to refer to their music as such, with the first-known use of the term appearing on their business card in January 1966.

2005 documentary “You’re Gonna Miss Me” specifically credits band member Tommy Hall with coining the term “psychedelic rock”.

Tim Buckley – Wings – Tim Buckley – October 1966

Buckley’s debut album and it’s quite an achievement for a nineteen year old !

The Lovin Spoonful – Summer in The City – Hums Of The Lovin Spoonful – November 1966

Summer in The City was the fifth single by the band to break into the US top ten and was the the band’s only number one.

The song has been covered by several artists, including B.B. King who included a fine version.

Buffalo Springfield – Out Of My Mind – Buffalo Springfield – November 1966

Another debut album. The band are somewhat forgotten nowadays, probably because the subsequent careers of Neil Young and Steve Stills may have diverted contemporary attention away from this and their two following albums.

Mind you, all the tracks on this debut are all written by Young or Stills or Young and Stills !

Love – Orange Skies – Da Capo – November 1966

The band’s second album and it departs a from the garage rock of the debut.

A far more sophisticated and mature style is achieved and the instrumentation, featuring a wide range of musical styles, including baroque pop, jazz and even proto-punk. 

The album is also regarded as one of the first examples of “jazz-rock”, and Arthur Lee and guitarist Johnny Echols credited jazz musicians Miles Davis and John Coltrane as having influenced the sound captured on the album

The Monkees – (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone – More of The Monkees – January 1967

No members of the band play on the track though Mickey Dolentz does get the lead vocal.

It’s a cracking record and of course much covered, notably by the Sex Pistols.

The Doors – Light My Fire – The Doors – January 1967

One of the greatest albums of the 60s.

Light My Fire was an instant classic and although the album version was just over seven minutes long, it was widely requested for radio play.

The Byrds – So You Want To Be A Rock n Roll Star – Younger Than Yesterday – February 1967

Written by bassist, Chris Hillman who contributes variety to this, the band’s fifth album.

Like the Door’s, The Byrds had begun to utilize the studio far more to create interesting sound textures and instrumentationincluding brass and reverse tape effects.

The Grateful Dead – New, New Minglewood Blues – The Grateful Dead – March 1967

Yet another debut album, it was recorded in only four days.Though firmly “psychedelic” the musical structures are still recognizably rooted in the blues.

New, New Minglewood Blues was written by veteran bluesman Noah Lewis.

The Free Design – Kites Are Fun – Kites Are Fun – April1967

A vocal group from New York that were much referenced by artists such as Stereolab, Super Fury Animals and The High Lamas.

The song uses kites to symbolize youth, innocence, and memories, describing a group of children, presumably running, laughing and flying kites in a field far away from their parents because the parents don’t realize that kites are fun.

Quite.

Country Joe & The Fish – Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine– Electric Music For The Mind and Body – May 1967

Country Joe’s debut is widely regarded as one of the first psychedelic albums to come out of the San Franciso Bay Area.

The band were another of the artists whose career really took off following an appearance at the Montrey Pop Festival.

Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine was the lead single from the album and reached the lofty heights of 98 on the Billboard Chart.

Moby Grape – Come In The Morning – Moby Grape –June 1967

Another band from San Francisco, Moby Grape were very highly regarded and there was quite a battle by the record companies who were seeking to sign them.

The victorious label was Columbia who took the strange decision to release ten of the thirteen tracks from the album as a series of a and b sides all on the same day.

Despite that ludicrous marketing move the album is regarded as one the psychedelic masterpieces from the period.

Tim Buckley – Once I Was – Goodbye and Hello – August 1967

Tim Buckley’s second album and a huge leap forward in songwriting maturity from his debut album.

A quite superb album of psychedelic, jazzy folk and it paved the way for Van Morrison’s stunning Astral Weeks that emerged in 1968.

The Doors – When The Music’s Over – Strange Days – September 1967 

Quite simply…An Epic. 

Taken from the band’s second album, it is said that the passage starting with the line “what have they done to the Earth?” is an early example of environmental themes in rock music.

The band also made use of a Moog synthesizer which has been described as one of the first uses of the synth in rock music.  

The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations – Smiley Smile – September 1967

Now regarded as a bit of a cult album now due to its quite low-fi production, Smiley Smile flopped in the US but reached the top 10 in the UK.

Good Vibrations was and is one of the greatest singles of all time and is furthermore, considered one of the greatest works of rock, pop and psychedelia. It features over 30 musicians and was pieced together from over 90 hours of tapes.

Buffalo Springfield – Broken Arrow – Buffalo Springfield Again – October 1967

If you are thinking about buying a Buffalo Springfield album then this is the one to get.

Some incredible material including this multi-part track from Neil Young.

The recorded crowd sounds are not as one might expect, from one of the band’s show but actually taken from a Beatles concert.

Love – Alone Again Or – Forever Changes – November 1967

Another album that had only moderate success on the album charts upon release, in subsequent years, it has become recognized as an influential document of 1960s psychedelia.

The song Alone Again Or is in my opinion, one of the most beautiful songs of the 60s.

It was massacred by The Damned in 1987.

Nilsson – She’s Leaving Home – Pandemonium Shadow Show – December 1967

Nilsson’s second album and one which though Nilsson was a gifted songwriter, contained a number of cover versions including two written by The Beatles.

The track selected in Nilsson’s cover of their She’s Leaving home from the most psychedelic of albums, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Band.