Whatever Happened to Psychedelic Rock?
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, psychedelic rock was all the rage. But what happened to this genre of music?
The Origins of Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock, also referred to as “acid rock”, is a style of music that emerged in the late 1960s. The sound is characterized by distorted guitars, mind-altering lyrics, and drug-inspired themes. The genre is often seen as a fusion of rock and roll with psychedelia.
The Birth of Rock and Roll
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, a movement started that would change the face of popular music forever. Young people all over America and Britain were getting together to listen to the new sounds of rock and roll. These were the beginnings of a musical revolution that would sweep the world in the years to come.
Rock and roll was born out of a mix of different genres, including blues, country, jazz, and gospel. The first rock and roll records were made by artists like Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Richard, and Elvis Presley. They combined these different genres to create a new sound that was both exciting and accessible to young people.
The Beatles are often credited with ushering in the era of psychedelic rock in the 1960s. They were influenced by psychedelics, which were drugs that could alter your state of consciousness. Psychedelics had been used by some artists before the 1960s, but they became much more popular during this time. The Beatles experimented with LSD, which helped them create some of their most iconic songs, such as “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “Tomorrow Never Knows.”
Psychedelic rock continued to be popular in the 1970s with bands like Pink Floyd, The Grateful Dead, and Led Zeppelin. However, it began to decline in popularity in the 1980s as other genres like punk rock and hip hop became more mainstream.
The British Invasion
Psychedelic rock is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Rooted in British and American folk rock and psychedelic pop, psychedelic rock expanded and refined the musical experimentation pioneered by the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and Bob Dylan. Psychedelic rock often explored altered states of consciousness, particularly through the use of feedback, extended instrumentation, distorted guitars, use of studio effects to create unique soundscapes, and lyrical focus on mind-altering substances.
The most notable exponents of psychedelic rock include the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Traffic, the Doors, Led Zeppelin, Procol Harum, identified with the “summer of love” in 1967; Jefferson Airplane; the Grateful Dead; Spirit; Quicksilver Messenger Service; Country Joe and the Fish; Big Brother and The Holding Company featuring Janis Joplin; Moby Grape; Strawberry Alarm Clock; 13th Floor Elevators; Love; Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention ; The Byrds , who played a major role in introducing Dylan’s work to a wider pop audience as well as forging a distinctly American take on British Invasion-era psychedelic music with their signature “jangly” sound as heard on their breakthrough hit “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965) as well as their influential album Fifth Dimension (1966).
The Summer of Love
As the 1960s progressed, Psychedelic Rock became more and more popular, with bands such as The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Grateful Dead all experimenting with the new sound. Psychedelic Rock reached its peak in 1967, which was dubbed “The Summer of Love.” This was a time when young people from all over the world flocked to San Francisco, California in an attempt to experience the counterculture firsthand.
During The Summer of Love, the use of drugs such as LSD and marijuana became commonplace, and many people believe that these drugs played a major role in the development of Psychedelic Rock. It is certainly true that many of the most famous Psychedelic Rock songs were written and recorded while the musicians were under the influence of drugs. However, it is also worth noting thatPsychedelic Rock was being created and performed long before 1967.
In fact, some of the earliest examples of Psychedelic Rock can be found in the work of American composer Harry Partch. In the 1940s, Partch began experimenting with unusual instruments and tuning systems, which he used to create strange and wonderful sounds. Partch’s work was highly influential on a number of experimental musicians in the 1960s, including members of The Mothers Of Invention.
Psychedelic Rock ultimately had a profound impact on popular music, paving the way for a number of different genres including Prog Rock, Heavy Metal, Punk Rock, and Hip Hop.
The Sound of Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock, often referred to as “psychedelia”, is a wide-ranging style of rock music characterized by the use of psychedelic musical elements and manipulated sound effects. The style originated in the mid-1960s with the release of the album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn by the British rock band Pink Floyd.
Electric Guitars and Distortion
The sound of Psychedelic Rock is typified by the heavy use of electric guitars and distortion. Psychedelic Rock is sometimes referred to as “acid rock” for its heavy use of feedback, reverb, and phasing effects. The sound of Psychedelic Rock often contains elements of Indian classical music, such as sitars and tablas.
Psychedelic Effects
Psychedelic music (sometimes called psychedelia) is a style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s, inspired by the experience of psychedelic drugs. Psychedelic music is intended to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs, most notably LSD. Many psychedelic groups differ in style, and the label is often applied spuriously.
Psychedelic effects may be caused by various factors such as set and setting, expectation, suggestibility, dosage (higher doses tend to produce more intense effects), and personal characteristics. Short-term side effects include confusion, anxiety, paranoia, and hallucinations. Some users report more serious effects including bad trips and long-term changes in mood and outlook. Long-term risks are less well-known; however, there is some evidence that suggestibility may increase with repeated use.
There is no known cure for psychedlia; however, there are treatments available for the short-term side effects. If you experience any negative effects from psychedelic use, it is important to seek medical help immediately.
The Use of Improvisation
Psychedelic rock, sometimes referred to as “acid rock”, is a subgenre of rock music that emerged during the mid-1960s. Psychedelic rock is characterized by an expanded sonic palette, often incorporating elements of electronic music, noise, and improvisation.
Psychedelic rock reached its peak popularity in the late 1960s, but experienced a commercial decline in the early 1970s. Nevertheless, Psychedelic rock still exerts a significant influence on popular music, with psychedelic-influenced bands emerging in different musical genres to this day.
One of the defining characteristics of psychedelic rock is the use of improvisation. Psychedelic jams were often loose and free-form, with the goal being to achieve a “transcendental” state of mind. This improvisational style was influenced by jazz and surgery.
Not all psychedelic rock bands improvised; some, such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys, incorporated elements of psychedelia into their existing pop song structures. However, for many bands, improvisation was an essential part of their sound. Jimi Hendrix’s performances were particularly renowned for their use of improvisation; his bandmates Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding would often follow his lead and improvise their own parts during live performances.
The use of improvisation in psychedelic rock can be traced back to early jazz and blues performers such as Jelly Roll Morton and Bessie Smith who would often deviate from the written melody during performances. This same spirit of freedom and experimentation can also be seen in early rock ‘n’ roll performers such as Chuck Berry and Little Richard who would also improvised during their live shows.
The Legacy of Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock, also known as “acid rock”, is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1960s. Psychedelic rock is often associated with a psychedelic subculture, which is centred around the use of psychedelic drugs such as LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, mescaline and DMT. The music of psychedelic rock is intended to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs.
The Influence of Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock, often referred to simply as psychedelia, is a style of rock music that was inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelic culture. It arose during the mid-1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Psychedelic rock often used distorted electric guitars, fuzzy sound effects, tape echo, feedback, and extreme reverb to create sonic effects and an overall “trippy” or “psychedelic” atmosphere. One of the first popular uses of the term “psychedelic” in music was by The 13th Floor Elevators in their 1966 song “Psychedelic Shack”.
The style is sometimes referred to as acid rock for its heavy use of electronic improvisation and distortion pedals, particularly the wah-wah pedal. Psychedelic soul also developed during this time and incorporated elements of psychedelic rock.
In the 1970s, as punk rock became a major force in music, many psychedelic bands fell by the wayside. However, some artists continued to experiment with the style, including Roxy Music, David Bowie, Brian Eno, and Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd. Psychedelic rock made a comeback in the 1990s with bands such as The Charlatans, The Verve, Oasis, Blur, and The Stone Roses.
The End of an Era
Psychedelic rock began to fall out of favor in the early 1970s, as the hippie dream began to fade and musicians started exploring other genres. As the decade progressed, psychedelia became increasingly unfocused and fragmented, with different scenes developing in different parts of the world. By the end of the 1970s, psychedelic rock was all but forgotten, and it would be many years before it would be revived.
The Resurgence of Psychedelic Rock
In the 1990s and early 2000s, there was a resurgence of interest in psychedelic rock. Bands such as The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Dandy Warhols, and The Flaming Lips became popular during this time. These bands combined elements of psychedelia with other genres, such as punk rock and shoegazing.
Psychedelic rock fell out of favor in the late 1960s, but there has been a recent resurgence of interest in the genre. Bands such as The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Dandy Warhols, and The Flaming Lips have combined elements of psychedelia with other genres to create a unique sound that has gained popularity in the last few years.
