Aspects of Psychedelic Rock You May Have Missed

Psychedelic rock was a genre that pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in rock music. It’s a style that is often imitated but never duplicated. In this blog post, we take a look at some of the aspects of psychedelic rock that you may have missed.

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test is a 1968 book by Tom Wolfe that is considered an important work of the New Journalism movement. The book is based on the experiences of Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters, who were influential in the counterculture of the 1960s.

Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters

Tom Wolfe’s The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test is an account of the famous cross-country bus trips taken by Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters. These trips helped to popularize the use of LSD and other psychedelics, and the book is considered an important work in the history of the psychedelic movement.

Kesey was a member of the “Beat Generation” of writers, which included Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. He became interested in LSD after reading about its effects in Aldous Huxley’s The Doors of Perception. Kesey began experimenting with the drug, and he soon became an advocate for its use.

In 1964, Kesey and the Pranksters took their first trip across America in a school bus they had painted with brightly-colored psychedelic designs. They drove from California to New York, stopping at colleges and festivals along the way to promote the use of LSD. These trips helped to popularize psychedelic culture, and they were chronicled in Wolfe’s book.

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test is an important work of New Journalism, a style of writing that combines elements of journalism and fiction. Wolfe was a master of this style, and The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test is considered one of his best works.

The Acid Tests

Between November 1965 and October 1966, the Merry Pranksters, led by author Ken Kesey, held a series of parties known as the Acid Tests. The tests were open to anyone who wanted to attend, but they were particularly popular with members of the nascent psychedelic rock scene. Musicians such as Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, and Pigpen of the Grateful Dead; Bob Weir; Silverfox of Quicksilver Messenger Service; and Paul Kantner and Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane all took part in the Tests at one time or another.

The Acid Tests were essentially parties where LSD was freely available, and they were intended to be a kind of social experiment. Kesey and the Pranksters believed that LSD could help people to break down their preconceptions and see the world in new ways. They saw the Tests as a way of expanding people’s consciousnesses and helping them to become more open-minded and tolerant.

The Acid Tests were also an important early incubator for psychedelic rock. Many of the musicians who took part in the Tests went on to become key figures in the genre, and the music they created was heavily influenced by their experiences with LSD. If you’re a fan of psychedelic rock, then you owe a debt of gratitude to the Merry Pranksters and their famous Acid Tests!

The Grateful Dead

Psychedelic rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the 1960s. The Grateful Dead were an American rock band from the psychedelic era, and their music offers a unique perspective on the genre. Let’s take a look at some aspects of the Grateful Dead’s music that you may have missed.

The Dead’s Early Days

The grateful Dead rose to prominence during the countercultural era of the 1960s and became one of the most successful rock bands of all time. They were known for their extended jams, which blended elements of psychedelia, country, folk, blues, and jazz. They achieved popularity with a devoted fan base known as “Deadheads.”

The grateful Dead formed in 1965 in San Francisco. The original members were lead guitarist and vocalist Jerry Garcia, Rhythm guitarist Bob Weir, bassist Phil Lesh, drummer Bill Kreutzmann, and keyboardist Ron “Pigpen” McKernan. McKernan died in 1973; Garcia also died in 1995. The dead continued to perform with various lineups until Garcia’s death.

The band’s first album, The Grateful Dead (1967), was not a commercial success butestablished their reputation as a live act. Their next album, Anthem of the Sun (1968),featured experimental studio techniques that resulted in a more complex sound.Their third album, Aoxomoxoa (1969), was even more experimental; it was notcommercially successful and caused tension within the band. Weir and Kreutzmann subsequently left the studio to focus on live performance.

The Dead’s Music

The Grateful Dead’s music was built on the Garcia/Lesh/Weir trinity of guitar, bass, and drums, with Hart and Kreutzmann working out a distinctive percussion tandem. Philadelphia-born Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, who had joined the Warlocks in 1963 when they were still playing as the Electrifying Trip, was the Dead’s resident blues singer and harmonica player; his vocals and harp work gave the band a considerable emotional depth and range. In 1967, Tom Constanten (keyboards) and classically trained vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Dana Morgan Jr. (a.k.a. Donna Godchaux) joined the lineup; keyboardist Keith Godchaux arrived in 1972 and remained with the band until 1979. His wife Donna’s angelic backing vocals benefited such classics as “Row Jimmy,” “Stella Blue,” “Jack Straw,” “Brown-Eyed Women,” and many other tunes; she left after giving birth to her son Zion Rock in 1974 but rejoined in 1976 after Keith’s drug problems forced him to leave for a year. The Dead toured constantly throughout their career — sometimes two or three times a year — playing over 500 concerts between 1967 and 1995.

The Velvet Underground

Psychedelic rock is often associated with bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. However, there is another band that was just as influential in the genre, if not more so – The Velvet Underground.

The Velvet Underground and Nico

The Velvet Underground & Nico is the debut album by American rock band the Velvet Underground, released in March 1967 by Verve Records. It was recorded at Trolling Sound Studios in New York City during 1966, and features German singer Nico on lead vocals. Produced by Andy Warhol and real estate heiress Warhol’s associate Aryan Jasmine Katouzian, The Velvet Underground & Nico was released to little critical or commercial acclaim but initially generated significant underground popularity.

The Velvet Underground’s Influence

The Velvet Underground was an American rock band, active between 1964 and 1973, formed in New York City. The band was firstly created by Lou Reed and John Cale, who were later joined by Sterling Morrison and Nico. Their sound was characterised by extended guitar solos, feedback, and use of electronics including distorted electric guitars, amplifiers, and fuzzboxes; and distorted vocals. They were one of the first rock bands to use alternative tunings like open tunings.

The Velvet Underground had a significant influence on underground and alternative rock music. They were one of the most important bands of the 1960s New York art scene, paving the way for acts like the Talking Heads, Patti Smith Group, Blondie, Television, and many more. Their music was an important influence on the development of punk rock, glam rock, gothic rock and industrial music.

Psychedelic Rock Today

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as “psychedelia”, is a style of rock music that is inspired by or attempts to replicate the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. The style is characterized by distorted guitars, trippy sound effects, and often nonsensical or poetic lyrics. If you’re a fan of psychedelic rock, or just rock music in general, there’s a good chance you’ve come across some of the genre’s more famous songs.

Tame Impala

Tame Impala is an Australian psychedelic rock band that rose to prominence in the 2010s. Their sound is characterized by hypnotic rhythms, dreamy melodies, and washed-out guitar tones.

The band’s 2016 album, “Currents,” was a critical and commercial success, reaching #3 on the US Billboard 200 and winning several awards. The album’s lead single, “Let It Happen,” was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance.

In 2018, Tame Impala was nominated for three Grammy Awards: Best Alternative Music Album (for “Currents”), Best Engineered Album (non-classical) (for “Currents”), and Best Rock Performance (for “Let It Happen”).

The Flaming Lips

The Flaming Lips are an American rock band, formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The group recorded several EPs and albums on an indie label, Restless, before being signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1991. They scored a hit in 1993 with their song “She Don’t Use Jelly”. Since then, the group has experimented with a variety of musical styles, including pop, heavy metal, freak folk, and electronic music. They have also been nominated for Grammy Awards four times and won three times.

The band’s lyrics often deal with subjects such as love, relationships, escapism, death, and despair. The Flaming Lips have also been known for their live shows, which often feature costumes and light displays. The band is also known for their work with actor Wayne Coyne’s brother Mark on the stage musical “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots”.