Psychedelic Rock: The Earliest Tracks

Psychedelic rock is a genre of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs.

The Origins of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as “psychedelia”, is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Psychedelic rock is characterized by distorted guitars, feedback, and other sound effects. The earliest psychedelic rock tracks were recorded in the mid-1960s.

The Birth of Rock and Roll

Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music. While elements of what was to become rock and roll can be heard in blues records as far back as the 1920s and in country records of the 1930s, the genre did not acquire its name until 1954.

The term “rock and roll” now has at least two different meanings, both in common usage. The American Heritage Dictionary and the Merriam-Webster Dictionary both define rock and roll as synonymous with rock music. Billboard magazine, however, uses the term to refer exclusively to the style of popular music that originated in the 1950s, while reserving the phrase “rock music” for a broader range of styles that developed later.

The British Invasion

It’s no surprise that the first stirrings of psychedelic rock were felt in England, since it was (and is) the home of two essential components of pop music: the electric guitar and ambitious, literate songwriting. The British Invasion — i.e., the cultural phenomenon of Beatlemania — had a profound effect on young Americans, who began to imitate the fashion and hairstyles of their favorite bands, as well as their music. In 1964 alone, an estimated 60 million copies of British Invasion records were sold in the U.S.

The First Psychedelic Tracks

Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. The term is often used interchangeably with “acid rock”. Psychedelic rock is characterized by distorted guitars, whirring organ sounds, and mind-bending lyrics. It was the first type of rock music to incorporate electronic effects.

“I Can See for Miles” by The Who

“I Can See for Miles” is a song by The Who, released as a single in October 1967. It peaked at No. 10 in the UK and was the band’s only top ten hit in the US, reaching No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1968. Written by Pete Townshend, it was one of the first psychedelic pop singles.

The song was conceived while Townshend was hospitalized with a viral infection and boredom. According to his biography, he passed the time watching TV commercials, one of which featured an image of a vast landscape with a small figure in the distance. This image inspired the lyric “I can see for miles and miles.” The opening guitar figure was inspired by Townshend’s admiration for American guitarist Chet Atkins.

The song is notable for its use of feedback and reverberation, which were new sonic possibilities at the time. These effects were achieved by Townsend using an echoplex machine while recording his guitar tracks. The song is also notable for its use of chromaticism, which was something that The Who had not employed before.

“Eight Miles High” by The Byrds

“Eight Miles High” is a song by the American rock band The Byrds. It was written by Gene Clark, David Crosby, and Roger McGuinn, and released as a single on March 14, 1966. The song was a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States and helped propel the band to international fame.

“Eight Miles High” is considered to be one of the first psychedelic rock songs. The lyrics, which were inspired by a trip that Clark took to India, are suggestive of drug use and feature various surreal images. The song’s innovative sound, which incorporates modal jazz elements, has been cited as an influence on subsequent psychedelic music.

“Paint It, Black” by The Rolling Stones

“Paint It, Black” is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released as a single in 1966. It was written by the songwriting partnership of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and produced by American record producer Andrew Loog Oldham. Recorded at RCA Studios in Hollywood, California in early 1966, it featured inverted sound effects on the recording, most prominent during the chorus. The track also marked Brian Jones’s first use of sitar on a rock record.

It reached number one in both the Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart. In many territories, including France, Belgium and New Zealand, “Paint It Black” was released as a double A-side with “Long Long While”. In Australia it was released as an A-side due to heavy airplay on radio of both sides of the single.

The Legacy of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also called acid rock or psych rock, is a style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. The style is characterized by distorted guitars, mind-bending lyrics, and trippy sound effects. The earliest tracks of psychedelic rock were released in 1966, and the genre reached the height of its popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Psychedelic rock has had a lasting impact on popular music, with its influence still being felt in today’s music.

The End of The Beatles

By 1968, The Beatles were the biggest band in the world. They had just released their album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” which is often cited as one of the greatest albums of all time. But behind the scenes, the band was falling apart. Ringo Starr had temporarily left the band during the recording of the album, and relations between John Lennon and Paul McCartney were slowly deteriorating. In August of 1968, The Beatles went to India to study transcendental meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. While they were there, they wrote some of their most famous songs, including “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and “Back in the USSR.”

However, their time in India was not all peace and love. Lennon became increasingly frustrated with Maharishi’s teachings, and he eventually left the ashram without telling the others. This led to a massive argument between Lennon and McCartney, which effectively ended The Beatles. The band would go on to release two more albums, ” Abbey Road” and “Let It Be,” before finally breaking up in 1970.

The Decline of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock began to decline in popularity in the late 1960s, with a number of factors contributing to its demise. One was the commercialization of the music and its associated drug culture, which led to a bevy of imitators who were more interested in making a quick buck than in creating innovative or meaningful music. Additionally, many psychedelic bands had difficulty transitioning to the more concise song structures that were becoming popular in the early 1970s. Finally, as personal and socio-political tensions increased during this time period, psychedelic music was seen by some as being too escapist and not dealing with the “real” problems facing society.

The Resurgence of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as “psych rock” or “garage rock”, is a genre of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. The genre is characterized by a distorted, reverbed, or fuzzy electric guitar sound, often accompanied by saxophone, organ, or tambourine. The earliest tracks of psychedelic rock were released in the mid-1960s.

The Revival of Psychedelic Rock

Both the music and the drugs psychedelic rock was associated with exploded in popularity in the mid-1960s. Psychedelic drugs like LSD and mushrooms were used by many young people in an attempt to “expand their minds” and change their perceptions of reality. concurrently, new bands like The Beatles, The Doors, and Pink Floyd were experimenting with longer, more improvisational tracks that incorporated elements of Eastern music and philosophy. These bands would often play live for hours at a time, often under the influence of psychedelics themselves.

This new style of music, which came to be known as psychedelic rock, was often seen as a way to enhance the effects of the drugs. Psychedelic rock quickly spread beyond just a few isolated clubs in London and San Francisco; it became a worldwide phenomenon. By the early 1970s, however, both the music and the drug use associated with it had begun to decline in popularity.

In recent years, there has been something of a revival of interest in psychedelic rock. Newer bands like Tame Impala and Thee Oh Sees have been influenced by the sound of earlier groups like Pink Floyd and The Grateful Dead. Psychedelic drugs are also once again becoming popular among young people; both LSD and MDMA have seen increased use in recent years. Whether this renewed interest will last remains to be seen, but for now, it seems that psychedelic rock is back

The New Psychedelic Rock

While many associate psychedelic rock with the late 1960s, the roots of the genre can be traced back to the 1950s. In fact, some of the earliest recordings in the genre were released in 1956 and 1957, predating even the term “psychedelic.” These tracks laid the foundation for what would become one of the most influential genres of rock music, influencing everything from punk to pop.

One of the earliest recordings in the genre is “I Hear You Knocking” by Slim Harpo. This Louisiana-based blues musician recorded the track in 1957, and it features a number of elements that would become hallmarks of psychedelic rock, including distortion, feedback, and reverb. Another early track is “Tobacco Road” by John D. Loudermilk. This country song, released in 1960, features a number of bizarre sound effects, including an elephant trumpeting and a chicken clucking. These sound effects predate even The Beatles’ use of unconventional sounds on tracks like “I Am The Walrus” and “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.”

While these tracks may not have been intentionally psychedelic, they laid the groundwork for what would become one of rock music’s most enduring genres.