The Evolution of Early Psychedelic Rock Rhythm

The early psychedelic rock rhythm guitarists were the first to develop the style of playing that would become synonymous with the genre.

The Birth of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. The genre is characterized by a distorted, “trippy” sound that was created by manipulating existing rock songs with electronic devices such as the theremin and the Mellotron. Psychedelic rock reached its peak of popularity in the late 1960s, but the genre has remained influential to the present day.

The Beatles and the British Invasion

In the 1960s, the Beatles became the most popular and influential rock band of all time. They popularized a wide range of genres, including psychedelic rock. While the band was not explicitly psychedelic, their music was informed by the drug culture of the time. One of the most famous examples of this is their song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” which is widely believed to be a reference to LSD.

The Beatles were not the only psychedelic band of their era. The Rolling Stones also experimented with drugs and incorporated elements of psychedelic music into their own work. In particular, their 1968 album Beggars Banquet is considered a classic of the genre. Other notable British Invasion bands who dabbled in psychedelia include the Kinks, The Animals, and The Who.

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test

In the fall of 1966, the world was introduced to a new kind of music. It was called psychedelic rock, and it would change the course of popular music forever.

Psychedelic rock was born out of the experimental, mind-expanding scene that was happening in San Francisco at the time. By day, the city was home to some of the most innovative thinkers in the country. By night, it came alive with a vibrant music scene that featured new sounds and new ways of thinking about music.

The sound of psychedelic rock was heavily influenced by the use of mind-altering drugs, particularly LSD. These drugs were often used by the musicians themselves, and they had a profound effect on their music. The result was a sound that was both revolutionary and totally unique.

Psychedelic rock would go on to change the face of popular music in the years that followed. It would inspire countless other genres and help to shape the sound of rock and roll for generations to come.

The San Francisco Sound

The San Francisco Sound was originally created by bands in the San Francisco area during the mid-1960s to describe the psychedelic rock music that was being created at the time. The sound was marked by its use of electronic instruments, extended improvisation, and unusual time signatures. The San Francisco Sound quickly spread to other parts of the country and influenced the development of psychedelic rock.

The Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in San Francisco. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, country, bluegrass, blues, gospel, and psychedelia. They are considered one of the originators of the jam band genre.

The members of the Grateful Dead were:
-Jerry Garcia (guitar, vocals)
-Bob Weir (guitar, vocals)
-Phil Lesh (bass guitar, vocals)
-Ron “Pigpen” McKernan (keyboards, harmonica, percussion, vocals)
-Bill Kreutzmann (drums)
-Tom Constanten (keyboards; 1964–1969)
-Donna Jean Godchaux (vocals; 1972–1979)
-Keith Godchaux (keyboards; 1971–1979)
-Vince Welnick (keyboards; 1990–1995)
-Bruce Hornsby (accordion; 1990–1992)

The Jefferson Airplane

The Jefferson Airplane was one of the first American rock bands to achieve mainstream success with a psychedelic sound. They were pioneers of the San Francisco Sound, which was a major influence on the development of early psychedelic rock.

The Jefferson Airplane was formed in 1965 by singer-songwriter Marty Balin and guitarist Paul Kantner. They were soon joined by bassist Jack Casady, drummer Spencer Dryden, and singers Grace Slick and Signe Anderson. The band’s debut album, Jefferson Airplane Takes Off, was released in 1966 and featured their first hit single, “Somebody to Love.”

The following year, the band released their sophomore album, Surrealistic Pillow, which is often considered to be one of the greatest psychedelic rock albums of all time. The album features such classics as “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love,” both of which were written by Grace Slick. The band’s third album, After Bathing at Baxter’s, was also a critical and commercial success, cementing their place as one of the most successful bands of the 1960s.

The Jefferson Airplane continued to produce great music throughout the rest of the decade, including such classics as “Volunteers” and “Wooden Ships.” However, internal tensions within the band led to a decline in popularity in the early 1970s. The group disbanded in 1972, but reunion tours and subsequent albums have kept their legacy alive.

The San Francisco Scene

The San Francisco Sound refers to a particular style of psychedelic rock that developed in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s. This style is characterized by its use of creative and innovative production techniques, as well as its focus on complex and lengthy song structures. Early San Francisco bands such as The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and The Byrds were at the forefront of this musical movement, and their work would go on to inspire subsequent generations of musicians.

Psychedelic Rock Goes Mainstream

Psychedelic rock, also sometimes called garage rock, is a style of rock music that evolved in the mid-1960s. It was influenced by psychedelic culture and sought to replicate the experience of psychedelic drugs. The music often featured distorted guitars, ethereal sound effects, and celestial melodies.

The Doors

The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. The band took its name from the title of Aldous Huxley’s book The Doors of Perception (1954), which itself was a reference to a quote by William Blake.

Jimi Hendrix

“Are You Experienced” established Jimi Hendrix as the premiere rock guitarist of his generation. But it was his use of feedback, distortion, and other sonic experimentalism that made him a true innovator. On “I Don’t Live Today,” Hendrix created a wall of feedback by holding his hand over the strings while simultaneously strumming them. The result was a sunburst of sound that has yet to be matched.

Cream

The British rock band Cream was founded in 1966 by Ginger Baker, Sean Costello, and Jack Bruce. The group’s first album, Fresh Cream, was released in December of that year. The album’s single “I Feel Free” reached number eleven on the UK Singles Chart. In 1967, the band released its second album, Disraeli Gears, which reached number five on the US Billboard 200 and number two on the UK Albums Chart. The album’s lead single, “Sunshine of Your Love,” peaked at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number six on the UK Singles Chart.

The Legacy of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that emerged in the late 1960s. The genre is defined by its distorted guitars, mind-altering lyrics, and extended improvisational jams. Psychedelic rock laid the foundation for many later styles of rock music, including hard rock, punk rock, and grunge.

The Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in San Francisco. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, country, and jazz. They also became renowned for their lengthy jams, which featured complex interplay between the band’s various instruments. The band was ranked 57th by Rolling Stone magazine in its list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time.” They have sold more than 35 million albums worldwide.

The Allman Brothers Band

The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman (slide guitar and lead guitar) and Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards, songwriting), as well as Dickey Betts (lead guitar, vocals, songwriting), Berry Oakley (bass guitar), Butch Trucks (drums), and Jai Johanny “Jaimoe” Johanson (drums). The band’s sound was defined by Duane Allman’s slide guitar work and Gregg Allman’s soulful vocals, as well as the complementary guitars of Betts and oakley.

The band incorporated elements of blues, jazz, and country music into their extended jams, and were the first group to be identified with the term “jam band.” They became a leading force in the development of the genre of Southern rock.

Pink Floyd

The English rock band Pink Floyd is often cited as one of the progenitors of psychedelic rock. Formed in London in 1965, the group originally consisted of university students Syd Barrett on guitar and lead vocals, Nick Mason on drums, Roger Waters on bass and vocals, and Richard Wright on keyboards and vocals. Inspired by the work of such avant-garde composers as Karlheinz Stockhausen and John Cage, as well as British rock bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd began to experiment with extended improvisational passages, unusual sound effects, and alarming feedback sounds in their early performances. These elements would become hallmarks of their signature sound.