A Brief History of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as psychedelia, is a diverse style of rock music that was inspired, in part, by hallucinogenic drugs. The genre is characterized by distorted guitars, trippy lyrics, and mind-bending sound effects.

The Origins of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also frequently called acid rock or simply psychedelic, is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. Psychedelic rock is intended to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs, most notably LSD.

The Early Days of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also sometimes known as acid rock or pysch rock, is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The style is characterized by distorted guitars, extended jams, and mind-expanding lyrics featuring themes of drug use, alienation, and social commentary.

Psychedelic rock began in the mid-1960s with bands such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones experimenting with psychedelic drugs like LSD. These early efforts laid the groundwork for bands like Pink Floyd and The Grateful Dead to develop the sound further in the late 1960s. The genre reached its apex in the early 1970s with seminal albums like Led Zeppelin’s “Physical Graffiti” and Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon.” Psychedelic rock fell out of favor in the late 1970s as punk rock gained popularity, but the sound has been revived periodically by bands like R.E.M. and Radiohead in more recent years.

The First Wave of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also sometimes known as garage rock, is a subgenre of rock that emerged in the mid-1960s. The style is intermediary between regular pop music and the avant-garde, and is characterized by the use of electronic effects, feedback, and various sound effect devices.

Psychedelic rock first gained popularity in the United States and Britain, with bands such as The Beatles, The Byrds, and Pink Floyd releasing influential records. The genre became more widespread in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with bands such as Cream, Jefferson Airplane, and The Doors achieving commercial success. Psychedelic rock waned in popularity in the late 1970s but saw a resurgence in the early 1990s with bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

The Second Wave of Psychedelic Rock

Also known as acid rock, the second wave of psychedelic rock emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This style of music was inspired by the first wave of psychedelic rock, but it also incorporated elements of hard rock and heavy metal. Second wave psychedelic rock bands often used distorted guitars, feedback, and other sonic effects to create a mind-bending, trippy sound.

The British Invasion

The British Invasion was a watershed moment in the history of rock and roll. In the early 1960s, a new wave of British bands synthesisized the influences of American rock with traditional pop forms, resulting in a unique sound that would come to be known as psychedelic rock.

The Beatles were at the forefront of this movement, experimenting with drugs and incorporating elements of Eastern music into their work. Other British bands like Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones followed suit, creating some of the most iconic and influential rock music of all time.

The Second Wave of Psychedelic Rock is often considered to be a continuation of the first wave, with bands like Radiohead and Oasis carrying on the tradition of experimental and mind-bending music. However, there are also key differences between the two movements. Whereas the first wave was dominated by British bands, the second wave saw a more international array of artists, with American groups like The Flaming Lips and The Pixies making important contributions to the genre.

The Second Wave of Psychedelic Rock is characterized by its diversity, creativity, and willingness to push boundaries. It remains one of the most popular and influential genres in rock music today.

The San Francisco Sound

The San Francisco Sound refers to rock music performed live and recorded in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was a countercultural reaction to the conservativemindset of the mainstream American culture of the time, which manifested itself in both the country’s political and musical communities.

Psychedelic rock, which was largely influenced by psychedelic drugs such as LSD, was the dominant form of music in the San Francisco Sound. The sound was characterized by extended jams, improvised instrumentation, and a heavy use of reverb and echo. Other notable elements of the San Francisco Sound included acid rock and psychedelic folk.

The San Francisco Sound quickly spread beyond the Bay Area, particularly to Los Angeles, where it helped to shape the sound of what would later be known as ” sunshine pop .” The reach of the San Francisco Sound would eventually extend even further, with its influence being felt in such diverse places as Brazil and Japan.

The Third Wave of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as “psychedelia”, is a wide-ranging style of rock music characterized by the use of psychedelic effects, such as mind-altering drugs, sensory deprivation, and/or hallucinogenic experiences. Psychedelic rock emerged during the mid-1960s as a subgenre of acid rock, itself a subgenre of rock music.

The New York Scene

Psychedelic rock, often referred to simply as psychedelia, is a diverse style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. It is characterized by distorted guitars, lyrics with drug references, and extended improvisation. The genre developed during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s and reached its peak in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The New York scene was led by the Velvet Underground, whose first album, The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967), is considered one of the most influential records in rock history. Other notable bands from the New York scene include The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane.

The L.A. Scene

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Los Angeles music scene was dominated by what came to be known as the “L.A. sound.” This was a blend of folk-rock, country-rock, and blues-rock, with strong influences from the psychedelic and hard rock scenes. The most famous bands to come out of this scene were The Doors, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and Crosby, Stills & Nash.

The Fourth Wave of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as “acid rock” or “stoner rock”, is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the 1960s. This genre of music is characterized by its use of psychedelic drugs, such as LSD, as well as its focus on extended improvisation and experimental sounds. The fourth wave of psychedelic rock began in the 2010s and is still ongoing.

The Neo-Psychedelia Movement

The neo-psychedelia movement was a return to the ” trippy ” sound and themes of the earlier psychedelic music, but without the drug references. Neo-psychedelia incorporated elements of punk rock, garage rock, and alternative rock.

The first wave of neo-psychedelia came in the late 1970s and early 1980s with bands such as ThePsychedelic Furs, Echo & The Bunnymen, Orange Juice, and Aztec Camera. These bands were inspired by the original psychedelic bands of the 1960s, but they also incorporated new wave and post-punk influences.

The second wave of neo-psychedelia occurred in the early to mid-1990s with bands such as Spacemen 3, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Verve, Ride, and Oasis. These bands were influenced by both the original psychedelic bands and the first wave of neo-psychedelia bands.

The third wave of neo-psychedelia began in the late 1990s and early 2000s with bands such as The Dandy Warhols, Flaming Lips, Radiohead, and Tame Impala. These bands were influenced by all previous waves of psychedelia as well as electronic music and pop music.

The Post-Psychedelia Movement

The mid-1970s saw the beginnings of the post-psychedelia movement. This was a time when many psychedelic bands disbanded or STOPPED touring, and a new generation of musicians emerged who were influenced by the psychedelic sound, but were not necessarily part of the counterculture. This new wave of psychedelic rock is sometimes referred to as “neo-psychedelia”.

Some of the most popular neo-psychedelic bands included Roxy Music, Talking Heads, Blondie, Devo, and The Cars. These bands blended elements of punk rock and new wave with their psychedelic sound, creating a more refined and polished sound than their predecessors.

While the post-psychedelia movement was largely dominated by British and American bands, there were also some notable Australian groups like INXS and Midnight Oil who blended new wave and punk with Aboriginal sounds and themes.

The neo-psychedelic sound was extremely popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and many of these bands enjoyed commercial success with mainstream audiences. However, by the mid-1980s, the genre began to fall out of favor as other styles like hair metal and synthpop became more popular.