Psychedelic Rock Essentials: The Best of Mu

Looking for the best psychedelic rock albums of all time? Look no further than Mu’s Psychedelic Rock Essentials list. From classic albums like The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band to modern greats like Tame Impala’s Currents, this list has it all.

The Origins of Psychedelic Rock

Originating in the mid-1960s, psychedelic rock was a subgenre of rock music that was inspired by psychedelic culture and drugs. The genre is characterized by distorted guitars, trippy lyrics, and mind-bending sounds. The first psychedelic rock song is believed to be “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix, which was released in 1967.

The Beatles and Psychedelia

Psychedelic rock is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. The genre is generally defined by a heavy use of distorted guitars, drums, bass, and vocals, as well as communal and experimental songwriting. Psychedelic rock’s goal was to replicate the mind-altering experiences brought on by drugs such as LSD.

The Beatles are often considered the progenitors of psychedelic rock, thanks in large part to their game-changing album Revolver. Released in 1966, Revolver found the Fab Four experimenting with feedback, sitars, and other sonic sounds and textures that would come to be associated with psychedelia. The album’s most iconic track, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” is a prime example of these new techniques at work.

The Rolling Stones and Psychedelia

The Rolling Stones were always one of the more musically adventurous British Invasion bands, latching onto trends like R&B and blues before they became popular in their homeland. In the mid-’60s, they began to experiment with psychedelic sounds on tracks like “Paint It, Black,” “19th Nervous Breakdown,” and their classic 1967 album Their Satanic Majesties Request. The Stones weren’t the only ones flirting with psychedelia — Beatles records like Revolver and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band pushed sonic boundaries as well — but they did help bring the trippy style into the mainstream.

The Best of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic Rock is a genre of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. The style is characterized by a unique and often bizarre sound that is heavily influenced by psychedelic drugs. The instruments used in psychedelic rock are typically electric guitars, bass guitars, and drums. The genre is often also characterized by the use of electronic effects, such as echo and feedback.

The Doors

The Doors were one of the most controversial and influential rock bands of the 1960s. With their wild blend of blues, jazz, and Eastern influences, they created a unique sound that caught the attention of the public and critics alike. The Doors’ short but eventful career came to an end with the untimely death of lead singer Jim Morrison in 1971, but their music continues to influence artists to this day.

The Doors’ self-titled debut album was released in 1967 and immediately made waves with its lead single, “Break On Through (To the Other Side).” The album also included the unforgettable tracks “Light My Fire” and “The End,” both of which became radio staples. The band followed up their debut with 1968’s Strange Days, which featured the now-classic singles “People Are Strange” and “Love Me Two Times.”

With 1969’s The Soft Parade, The Doors began to experiment with horns and strings on some of their tracks, a departure from their earlier sound. The album was not as well-received as its predecessors, but it still contained some great songs like “Tell All the People” and “Touch Me.” The band bounced back in 1970 with Morrison Hotel, an album that saw them returning to their roots with bluesy tracks like “Roadhouse Blues.”

Despite having only released six studio albums, The Doors left a lasting mark on rock music and popular culture. Their unique blend of styles and influences paved the way for other bands to experiment with different sounds, and their dark poetic lyrics continue to resonate with listeners today.

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix was one of the most innovative guitarists of his time, and his influence is still felt today. His psychedelic rock sound was a mix of blues, soul, and R&B that was unlike anything that had been heard before. Hendrix was a master of feedback and distortion, and his use of these effects helped to create the signature sound of psychedelic rock.

Cream

Cream was a British rock band formed in 1966. The group consisted of singer and bassist Jack Bruce, guitarist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker. They were considered to be one of the first supergroups, and their success cemented the status of Clapton as one of the world’s greatest guitarists.

The group’s debut album, Fresh Cream (1966), was a critical and commercial success, reaching number six on the UK Albums Chart and number 39 on the US Billboard 200. The band’s second album, Disraeli Gears (1967), reached number one in the UK and number five in the US. It featured the singles “Sunshine of Your Love”, “White Room”, and “Crossroads”.

The group disbanded in 1968 after just two albums, but re-formed in May 1969 for a farewell tour that culminated in their final concert at the Los Angeles Forum on 26 November 1968. Cream were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, they were also included in both Rolling Stone’s and VH1’s lists of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”. In 2004, Cream were ranked number 16 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock And in 2012 they were ranked number 22 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 50 Greatest Artists of All Time list.

Psychedelic Rock Today

Psychedelic rock, or “acid rock” as it was popularly known in the 1960s, is a style of rock music that is inspired by or similar to the musical style of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The sound of psychedelic rock is typically characterized by distorted guitars, trippy keyboards, and mind-bending lyrics. The genre is also sometimes known for its use of psychedelic drugs, such as LSD, as a means of inspiration.

Tame Impala

Tame Impala is an Australian psychedelic rock band founded in 2007 by frontman Kevin Parker. The group’s musical style has been variously described as psychedelic pop, experimental rock, progressive pop, and psychedelic rock. Tame Impala has released three studio albums: Innerspeaker (2010), Lonerism (2012), and Currents (2015). The band’s sound has been described as a combination of the work of Pink Floyd, theBeatles, and My Bloody Valentine.

Tame Impala’s music is heavily influenced by psychedelia and60s and 70s rock music. The band’s debut album Innerspeaker was described as “a hazy nod to the past few decades of psychedelic experimentation.” Lonerism was musically more expansive, with a greater focus on keyboard-driven melodies and spacey soundscapes. Currents marked a shift in the band’s sound towards more synth-based pop music, while still retaining elements of their psychedelic roots.

Tame Impala has achieved significant commercial success, with Innerspeaker and Lonerism both reaching #1 on the Australian albums chart and Currents reaching #3. The band has also been acclaimed by critics, with Innerspeaker being named the best album of 2010 by NME magazine and Lonerism winning the coveted Album of the Year award at the 2013 ARIA Music Awards.

The Black Keys

The Black Keys are an American rock band formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach (lead vocals, guitar) and Patrick Carney (drums). The duo began as an indie blues-rock outfit, but their sound has since evolved to incorporate a wide range of genres and influences, including garage rock, punk rock, hip hop and R&B.

The Black Keys have released eight studio albums, the most recent being Turn Blue (2014). They have also released five live albums and three EPs. Their first four albums were produced by Brian Burton (also known as Danger Mouse), who also co-produced their fifth album, Brothers (2010). Their sixth album, El Camino (2011), was produced by Nigel Godrich. Their seventh album, Turn Blue, was produced by Danger Mouse and Justin Meldal-Johnsen.

The Black Keys have won seven Grammy Awards: three for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for “Tighten Up” (2010), “Lonely Boy” (2012) and “Fever” (2014); one for Best Rock Album for El Camino; one for Best Alternative Music Album for Brothers; one for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for Turn Blue; and one for Producer of the Year Non-Classical shared with Danger Mouse. In October 2011 they were nominated by Spin magazine as America’s Greatest Band

The Strokes

The Strokes are a New York City-based band that was formed in 1998. The band members are Julian Casablancas (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Nick Valensi (lead guitar, backing vocals), Albert Hammond Jr. (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Nikolai Fraiture (bass guitar) and Fabrizio Moretti (drums, percussion).

The Strokes rose to prominence in the early 2000s as a part of the garage rock revival movement. Their debut album, Is This It (2001), was a commercial and critical success. The album peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart and number four on the US Billboard 200. It has been certified platinum in several countries.

The Strokes’ follow-up albums, Room on Fire (2003) and First Impressions of Earth (2006), were also successful; both reached the top five in the UK and the US. The band’s fifth studio album, Comedown Machine (2013), was less successful commercially but still received positive reviews.

The Strokes are considered to be one of the most important bands of the 21st century. They have influenced many subsequent rock bands and helped to revive interest in garage rock.