Psychedelic Rock: Where Did It Come From?

Psychedelic rock is a music genre that originated in the 1960s. This genre is characterized by the use of feedback, distorted guitars, and mind-altering drugs.

Origins of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as “acid rock”, is a style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s and was influenced by the use of psychedelic drugs. The first psychedelic rock bands were the Grateful Dead and the Jefferson Airplane. The term “psychedelic” was first coined by psychiatrist Humphry Osmond in 1957.

British Invasion and the Birth of Psychedelia

The birth of Psychedelic Rock can be traced back to the British Invasion of the 1960s. The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and other British bands brought a new sound and attitude to America that quickly caught on with the young generation. This new sound combined elements of rock and roll, blues, pop, and (most importantly) psychedelia. Psychedelia, which is defined as “an experience of perception-altering drugs that are often used as an entheogen,” became the perfect sonic backdrop for the experiments happening in both music and culture during this time.

The psychedelic movement reached its peak in 1967, also known as the “Summer of Love.” This was a time when tens of thousands of young people converged on San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district to celebrate peace, love, and music. The music of this era was characterized by extended jams, feedback-drenched guitars, mind-bending lyrics, and elaborate stage shows. Some of the most popular Psychedelic Rock bands of this time include The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix Experience, and The Doors.

Psychedelic Rock continued to be popular throughout the 1970s with bands like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Queen incorporating elements of psychedelia into their own unique styles. However, by the end of the decade, the popularity of Psychedelic Rock began to wane as disco and punk rock took center stage. Despite this decline in popularity, Psychedelic Rock has remained an influential force in popular music and culture.

San Francisco Sound and the Summer of Love

Psychedelic rock is a genre of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. Influenced bypsychedelic culture, the music incorporates different extended musical techniques and alters the mind to create psychedelic experiences.

Psychedelic rock first appeared in the United States with San Francisco’s The Grateful Dead and The Jefferson Airplane in 1965. The following year, the Beatles released their album Revolver, which features the song “Tomorrow Never Knows”, considered one of the first psychedelic rock songs. Other important early artists include The Doors, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, and The Velvet Underground.

The Summer of Love in 1967 saw a large increase in popularity of psychedelia with young people flocking to San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. At the same time, new Brazilian artists such as Os Mutantes and Caetano Veloso were incorporating psychedelic influences into their music. Psychedelic rock reached its peak in popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Yes, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Key Figures in Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also known as acid rock, is a music genre that emerged in the mid-1960s. The genre is often characterized by distorted guitars, trippy lyrics, and mind-altering visual effects. Psychedelic rock is said to have been influenced by the counterculture of the 1960s and the use of psychedelic drugs such as LSD.

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix was born in Seattle on November 27, 1942, and was originally named John Allen Hendrix. He was later renamed James Marshall Hendrix, which is still commonly misspelled as Jimmy. Hendrix picked up the guitar at age 15 and taught himself how to play by listening to blues records and imitation. He was inspired by American guitarists such as B.B. King, Chuck Berry, and Muddy Waters, as well as British Invasion bands such as the Animals and the Beatles.

Hendrix first started playing in R&B bands in Seattle, but he was soon drafted into the Army and stationed in Kentucky. It was there that he started experimenting with drugs, which would later become a staple of his onstage persona. After his discharge from the Army, Hendrix moved to New York City and quickly made a name for himself on the club circuit. In 1966, he formed the Jimi Hendrix Experience with bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell.

The Experience released three seminal psychedelic rock albums: Are You Experienced (1967), Axis: Bold as Love (1967), and Electric Ladyland (1968). Hendrix pushed the boundaries of what was possible on the electric guitar with his innovative style of playing, which incorporated feedback, distortion, wah-wah pedals, and other effects. He redefined what it meant to be a rock guitarist and helped pioneer the psychedelic rock sound that would come to define an entire generation.

Hendrix died of a drug overdose at age 27 on September 18, 1970. Although he only released three studio albums during his lifetime, Hendrix is widely considered to be one of the greatest guitarists of all time. His influence can still be heard in modern rock music today.

The Grateful Dead

While the Grateful Dead did not write the book on psychedelic rock, they were perhaps its most important practitioners. The Dead’s music was uniquely suited to the drug-induced experience, with its long, improvised jams and unconventional song structures. The band’s live performances were legendary, and their fans (known as “Deadheads”) were legendary for their loyalty and devotion. Many of the elements that would become synonymous with psychedelic culture owe their origins to the Grateful Dead.

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. They were one of the most controversial and influential rock acts of the 1960s because of Morrison’s cryptic lyrics and unpredictable stage persona, and the group was widely regarded as an important part of the psychedelic rock movement. Due to their use of light shows and Scott’s innovative work with slide guitar, they are also often cited as one of the first ‘psychedelic’ bands.

Psychedelic Rock Today

Psychedelic rock, also called acid rock or garage rock, was a music style popular in the 1960s.It is based on electric guitars, drums, and sometimes other instruments, and is marked by distorted sounds and a heavy use of feedback.

Psychedelic Revival

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in psychedelic rock, with a number of bands revisiting the sound and style of the original wave of psychedelic bands from the 1960s. This so-called “psychedelic revival” has been led by bands such as Tame Impala, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Black Angels, and The Warlocks.

New Psychedelia

Psychedelic rock, sometimes called “acid rock”, is a type 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 music typically incorporates distorted electric guitars, lyrics with surreal or figurative imagery, and unusual sound effects.

Psychedelic rock developed in the mid-1960s with the rise of British bands such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, who were influenced by earlier American performers such as Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley. Britain’s contribution to the genre was later overshadowed by American artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and The Doors, who were influenced by British Psychedelic groups. Psychedelic rock reached its peak in popularity in the 67-68 “Summer of Love”, but began to decline soon afterwards due to a number of factors including overuse of drugs which led to changing attitudes towards drug use, changes in the music industry, and a decreased interest in the hippie lifestyle.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s there was a revival of interest in Psychedelic Rock, led by bands such as 13th Floor Elevators, Jefferson Airplane, and Paisley Underground. This new wave of Psychedelic Rock was often referred to as “New Psychedelia” or ” Neo-Psychedelia”, and was marked by a return to more traditional song structures and instrumentation, as well as a focus on personal themes rather than political or social messages.

While Psychedelic Rock is no longer as popular as it once was, it continues to be influential on many modern genres such as Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Electronic Music, and Hip Hop.