Psychedelic Rock and the Smog of L.A.

Psychedelic rock and the smog of L.A. are two things that go hand in hand. The music of the 60s and 70s was shaped by the city’s smoggy atmosphere, and the two have been linked ever since.

The Smog of L.A.

Psychedelic Rock emerged in the late 1960s, in the same era as the smog of L.A. The pollution in the air was caused by a combination of car exhaust, industrial fumes, and wood-burning stoves. The smog was so bad that it often caused respiratory problems and even death.

The Inversion Layer

The inversion layer is a dense layer of cold air that forms on the ground in regions with high pressure systems. The cold air traps pollutants close to the ground, where they can react with sunlight to form smog. The inversion layer is one of the main reasons why Los Angeles has such bad air pollution.

The Temperature Inversion

Inversion is when warm air settles over cooler air near the ground. This can happen when there is a high pressure system in the area. The warm air acts like a lid and traps the pollution near the ground. The smog of Los Angeles is infamous and is caused by a temperature inversion.

Psychedelic Rock

The Psychedelic Rock sound of the 1960s was partly inspired by the smog of Los Angeles. This new sound was slower, more experimental, and used feedback and distortion to create an otherworldly sound. The smog of L.A. was the perfect backdrop for this new type of music.

The Birth of Psychedelic Rock

In the early to mid 1960s, American and British folk rock bands started experimenting with electric instruments and overt Indian and Eastern influences. On the West Coast of the United States, a more garage rock and blues-influenced style of psychedelia began to take shape. These two different strains would eventually come to be known as folk rock (or acid folk) and psychedelic rock, respectively.

One of the most important bands in the history of psychedelic rock is The Byrds. Hailing from Los Angeles, The Byrds were at the forefront of the American psychedelic scene. Their sound was a unique blend of folk, rock, country, and pop that was perfect for trippy experimentation. The band’s hit single “Eight Miles High” is often cited as one of the first true psychedelic songs.

Another key figure in the development of psychedelic rock is Roger McGuinn, the lead guitarist and singer for The Byrds. McGuinn’s 12-string Rickenbacker guitar was a defining component of The Byrds’ sound, and he was one of the first musicians to make use of feedback and distortion in a pop context. His playing style would go on to be an important influence on subsequent generations of guitarists.

The L.A.-based band Love is another significant early psychedelia act. Along with The Byrds, Love helped to define the Californian variant of psychedelic music. Love’s music was more explicitly experimental than that of their peers, making use of atonality, extended improvisation, and other avant-garde techniques. Love’s 1967 album Forever Changes is widely regarded as one of the greatest Psychedelic Rock albums ever made.

The Sound of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the goal of expanding the sonic possibilities of rock music through the use of new studio techniques and electronic instruments. Psychedelic rock reached its peak in popularity in the mid- to late 1960s, but it continued to be influential in the development of other genres, including punk rock, metal, and disco.

The Smog of L.A. and Psychedelic Rock

L.A. in the late 1960s was a time and place of great creativity in the arts, with the birth of the psychedelic rock music scene. The Smog of L.A. was also born at this time, a product of the industrialization of the city. The smog was so bad that it often caused respiratory problems and was even linked to cancer.

The Influence of the Smog of L.A. on Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, a subgenre of rock music, was born in the mid-1960s and was influenced by the smog of Los Angeles. The smog, a mixture of pollutants in the air, made the sky appear hazy and dull. Psychedelic rock artists sought to replicate this effect in their music by using distorted guitars and other effects. The result was a sound that was both psychedelic and unique to Los Angeles.

The Sound of the Smog of L.A. on Psychedelic Rock

The smog of L.A. in the early 1960s was unlike anything the world had ever seen. A thick, soupy mixture of pollutants, it was a visible and tangible manifestation of the city’s industrialization and its sprawl. The smog also had a sound, a low-frequency rumble that was audible only at night. This “hum,” as it was called, became an integral part of the city’s sonic landscape, and it would go on to have a profound impact on the music of the city, particularly on psychedelic rock.

The smog’s sound was first captured on tape by Frank Zappa in 1966. Zappa was living in Los Angeles at the time and had become interested in electronic music. One night, he set up a tape recorder near his window and left it running overnight. In the morning, he played back the recording and was astonished to hear the low rumble of the smog. He later described it as “the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.”

Zappa wasn’t the only one who was affected by the smog’s sound. The Doors’ Jim Morrison also claimed to have been inspired by it, saying that it helped him to create the “sound of the Doors.” The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson also cited it as an influence on his music, specifically on their 1967 album Pet Sounds.

The smog would eventually be phased out in the 1970s owing to stricter environmental regulations but its impact on music would be long-lasting. The sound of the smog would go on to inspire other musicians in other genres and ultimately help to create one of Los Angeles’ most distinctive sonic signatures.