Psychedelic Rock from the West

We’re a band from the West Coast influenced by the Psychedelic Rock of the 60s and 70s. Our goal is to create music that takes the listener on a journey.

The Origins of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also 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. Psychedelic rock originated in the mid-1960s with British and American bands such as the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds.

The Birth of Rock and Roll

Though usually associated with the 1960s, the origins of psychedelic rock can be traced back to the 1950s. Rock and roll was born in the United States in the 1950s, and it quickly spread to Britain and other parts of the world. The new style of music was dominated by electric guitars and a strong beat, which made it perfect for dancing.

In Britain, rock and roll was initially led by artists such as Cliff Richard and Elvis Presley. However, by the early 1960s, a new generation of British musicians had begun to experiment with the sound of rock and roll. They began to add elements of other genres, such as blues, folk, and jazz. These experiments resulted in a new style of music that came to be known as psychedelic rock.

Psychedelic rock reached its peak in the late 1960s. The most famous psychedelic rock band was probably The Beatles, whose album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is often cited as one of the most important and influential albums of all time. Other major bands in this genre included The Doors, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and The Velvet Underground.

Psychedelic rock began to decline in popularity in the early 1970s, but it has continued to influence many subsequent genres of music.

The British Invasion

It is often said that the Beatles were the first psychedelic rock band. This may be true in the sense that they were the first band to combine electric guitars with sitars and other Eastern instruments on “Norwegian Wood.” However, the Californian band The Byrds actually released “Eight Miles High” before the Beatles, and it is generally considered to be the first psychedelia song. In any case, it is clear that British bands were influenced by American psychedelic music, and vice versa. The British Invasion of American pop culture in the 1960s was partly responsible for introducing American audiences to psychedelic rock.

The Beatles were not the only British band to experiment with psychedelia. The Rolling Stones also dabbled in this genre with songs like “She’s a Rainbow” and “Paint It Black.” Other notable British psychedelic bands include The Kinks, Pink Floyd, and Cream.

The Byrds – Eight Miles High

The Sound of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as “psychedelia”, is a style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. The sound of Psychedelic Rock is characterized by extended improvisation, unusual instrumentation, and the use of feedback and distortion. The style is often associated with the use of psychedelic drugs, such as LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, and mescaline.

The Electric Guitar

In the early days of psychedelic rock, the electric guitar was the primary instrument. It was used to create both the melodic and the rhythmic foundation of the music. The electric guitar can be played in a variety of ways, from simple lead lines to complex solos. Psychedelic rock guitarists often used feedback and distortion to create new sounds.

The electric bass was also important in psychedelic rock. The bass added both low-end frequencies and a sense of rhythm to the music. Psychedelic rock basslines were often complex and featured a lot of improvisation.

Other instruments, such as keyboards and horns, were sometimes used in psychedelic rock. However, the electric guitar and bass were always the most important instruments in this type of music.

The Use of Effects

Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s and was popularized in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was characterized by distorted guitars, feedback, and other sonic effects, and often incorporated elements of Indian music and Eastern modalities.

During the 1960s, the use of effects became more widespread in psychedelic music. Effects pedals such as the wah-wah pedal and fuzz box were used to create unique sounds, and were often featured prominently in psychedelic rock songs. Other common effects included phasing, flanging, and delay.

Psychedelic rock often made use of novel recording techniques such as multitracking, tape loops, and reverse tape effects. These techniques were often used to create sonic textures that would be impossible to achieve with traditional recording methods.

The use of effects played a central role in the development of psychedelic rock, and helped to shape the sound of this genre.

The Psychedelic Rock Scene

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as “psych rock” or “psychedelia”, is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The style is noted for its use of feedback, extended guitar solos, and heavy distortion. The Psychedelic Rock Scene began in the West with bands such as The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and The Doors.

The San Francisco Sound

In the late 1960s, San Francisco became the epicenter of a new musical movement that blended rock, blues, jazz, and Latin rhythms with Eastern mysticism and mind-expanding drugs. This new sound was dubbed “psychedelic rock” and bands like The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and The Santana Blues Band popularized it with extended improvisational jams and mind-bending light shows.

The San Francisco sound was often experimental, free-form, and heavily influenced by Eastern spirituality. Psychedelic rock bands often stretched the boundaries of traditional song structure and improvising their way through lengthy jams. This approach was similar to jazz, but with a heavier rock edge. The result was a sound that was both trippy and technically proficient.

Psychedelic rock quickly spread beyond the confines of San Francisco. Other scenes developed in Los Angeles, New York, London, and elsewhere. But the San Francisco scene remained the most famous and influential. With its world-famous Haight-Ashbury district serving as a mecca for hippies and music lovers from all over the world, San Francisco cemented its place as the capital of psychedelic rock.

The Los Angeles Scene

In the mid-1960s, young people in Los Angeles were looking for a new sound, and they found it in psychedelic rock. The LA Scene was a hotbed of activity, with many clubs and venues serving as the incubators for new bands. The Doors, Love, Jefferson Airplane, and The Byrds all got their start in LA.

The music of the LA Scene was often characterized by lengthy improvisation, extended jams, and experimental songwriting. The bands were influenced by Eastern philosophy and mind-expanding drugs like LSD. They were also influenced by the sound of early British psychedelic groups like Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett’s band, Pink Fairies.

The LA Scene gave birth to some of the most influential bands of the Psychedelic Rock era. These bands would go on to change the course of popular music and inspire generations of musicians.

The Legacy of Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also commonly referred to as “psychedelia”, is a style of rock music characterized by trippy and mind-bending soundscapes. Developed in the mid-1960s, the style was pioneered by the likes of The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Doors. The Beatles’ album, Sgt.

The Influence on Other Genres

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as acid rock, is a style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. The music is intended to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs such as LSD.

Psychedelic rock reached its peak in the late 1960s and early 1970s with bands such as Pink Floyd, The Doors, and Led Zeppelin. The genre had a significant influence on other genres, including punk rock, metal, and jam band. Psychedelic rock began to decline in popularity in the late 1970s, but experienced a revival in the 1990s with bands such as Radiohead and The Flaming Lips.

The End of an Era

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the psychedelic rock genre was coming to an end. As the decade progressed, many of the bands that had helped to pioneer the sound were either breaking up or abandoning the style altogether in favor of more concise, radio-friendly song structures. This shift away from psychedelia coincided with increased drug use and experimentation in the rock world, as well as a growing sense of political and social unrest.

The end of an era often signifies a time of change and transition, and this was certainly the case for psychedelic rock. As the sound of the genre began to dissipate, so too did its cultural resonance. For a time, it seemed as though psychedelic rock would be nothing more than a fleeting fad; a brief moment in musical history that would quickly be forgotten.

And yet, despite all odds, psychedelic rock has managed to endure. In the decades since its inception, the style has continued to evolve and mutate, absorbing elements from other genres and styles along the way. Today,psychedelic rock is experiencing something of a renaissance, with new bands emerging all over the world who are carrying on its legacy.

The history of psychedelic rock is one that is full of highs and lows, peaks and valleys. But through it all, one thing has remained constant: the music’s ability to transcend time and place, and connect with listeners on a deep and profound level.