"Mr. Farmer" was banned by most radio stations for its drug implications, and stalled at #86, although it was another big local hit. Times were changing fast; as the Summer Of Love arrived in 1967, psychedlia and flower power was where it was at; the Seeds seemed a throwback with their leather, and tough guy image. Saxon sensed opportunity; the band recast themselves as psychedelic troubadors. Given their big local success and their two near top-40 hits, GNP Crescendo left them pretty much to their own devices.

Future, released in the summer of 1967, was Saxon and the Seeds' attempt to tap into the budding progressive rock movement; their Sunset Strip contemporaries the Doors and Love were leaving them behind. The leadoff single, "A Thousand Shadows" is another "Pushin' Too Hard" style fuzzout, but the rest of the album gives way to their very strange quest to sound complex. The complexities begin with the album cover, which spared no expense, with its gatefold, and flower cut-outs, and lushly printed photos, a Saxon-penned essay (wherein one may find the seedlings of Sky Sunshine Saxon), all with a sunny, flowery theme. The music is what it is; the sounds of a three chord band allowed to run amok in a studio with the label footing the cost. Taken as such, there is a bizarre glee that permeates this album, from its whimsical and bewildering array of sound effects and exotic instruments, to the ultimately charming and naive playing and singing. "A Thousand Shadows" peaked at #72, and Future was the Seeds' biggest seller, peaking at #87.

Through this time, the band kept a high profile on the Strip, and even landed a movie cameo in the teen exploitation flick Psych Out, starring Jack Nicholson and directed by Roger Corman. GNP Crescendo made another attempt to cash in, this time promoting the band's local fame as a live show. Raw & Alive: The Seeds in Concert at Merlin's Music Box was released in late 1967. While it does capture the live Seeds, it overdubbed audience noise on top; as a result, it's not a very clean listen. However, it is a revelation. "900 Million People Daily All Making Love" is textbook Doors; the bands' mutual influence is made explicit. "Satisfy You" is Saxon's "Satisfaction".

As the Summer Of Love ended in drug burnouts galore, the Seeds seemed to sink into the murk. Their activities during 1968 are cloudy. Drummer Andridge left the group. Guitarist Jan Savage also departed, eventually to join the Los Angeles Police Department. Saxon and Hooper regrouped for another stab at immortality, this time in the unlikely role as bluesmen. A Full Spoon of Seedy Blues was released in 1968, complete with liner notes by Muddy Waters, who must've been needing a royalty check. Blues was going through a major rediscovery at the time, and Saxon, perhaps sensing his chances were running out, plunged headfirst, bringing Hooper along with him. This is the only Seeds album not to sound like "Pushing Too Hard", and it wasn't even credited to The Seeds; Sky Saxon's Blues Band is the credit. What is remarkable is that they pretty much get away with it; they cover Waters' "Plain Spoken" with reverence, and do a couple of Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson songs. Saxon's own originals aren't embarrassments. However, no blues aficianado would take this seriously, and when the album didn't chart, GNP let the Seeds go.

Saxon and Hooper tried to hustle up interest with another label, and MGM gave them a shot. Ironically, MGM was busy dropping artists whom they felt had drug-related images; somehow the seediest seeds slipped through. As the Seeds, they cut a few tracks, and released a pair of singles in 1970, sounding somewhat in the vein of Steppenwolf. Both went virtually unheard, and MGM released them. The faithful Hooper finally called it a day, but Saxon didn't give up. He squeezed out one more single, credited to The New Seeds in 1972 on a homemade label, but it was a futile gesture. He was trying to get things going with ex-Steppenwolf guitarist Mars Bonfire when he underwent a profound change.

Saxon had become involved with a sect called "Ya Ho Wha", formed in 1969 in the Los Angeles area by one of the most eccentric freaks of the time, a middle-aged beatnik called Jim Baker who believed himself a god and went by the nickname of Father Yod.