Sunday Morning Playlist: Acid Rock
Published May 29, 2005
For the modern listener, many classics of the acid rock era sound incredibly indulgent and sometimes downright campy. It is impossible to take "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" seriously, as tied to its time and place as it is. However, some bands, like Steppenwolf and Big Brother, hold up just fine; it's best to approach this music with an open mind and with an ear out for the transition from psychedelia to metal. It also helps if you're already a fan of either genre. It's more for anthropological reasons that this genre is profiled here, but it can still make for an interesting listen.
Some important/influential acid rock artists/songs include:
1. Iron Butterfly: In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
It's easy to poke fun at this acid rock dinosaur now; the title track clocks in at 17 minutes, is full of organ doodling, guitar solos, drums and bongos. A psychedelic lightshow graces the cover, and the album contains songs with titles like "Flowers and Beads" and "My Mirage", sentiments that were already dated before the album fell off the charts. Which it didn't do for a long time; the album peaked at #4 and remained on the charts for a year. An abridged version of the single came out and reached #30, but the long version was the real hit. The legend behind the title goes that the band was too far gone at the sessions to pronounce the real title, "In The Garden Of Eden". It's only half a step removed from embryonic heavy metal though, and those who have never experienced it in all its glory should do so once in their life. Iron Butterfly actually managed to chart four albums in the top-20; their last album, Scorching Beauty, appeared in 1975.
2. Blue Cheer: Summertime Blues
Blue Cheer, from San Francisco, was a power trio reknowned for the volume of their shows. They are another band that could be considered proto-metal; had they appeared a year or two later doing the same thing, they probably would be called a metal band today. Guitarist Leigh Stevens had enjoyed some local reknown as a member of garage band legends The Other Half, who recorded a tough stomper "Mr. Pharmacist" Vincebus Eruptum was their debut, released in January 1968, and contained a roaring, heavy version of Eddie Cochrane's hit "Summertime Blues", which made it to #14 on the charts. Perhaps best likened to a louder, rougher Grand Funk Railroad, the band specialized in three amped up chords, and sleazy, sometimes violent lyrics. Although Stevens would depart after their second album, the band would ultimately release six albums before breaking up. They've since reunited several times since, in various permutations, recording four more albums along the way. They were named after a variety of LSD.
- Sunday Morning Playlist: Acid Rock
- Published: May 29, 2005
- Type: Review
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: Classic Rock and Oldies, Music: Rock
- Part of a feature: Sunday Morning Playlist
- Writer: uao
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Great list. Yeah, I had too much to dream last night. But it wasn't drug induced.
Then there are your bands that are of the acid rock circles that were a bit more direct in their message, therefore removing the acid from the style a bit. Like Jefferson Airplane. The 'Crown of Creation' album is stellar. Songs like 'Lather' (hhhmmm...that one is acidic) or 'Greasy Heart' will stick with me forever. Huh, I guess that is all acid rock. But I like the selections you made. Ultimate Spinach? I remember that one!
Anyway, just a theory...
peaceloveguidance
Oh god, so if it becomes a radio hit, does that make it ACID POP? Acid pop, I think I drank some of that stuff in the later 60s. It was like Tang.
yu can add early flaming lips to that list i think..
Thanks guys. Vern, I'm with you on Steppenwolf, they're a lot better than given credit for.
sydney, I didn't include Flaming Lips because they're from a different generation, but they are fairly psychedelic in their own way. I classified them as noise pop.
Douglas-
Jefferson Airplane will be included when I do a Haight-Ashbury playlist (so much music, so little time). They're a lifelong obsession of mine, I also plan a stand-alone artist overview on them someday.
Ever since I read this column, The Stawberry Alarm Clock's hit "Incense and Peppermints" has been dominating my brain.
Trivia - Ed King, original guitarist with Lynyrd Skynyrd (he's on their first two albums, which means he's playing on the meir monster hit Sweet Home Alabama), was also guitarist for....the Strawberry Alarm Clock. Go fig.
Even more trivial:
I happened to wander into Amoeba records, a giant emporium of new/used rock stuff in the middle of Hollywood.
They have live shows in there, it's so big; one night, while waiting for a bus, I caught Los Lobos.
On this night, I wnett in there, and who was playing bu Strawberry Alarm Clock (or a band who claimed to be them, most of the members looked a little too young, but there was one grizzled guy, too). Fronting the band was Lynn Carey, former lead singer of the blues-hard-rock Mama Lion, an early 70's outfit that had their cover banned for featuring Carey breast-feeding a lion cub. Their music is long forgotten, but she had good pipes.
This is akin to hearing the Grass Roots fronted by Danny Partridge; it was kinda surreal.
All I was after was a cheap DVD of a flick or two.
super uao, fascinating stuff, didn't know that about Billy Joel! Interesting that you see acid rock and psychedelia split, with acid rock emphasizing the "heavy" and mutating into metal. Thanks!
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As is often the case, your tastes intersect mine. One point - I would disagree that Steppenwolf is an acid rock band - I think they had other elements that were more prominent. However, you make the point that their music holds up just fine; I wish the rest of the world would catch on to this and give John Kay & Co. the critical respect they deserve and not just regard them as a footnote to the 60's.
Iron Butterfly - if you get past In A Gadda Da Vida, they had some wonderful cuts. Their current best of CD is a must have.
Electric Prunes - second album is good too - a companion piece to the first.