The greatest San Francisco group hit it big in the Summer of Love with this album and its two singles - 'White Rabbit' and 'Somebody to Love'. The band formed when folkie Paul Kantner met Marty Balin in mid-1965, eventually swiping singer Grace Slick from the Great Society in late-1966. A tightly produced psychedelic folk classic.
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Moby Grape Moby Grape 1967 [Columbia]
In what was perhaps the most disastrously stupid move by a record company ever Columbia decided to release five singles from Moby Grape's debut album simultaneously. Subsequently a brilliant bit of rootsy psych drowned in its own hype. Featuring the tragic figure of frontman Skip Spence, this is a moment in time not to be missed.
It took eight years and a couple of name changes, but CCR finally hit the big-time in 1968 with their swampy debut album. Although a Frisco band their hearts were always somewhere down on a Louisiana bayou. With a few psychedelic trimmings this record still aimed to please their Bay area audience while setting the stage for the future.
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Anthem of the Sun The Grateful Dead 1968 [Warner]
Anthem was a conscious attempt to somehow capture the feel of the Dead's legendary live jam performances within the context of a traditional studio album. Some polyrhythmic jazz-influenced arrangements augment the more straightforward psych-folk. Great stuff, but nowhere near the brilliance of their two albums from 1970.
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Quicksilver Messenger Service Quicksilver Messenger Service 1968 [Capitol]
Another Bay Area band that specialised in extended jamming, QMS's debut is their most psychedelic effort. Some of what is here is fairly straightforward folk-rock, although the instrumental jam 'Gold and Silver' has some carefully planned psych moments. Founding member Dino Valenti was in jail on drug charges when the album was recorded.
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Cheap Thrills Big Brother & the Holding Company 1968 [Columbia]
Fronted by self-destructive Texan blues-babe Janis Joplin, Big Brother was at the forefront of the San Francisco psychedelic scene. Eagerly awaited after the band's appearance at Monterey Pop in 1967, the album is a blast of blues with some trippy moments. The Robert Crumb artwork is, however, pure psychedelic madness.
It's a Beautiful Day It's a Beautiful Day 1969 [Columbia]
One of the artier San Francisco bands, violinist David LaFlamme and vocalist Pattie Santos had a huge cult following in the Bay Area. The album kicks off with minor hit 'White Bird' and gradually builds into a somewhat prototypical trip-hopping sound. At times darkly ethereal and elsewhere wildly frenetic, LaFlamme's violin work is majestic.
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Sailor The Steve Miller Band 1968 [Capitol]
Texan blues rock guitarist Steve Miller made a few early albums with Frisco-style psych trimmings. This one kicks off with a foghorn on the experimental 'Song for Our Ancestors' before easing its way up to the rocker 'Living in the USA'. Miller's homage to Johnny 'Guitar' Watson for a time made him the undisputed 'Gangster of Love' .
