San Francisco band named for vocalist 'Country' Joe MacDonald and guitarist Barry 'The Fish' Melton. Electric Music is one of the most influential albums ever made for both its raw psychedelic sound and longer tunes that scored airtime on early FM radio. While prototypical, the sound was achieved with fairly rudimentary studio effects.
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After Bathing at Baxter's Jefferson Airplane 1967 [RCA]
RCA was no doubt taken by surprise when they heard this. It took four months to record, feigned commercialism in favour of experimentalism, and in places was just plain tripped-out. In the process the Airplane became an album-oriented band making 'serious' music. Heavier than on Surrealistic Pillow, this is JA at their psychedelic best.
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Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band The Beatles 1967 [Capitol]
The Beatles were the masters of taking the groovy stuff everybody else was doing, stretching it to its limits, then bringing it to a wider audience. 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' had some claiming an LSD connection and elsewhere (e.g. 'Within You Without You'; 'A Day in the Life') things admittedly sound a bit stony. Not to be missed.
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The Piper at the Gates of Dawn Pink Floyd 1967 [Columbia/Tower]
Before they were a mega-successful prog-rock band Pink Floyd was a leading psychedelic outfit under the somewhat messed-up leadership of Syd Barrett. Barrett pens most of the tracks here, with the music ranging from whimsical vignettes to the driving fuzz of 'Lucifer Sam' and 'Interstellar Overdrive'. An important album in the psych pantheon.
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The Doors The Doors 1967 [Elektra]
With the unpredictable 'Lizard King' Jim Morrison out front this LA band was destined to challenge. Ray Manzarek's organ playing set a psych standard that was never matched, with tenaciously inventive guitarist Robby Krieger rounding out the sound. 'Light My Fire' was the big hit, but the 11-minute closing track 'The End' was the one on the fringe.
Although not really an album, this is the Beatles at their trippiest best. The record combines some EP tracks from an abysmal British TV special with some mind-blowing 1967 singles. The less-psychedelic stuff is consistently good, with 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'Baby You're a Rich Man' both ozoning. 'I Am the Walrus' is just plain far out.
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S.F. Sorrow The Pretty Things 1968 [Columbia]
Recorded at Abbey Road with the Beatles and Pink Floyd nearby, S.F. Sorrow is regarded as a genre classic in the UK. The album moves between hard-edged blues rocking and psychedelia without losing a beat. The overall concept is based on the story of ordinary Englishman Sebastian F Sorrow, as told through the album's liner notes.
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Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake The Small Faces 1968 [Immediate]
Highly regarded English mod group led by Steve Marriott on vocals and guitar. Some trippy blues and cockney whimsy combined to make this psych masterpiece a UK #1. The concurrent single 'Itchycoo Park' scored well on both sides of the Atlantic, its refrain seemingly defining the times: "What did you do there?… I got high!". All too beautiful.
