Boy, The 13th Floor Elevators sure do suck. (Best psychedelic band?)

[Dr Fate]

Allow me to rant- so I've been hearing that Rocky Ercison is a "genius" - not only did his efforts supposedly produce the first "psychedelic" record, but the best.

Well, I thought, I dont know about the 1st- since we have the Kinks "See My Friends", the Turtles "Grim Reaper of Love", the Byrds "8 Miles High" as well as "Norwegian Wood" & "The Word" by the Beatles pre-dating this...

Nether the less-w/ great anticipation, I buy "Easter Everywhere" on vinyl...

Boy does this record suck- what is this shit, the Manson Family on tape???

What the hell is that suction noise and why is it on EVERY song?
Just when a song gets sort of good this "bad trip" suction noise starts & never stops.

Give me "Odyseey & the Oracle" by the Zombies, "Piper" by the original (& best) Floyd, "Satanic Majesties" by the Stones, the "Smile" bootlegs by the Beach Boys, or any Beatles or Byrds pscyh stuff, or even the Beau Brummels "Triangle" anyday...

I suppose I'm just not into the "garage psych" sound as much as the lush, more produced & more song oriented mainstream stuff...I guess I just like to have FUN rather than freak the fuck out...

Anyway, what's you favorite psych record? what's your argument for the "first" or "best" psych effort?

[NightTrain]

1. I've always liked "Youre Gonna Miss Me."

Bbut beyond that, the 13th Floor Elevators never impressed me.

[DBoon]

2. First psychedelic - Symphonie Fantasique by Berlioz

It was about an opium trip. Early 19th century romantics were just proto-hippies anyway.

[Dr Fate]

6. Wow- I'll check it out- what version do you recommend?

???

[RabidNation]

3. Odyssey & Oracle

I saw this header and immediately thought that I had to jump in and shout about how great "Odyssey and Oracle" is. GOD is that a brilliant album! MP3d it just the other day and have been listening to it daily since.

For those who don't know: The Zombies did A LOT beyond their "famous" songs ("Tell Her No"; "Time Of The Season") and most of "Odyssey" puts both of these to shame. Only one truly rancid track ("Butcher's Tale"); the rest - pure psych/pop genius.

I also recommend the Electric Prunes' "Underground." Kinda kitschy, but there's this masterful song on there called "I" that's just a masterpiece of the genre...

[Dr Fate]

7. I hope you got the MONO version- its miles better...

If you are lucky, you downloaded both- as the CD gives both full versions on one disc...

[RabidNation]

9. got the mono version

on ca. '67 vinyl.... :)

yes, it is better. the stereo mix is kinda intersting, though...

that album is so interesting to me: so damn atmospheric. I swear, i can almost see the room they recorded it in, it captures the sound and feel of a certain time & place so well.

[Dr Fate]

11. NO SHIT? Its quite valuable...

...an "Excellent" copy can fetch $300 bucks- you lucky dog you.

I collect MONO psych LP records and that one is sort of a "Holy Grail" for me...

[RabidNation]

12. unfortunately

it's not in anything close to "excellent condition" - not anymore. I had it for 20 years, and played the piss out of it - often on really shitty stereos, back when I was young and ignorant. got that album for free from a friend of mine who got it from his cousin. both of 'em HATED it (they were way into Yes at the time). I just said thanks and smiled all the way home...

had to get the download because I realized that my Zombies, along w/ a lot of my other vinyl faves, are still 200 miles away in a storage locker, and was just dying to hear 'em.

[Dr Fate]

8. If you like that, get Hollies "Butterfly" & Left Banke "Too"

or the Left banke compilation "Theres Gonna Be a Storm"- birds of a feather that you should love...

[RabidNation]

10. thanks much for the recoms

have always heard of left banke, but have never heard of them.

had a comp tape of a bunch of hollies years back - loved some, hated others, but always thought there was more there that I ought to dig into.

Oh, and also: thanks for mentioning the Kinks. RDDavies is still God #1 in my book, and their psych dabblings are among the best: "Fancy" springs to mind... and the proto-psych "Something else By The Kinks" is still gotta be one of the very, very best albums of the '60s period, IMHO.

[Dr Fate]

13. You have heard "Dont Walk Away Renee" and possibly "Pretty Ballerina"

And like the Zombies, their deep tracks offer even more...They made two very solid and very over looked LPs...

I've heard them directly compared to Oracle era Zombies...

The Banke LPs are pretty collectable (expensive) but worth it- you can also get that great compilation on CD that I mentioned if you are lucky-it's also out-of-print and just as hard to find.

Of course, I love all the Kinks stuff too...

[RandomKoolzip]

4. I love that record. I had a first edition copy of it...

in NM condition that I had to sell one month to pay rent.

'Slip Inside this House" is agreat song...that suction sound is their jug player.

To each his own. I like the 13th FEs a lot.


I actually think Roky Erickson did better work with his later bands in the 70's. "Click Your Fingers Applauding the Play" and "The Interpreter" are AWE-INSPIRING songs by any sane standard, and some insane ones, too.

And....my favorite psychedelic album is a comp from England called "The Perfumed Garden," with tracks by The Birds (Ron Wood's first band), The Smoke, Open Mind, etc. Goofy stuff.

[nascarblue]

5. Have you seen film of their live gigs? They were incredible! NT

[Dr Fate]

14. kick

n/t