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User
Reviews 15
Approval 91%
Soundoffs 10
News Articles 1
Band Edits + Tags 1
Album Edits 2
Album Ratings 457
Objectivity 56%
Last Active 05-16-14 2:14 am
Joined 01-12-14
Review Comments 1,752
| Favorite 60s Psych I've Heard
my favorite albums from the mid to late 60s psych movement. many others listened to but not listed that did not make the cut. | | 4 |  | The Millennium
Begin
The hidden jewel of 60s psych offers up some of the richest production and vocal layering this side of Pet Sounds. Curt Boettcher was hugely influenced by Brian Wilson and similarly had a great ear. The opener 'Prelude' has a rhythmic boom-bap timbre that precedes Hip Hop by a decade (I count Sugarhill Gang's 'Rapper's Delight' as the first Hip Hop song btw), and flows flawlessly into the sunshine pop of 'Claudia on a Thursday'. The variety of instruments and sounds used on the record is a huge plus as well, such as the steel guitar on 'The Island' and the koto during the outro of "Karmic Dream Sequence #1', though nowhere near the audio adventurousness of Pet Sounds. Favorite moments include the whole of 'Claudia on a Thursday', the bossa nova backbeat of 'I Just Want to be Your Friend', and the semi-country psych shuffle of 'It's You'. Highly recommended to any fan of 60s psych and pop rock such as The Associates (Curt Boettcher's other group), Beach Boys, or Strawberry Alarm Clock. | | 3 |  | The Zombies
Odessey and Oracle
The less popular but more talented brother of Sgt. Pepper, Odessey and Oracle spans so much of the different approaches to psych going on at the time that it sometimes comes off as a "best of" compilation of never released tracks from power players of the time (in the best way possible). The opener, 'Care for Cell 44' is analogous to the pitch-perfect 'Wouldn't It Be Nice', while 'Hung Up on a Dream' recalls Love's Forever Changes, and 'Beechwood Park' recalls some of the beautiful contemplative psych from Sgt. Pepper. Other times, however, they avoid coming off as completely derivative and deliver a sound truly unique to themselves, such as the stunning closer 'Time of the Season' and the creepy medieval dirge, 'Butcher's Tale'. Favorite moments include the delayed double tracked vocal of 'Changes' and the dexterous organ solo on 'Time of the Season'. | | 2 |  | The Beach Boys
Pet Sounds
The most recent obsession of mine, yet one of the most poignant. Brian Wilson's golden ear is allllllllmost at its peak (not until SMiLE), providing a degree of meticulousness that makes listening to the album a scavenger hunt of sorts each and every time. For instance, 'Let's Go Away for Awhile' is the instrumental backing for 'Good Vibrations'! Regardless, this album withstands time as one of the greatest albums of all time, and an exquisite example of pop music that does not have to be banal or insipid. The layers on each and every one of these songs gives the album a futuristic psych sheen that Wilson and the gang wax until it shimmers a pristine and sleek glow. Favorite moments is all of the contender for best opener of all time, 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' and the chorus of 'I Know There's an Answer' | | 1 |  | The Beatles
Revolver
Is and always will be my favorite album of all time, let alone my favorite psych album. The musicianship and innovation on here is enough to warrant a 'classic' label, but the memories I have associated with it (listening to it in the terminal with my girlfriend at the time before going to Spain on a school trip my junior year for two weeks with her and a couple other classmates) just seals the deal for me. Some of my favorite moments are the mini raga allegro at the end of 'Love You To', the opening, almost mocking in tone riff of 'She Said, She Said', the backing ooooo's of 'Here, There, and Everywhere', the (french?) horn solo of 'For No One', the backwards guitar of 'I'm Only Sleeping', and all of 'Tomorrow Never Knows'. | |
Friday13th
03.15.15 | dude I'm jamming 4 and that is a great find | wtferrothorn
03.15.15 | What luck!. I've been recently trying to get into psych lately, and this might be a good stepping stone. Already listened to Jimi Hendrix Exp.(Essenital!) and plan to listen to Tame Impala, Animal Collective, The Flaming Lips, etc. any other psych bands you'd rec? | HalfManHalfAmazing
03.15.15 | IT'S THE TIME OF THE SEASON | TheSpaceMan
03.15.15 | love's forever changes but yeah these are essential | TwigTW
03.15.15 | Didn't realize there were psychedelic album covers that were non-colorful . . . Listening to The Millennium now--sounds great. | IronGiant
03.15.15 | glad you guys picked up Begin. If you like that, try Sagittarius - Present Tense. Not as good as Begin, but still in the same vein and led by Curt Boettcher. And SpaceMan, I would include Forever Changes, but I haven't listened to it enough to rank it yet. I will be able to soon though | Friday13th
03.15.15 | BTW ranking is accurate with 1 and 2 interchangeable. Could use some Left Banke at #5 though ;D Admittedly, their first album isn't as consistent as any of these but it has highs higher than 4 and 3 imo | Cygnatti
03.15.15 | why do you keep making this list? | Friday13th
03.15.15 | haha it's kinda true. Obsessed much? Been there. | PappyMason
03.15.15 | V. nice.
Have you listened to any Big Brother and the Holding Company? 'Cheap Thrills' is pretty sweet, Janis Joplin is great on it! Grateful Dead are also worth checking out for sure.
| Ryus
03.15.15 | 03.14.15 Favorite 60s Psych I've Heard
03.01.15 Hidden Gems from the 60s and 70s 02.27.15 Blatant Beach Boys Rip Off Recs
02.26.15 Best Unknown Psych Pop
01.30.15 Fuzzy Psychedelic Pop Recs
11.26.14 The Holy Trinity Of 60s Pop
04.17.14 Swirling Psychedelic Pop Albums?
03.24.14 Modern Bands With Late-Beatles Sound?
03.09.14 Hidden 60s Psychedelic Pop/rock Gems?
breh | Cygnatti
03.15.15 | forreal | PappyMason
03.15.15 | In love with the Psych | Friday13th
03.15.15 | Just bough 4 on itunes after reading up on it. Fascinating stuff. And Capitol records has probably yet to make a profit on the investment! Sad really. | IronGiant
03.15.15 | I love psych sue me |
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