The "Psychedelic Era" Spanned The Years

The Buzz of Psychedelia

As a college student who has taken a course on the history of rock music, the psychedelic era has to be one of my favorite topics that I've learned about. A period that spanned the 1960s, the psychedelic era was characterized by the popularization of psychedelic drugs in the music scene. As a result, people were realizing the boundaries psychedelics could break and how this enabled them to experience music in an unprecedented way. With the help of drugs like LSD, listening to music became a spiritual experience that took people on a journey far from reality. To me, the most interesting aspect of the psychedelic era was how people believed that a higher level of consciousness was achievable through the use of drugs. It's fascinating to consider how drugs like LSD had the capability of exposing society's lies and how a counterculture movement sparked from a psychedelic awakening. The influence of psychedelia on the sound of renowned bands like the Beach Boys and the Beatles is something else I found to be intriguing. Due to their massive success, big bands now had the freedom to experiment with different sounds and implement psychedelic references in their music. A prime example of this can be heard in "Good Vibrations" by Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. This particular song follows a unique pattern and is composed of contrasting sounds that have been stitched together. In essence, the song takes the listener on a trip and was specifically made to compliment the psychedelic experience. Another instance of psychedelic music can be heard in the Beatles' album Revolver. Released in August of 1966, the album consisted of tracks like "Tomorrow Never Knows" which demonstrated the Beatles' ambitious experimentation with music, helping to formally introduce psychedelic to the mainstream. Not only did bands readily associate themselves with psychedelia, but certain locations also became hotspots for psychedelic music. Most notably, San Francisco and London were two prominent cities teeming with psychedelic influence. In San Francisco, many well-respected musical groups like The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane were able to grow their reputation. Like the Beach Boys and the Beatles, The Grateful Dead were known for their ability to provide stimulating tracks that complimented the psychedelic experience. Consisting of Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, and Bob Weir, The Grateful Dead was especially known for improvisational live performances that offered listeners a free-flowing experience. Although psychedelia initially existed as a subculture in these locations, the counterculture soon become much more common following the summer of 1967. Organized by John Phillips, the Monterey International Pop Festival was one of the first events that openly celebrated psychedelic music. The Woodstock Music and Art Festival was another festival that displayed highly reputable artists and bands that supported the psychedelic movement. Through massive gatherings and music festivals, the hippie culture became solidified and something that could be acknowledged by the public. Therefore, the history of psychedelia not only shows how a subculture eventually evolved into a much larger deal but it also shows how rock music progressed and changed throughout the years. Initially, rock songs were popular for romantic lyrics however that quickly changed as the craze over psychedelia pushed for deeper, more meaningful lyrics. The 1960s marked a time where people used music as an outlet to reflect on serious issues that dealt with the norms of society.