TURN ON, TUNE IN, DROP OUT: PART ONE

Psychedelic rock was a mind-expanding consciousness, the first vestige of free-form experimentation in rock 'n' roll history.  Prior to the spirit of psychedelia, rock 'n' roll was restricted by a certain form and melodic structure--teenage or British bands hacked out hits and atonality was taboo. As rock began to establish consciousness and to perceive its tradition, the mental state became as important as the physical condition.

When you realize the full contribution established by this sonic movement (just check out the songs on this CD collection!), the psychedelic experience seem awesome!

Consider that this consciousness gave us the following:

rock as a revolutionary force (social, political, and sexual)
the concept album
LP covers as art
rock criticism and its sense of rock aesthetics
rock lyrics as poetry
the notion that rock was every bit as important as blues or jazz....

That's quite a formidable contribution from a supposedly footloose and haphazard genre, and its major influences certainly negate its minor irritations such as body painting and the overabundance of hippies and incense.

Oddly enough, with the advent of psychedelia, rock began to be taken seriously, yet paradoxically, only as the style itself became increasingly comical (consider Iron Butterfly, the Vanilla Fudge, Peanut Butter Conspiracy).

For an immediate historical perspective, look for this collection at PopKrazy .