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An attempt to decribe what cannot be described
The great rock guitar players like Jerry Garcia from Grateful Dead, Carlos Santana, David Allen from Gong, Jime Hendrix, and David Gilmour from Pink Floyd often improvises over their material. It often happens that the music takes off from the ground and start to flow in more spiritual way high in the inner space like a Jefferson Airplane. Now time and places seem forgotten and the music becomes meditative and with no intention one can behigh in a musical sense.
No drugs
This feeling should not be confused with getting high on drug or
alcohol. It is a more pure feeling that comes and goes with no
warning when listening or performing to music. The feeling is like
a psychedelic experience but is not.
This feeling is different as it occurs when nobody expects it and
with no intention. This spiritual moments occur suddenly as the
music changes from normal to a higher level - dont miss it.
Psycedelia, the description
It is not really possible to describe this feeling, but it may be possbile to give some hints where it can be experienced on CD. Finnguitar will in the future update the guide below. Until that here is a number of records that have this undefined quality - be warned -
you may get high just listening to it - the music may blow you mind out -
be prepared so you can land again. Please find below a collection CDs
worth listen to in checking out the psychedelic experience:
Finnguitars guide to psychedelic music on CDs for beginners:
1) Jimi Hendrix: Bold as Axis, 1967
The individual songs might nearly all be so-so, but this is one album that must be listened to as a whole - even if it is not, strictly speaking, a concept album at all. There's just something about the general atmosphere of it that's intoxicating. A kind of chemistry, because, if you try to analyze it element by element, you'll be highly disappointed. The album works even better if you are not trying to listen to it carefully - like music in the distant twilight. By many this is regarded as the psycdelic album of Jimi Hendrix.
2) Pink Floyd: Piper at the gates of dawn, 1967
All songs on this album are good. 'Lucifer Sam' is an ode to Syd Barrets Siamese cat is built around a threatening riff not unlike the ones of 'Astronomy Domine' or 'Overdrive', and the actual melody is no slouch, either. It's one of the few really rockin' tracks on the album, in fact. 'Bike' is very funny, and the ringing clock symphony, followed by duck cackling, is just hilarious, while 'Matilda Mother' is tender, with the refrain 'Oh mother, tell me more' reflecting the psychology of a little child. The album also has one of Syd's 'intellectual' compositions, 'Chapter 24' which is actually the lyrics of the 24th chapter of Yi-Jing (the Chinese sacred book of divination) set to a rudimentary melody. The sound can be quite a challenge as this CD is experimentalin nature. Sharp and destinct sound to glide nto the most enchanted melodies and witht great and fun lyric.
3) Grateful Dead: Anthem of the sun, 1968
This CD is still a key historical document of unbelievable significance - together with Jefferson Airplanes Bathing at Baxter's, it is perhaps the best epitomy of psychodelic excesses that San Francisco was so rich on those days. The album has not dated well at all and it still finds its own particular fans after all these years. It can be dificult to start with this CD. See next CD for a good alternative
4) Grateful Dead: Two from the vault, 1968
This compilation from 1992 is a good alternative to Anthem of the sun. It is proably easier to start with and comprises much of the same experimental attitude.
5) Gong: Camenbert Electrique, 1971
The songs are all relatively short as well, so any particular groove lasts just as long as is needed to enjoy and evaluate it, never overstaying its welcome. The songs wins over everything else through diversity and playfulness. Daevid Allen is responsible for most of the composing, but Gilli Smyth and Christian Tritsch offer creative ideas as well, so it's more of a band effort you could imagine. And oh the sounds, oh the sounds. Pure sonic bliss. This CD tare ready to try just about anything as long as it's weird, untrivial and mind-boggling. Yeah, it's trippy, far-out, and in the end, totally senseless, but it's done so dang well it will triggers all kinds of nerves in your organism. Great instrumentation and playing skills, catchy vocal melodies, real live energy, a bottomless sense of humour, classy sexy undertones, and above all, a generous attitude towards the listener's psychology - no unlistenable feedback mess
6) Gong: FlyingTeapot, 1973 and Angelīs Egg, 1973
These two CDs are a must in the beginning of your psychedelic journey. The Flying Teapot, Angelīs Egg and You from 1974 are trilogy albums with a fantastic story. The story evolves over the trology and includes Planet Gong, an idealised version of what the earth could become. In the story about Planet Gong we follow characters like Zero (the hero), variuos Pot Head Pixies and Octave Doctors - not forgetting Radio Gnome Invisble - "a telegraphic pirate network operating brain to brain by crystal maschine transmetter direct from PLanet Gong". The story is elegantly performed by the musician in Gong under leadership of Daevid Allen, guitar player, singer and songwriter.
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