We’re going to take a look back this Sunday and bring you a few classics from the era that brought us psychedelic music in the first place. After all, you can’t forget your roots and these bands are the whole reason Psychedelic Sunday exists.
Without further ado, here are today’s flashbacks.
THE PRETTY THINGS – “Defecting Grey”
This track from 1968’s S.F. Sorrow, the 4th studio album from British act The Pretty Things, is one of the most interesting pieces of psychedelia I’ve ever heard. The album itself is required listening for any fan of the genre and is one of the earliest examples of a rock concept album, based on a short story from guitarist Phil May.
The haunting toy piano sounds and waltz like rhythm of this track, along with the droning sitar transitions, makes it a classic in my book. It’s experimental, catchy, and it rocks pretty hard at points. “Defecting Grey” is my favorite track from this amazing album. Give the rest of the album a listen immediately if you haven’t done so yet.
CRYAN SHAMES – “The Sailing Ship”
These guys hail from a suburb of Chicago, not far from the one I live in. They’re probably most well-known for their 1966 pop single “Sugar and Spice”. Trust me, you’ve heard it.
Their second full length LP, A Scratch in the Sky, was a departure from their British infused first LP to a more west-coast pop sound. The song “The Sailing Ship” was a direct influence for the Brian Jonestown Massacre on their 2008 rendition of the song, called simply “Sailor”. The driving drum fills and bagpipes get me every time; play it loud and enjoy.
For good measure, here is the BJM’s version from their album Bravery, Repetition, and Noise.
PENNY ARKADE – “Not The Freeze”
San Francisco guitarist, Derek See, the man behind the wonderful Derek’s Daily 45 blog, brought this one to my attention. Almost completely lost in obscurity, the band’s album Not The Freeze was dusted off and reissued on the SUNDAZED label in 2004. The psychedelic folk-rock opus of the same name clocks in at just over 12 minutes and is an absolutely must for any fan of the ’60s.
For a span of nearly two years in the late ’60s, the band recorded music for two albums, various singles, played at some of the top Hollywood rock clubs, auditioned for a recurring role on a major network television series, was written up in magazines like “Tiger Beat”, hung out with some of the top rock stars of the era and were at least indirectly associated with “The Monkees”. Yet they remain relatively unknown today except for the band’s loyal local fans and friends. Share this one with all your friends and keep it in the spotlight.
So there you have it, three psychedelic tracks to get your Sunday afternoon started right.
Every so often Psychedelic Sunday FLASHBACK will give you a dose of classic psych that will keep you freaking out all day. We may even bring in some guests to help choose their favorites from the expansive world of psychedelic music.
Stay tuned for more, and leave us a message in the comments and let us know what kind of good stuff you’re listening to these days. (Maybe we’ll feature it next time!)