Psychedelic Sight invites readers to nominate recordings for its lists of best psychedelic albums and psychedelic songs. Below are some of their picks. Also, view readers’ picks for best songs.
This is page 3 of the readers’ top psychedelic albums list. View page 1.
‘Bitches Brew’
Miles Davis | 1970
Reader Owsley says this double LP was “sinewy, devilish and played by great musicians who might not have known where they were going, but trusted Miles to know the way. He did. The trip is long and filled with surprises.”
> Listen to the album.
The trip is long and filled with surprises. Your guide, Miles Davis.
‘Static Disposal’
Debris’ | 1976
Reader Race Baker unearths “a manic and brain-damaged cross between Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band and Roxy Music — all from a basement in 1970s Oklahoma! Acid-warped proto-punk.” (song “Female Tracks”)
> Listen (song “Female Tracks”)
Brain-damaged cross between Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band and Roxy Music.
‘The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack’
The Nice | 1967
Reader Jim Young cites the album’s “diversity of fascinating styles and instrumentation, with great production, which brilliantly displays the explosive chaos and creativity in songwriting found in great psychedelia.”
> Listen (song “Cry of Eugene”)
The explosive chaos and creativity in songwriting found in great psychedelia.
‘Electric Music for the Mind and Body’
Country Joe and the Fish | 1967
Reader Don cites the “psychedelic organ, great cascades of sound, slow weighty notes and trippy lyrics” found on this Bay Area masterpiece. Richard finds “unique production and imagery.” Numerous nominations.
> Listen (song “Bass Strings”)
Great cascades of sound, slow weighty notes and trippy lyrics.
‘Long Distance Trip’
Samsara Blues Experiment | 2010
Readers Steve & Al want you to slap on the headphones and experience “heavy psychedelia from these German rockers,” recorded only a decade ago. “Not since the ’70s heyday has krautrock sounded this good.”
> Listen to the album.
“Not since the ’70s heyday has krautrock sounded this good.”
‘Cosmic Remembrance’
Kali Bahlu | 1967
Reader Jason’s Brain urges you to discover this “rare LP from the late ’60s featuring trippy spoken-word vocals accompanied by sitar, electric guitar and Indian percussion. An incredibly strange experience.”
> Listen (song “Cosmic Remembrance”)
Trippy spoken-word vocals. Incredibly strange.
‘The Great Conspiracy’
Peanut Butter Conspiracy | 1967
Reader Alan Lee Brackett is stuck on this L.A. group’s second album, recorded for Columbia Records. “Shows their talent vocally and instrumentally,” especially the singing of Barbara Robison.
> Listen (song “Wonderment”)
Shows their talent vocally and instrumentally.
‘Kip of the Serenes’
Dr. Strangely Strange | 1969
Reader StevesStuff says, “If you like the Incredible String Band, you’ll enjoy this. The opening song blew me away when I saw this band play live in 1969. It’s very ‘hippy trippy’!” Irish act produced by Joe Boyd.
> Listen (song “But Oddly Normal”)
The opening song blew me away. Very hippy trippy!
‘Obscured By Clouds’
Pink Floyd | 1972
Reader Jeff Kunsman says Pink Floyd’s seventh studio album, a soundtrack, “easily outlives its original vehicle (the film “La Vallée”). Songs range from powerful Deep Purple-like rockers to outdoorsy folk.”
> Listen (song “Obscured By Clouds”)
Powerful Deep Purple-like rockers to outdoorsy folk.
‘Rebirth’
The Children | 1968
Reader Richard Bone says this snake-bit Texas group released only one album, but it “encapsulates the psychedelic 1960s for me. Every song a lysergic tale. I still play it regularly!”
> Listen (song “Pictorial”)
Encapsulates the psychedelic 1960s. Every song a lysergic tale.
‘The Damnation of Adam Blessing’
The Damnation of Adam Blessing | 1969
Reader David Bellflower goes to bat for this “great album” out of the Cleveland scene of the late 1960s. Regional act found won fans while opening for big timers like the Faces and the James Gang.
> Listen (song “Dreams”)
A “great album” out of the Cleveland scene of the late 1960s.
‘Yeti’
Amon Duul II | 1970
Reader Warren Nelson wants you to hear this “blasted stoner improvisational deconstructed feedbacking counterculture masterpiece!” Second album by the German band, a seminal slab of krautrock.
> Listen (song “Cerberus”)
Blasted stoner improvisational deconstructed masterpiece.
‘Flying Teapot’
Gong | 1973
Reader David says, “It’s a wonderful space rock/psychedelic album and … ‘I am / you are / we are / crazy.'” First of the “Radio Gnome Invisible trilogy.” Produced by Giorgio Gomelsky of the Yardbirds fame.
> Listen (song “Flying Teapot”)
A wonderful space rock/psychedelic album.
‘Trilogy for the Masses’
Ford Theatre | 1968
Reader Stephen confesses: “My grandmother turned me on to this band in ’68.” Boston band had a big-time producer (Bob Thiele) and a major label deal (ABC), but the curtain fell at Ford Theatre too soon.
> Listen (song “Back to Philadelphia”)
My grandmother turned me on to this band in ’68.
‘House on the Hill’
Audience | 1971
Reader Al the Canadian guy says this LP “is one of those rarities which just is.” Generally considered a prog album, but suitably heady. The British art rockers’ third album ranks as their best — the last with the classic lineup.
> Listen to the album.
One of those rarities which just is.
‘The Forest of my Mind’
Paul Parrish | 1968
Reader Philippe Georges engages with these “great songs from start to finish.” Psychedelic-era sunshine pop with delicate orchestration and solid songwriting. Cool covers. Parrish recorded four albums; this was his first.
> Listen (song “Walking in the Forest”)
Great songs from start to finish.
‘We Are Ever So Clean’
Blossom Toes | 1967
Reader David Kuznets celebrates “the quintessence of British toytown psychedelic pop music. On the surface, whimsical pop with layers of sound and backward instruments, but underneath is a hard-rocking band.”
> Listen to the album
The quintessence of British toytown psychedelic pop music.
‘Face to Face’
The Kinks | 1966
Reader Jim Young says, “We should have guessed that with all of their amazing music, hinting at it along the way, that the Kinks would be flowering into full-blown psychedelia by 1966. Not just copiers, but innovators.”
> Listen (song “Fancy”)
The Kinks flowering into full-blown psychedelia.
‘Touch’
Touch | 1969
Reader Cal says, “One survivor from the Kingsmen(!) and assorted Northwesterners create an album in 1969 that rivals anything by Yes or King Crimson, based around the proto-prog ‘Seventy Five,’ a 12-minute epic.
> Listen to the album
Rivals anything by Yes or King Crimson.
‘Cauldron’
Fifty Foot Hose | 1968
Reader Matthew Rowlett says, “This album scrambled my brains!” San Francisco band was one of the first to meld the psychedelic with electronic music. Artsy avant garde. Re-formed in the mid-’90s.
> Listen (song “Cauldron”)
This album scrambled my brains!
‘Definition’
Chrysalis | 1968
Reader Richard Bone emerges with this “masterwork of the underground. Psych-baroque-folk with an edge. Memorable melodies combined with trippy highly visual lyrics. Psychedelic music doesn’t always require fuzz.”
> Listen (song “Dr. Root’s Garden”)
Psychedelic music doesn’t always require fuzz.
‘The Visitors’
ABBA | 1981
Reader Fritz says listen to the Swedes without prejudice: “Forget for a moment this is ABBA and give this a try. Had they composed this 10 years earlier, it would have been a psychedelic classic.”
> Listen (song “The Visitors”)
It would have been a psychedelic classic.
‘Carnival of Life’
Lee Michaels | 1967
Reader Paul Tescher says the L.A. keyboard player’s debut album was “among the very best West Coast psychedelic records, IMHO.” Recorded for hometown label A&M with drummer Eddie Hoh.
> Listen (song “Why”)
Among the very best West Coast psychedelic records, IMHO.
‘Gris-Gris’
Dr. John | 1967
Reader Peter says the good doctor’s debut album “just puts a spell on you. It is absolutely magical.” + 1 from reader Christopher B. Features the magnificent psych-voodoo epic “I Walk On Guilded Splinters.”
> Listen (song “Gumbo Ya Ya”)
Just puts a spell on you. It is absolutely magical.
- Listen to music from this page on Spotify.
- Nominate psychedelic albums (or songs).
- View readers’ choices for best songs.
MORE PSYCHEDELIC ALBUMS: View the readers list on PAGE 4.
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