Psychedelic music comes into bloom again in the second quarter of 2018. Seek and find fresh vinyl revivals of music from Steve Miller, Pink Floyd, the Who and Jefferson Airplane.
Other artists spotlighted in Q2 include Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead, Utopia, Love and King Crimson. Here’s Psychedelic Sight’s latest record buying guide, on a scroll:
Steve Miller: It’s a thread almost lost in the mists of time, but classic-rock staple Steve Miller once led a first-class underground band. Revisit Miller’s primo psychedelic-era output via a Capitol Records’ rerelease campaign that includes four of his early albums: “Children of the Future,” “Sailor,” “Brave New World” and “Number 5.” (Or spring for the “Complete Albums Volume 1” box set and get nine albums of varying quality.) Marvel to the silky sonics of “Song for Our Ancestors.” Get high with the “Space Cowboy.” Get down with “Going to Mexico.” Try to catch that hippie “Quicksilver Girl.” Black-vinyl albums feature “newly remastered audio by Steve Miller and Kent Hertz.” The box set streets for about $200 and comes out May 18.
Pink Floyd: “Relics” was the first compilation album featuring the Brit psychedelic rockers. Much has happened since the comp debuted in May 1971, but that collection of “Antiques & Curios” is back in original form nonetheless. Singles, B-sides and songs from their first three LPs. Key tracks include “Interstellar Overdrive,” “See Emily Play” and “Careful with That Axe, Eugene” (studio). Cover includes the black and white drawings by Nick Mason. Remastered in 2018. Stereo except for the two singles. May 18 via Pink Floyd Records.
More Floyd: The 1995 live album “Pulse” gets new life May 18 via a four-LP box set. The band was David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright, playing works from “The Division Bell” and “The Dark Side of the Moon” in full. Hardback book. Serious art direction — with different sleeves for each disc — but, sorry, no little flashing red light. Sony Legacy, May 18.
The Grateful Dead’s “Cornell 5/8/77” concert enjoys protected status from the Library of Congress, at least as a tape recorded by an audience member. Grateful Dead Productions broke out an official CD release a while back after the band’s “lost tapes” of the show were found. Now comes a vinyl box set with five discs, as recorded from the soundboards by Betty Cantor-Jackson. The many key tracks offered at Barton Hall, Cornell University, include “Jack Straw,” “St. Stephen,” “Morning Dew” and “Scarlet Begonias.” Out May 8.
Jerry Garcia: The box set “Before the Dead” finds young guitarist Garcia exploring folk and bluegrass. “Intimate live recordings to live studio recordings to field recordings.” With Robert Hunter, the Black Mountain Boys, David Nelson and the Asphalt Jungle Mountain Boys. Four CDs or five LPs. May 11 on Round Records.
The Who toured the U.S. in the spring of 1968, operating under a scorched-earth policy. The quartet was captured live in New York, a few months after the release of “The Who Sell Out.” Tracks on “Live at the Fillmore East 1968” include “Relax,” “Boris the Spider,” the mini-opera “A Quick One” and a half-hour workout on “My Generation.” Three LPs or two CDs via MCA. April 20. Also, a rerelease of Pete Townshend’s “Who Came First” with live tracks and demos. Two CDs. April 20 via UMe.
Love: The seemingly endless stream of rereleases of the critical fave “Forever Changes” continues with the ambitious “50th Anniversary Edition” box set. Containing four CDs, one DVD and one LP, the set marks the CD debut of the remastered version from original co-producer and engineer Bruce Botnick. Alternate mixes of the album and “rare and unreleased singles and studio outtakes.” Single versions of “Alone Again Or” and “A House Is Not a Motel” that are “available now for the first time since 1967.” Via Rhino. Read more about the “Forever Changes” box set.
Flaming Lips: Rhino and Ryko team up for a box set of the four studio albums the psychedelic revivalists released on Restless Records between 1984 and 1990: “Hear it Is,” “Oh My Gawd!!! … The Flaming Lips,” “Telepathic Surgery” and “In a Priest Driven Ambulance (With Silver Sunshine Stares).” The six-CD set “Seeing the Unseeable: The Complete Studio Recordings of the Flaming Lips 1986-1990” comes “packed with rare recordings originally released as B-sides, flexi discs, and on various compilations.” June 29.
More Lips: “Scratching The Door: The First Recordings of the Flaming Lips” captures the band with Wayne Coyne’s brother Mark on vocals. The Lips cover the Who, Led Zeppelin and the theme from “Batman.” Nineteen tracks. April 20 via Rhino. … And “Greatest Hits Volume 1, Deluxe Edition” with audio redone by long-time producer Dave Fridmann and the band. On three CDs or a single LP boil-down. June 1.
Tangerine Dream: The Dream is over, of course, but Edgar Froese’s legacy plays on. An expanded rerelease of 2017’s “Quantum Gate” comes with a 34-minute “Quantum Key” track from the 2015 EP. Based on ideas and musical sketches left by Froese and completed by surviving band members, the album attempts to translate quantum physics and philosophy into music. Two CDs available as a Kscope import April 20.
Hawkwind debuted to a puzzled planet in 1970. “Hawkwind is space rock!” the promos explained. Journey back to the launch pad with an opaque blue vinyl rerelease of the self-titled debut. Produced by Pretty Things veteran Dick Taylor. May 18 via 4 Men With Beards.
Eric Clapton’s troubled life was bared in Lili Fini Zanuck’s exceptional documentary “Life in 12 Bars.” Viewers lucky enough to catch it on Showtime no doubt marveled at some of the remixes and alternate takes. Now comes the soundtrack, with 32 tracks. Highlights include a 17-minute “Spoonful” from Cream’s 1968 stand at the Forum in L.A. and a “Little Wing” from Derek and the Dominos’ fall 1970 gig at the Fillmore East. Plenty of Cream. The set stretches from the Yardbirds through “Tears in Heaven.” Out June 8 on double CD and July 20 on four LPs, via Universal.
Jefferson Airplane’s seminal “Surrealistic Pillow” saw a major rerelease on SACD a few years back, but it was limited to mono. Now comes a remastered version of the band’s second album … on pink vinyl. Limited edition; gatefold cover. Liner notes from string slingers Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady. Mastered by from Friday Music’s Joe Reagoso. Fingers crossed. Due June 15.
Utopia: The reunion of Todd Rundgren’s psychedelic/power pop outfit gets bigger & better thanks to a seven-CD box set. “The Road To Utopia: The Complete Recordings (1974-82)” leaves off a few key indie albums that followed the Warners/Bearsville era, alas. But brace yourself for the one-two proto-prog punch of the debut album and “Another Live,” as well as the clever rock found on “Ooops! Wrong Planet” and “Adventures in Utopia.” With original artwork and “2018 written commentary from Utopia’s Todd Rundgren, Willie Wilcox, Kasim Sulton and Roger Powell.” With “15 rare bonus tracks, culled from the vaults including live tracks, B side, radio promo versions.” April 20 via Friday Music.
Buffalo Springfield: The official studio works return via Rhino’s “What’s That Sound: The Complete Album Collection.” The five CD or LP set includes stereo and mono mixes of the first two albums, plus the original stereo version of the final album. “Remastered sound supervised by Neil Young.” No bonus tracks, but you can find plenty of them on Rhino’s existing CD box set, which dates back to 2001. New set out June 29.
Cheech and Chong: Smoke ’em if you got ’em. Cheech and Chong are back, touring together on the 40th anniversary of their film debut. Rhino celebrates with the “Up in Smoke Deluxe Collector’s Edition” box set. Watch the movie on Blu-ray and dig the soundtrack on CD and vinyl, as well as a 7-inch picture disc. Giant rolling papers, a poster (“Don’t Go Straight to See This Movie”) and essays from Cheech Martin and Tommy Chong. Limited to 5,000 copies. Due April 20.
Frank Zappa’s “Burnt Weeny Sandwich” is reheated June 22 on newly remastered vinyl (Bernie Grundman). The 1970 follow-up to “Hot Rats” features the 20-minute “Little House I Used to Live In.” Long unavailable on vinyl, this version is “cut directly from the 1970 stereo safety master tape.” LP pressed in Germany. Via UMe/Zappa.
Jethro Tull’s half century mark is celebrated with the three-disc set “50 for 50.” Songs chosen by Ian Anderson, most of them remastered at some point in the new century. “From all 21 of the band’s studio albums.” June 1 via Rhino. (Single LP highlights due in late August; single CD in late May.)
King Crimson: The road warriors carry on with the big-band concept. “Live in Vienna, December 1st, 2016” captures the complete concert, sprawling across three CDs. Disc 3 includes on-site concert introduction music presented as “soundscapes edited into newly sequenced pieces.” Sixteen-page booklet. Out April 6 via Dgm. Also, a 200-gram reissue of “Discipline,” out June 15.
Roger Glover took to whimsy and gentle psychedelia for his 1974 concept album “The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper’s Feast,” based on the children’s poem/book. The Deep Purple escapee and record producer enlisted Euro rock heavies of the day such as Michael Giles, David Coverdale, Ronnie James Dio and Glenn Hughes. The project continued on stage as a rock opera. This deluxe three-CD revival features alternative takes and demos, as well as an EP of the “Love Is All” hit with Dio on vocals. April 27 via Cherry Red (import).
Chris Squire: The former Yes man’s 1975 solo album “Fish Out of Water” surfaces as a seven-disc box set. Includes a new 5.1 mix (on region-free DVD), a new stereo mix and the original mix remastered. Contributions from Yes drummer Bill Bruford and keyboard player Patrick Moraz. Includes high-res version and videos. Also gatefold version of the LP. Also available as a two-CD version. April 27 via Cherry Red (import).
Procol Harum’s new box set is getting rave reviews. Now come expanded reissues of two mid-’70s efforts, “Grand Hotel” and “Exotic Birds and Fruit.” The “Grand Hotel” set includes a CD with five bonus tracks and a region-free DVD with a Belgian TV appearance from 1973. “Exotic Birds” comes on three CDs, with bonus tracks and two radio performances. Also, an expanded reissue of “The Prodigal Stranger” reunion album from 1991. Three bonus tracks. All out June 29 via Esoteric Recordings (import).
The Soft Machine: Bank on this terrific (self titled) debut album, issued on gold vinyl by Sundazed. Emerging from the Canterbury scene was the trio of Kevin Ayers (bass and vocals), Robert Wyatt (drums and vocals) and Mike Ratledge (keyboards). Recorded in New York and produced by Chas Chandler and Tom Wilson. “Mastered from the original analog tapes and pressed on pristine high-definition vinyl.” Out June 22.
Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper and Stephen Stills: No underground music collection of 1968 was complete without the Al Kooper-driven “Super Session” project. Sundazed brings back the jams on a crisp new vinyl version. Highlights are mostly found on the Bloomfield side (“His Holy Modal Majesty,” “Stop”), but don’t forget about Stills’ killer take on Donovan’s “Season of the Witch.” Out of print for decades. Back May 18.
Also of interest: “Psychotic Reaction” by Count Five (vinyl, just out); “Vibrations From the Cosmic Void” by Vibravoid (import LPs, CDs, May 25); “Live at the Hollywood Bowl” by Jeff Beck (three LPs, May 25); “The Atlantic Years” by Ornette Coleman (10-LP set, May 11); “There’s a Riot Going On” by Sly & the Family Stone (vinyl, April 6); “69” by Moby Grape (purple vinyl, May 18); “Turn On” by the Music Machine (vinyl, just out); “Steppenwolf Live” (vinyl, just out); “Without Reservations” by Simon Dupree & the Big Sound (vinyl, April 13).
And: “Music for Installations” by Brian Eno (CD or vinyl box set, May 4); “I Lost My Head (The Chrysalis Years 1975-1980)” by Gentle Giant (four CDs, June 22); “Woodstock: Sunday, August 17, 1969 ” by Johnny Winter (double LP, May 25); “The Studio Albums Vinyl Collection: 1971-2006” by the Rolling Stones (20 LPs, June 15); “Greatest Hits” by Family (import colored vinyl, June 22); “Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina” by the Left Banke (vinyl, June 8); and “120 Onetwenty” by Daniel Biro (import CD, May 25).
> Need more recent product? Check out the psychedelic music from the year’s first quarter.
Note: Release dates for vinyl and SACD titles remain fluid until they actually ship. This record roundup will be updated through the quarter. SACDs are all hybrids unless specified otherwise; they’ll work on a CD player not offering advanced resolution.