72. The 13th Floor Elevators - The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators (October 1966)

1. You're Gonna Miss Me*

2. Roller Coaster*

3. Splash 1

4. Reverberation*

5. Don't Fall Down

6. Fire Engine

7. Thru the Rhythm

8. You Don't Know

7. Kingdom of Heaven

8. Monkey Island

9. Tried to Hide

A-

One of the nice things about Spotify is that it sometimes includes multiple versions of the same album. As a result, I was able to listen to the original mono and stereo remaster of this album side by side. And honestly, get the mono version. The stereo mix is a hot mess that cranks up the wildness of the music but severely detracts from the coherence of the songs, as well as significantly reducing their oomph. On the mono version, on the other hand, all the instruments blend together into a thick soup of psychedelic weirdness that kicks five kinds of arse.

And believe you me, "psychedelic weirdness" is what this album is about. The liner notes famously advocate LSD use as a means of attaining a higher consciousness. Many of the songs feature an electric jug being played, which sounds like a cross between a pigeon and a moog. And the cover art is so out there it's been known to cause eyes to bleed. 

That said, has time rendered these songs sedate? Perhaps even quaint? Not really. The cornerstone of this album's sound is frenetic, reverb-drenched guitar work reminiscent of the wilder moments of the Who, except that it's kept up for the entire running time. There are a few softer songs to give you a moment to breathe, but even those feature odd harmonies and atonal noodling. If you come to this album expecting a bunch of songs like the classic "You're Gonna Miss Me", then you'll probably be disappointed. That garage anthem is, stylistically, the odd song out. Which is pity, since it's a great song, but at the same time if you're willing to give the more outré tracks a chance this is a pretty rewarding listen. 

Probably what makes this album work is that, a druggy as it gets, the Elevators had a strong sense of song structure, and were effectively writing party songs for drug addicts. So there's always a good sense of rhythm, the songs are concise, and there's usually a chorus you can sing along with. The Psychedelic Sounds... isn't going to knock Freak Out! from its position as the weirdest album we've had so far. 

That said, some of the lyrics are pretty crazy. "Roller Coaster" is a paean to acid, a dark and spooky song with a neat descending guitar line where the listener is urged to let go their inhibitions, take a trip, and experience the nature of true reality. "Reverberation", another highlight, is similar in theme, excepted that it's anchored by one of the biggest, fattest basslines we've had so far. And "Monkey Island" is a pretty great piece of social satire - essentially, the turned-on crowd are all living on Monkey Island, acting like monkeys so they can fit in and don't get taken out by their simian cohabitants. 

In the end, this is a pretty wild album and a lot of fun. It's definitely on the "freak out" end of the psychedelic spectrum, although my limited experience with drugs (I used to smoke a lot of weed, but that's about it) tells me that if I tried to listen to this while high I would probably just get a headache. Definitely worth listening to, just expect the unexpected.