The Third Eye

Hey, y’all. I had an idea for a new series I wanted to explore with everyone. The premise is this: asking and riffing on the question of What is Psychedelic Rock? Yes, a complex question. The answers will sometimes be short, sometimes long, sometimes poetic, and maybe fragmentary. Enjoy.

Pinning down the origins of psychedelic rock is a foolish endeavor. But one of the earliest albums in the so-called Western canon of psychedelic music was the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, released in May 1966. Pet Sounds and The Beatles’ Revolver (August 1966) pushed psychedelia into the mainstream and was a spark that lit a big acid-fueled flame.

I won’t go into the history of Pet Sounds – it’s a record with enormous influence, a complicated history, and the subject of many books and words. But is it psychedelic? Many say it is, but should we believe them? What makes it psychedelic? The eclectic use of different instruments and the studio-as-an-instrument technique are part of this. There are rich sonic textures and slow hypnotic tempos. But listening to it also gives the feel of a heightened awareness – a spiritual vibe.

Yes, some of this has to do with Brian Wilson’s LSD use at the time. I recently talked with Scott from Clean and Sober Stoner about this: if not for psychedelic drugs, psychedelic music would not exist. This is ironic because I’ve been sober and in recovery since 2011. I’ve never taken a psychedelic drug in my life! Then why the hell am I so fixated on psychedelic music? Because I think that though drugs initially inspired it, other aspects are just as important.

What makes Pet Sounds psychedelic to me is the grand ambition of the record. Some say it’s a concept album – maybe one of the first – and each song is like an impressionistic painting. It cost a ton of money to produce it, and Brian Wilson put his whole being into creating this magnum opus. It’s heady stuff.

Maybe that’s one aspect of what makes music psychedelic – not just the sound effects and exoticism but making something that pushes the boundaries on what we think is possible. Records like Pet Sounds challenge the listener, make us experience an acid trip without the acid, and have a quality that expands our minds if we tap into the energy. You can be high while you’re listening, and that may enhance the experience, but it’s not always necessary.

The last thing: Pet Sounds were heavily influenced by a new production technique at that time by Phil Spector known as his “Wall of Sound.” Wilson wanted to make something similar to what The Beatles had just done with Rubber Soul. Pet Sounds may have been a concept album, but it wasn’t necessarily a song or lyric-based concept. It was more of a concept album in the sense of production.

Brian Wilson was a big believer in the Wall of Sound – or “Spector Sound” – which combined sounds to create rock ‘n roll orchestrations. Instead of the older way of recording and songwriting, where instruments were isolated and had specific parts, Spector’s idea was to mix them all to create a fuller and richer tone. This was unprecedented then and something we take for granted today. I mean, look at a band like Flowers of Hell, which is a literal rock ‘n roll symphony. The influence of Spector’s technique is probably incalculable.

So, we return to the question – what is psychedelic music? In this installment, let’s settle on this answer: a type of music that seeks to expand your mind by using the studio recording process in novel ways. An addendum: A kind of music that often has a grand vision in the various instruments and sound and a concept-album scope.

Let’s leave it at that for now. Your “homework” assignment is to listen to “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” on repeat, commune with Brian Wilson’s trippy vision, and use it as inspiration to writing your next epic, long-form fever dream poem. Be well.

Parting words: “Dennis (Wilson) surfed. I couldn’t surf. I never learned how.” – Brian Wilson

Like what you read? Consider supporting The Third Eye on Patreon.

Stay up to date with new Third Eye posts by signing up for the email newsletter below: