The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators

by The 13th Floor Elevators

Overview

Did the 13th Floor Elevators invent psychedelic rock? Aficionados will be debating that point for decades, but if Roky Erickson and his fellow travelers into inner space weren't there first, they were certainly close to the front of the line, and there are few albums from the early stages of the psych movement that sound as distinctively trippy -- and remain as pleasing -- as the group's groundbreaking debut, The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators. In 1966, psychedelia hadn't been around long enough for its cliches to be set in stone, and Psychedelic Sounds thankfully avoids most of them; while the sensuous twists of the melodies and the charming psychobabble of the lyrics make it sound like these folks were indulging in something stronger than Pearl Beer, at this point the Elevators sounded like a smarter-than-average folk-rock band with a truly uncommon level of intensity. Roky Erickson's vocals are strong and compelling throughout, whether he's wailing like some lysergic James Brown or murmuring quietly, and Stacy Sutherland's guitar leads -- long on melodic invention without a lot of pointless heroics -- are a real treat to hear. And nobody played electric jug quite like Tommy Hall...actually, nobody played it at all besides him, but his oddball noises gave the band a truly unique sonic texture. If you want to argue that psychedelia was as much a frame of mind as a musical style, it's instructive to compare the recording of "You're Gonna Miss Me" by Erickson's earlier band, the Spades, to the version on this album -- the difference is more attitudinal than anything else, but it's enough to make all the difference in the world. (The division is even clearer between the Spades' "We Sell Soul" and the rewrite on Psychedelic Sounds, "Don't Fall Down"). The 13th Floor Elevators were trailblazers in the psychedelic rock scene, and in time they'd pay a heavy price for exploring the outer edges of musical and psychological possibility, but along the way they left behind a few fine albums, and The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators remains a potent delight. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	10/04/2024
Label:	INTERNATIONAL ARTIST
UPC:	5060767449455

Tracks

1. You're Gonna Miss Me
2. Roller Coaster
3. Splash One (Now I'm Home)
4. Reverberation (Doubt)
5. Don't Fall Down
6. Fire Engine
7. Through the Rhythm
8. You Don't Know (How Young You Are)
9. Kingdom of Heaven
10. Monkey Island
11. Tried to Hide

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The 13th Floor Elevators   Primary Artist
The Spades   Primary Artist
Benny Thurman   Violin,Bass
Roky Erickson   Guitar,Vocals
Tommy Hall   Jug
Stacy Sutherland   Guitar
Ronnie Leatherman   Bass,Drums
John Ike Walton   Drums

Technical Credits

John Cleveland   Cover Design,Art Direction
Walt Andrus   Engineer,Producer
Roky Erickson   Composer
Van Morrison   Composer
Jerry Wexler   Composer
Ray Davies   Composer
Niki Sullivan   Composer
Powell St. John   Composer
Norman Petty   Composer
The 13th Floor Elevators   Composer
Tommy Hall   Composer
Gordon Bynum   Producer
Harry Wayne "K.C." Casey   Composer
Peter Wolf   Composer
Seth Justman   Composer
Eddie Curtis   Composer
Stacy Sutherland   Composer,Producer
Joe Mauldin   Composer
Richard Finch   Composer
R.P. St. John   Composer
R. Davies   Composer
Solomon Burke   Composer
Bert Russell   Composer
Bob Sullivan   Engineer,Producer,Mixing Engineer
Clementine Hall   Composer
Chuck Berry   Composer
Ellas McDaniel   Composer
Lelan Rogers   Producer,Liner Notes