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Staff Picks Category: Psychedelic

Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience []

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You find yourself alone, lying in a field of flowers. You’ve just been awoken by the distant pounding of what sounds like a tympani. Looking ahead, your feet seem miles away and a group of bunnies are gnawing on your blue jeans. Jimi once rapped, “Ho hum. I’m as good as bunnies- and you know how good bunnies are.” Just shake ‘em off, brother or sister; they’re just hungry after a long, hot summer night. The drum fades and nature, and in fact everything you hear as well, is moving backward. Fear not, you’re in Electric Ladyland, friend. Have you ever been?

Take out that note from your back pocket. No matter the urge to call the telephone number written on there, trust me, you don’t want to see Little Miss Strange again. Rip it to shreds.

Spend the next fifteen minutes drying yourself off from the still raining, still dreaming sky with the Experience in concert, floating somewhere in the the astral plane. “Voodoo Chile” is the jam. Look left and see a Marshall stack and a white Fender Strat resting comfortably. It’s been tuned and awaiting on you, man. Put the strap on over your shoulder (and make sure you’re going lefty), pick the open A-string (that’s the second heaviest on the axe), let it ring and move on over toward the amplifier. Things will start buzzing and feeding back some brilliant musical colors and waveforms. Mitch and Noel should be launching off that any minute now.

A singular door will appear in the middle of the field somewhere behind you. Open it and look out into outer-space with those Gypsy eyes. Grab the burning midnight lamp, step out and be mindful of the crosstown traffic. Mr. Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” is your soundtrack… and your guide, baby.

Keep the sounds of Electric Ladyland steady and you’ll find your way.

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Spooked by Robyn Hitchcock []

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In 2004, Robyn Hitchcock recorded one of his finest albums with folkster heroes Gilllian Welch and David Rawlings. The trio set up shop in Nashville, TN and created this very sparse and absorbing recording. The album is filled with rich textured harmonies, picking acoustic guitars and a refreshing amount of open space. Though mostly an acoustic record, the album also features spots of electric piano, minimal drums, electric sitar for psychedelic touches and Eastern flavor and a couple electric bass guest spots by NRBQ man Joey Spampinato.

On the dobro led “We’re Gonna Live in the Trees”, Hitchcock’s famed clever lyrics bounce the literary reference of Virginia Woolf had a troubled mind, it was never at ease with the song’s title/refrain. He also shows a softer side with the slow and outer-spacey “English Girl”. Her skin was clear and her mum wore pearls/I fell in love with an English girl/ She asked me for an almond whirl/ I was obliged to the English girl.
Robyn Hitchcock is one of the few recording artists whose catalog has remained consistently inspired throughout a lengthy career. Spooked, in particular, stands out from his recent output due to the stunning contributions from Welch and Rawlings.

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