9.1 WORKSHEET 9

Here is Worksheet 9. In this first half of Worksheet 9, we will look at a group called The Band (really), discuss psychedelic music, and learn about psychedelic bands from San Francisco and Los Angeles.

First, download Worksheet 9:HIS:ROCK WORKSHEET 9 .pdf Download HIS:ROCK WORKSHEET 9 .pdf

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Background: As rock music moved into the late '60s and early '70s, other artists and styles emerged. There were also new geographical hot spots. Think about previous locations we have discussed: Memphis, Chicago, New York, Liverpool, London, Detroit, etc.  We will now look at those new hot spots.

First off, one of the more interesting bands to emerge from that time, was called (believe it or not) The Band. I enjoy looking at artists' timelines and paths they took.  The band's genesis begins in Arkansas, where, after gigging in various lineups, they hooked up with rockabilly star Ronnie Hawkins, and became known as The Hawks. Upon realizing that more money could be made in Canada, they relocated there. One by one, band members left, and were replaced (except for the drummer, Levon Helm) by Canadian musicians. Eventually,  they broke from Ronnie Hawkins, moved to Woodstock, New York. That led to a connection with Bob Dylan, whom they backed up on tour. They then became known as a group themselves. The Band's music has often been described as "Americana." It was a blend of country, rock, folk, and songs that seemed to come from the past. I have thought that if rock and roll existed in the mid-19th century, it would look and sound like The Band. Here is a photo of the group. Don't they look like they were from a different time? 

Before the group broke up, they did one more concert that was featured in a movie called The Last Waltz. Some have called it the greatest rock music movie ever. I tend to agree. Here is the trailer from that movie:

THE LAST WALTZ - TRAILER Links to an external site.

Here is one of their songs, for our music journal, that represent that Americana sound:

86. UP ON CRIPPLE CREEK - THE BAND Links to an external site.

Psychedelia. How do you pronounce that word? Click here:

HOW TO PRONOUNCE "PSYCHEDELIA" Links to an external site.

Psychedelic music is music and/or visual displays related to or inspired by psychedelic experiences and hallucinations known to follow the ingestion of psychoactive drugs such as LSD.

Psychedelic music came into public awareness in 1967. The summer of 1967 became known as the "Summer of Love." A year earlier, the Beatles, recording the album Revolver, pushed the limits of studio experimentation, especially with the song "Tomorrow Never Knows." That song is often credited as the first psychedelic song. Here is a clip describing the way that song was recording;

THE MAKING OF TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS Links to an external site.

And Ringo once again unintentionally titles a song!

RINGO SAYS TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS Links to an external site.

And here is the recording:TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS - THE BEATLES Links to an external site.

Incidentally, many view that album Revolver as the greatest rock album ever made.

But is was the next album, Sgt. Pepper, that created a new focus on the album, as opposed to the single. In fact, many radio stations began broadcasting "album orientated rock," featuring longer recordings, and sometimes whole albums.

We have already talked about the way Brian Wilson and the Beatles influenced and challenged each other. When the Beatle albums Rubber Soul and Revolver was released, Brian felt challenged to match them with a masterpiece. As the work progressed, he felt pressure from different sources: the other band members, the record company, and his own internal mental struggles. He suffered a mental breakdown, and the album was shelved. Parts of the recordings were included on other albums. The album was to be called Smile, and became known as the most famous album not released.

San Francisco

The most successful of the SF bands was Jefferson Airplane. They had the best of both worlds, in that they had an album-orientated appeal, and had Top 40 hits at the same time.

"White Rabbit" is a song written by Grace Slick and recorded by the Jefferson Airplane for their 1967 album Surrealistic Pillow. It was released as a single and became the band's second top-10 success, peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. Some observers have compared "White Rabbit" to Ravel's Bolero, a symphonic piece featuring a repetitive pattern and a long crescendo. The character references are drawn from Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland. Journal:

87. WHITE RABBIT - JEFFERSON AIRPLANE Links to an external site.

I was in a dressing room with the Jefferson Airplane in Texas, and witnessed their bass player, Jack Casady, get busted for inciting a riot. I stayed out of the way!

Singer Janis Joplin, from Port Arthur, TX,  rose to fame in the late 1960s and was known for her powerful, blues-inspired vocals. She died of an accidental drug overdose in 1970. Her band was called Big Brother and the Holding Company. Here is one of her hits, "Piece Of My Heart." journal:

88. PIECE OF MY HEART - JANIS JOPLIN Links to an external site.

One of the most long lasting groups from SF was the Grateful Dead, founded by guitarist Jerry Garcia. I met Jerry Garcia once. He was sitting on a bale of hay, playing his guitar! Grateful Dead fans were known to be rabid in their admiration of the band, and they were called "deadheads."

For our journal:

89. TOUCH OF GREY - GRATEFUL DEAD Links to an external site.

Not all psychedelic bands came from San Francisco. The Doors came from Los Angeles.

From wiki: " The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek,  guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts of the 1960s, mostly because of Morrison's lyrics and voice along with his erratic stage persona, and the group was widely regarded as an important part of the era's counterculture."

The band's first hit, "Light My Fire," went to #1 on the charts in 1967, staying there for 3 weeks. 

JOURNAL:

90. LIGHT MY FIRE - THE DOORS Links to an external site.

JUST FOR FUN: A year later, the song was a hit again, with an interesting cover by Jose Feliciano, this time going to #3 on the charts. A very different take. I love covers that are really different from the original. Jose Feliciano, a blind guitarist from Puerto Rico, does his own great version here, which also became a hit:

LIGHT MY FIRE - JOSE FELICIANO Links to an external site.

What do you think about that cover?

In this first half of Worksheet 9, we looked at the Band, discussed psychedelic music, and psychedelic bands from San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Now go on to Module 9.2 to finish the worksheet.