The British 60s psychedelic rock scene was one of the most interesting, prolific, and diverse in the history of pop music. The so-called British Invasion of 1964-65 had attracted the world’s attention to the UK music scene, and had established England as a sort of rock ‘n’ roll Mecca, for the first time signifying to the world that rock music was not to an exclusively American phenomenon. By 1966-67, many of the original British Invasion groups had effectively petered out, new American bands had truly come into their own, and top UK artists like the Beatles and the Stones were releasing records that made it seem as though they had grown beyond their roots. In short, it seemed obvious that British pop music was not to continue as it had before. The scene was set for new artists, new styles, and new sounds. The new wave of psychedelic rock brought all these things, and effectively revitalized the British rock scene, making it once again a center for rock ingenuity in the late 1960s. Here then are the ten recordings which I feel are perhaps the most interesting, the most creative, the most significant, and the most reflective of the late 60s British psychedelic rock movement.

1. Nirvana
The Story of Simon Simopath

(Island 1967/Edsel 1996)

http://ukpsych.tripod.com/nirvana.htm

Led by the Irish-born singer Patrick Campbell-Lyons and Greek guitarist Alex Spyropoulos, Nirvana emerged on the underground pop scene in 1967, and quickly released their first album, The Story of Simon Simopath. A self-declared “science fiction pantomime”, the album was certainly one of pop’s earliest concept albums, demonstrating both the band’s creativity and ability to predict new musical trends. The album tells the story of a lonely, young space cadet whose longing is to find love and fly upon its wings. Although Simon only runs for some twenty-five minutes, the album is a treat, start to finish. The songwriting is intriguing, melodic, and deceptively simple. Songs like “Wings of Love”, “We Can Help You” (later redone by the Alan Bown), and “Pentecost Hotel” are bouncy pop songs whose lyrics expose intriguing thematic depth lurking behind the catchy melodies. The Story of Simon Simopath is a classic piece of fairytale psychedelic pop.

2. The Move
(Self-Titled)

(Regal Zonophone 1967/Repertoire 1998)

http://www.themoveonline.com/index.html

Forming in Birmingham in 1966, the Move just about defined “overnight success”. Their first single “Night of Fear”, released that same year, shot to #2 in the UK charts, and their follow-up “I Can Hear the Grass Grow” made #5, while their third release “Flowers in the Rain” brought the Move back to the #2 position. This, their debut album, was released on the heels of these first three smash singles, and further established the group among the British psychedelic underground. The Move combined tough mod rock ‘n’ roll with melodic pop to give the group their own, distinctively English sound. Album tracks like “(Here We Go Round) The Lemon Tree”, “Walk Upon the Water”, and “Useless Information” were easily as strong as their previous hit singles had been. The album sold well, and deservedly so. The Move was one of the quintessential British psych bands, and their first album shows the group at the peak of their powers. The CD reissue on Repertoire complements the original album with the group’s early, non-LP hit singles as well as stereo mixes of many of the album tracks.

3. The Soft Machine
(Self-Titled)

(Probe 1968/One Way 1993)

http://www.strongcomet.com/wyatt/softs

This band, originating from Canterbury in 1967, soon established themselves at the very vanguard of the London underground. This, their first album, sounded truly rather unlike anything else of its day. The songwriting was artful and ambitious, the arrangements intriguing and unique, and the musicianship of the band was amazingly tight and accomplished. The band’s combination of jazz and psychedelic rock was truly inspired, and songs like “Hope for Happiness”, “A Certain Kind”, and “Why are We Sleeping” effectively integrated vestiges of jazz into well-crafted pop songs. The organ of Mike Ratledge, the drums of Robert Wyatt, and the guitar of Kevin Ayres melded and complimented each other extraordinarily well, and this first album proved a flawless performance for the band.

4. Pink Floyd
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

(Columbia 1967/Capitol-EMI 1994)

www.marmalade-skies.co.uk/floyd.htm

Pink Floyd is a band that certainly needs no introduction, although because they were pioneers of so many pop phenomena over the years, it’s easy to forget that they began their career on the very forefront of the psychedelic movement. The group emerged in 1966, and soon established residencies at first the Marquee, and later the UFO clubs. The UFO in particular was integral to the band’s early popularity; Pink Floyd helped establish the club, and the club helped establish Pink Floyd. The group secured a record contract with Columbia and soon released their first single “Arnold Layne”, which won Pink Floyd commercial success and proved that the group could produce successful records in addition to live performances, even if the group claimed that their records weren’t really representative of their sound. Their stunning debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was released shortly thereafter, and met with impressive sales and critical acclaim. Piper represented not only a peak in the creative spirit of British psychedelic pop, but signaled a turning point in its progression. The album is brilliant in every respect, combining artful and amazingly original songwriting with interesting effects and details, and some very unique performance techniques. Many still regard Piper as Pink Floyd’s finest offering, and it certainly represents the group at their psychedelic peak.

5. The Blossom Toes
We Are Ever So Clean

(Marmalade 1967/ Polydor 199? [Japan])

http://ukpsych.tripod.com/blossomtoes.ht

One of many British psych groups which were talented but largely overlooked, the Blossom Toes had seemed on the brink of success after arriving on the scene in 1967, but their records sold poorly, and their live gigs failed to establish the group. Nevertheless, their recordings were amazingly good, and their first album in particular shines as one of the greatest psychedelic flops of all time. Although many have described We Are Ever So Clean as “Beatlesque”, the music contained therein is far more tight, aggressive, and modish than music which the Beatles were recording around the same time. While a consistent standard is certainly maintained throughout the album, tracks like “I’ll be Late for Tea”, “I Will Bring You This and That”, and “When the Alarm Clock Rings” are standouts. We Are Ever So Clean is an album full of interesting, idiosyncratic numbers which benefit from the band’s musicianship and sense of humor. The album is a real gem.

6. Family
Music in a Doll’s House

(Reprise 1968/See For Miles 1999)

This band from Leicester changed their name from the Farinas to Family in 1967, and quickly began work on their debut album, Music in a Doll’s House, which represented a hallmark not only in the band’s career, but also a hallmark in the development of British underground psychedelia. The album truly is a masterwork of pop if ever there was one, and at the same time, it bridged the gap between psychedelia and progressive rock. Music in a Doll’s House is chocked full of quirky, melodic pop songs, the best of which include “See through Windows”, “Peace of Mind”, and the phased-out “Me My Friend”. A variety of interesting instruments are used on the album, including saxophone, steel guitar, cello, violin, and rather strange sounding harmonica. Music in a Doll’s House is a lovely, atmospheric, distinct, and diverse album.

7. Small Faces
Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake

(Immediate 1968/Castle 1997)

http://www.thesmallfaces.com/

By the time 1968 rolled around, the Small Faces were made. The band had already reached the #1 position with “All or Nothing”, broken through the American charts with “Itchycoo Park”, and finally gained control of their recordings and royalties via a new record contract with the newly established Immediate records. The band was at a position to try something new, and that’s just what they did with their next album, Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake. Released in a unique circular cover intended to look like a tobacco tin, the album was a sort of “half concept album”; the A side of the original LP simply consisted of a series of normal songs, while the B side told the story of Happiness Stan, a simple fellow who becomes concerned that the night sky is consuming the moon. While the story is more than a bit on the silly side, the music used to convey it is truly engaging, and the tracks on side A (including the hit “Lazy Sunday”) are no less enjoyable. Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake as a whole is great album, ranging from the lighthearted pop of “Lazy Sunday” to the psychedelia of the title track, and then again to the hard rock of “Song of a Baker”. Ogden’s is probably the Small Faces at the peak of their creativity.

8. The Zombies
Odessey and Oracle

(CBS 1968/Big Beat 1998)

http://www.musthear.com/reviews/zombies.html

The Zombies got their start during the British Invasion of 1964, and like many of the other Invasion groups, had their heyday in 1964-65, and soon began to fade from view. Their two most significant hit singles from this period, “She’s Not There” and “Tell Her No”, were well-crafted and distinctive, and both songs were sizeable hits on both sides of the Atlantic. Subsequent releases, however, did poorly in the charts, and it became obvious that the group was nearing the end. Frustrated at the refusal of their record label, Decca, to allow the group to record an album follow up to their first LP Begin Here, the Zombies left Decca and acquired a contract with CBS. CBS would allow the group to record a new album, but provided a ridiculously low budget for the project, forcing the group to handle virtually all aspects of production themselves. The result was the Odessey and Oracle, an album which, although not a commercial success, represented a pinnacle of achievement for the group. Composed, arranged, and produced entirely by the Zombies themselves, Odessey and Oracle is a stunning collection of lovely songs, among which “Care of Cell 44”, “Brief Candles”, and “I Want Her She Wants Me” stand out as particularly pleasurable. Another song from the album, “Time of the Season” went on to become a huge US hit for the group, and although it inexplicably flopped in the UK, it remains the songs with which the group is most identified. Odessey and Oracle is characterized by lovely, lush production and moody, atmospheric performances, and is a real treasure of produced, psychedelic paisley pop. It also, both predictably and fittingly, became the Zombies’ swansong, as they broke up shortly after its release.

9. The Pretty Things
SF Sorrow

(Columbia 1968/Snapper 1998)

http://www.sixtiesrock.com/pretty-things/

This five-piece from Kent began their career as an ultra-rough and rowdy R&B band, priding themselves on having longer hair than any other pop group in England. Their Rhythm & Blues repertoire yielded several significant early hit singles, including “Don’t Bring Me Down”, “Honey I Need”, and “Cry to Me”. By 1968 however, the band had realigned themselves with the new psychedelic underground, having largely abandoned their R&B roots with their third album, 1967’s Emotions. Their next album, S.F. Sorrow, turned out to be what many people consider to be the first ever rock opera, predating the Who’s Tommy by at least a full year. The album tells the story of S.F. Sorrow, an English serviceman who finds himself in a land suspiciously called “Amerik” following a World War. Sorrow sends for his English girlfriend to join him in Amerik, but she dies in a tragic dirigible fire. The rest of the story is a bit more obscure. Still, the music of S.F. Sorrow is the important thing, not the story told. The style of the album is definitely psychedelic, although it also contains elements of progressivism. Songs like “S.F. Sorrow is Born”, “Private Sorrow”, and “Trust” are highlights, but the other material on the album is no less interesting. S.F. Sorrow is a very distinct piece of music, and a very interesting slice of psychedelic rock.

10. Tomorrow
(Self-Titled)

(Parlophone 1968/EMI 1999)

www.members.tripod.com/pink_fairies/tomorrow.html

Tomorrow emerged from the remains of an R&B group called the In Crowd, of which both guitarist Steve Howe and lead vocalist Keith West were members. As the psychedelic period dawned, the band changed their name to Tomorrow and recruited some new bandmates, including John “Twink” Adler, who would soon go on to play with the Pretty Things, playing on their album S.F. Sorrow* (#8 in our list). Tomorrow soon became a staple of the London underground club circuit, and used their influence to secure a record deal with Parlophone. Their first single “My White Bicycle” was released amidst a time of great interest in the group. Although the record was anxiously received, it did not go on to become a mainstream radio hit, and instead was delegated to offshore pirate radio, where it found a home among a sympathetic underground. Their second single “Revolution” suffered a similar fate, and when their self-titled album was released nearly a full year later, Tomorrow had all but faded from the limelight. The album was not able to capitalize on the modest underground success of “My White Bicycle”, and lead singer Keith West had, albeit unintentionally, detracted interest from Tomorrow via his solo singles, of which “Excerpt from a Teenage Opera” made it to the #2 position in the UK charts. Still, the album, albeit a commercial failure, remains a classic of the psychedelic era. The aforementioned singles “My White Bicycle” and “Revolution” both are brilliant, and many of the other tracks, including “Real Life Permanent Dream”, “The Incredible Journey of Timothy Chase”, and “Now Your Time Has Come” were equally good. The 1999 EMI CD release supplements the original album with B-sides and alternate takes, as well as single tracks by Twink’s post-Tomorrow project the Aquarian Age and solo recordings by Keith West.