Psychedelia

It wasn’t just clothes and hair that changed as the 1960s progressed – social awareness crept into youth culture and music ceased to be simply about dancing. A counter-culture gradually emerged, and rock 'n' roll was its defining feature. Pop music broadened beyond the traditional guitar-bass-drum format and started to experiment with new sounds. Musicianship reached unsurpassable levels, and for a brief, glorious time, genuinely experimental music coincided with the popular taste.

The explosion of imagination and ambition that characterised the psychedelic movement of the late 1960s stretched the possibilities of the pop song to their limits. Never before or since were so many classic albums made in such a short time. Psychedelia is the most colourful, detailed and authoritative guide to these albums ever published. One hundred of them are evaluated here, using contemporary reviews, rare photographs and interviews, accompanied by a plethora of iconic images and reproductions of cover artwork.

About the Author

Richard Morton Jack read English at Oxford University. A long-term contributor to magazines including Mojo, Q and Record Collector, he founded Flashback, the world’s most detailed rock history magazine, in 2012. His books include The Bumper Book of British Sleaze (a Sunday Times political book of the year), and the Amazon no.1 Rock & Pop bestsellers Galactic Ramble and Endless Trip. His Sunbeam label has reissued over 100 classic rock, folk and jazz albums. He lives in London.