Chapter 20: The Folk Revival and Folk Rock
Chapter 22 follows the continued development of psychedelic rock as Los Angeles musicians combined studio innovation, theatrical performance, and experimental songwriting with the counterculture of the late 1960s. The chapter also traces the movement's national rise through landmark events such as the Monterey Pop Festival and Woodstock, where artists including the Beach Boys, the Doors, and Jimi Hendrix expanded the possibilities of rock music and live performance.
Important Terms
Psychedelic Rock – A style of rock music emphasizing studio experimentation, extended improvisation, electronic effects, and surreal or symbolic lyrics.
Whisky a Go Go – Los Angeles nightclub that became an important venue for psychedelic and folk-rock bands.
Troubadour – Los Angeles club known for promoting folk, folk rock, and singer-songwriters.
Modular Recording – A recording technique in which separate musical sections are recorded independently and later assembled into a complete song.
Tape Splicing – The process of physically cutting and joining magnetic tape to edit recordings.
Electro-Theremin – An electronic instrument with a mechanical pitch controller that imitates the sound of a traditional theremin.
Theremin – An electronic instrument played without physical contact by moving the hands near two antennas.
Mouth Harp (Jaw Harp) – A small plucked instrument that produces vibrating overtones shaped by the performer's mouth.
Tack Piano – A piano modified with metal tacks on the hammers to create a bright, metallic sound.
SMiLE – Brian Wilson's unfinished concept album that combined American history, spirituality, and studio experimentation.
Mellotron – A keyboard instrument that plays prerecorded tape recordings of orchestral instruments.
Whammy Bar (Vibrato Arm) – A guitar mechanism that changes string tension to create pitch bends.
Fuzz Pedal – A guitar effects pedal that produces a thick, heavily distorted tone.
Wah-Wah Pedal – A guitar effects pedal that sweeps frequencies to create a vocal-like sound.
Octavia – A guitar effects pedal that adds a note one octave above the original pitch.
Bossa Nova – A Brazilian musical style combining samba rhythms with jazz harmony.
Bolero Rhythm – A slow rhythmic pattern originating in Spain and Latin America.
Musique Concrète – A style of composition built from recorded environmental and electronic sounds rather than traditional musical instruments.
Progressive FM Radio – An FM radio format emphasizing album tracks, longer songs, and artistic freedom over commercial singles.
Monterey Pop Festival – Landmark 1967 music festival that introduced many psychedelic artists to a national audience.
Woodstock Music and Art Fair – Landmark 1969 festival celebrating peace, music, and the counterculture.
Chitlin' Circuit – A network of performance venues that provided opportunities for African American entertainers during segregation.
27 Club – Informal term referring to influential musicians who died at age twenty-seven.
Artists Discussed
The Byrds – Folk-rock band that helped pioneer psychedelic rock through studio experimentation.
Brian Wilson – Beach Boys songwriter and producer who transformed studio recording techniques.
The Beach Boys – American band whose recordings helped shape psychedelic pop.
Derek Taylor – Publicist who promoted Brian Wilson and previously worked with the Beatles.
Van Dyke Parks – Lyricist who collaborated with Brian Wilson on SMiLE.
Phil Spector – Producer whom Brian Wilson believed was trying to undermine him.
Mike Love – Beach Boys singer who questioned Brian Wilson's changing musical direction.
Carl Wilson – Beach Boys guitarist, singer, and producer who guided the band after Brian Wilson stepped back.
The Doors – Los Angeles psychedelic rock band blending blues, poetry, and theater.
Jim Morrison – Lead singer and lyricist of the Doors, known as the "Lizard King."
Ray Manzarek – Keyboardist who played both keyboard bass and organ.
Robby Krieger – Guitarist and primary writer of "Light My Fire."
John Densmore – Jazz-influenced drummer for the Doors.
Aldous Huxley – Author of The Doors of Perception, which inspired the band's name.
William Blake – Poet whose writing inspired the title The Doors of Perception.
Buffalo Springfield – Folk-rock band that shared early performances with the Doors.
The Turtles – Folk-rock band that performed with the Doors.
The Mamas & the Papas – Folk-rock group whose John Phillips helped organize Monterey.
John Phillips – Songwriter and organizer of the Monterey Pop Festival.
Lou Adler – Producer and Monterey Pop Festival organizer.
Scott McKenzie – Singer of "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)."
Ravi Shankar – Sitar virtuoso who performed at Monterey.
Jimi Hendrix – Guitarist whose Monterey performance established him as a major rock star.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Hendrix's original trio.
Jimmy James and the Blue Flames – Hendrix's early band in New York.
Chas Chandler – Former Animals bassist who became Hendrix's manager and producer.
The Animals – British band associated with Chas Chandler.
Noel Redding – Bassist for the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Mitch Mitchell – Drummer for the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Roger Mayer – Engineer who developed the Octavia effects pedal.
Max Yasgur – Farmer who hosted Woodstock on his property.
Bill Graham – Concert promoter who assisted with Woodstock's organization.
Up Against the Wall Motherfucker – Radical activist group whose members cut down Woodstock's perimeter fences.
Joan Baez – Folk singer who performed at Woodstock.
Country Joe and the Fish – Psychedelic band known for antiwar music.
Country Joe McDonald – Singer who performed the "Fish Cheer" and "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag."
Gypsy Sun and Rainbows – Temporary name Hendrix used for his Woodstock band.
Band of Gypsys – Hendrix's later band.
D. A. Pennebaker – Director of the documentary Monterey Pop.
Songs Referenced
"Eight Miles High" – The Byrds
"Good Vibrations" – The Beach Boys
"Surf's Up" – The Beach Boys
"Cabin Essence" – The Beach Boys
"Heroes and Villains" – The Beach Boys
"Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" – The Beach Boys
"Penny Lane" – The Beatles
"Strawberry Fields Forever" – The Beatles
"All You Need Is Love" – The Beatles
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" – The Beatles
"Long, Long, Long" – The Beatles
"Happiness Is a Warm Gun" – The Beatles
"Revolution 9" – The Beatles
"Don't Pass Me By" – The Beatles
"Martha My Dear" – The Beatles
"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" – The Beatles
"Hey Jude" – The Beatles
"Revolution" – The Beatles
"Light My Fire" – The Doors
"The End" – The Doors
"Break On Through (To the Other Side)" – The Doors
"People Are Strange" – The Doors
"Love Me Two Times" – The Doors
"When the Music's Over" – The Doors
"Hello, I Love You" – The Doors
"Touch Me" – The Doors
"Love Her Madly" – The Doors
"Riders on the Storm" – The Doors
"Respect" – Otis Redding
"Try a Little Tenderness" – Otis Redding
"Killing Floor" – Howlin' Wolf
"Hey Joe" – Jimi Hendrix
"Rock Me Baby" – B.B. King
"Like a Rolling Stone" – Bob Dylan
"Foxy Lady" – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
"The Wind Cries Mary" – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
"Purple Haze" – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
"Wild Thing" – The Troggs
"Are You Experienced?" – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
"Little Wing" – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
"EXP" – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
"And the Gods Made Love" – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
"Voodoo Chile" – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
"All Along the Watchtower" – The Jimi Hendrix Experience (written by Bob Dylan)
"Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
"Rainy Day, Dream Away" – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
"Still Raining, Still Dreaming" – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
"Come On (Part I)" – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
"1983 (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)" – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
"Moon, Turn the Tides...Gently Gently Away" – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
"San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" – Scott McKenzie
"Piece of My Heart" – Janis Joplin
"Work Me, Lord" – Janis Joplin
"I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag" – Country Joe and the Fish
"The Star-Spangled Banner" – Francis Scott Key (lyrics) and John Stafford Smith (music), performed by Jimi Hendrix
Albums
Fifth Dimension
Pet Sounds
Rubber Soul
Revolver
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
SMiLE
Smiley Smile
Surf's Up
Sunflower
The Doors
Strange Days
Waiting for the Sun
The Soft Parade
Morrison Hotel
L.A. Woman
Are You Experienced?
Axis: Bold as Love
Electric Ladyland