Eye Mind: The Saga of Roky Erickson and the 13th Floor Elevators, the Pioneers of Psychedelic Sound

[Swede]

I'm about to order this book, it has got great reviews and I believe it's well worth to purchase.

From Amazon.com:

Book Description

"One of the most exhilarating and important rock 'n' roll stories ever told."Julian Cope The trailblazing 13th Floor Elevators released the first "psychedelic" rock album in America, transforming culture throughout the 1960s and beyond. The Elevators followed their own spiritual cosmic agenda, to change society by finding a new path to enlightenment. Their battles with repressive authorities in Texas and their escape to San Francisco's embryonic counterculture are legendary. When the Elevators returned to Texas, the band became subject to investigation by Austin police. Lead singer Roky Erickson was forced into a real-life enactment of One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest and was put away in a maximum-security unit for the criminally insane for years. Tommy Hall, their Svengali lyricist, lived in a cave. Guitarist Stacy Sutherland was imprisoned. The drummer was involuntarily subjected to electric shock treatments, and the bassist was drafted into the Vietnam War. This fascinating biography breaks decades of silence of band members and addresses a huge cult following of Elevators fans in the United States and Europe. The group is revered as a formative influence on Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin, Patti Smith, Primal Scream, R.E.M, and Z.Z. Top.

[junglejim]

They're the leaders of one of my favorite genre's, Psychedelic/Garage/Grunge 60s. Fantastic music !

Besides The 13th Floor Elevators full catalog, this is a great place to start for the curious. Many, many bands represented for this style.

This disc has about 30 songs.

There's also a 4 disc boxset with over 100 songs of this genre.

http://www.amazon.com/Nuggets-Original-Art...8/dp/B00000AFWZ

[Swede]

Yeah, the Nuggets CD (and the 4 CD Box Set) is awesome. There is also a Nuggets II, 4 CD Box Set, with 60's artists outside of US, which is just as great.

13th Floor Elevators was way ahead their time I think, and Roky is still amazing. I will be seeing him the 15th December in Stockholm, I really look forward to that!

[dragster]

Yeah, love to see a thread on Roky and psych musIc here,,,,,,,'twas about time!!!!!

PSYCHEDELIA IS IN WITH TYME!!!!

[zosodude13]

you have to consider Roky Erickson and Skip Spence of Moby Grape as the top two pioneers of American Psychedelia music... of course there is the immortal Syd Barrett but psychedelic is IMO an American-born genre...

[Swede]

Check this vid out, Roky and his band performing Bloody Hammer in Stockholm last Saturday (great sound and picture).

[Day Tripper]

Obviously the Elevators were bigger in Sweden than they were here. I always wondered how they made that chicka-chicka- doodly-dooly-oogly-doooly sound ... please tell me you can figure out what I'm talking about. LOL... it's in EVERY Elevators song, I swear....

BUT ANYWAY, that's a GREAT clip. I just replied in the other thread but I really love the Elevators and pretty much everything created in the mid-sixties.

HEYYY, weren't Cuby and the Blizzards from Sweden? I've only heard Your Body Not Your Soul but I LOVE THAT SONG. Sadly I've only heard of them because of the Greenhornes' cover of it, but I can't help my method of exposure, I only know that I love everything from the mid-sixties.

[Swede]

Obviously the Elevators were bigger in Sweden than they were here. I always wondered how they made that chicka-chicka- doodly-dooly-oogly-doooly sound ... please tell me you can figure out what I'm talking about. LOL... it's in EVERY Elevators song, I swear....

BUT ANYWAY, that's a GREAT clip. I just replied in the other thread but I really love the Elevators and pretty much everything created in the mid-sixties.

Hey DT!!

Well, I guess no one here new about them back in the days, but Roky has grown to a cult figure over the years, beginning in the early 80's. He has done several shows around Europe the last year that got a lot of press.

It was Tommy Hall that made that weird sound. He's credited playing a jug. Don't ask me what he did with the jug, I have no idea.. Anyway, it sounds... trippy. lol

Tommy Hall with the jug.

HEYYY, weren't Cuby and the Blizzards from Sweden? I've only heard Your Body Not Your Soul but I LOVE THAT SONG. Sadly I've only heard of them because of the Greenhornes' cover of it, but I can't help my method of exposure, I only know that I love everything from the mid-sixties.

No, they're not from Sweden. I think they are from Holland. Great band! The only Swedish band from that era with the same kind of trippy music I come to think of, is Mecki Mark Men. I don't know if you've heard of them, they're obscure even in Sweden!

Anyway, I think that is a great way to find out about old and forgotten bands. I have discoverd lots of bands by hearing their songs being covered by a new band that I been into.

[Joelmon]

Just got turned onto this....and ripped it to my computer...Pre-Blue Oyster Cult

St. Cecilia was the Stalk-Forrest Groups only release for Electra records. It's basically the core of BOC before that band was formed. The sound is also a bit different than BOC, sort of a less intense psychedelic style with strong guitar playing by Buck Dharma throughout.

The song quality of the album is fairly strong all the way through, a bit more accessible than BOC I'd say. The original album was difficult to get for years and the original pressing is a collector's item. The re-release from '98 finally made it available to a wider audience.

If you like tuneful, late psychedelic-ish songs with great guitar riffs throughout you'll like St. Cecelia. BOC lovers will get this one, classic-rock lovers ought to follow suit as well. Good Album.

'Virgil', Chapel Hill, NC.

[dazedcat]

One of the best things about 60's rock music isn't necessarily the legends that most people know about. It's really about all the great bands or one hit wonders that nobody has ever heard of.

Regards;

[Day Tripper]

I couldn't agree more. I love sixties music, always have. But lately I've been finding that what I REALLY love is this obscure stuff by bands that nobody has ever heard of; stuff off of weird compilations and such. Like... Gonn, for instance. I heard Blackout of Gretely for the first time the other day, and shit! It's AMAZING!

THIS is a great blog for downloading such music...

http://chocoreve.blogspot.com/

[Jahfin]

Fans of "outsider" artists such as Roky, Syd, etc. may enjoy this documentary about a similarly troubled soul named Daniel Johnston, you can read a review of the movie here:

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/08/24/214617.php

[Swede]

I couldn't agree more. I love sixties music, always have. But lately I've been finding that what I REALLY love is this obscure stuff by bands that nobody has ever heard of; stuff off of weird compilations and such. Like... Gonn, for instance. I heard Blackout of Gretely for the first time the other day, and shit! It's AMAZING!

THIS is a great blog for downloading such music...

http://chocoreve.blogspot.com/

Cool! My first band, The Glendoras, used to do a cover of Gonn's "Doin' Me In". "Blackout of Gretely" is awesome!

[Rock N' Rollin' Man]

Another artist that highly influenced Witchcraft and Graveyard! For that I want to check out his work. What would be a good album to start appreciating his solo work and him in the 13th Floor Elevators?

[Zepaholic]

I couldn't agree more. I love sixties music, always have. But lately I've been finding that what I REALLY love is this obscure stuff by bands that nobody has ever heard of; stuff off of weird compilations and such. Like... Gonn, for instance. I heard Blackout of Gretely for the first time the other day, and shit! It's AMAZING!

THIS is a great blog for downloading such music...

http://chocoreve.blogspot.com/

I'm the same way. Just finished listening to one of my favorite Psychedelic albums ever....and it was made in 1983!!!!!!!

http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/arti...,150837,00.html

[Swede]

Another artist that highly influenced Witchcraft and Graveyard! For that I want to check out his work. What would be a good album to start appreciating his solo work and him in the 13th Floor Elevators?

I recomend any of the two first albums, they are just as great both of them. If you want their most famous song, You're Gonna Miss Me, it has to be The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators, though.

The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators

Easter Everywhere

If you're not afraid of OD on 13th Floor Elevators and got loads of doe to spend (£75), check out the newly released Box Set, Sign Of The Three Eyed Men:

The box set, endorsed by the band and graced and named by Tommy Hall, includes:

• The bands three landmark albums The Psychedelic Sounds Of The Thirteenth Floor Elevators, Easter Everywhere and Bull Of The Woods including rare mono versions, outtakes and alternate versions.
  
• Two lost albums featuring previously unreleased material
  
• Rare and previously unreleased live recordings
  
• A 72 page hardback book written by the bands biographer Paul Drummond, enhanced with posters, ephemera, discographies and many rare and previously unseen photos
  
• A selection of reproduction memorabilia including photographic prints, reproduction posters, stickers and handbills
  

Shit, I will have to get this box myself...

[Swede]

...and if you like THAT, you'll have to check out Roky Erickson's (13th Floor vocalist) solo work too:

Roky was a genious!!

[ninelives]

I have the Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators as well. Stellar album! Thanks Swede for the suggestions for Roky's solo works. Will look into them!

[Rock N' Rollin' Man]

Thanks! I couldn't find any 13th Floor Elevators or Roky Erickson solo work in the music store I was at last week, I will have to buy the stuff on the net.

I had never heard of him until recently, good thing that I did though!

Very nice songs you linked to of Roky.

BTW, Is Roky still around with the 13th Floor Elevators or any band?

[Swede]

Thanks! I couldn't find any 13th Floor Elevators or Roky Erickson solo work in the music store I was at last week, I will have to buy the stuff on the net.

I had never heard of him until recently, good thing that I did though!

Very nice songs you linked to of Roky.

BTW, Is Roky still around with the 13th Floor Elevators or any band?

Roky was very ill for a long time, through the 80's and most of the 90's. He suffered of schizophrenia and lived with his mother for several years who refused to let him take any medications. In the late 90's his younger brother took their mother to court and he eventually got custody of Roky and brought him to doctors who could help him. In a very short time Roky got a lot better and today Roky is back on stage with a great band. He usually runs through his solo stuff and a couple of 13th Floor songs. I've seen him once, it was a couple of years ago, he was awesome. It's really great to see him back on stage again!

Check out the very moving documentary about him called You're Gonna Miss Me.

You're Gonna Miss Me at Amazon.com

[Rock N' Rollin' Man]

Thank God his brother truly cared for him. Film sounds very interesting will have to check it out.

[Rock N' Rollin' Man]

I bought this book yesterday along with Roky Erickson's The Evil One. The Evil One I got is a compilation by Sympathy for the Record Industry, what a great name for a record company.

"I walked with a zombie last night"!

All the songs are great!

[Swede]

Cool, I am certain that you will enjoy the book. I still have to get it myself...

[Rock N' Rollin' Man]

I was at a Borders bookstore, and I was actually looking for the biography book on Levon Helm, couldn't find it, but in the meantime I stumbled upon this one. I'm really looking forward to reading it.

[Rock N' Rollin' Man]

New album by Roky Erickson with Okkervil River entitled True Love Cast Out All Evil will be released on April 20, 2010.