Psychedelic Moods was the first LP to incorporate the term "Psychedelic" in its title, beating out The Psychedelic
Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators and The Blues Magoo's Psychedelic
Lollipop by a month. The album was intended to provide a
simulated acid trip, replete with fuzz guitar, flute, backmasking, banjo,
washboard, vibraphone, wild sound effects, and love making. Songs such as "Trip
#76," "Psychedelic Moon," "Pink Ether" and "Color Dreams" explored the
hallucinatory agony and ecstasy of a 12 hour Technicolor dream.
In early 1966, musician-artist Rusty Evans
pitched producer-songwriter Mark Barkan with the idea of doing the first
psychedelic album. Timothy Leary had just made LSD (in)famous, making it the
perfect time to produce an album recreating an acid trip. Evans got lyrics from a writer friend who wrote while on
acid and hired a guitarist friend from the Village. Barkan recruited an acid-dropping, flute-playing guitarist he knew from
the Army. The result:
The Deep, a motley foursome that spent four days dropping acid and freaking out at Cameo-Parkway studios in Philadelphia.
Liner notes from Neil Bogart (soon to be head of Casablanca Records) say, "Take a Trip–Freak Out–Blow Your Mind–You're on Your Way to
the Psychedelic Mood–A Way of Life–A State of Mind. Don't take this album
lightly–play it when you're alone–in a dark room–you may find yourself oozy–you
may feel as though you're high–you might imagine shadows on the wall. 'The
Deep' takes you on a new adventure in sound–an experience you'll never forget.
They capture moods that have never been done on record before. Recorded in a
pitch black studio (at Cameo-Parkway, Phila.) In the wee hours of the morning.
Listen to it that way–that hour–and hold on–you’re on your way to a new world–a
world of the psychedelic mood."
Released two months prior to the illegalisation of LSD, its cover, a pitch-black
background, pink monster movie typography and artwork of a semi-decomposing
silhouetted figure wielding a guitar, set the tone for all things yet to come
psychedelic. A "NOT RECOMMENDED FOR
CHILDREN" warning is printed (twice) on the back sleeve.
Psychedelic Moods is a history lesson that unlike "The Rain, the Park and Other Things" or Incense and Peppermints" captures the essence of the era; here was the genesis of psychedelia, along with head shops and black light posters.
Blue black/Purple mac
Orange yellow/Funny fellow
White brown/Pink town
White brown/Pink town
Orange red/Pink bed
We’ll pretend/Yellow man
Jesus saves/Planet rays
Green red/Commie dead
Blue green/Yellow scream
Spanish fly/golden eye/pearly white/outtasight
