The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators

This is one of those albums that must've sounded great when they created it at 3 in the morning then woke up the next day and realized it's absolutely not what they thought it sounded like.

Brilliant from start to finish - exactly what I joined this list for. An absolute gem that i’d have never otherwise known about.

beautiful album - 10/10 I’m a slut for acid rock

I fully endorse this album to become the new official music of elevators from now on.

I was looking forward to listening to this as I do love psychedelic sounds and was intrigued by the idea of an electric jug as instrument. While I could see that this likely had some influence on later works, it never really grabbed my attention. It had a bit more garage band feel than what I'd think of as psychedelic. "Reverberation" would be an exception. Once I noticed that the electric jug sounded like Curly from the Three Stooges was in the background, then that's all I could hear.

That amplified jug is wild

Very samey, hated that sound effect they used on most songs.

It's not impressive, and it's not easy on the ears.

Pretty solid psychedelic rock. Surprised I’ve never heard of the band before.

The electric jug is an awful, horrible, terrible, evil "instrument".

Utter crap. Hate the jug sound

Feral for 1965. Texas menace with amplified jug. Some hate Roky's vocals, but they are philistines.

Going through this list, it's kinda become clear I'm not a huge fan of a lot of psychedelic rock, especially when it really gets long and spaced out. However, this type of psychedelic rock I do kind of enjoy, especially when it sounds like it's paired with elements of garage rock and surf rock. The Elevator's debut is a compact yet quite enjoyable record, with some catchy riffs and great singing, along with one of the most odd instruments I've heard yet in an electric jug. I imagine somebody was baked beyond belief to try that, but it kinda works for some of these songs.

This is such a historically important album. Not technically the first “psychedelic” album, but the first album to be officially coined as psychedelic. I listened to the original mono recordings, and man they are raw as hell! I can only imagine what it was like seeing them live. And Janis Joplin wanted to join this band? Man, what could’ve been!

We should all thank the Sandoz Corporation for creating LSD in 1938, which ended up changing the course of modern music forever.

Any album with an electric jug is at minimum a 4.4 and then they make the rest up with fantastic songwriting. There’s only 1 mediocre song on the whole album (Monkey Island) everything else are classics. I just wished they hadn’t called it psychedelic cause it’s not really. The album has more in common with stoner/ garage/ punk rock than it does psychedelic music. Although it was released in 1966, the same year Tomorrow Never Knows came out, so was there at the very start of the psychedelic movement. I’d forgotten about the sound-quality which is a shame. It sounds cheaply produced with the sounds muffled and distant. But I LOVE this album. All the songs sound different and exciting, the songwriting is excellent and there was nothing like this in 1966. Maybe my favourite album cover of all time too. 5 stars.

Really cool psych surf garage gem from 1966, almost an entire year before the psychedelic era of rock was in full swing. The sound is here and the instrumentation is spot on, with some of the lyrical cadence reminding me a bit of Zappa’s first album from this year “Freak Out”. I would definitely consider this essential listening- glad I finally got to hear it beyond “You’re gonna miss me”. Go enjoy!

It got old fast. It's protopunk I guess but the recording style kills it for me.

Cet album a été enregistré dans des conditions exécrables. En effet, un volatile est venu se glisser dans la caisse claire du batteur du groupe. Ceci va complétement venir gâcher la prestation proposée sur cet album. Dans la première partie de l'album, les différents membres du groupe vont venir tenter d'amadouer le volatile, à l'aide de différents appâts. Le volatile répondra par de nombreux cris et gloussement, mais ne se décidera pas à sortir de sa cachette. Dans la seconde partie de l'album, le batteur tenta d'utiliser ses baguettes afin de doucement pousser le volatile vers la sortie de la caisse, mais là aussi, tout ce qui sera obtenu sera des cris et gloussements de la part du volatile. Enfin, la troisième et dernière partie montre un groupe résigné à accepter la présence du volatile, qui fait désormais partie intégrante du groupe et de leur enregistrement musical, pour le plus grand bonheur de tous les ornithologues.

Awesome. Can't believe I never heard about this band.

I'd never associated the name of this band with "You're Gonna Miss Me"--for some reason I thought the 13th Floor Elevators were a late 80s/early 90s band. So I wasn't all that excited to listen but the minute the first song started, my mood brightened. Rocking greatness! Love the harmonica. And now I'm being led down a mossy acid path into the rest of the album. Quick takes: Quite happy though Roller Coaster isn't as good a ride as "You're Gonna Miss Me." I wish Eric Burdon was singing Splash One instead of the guy who is. Reverberation would be better if they muttered "and dance" each time after they said reverberation. Don't Fall Down is quite earnest and I dig it. Fire Engine brings everything together: rock rhythm, kind of bad vocal effects (is someone trying to imitate a fire engine?), urgent vocals--like if you'd only listen the world would be a much better place, and most importantly, just lots of fun. I want to play it loud and do the frug while some dude sings about taking a trip to an empty place. Through the Rhythm reminds me of an earlier question: what is that sound that sounds like someone is doing the scales up and down with their lips? Is that what that is? Omg it just started again with You Don't Know. What is that sound? I heard it earlier but tried to get it out of my mind. I just looked them up on wikipedia and omfg that sound is, I believe, an ELECTRIC JUG. Nothing says 60s more than an electric jug. Also, I do not like Electric Jug. I do not like it. Onto Kingdom of Heaven--a slow burn which sounds like something they play on the ABC Afterschool Special on the dangers of drugs: heroine puffs pot and next thing you know she's swirling around the stars as the Kingdom of Heaven plays. Monkey Island--This is a little more bluesy omg someone is now making little monkey sounds. What is it with the 60s and monkeys? Monkees, Kinks' Apeman, Planet of the Apes, etc. Tried to Hide reminds me that I do not like Electric Jug. I think their rhythms and guitar work is really outstanding. Downgrading for the jug.

La conception de cet album s'est faite dans des conditions extrêmement particulières, c'est pourquoi je le note avec indulgence. Les 13th Floor Elevators choisissent en 1966 le studio du douzième étage (13th Floor aux USA) d'un immeuble pour l'enregistrer. Après avoir installé la batterie, les membres repartent chercher les autres instruments sans remarquer que la fenêtre est ouverte. Problème : l'immeuble en question est encerclé par des conifères habités de pygargues à tête blanche. Une branche voit d'ailleurs son extrémité s'arrêter juste sous la fenêtre en question. À leur retour, les musiciens ne remarquent rien de particulier et commencent la session d'enregistrement. Très rapidement, des petits crissements se font entendre. Le chanteur et le guitariste se retournent alors vers le batteur qui ne semble pas comprendre d'où peut provenir le bruit. Ce dernier continue donc de tambouriner sur sa grosse caisse. Quelques minutes plus tard, il sursaute en apercevant les gros yeux blancs d'un pygargue le fixer. L'animal est coincé dans la caisse qu'il est en train de castagner. Il prévient alors les autres avec un jeu de regard, et, tout en continuant l'enregistrement de l'album, se lancent dans une opération de sauvetage de l'animal. ♫ But what's gonna stop me, baby ? ♫ chante le leader tout en se saisissant d'un sécateur. ♫ Am / Dm / Am / Em ♫ joue le guitariste au moment de jeter des graines à l'animal. ♫ BAM ! BAM ! BAM ! BAMMM ! ♫ continue de bourriner le batteur pour les besoins de l'enregistrement et au grand dam de l'oiseau. Une dizaine de morceaux plus tard, une brèche est ouverte dans la grosse caisse et l'on entend le "FLAFLAFLAflaflafla...." du piaf qui s'en va retrouver sa liberté, merveilleusement capté par l'outro de l'album.

So “The 13th Floor Elevators” album was absolutely dreadful… Perhaps that’s a bit unfair – as the actual music and lyrics – sounded just like every other band of their ilk from the time, so not very original, but then they decided to just kick their album into the absolute shitter by adding in “the electric jug”… Had know idea there was such a thing – and perhaps that is the only reason that this album made the list, was because of the jug (i.e. I saw some mention of just how innovative “the electric jug” was for its time…). I guess maybe if you want to slip it in for a track here or there – I wouldn’t advise it, but sure, experiment a bit – but not on every god-damned track… The only other time the use of an instrument totally ruined a song for me – was when Mr. Zimmerman decided to ruin the track “Highway 61 Revisited” with that stupid siren-whistle - but at least Dylan had the sense to ONLY use it on one song – but I digress… Dull, unoriginal, mono, and hopefully the ONLY album on the 1,001 that used an “electric jug”…

I'm getting very strong "surely-there-are-1001-better-albums-than-this" vibes from this one.

This album encapsulates everything you could want from ‘60s psychedelic music: a gritty garage rock sound, unconventional instruments, and raw production techniques that amplify the psychedelic vibe. For those familiar with this album, the distinctive bubbling and warbling noise of the “electric” jug stands out. Despite its name, it’s actually a ceramic jug. Tommy Hall used a microphone to amplify its sound, integrating it seamlessly with the other instruments. This album remains a fan favorite within the psychedelic community, thanks to its uniqueness and forward-thinking approach that helped redefine the ’60s counterculture movement.

Great album. Essential early US-based psyche-garage rock example. Rory Erikson is a madman-genius. Jug playing takes it to another level. 5 ⭐️

Honestly, loved it. Fun psych rock without feeling too pretentious or empty. Nice concise songs and not too long of an album either. Really enjoyed it, would consider getting.

I dig this

Loved it - great tunes and lyrics, thanks!

Love this era of psych rock.

This was sick, was all very similar sounds for an album without being overly repetitive or boring

Garage Rock Masterpiece. Absolute Wizard Roky Erikson forever set youth on a path of rock and roll for generations to discover for all eternity. Loved and cherished by the coolest most rocking dudes in San Francisco and Beyond.

Hell yeah

Unimpeachable. Best performance on a jug. Do not operate a forklift or other heavy machinery while listening to this album.

Such glorious chaos. From everybody, nice drums, wobbly ass electric jug, nice leads but of course especially Roky who appeared to pay the price for unlimited creative energy with the large part of his sanity. I heard at some point he kept getting in trouble for stealing his neighbors mail. Anyway there's poetry, groundbreaking (true - this word gets tossed around a lil carelessly sometimes) psychedelia, and wild energetic innovative songs and singing. Sometimes the dylan influence is obvious sometimes its's hard to know where he's getting it from.

classic

the band’s original tracklist is better but a geeat album either way

When you really like something it is easy to forget that its lofi recording and use of a jug might really get up some people's noses.

Seems like the generator is throwing me alot of psychedelic rock records and 'weirder' things. This one is very good. Or am I getting an ear for it 😁

It is definitely early psych rock. Loved it.

5/5

Seminal psychedelic garage rock. This 1966 record still routinely inspires quite important musicians today (examples : Osees, Ty Segall, Chad Van Gaalen, The Black Angels...). It's not so hard to put your head back to 1966 and imagine the shock that the album's lo-fi sound and wild performances throughout must have been for innocent rock'n'roll ears at the time. There's also that crazy electric jug, not to the taste of some reviewers on this app, apparently. It's obviously a noticeable detail in the instrumentation, but at the same time, I find it pretty unfair to dismiss the whole album because of it. Especially when the majority of the songs are so great and catchy on a compositional level ("You're Gonna Miss Me", "Splash 1", "Reverbation", "Don't Fall Down", "You Don't Know (How Young You Are)" "Kingdom Of Heaven", "Tried To Hide"). And if the rest doesn't exactly reach that stellar level, it's pretty groundbreaking stuff for 1966, performed with a lot of heart and stamina by Roky Erickson. Number of albums left to review: around a hundred, as I've went over the 1000 line and this generator is including albums from all editions of the book Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 431 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 255 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 315

If this is not the best psychedelic rock record I don’t know where you lived and you have listened to before. Because it most definitely is!

Yes. This is the good and outstanding shit that deserves its "psychedelic" label. I may be somewhat influenced by reading this band's story and just how much they LIVED that, but this alone - sparking my curiosity to learn about an album and not be disappointed - puts this into a high rating. And even though the Jug overstays its welcome, there are enough amazing bits in here (Roller Coaster!!) that I think I'd like to continue the trajectory of my last 5 star rating, CAN's Tago Mago.

Fierce, bright, explorations of psychedelia, turmoil and inner space. Best in mono.

My partner's review: "I like it. 4 stars?" (I'm a true freak so I'm giving it 5. Roky forever)

Really cool psychedelic 60s. Lots of fun!

Trippy!

My favorite album featuring an electric jug. Essential psych rock from the Evil One himself, Roky Erickson. What a great scream and songs you'll find yourself humming for days.

My favorite psychedelic album ever. Unfortunately spotify doesn’t have the tripped out philosophy behind each song from the liner notes.

My first thought was "oh great, another old psychedelic rock album no one's ever heard of before". I don't mind the style per se, but I often find it overdone, with good musicianship let by the roadside in favor of uncomfortable experimentation just for the sake of it. This album took me by surprise though. It's excellently executed with great musicianship (especially the fantastic guitar work). The psychedelic elements feel organic and actually enhance the enjoyment of what would otherwise already be accomplished classic rock.

Desert island selection.

Wow!!!!

Psychedelic Rock is a favorite genre of mine. This release (some would argue) solidified the sound of the genre.

First use of the word "psychedelic" to describe their music? Sign me up! This was an instant favorite with clear signs of what would become garage rock and even early hard rock and metal - the riff on 'Kingdom of Heaven' is nasty! There's definitely a sense of purity surrounding this album.

60s psychedelic garage bands will always be my shit. why are we remastering songs and labeling them with the remastering year tho, that’s so goofy.

I enjoyed this albums, would absolutely put it on when I’m in a psychedelic mood. Had to skip Fire Engine, that one was just too much for me.

cool

Album Nr. 8 Endlich mal ein Album aus den 60's, welches sich wirklich gut anhören lässt.

This was a big surprise, excellent psyc rock album!

Love this album. Worth 5 stars for Fire Engine / Reverberation / Tried To Hide alone. The opener is not bad either. It lives up to the title, really capturing (and informing) the psychedelic era, but it is just bonkers and individual enough to stand out and pass the test of time.

I’d like to take a moment to thank these guys for starting a musical movement that is still going strong to this day.

This was pretty fantastic! And I mean fantastic in the literal sense. It's imaginative and unique. An electric jug player? I mean common! Listened to it twice back-to-back.

Unhinged in a way that only someone truly unhinged could be. You can hear notes of psychobilly, punk, and country in here. It's fantastic and exactly why I started doing this thing, over 800 albums ago. Favorite tracks: "Reverberation", "Thru The Rhythm", "Monkey Island", "You're Gonna Miss Me"

I never knew how much I loved psychedelic rock until I started listening through this book. The ability to produce sounds like this through instruments is so impressive to me. This was wonderful, and it's a clear rotation piece going forward for sure. Favorite track: Roller Coaster

Proto-alternative album, great influence

To me this is THE definitive psychedelic album. Certainly among the pioneers of the genre. At their best, they meld surf and garage rock into a hair raising sonic assault - often verging on proto punk. But there's a lovely sensitivity there as well. They don't overdue the effects, or include things like sitars, but the electric jug gives them an exotic, immediately identifiable sound of their own. I love that they came from Texas, and remained there, rather than fleeing for the coasts. Perhaps that was not necessarily by choice though, especially after Roky's mental breakdown and incarceration. Roky Erickson's story is fascinating - certainly a bit tragic, but there is a beautiful redemption there as well. I'd definitely recommend the documentary "You're Gonna Miss Me" that came out on him around 2007. He's like an American Syd Barrett that miraculously kept coming back again and again over the years despite the odds. A beautiful, if tortured, soul.

I loved this, very psychedelic as the name suggests

I had never heard of this band before, but I was blown away. This album contains elements of Dick Dale style surf rock which almost gives it a proto-punk sound. The music itself is dark and exploratory with explosive and gritty vocals. This album is cohesive and is a blast of fresh air.

This is a great psychedelic rock album and a great debut by the 13th Floor Elevators. I've definitely listened to this one before but mostly remembered the song 'You're Gonna Miss Me', as I think it's easily their most popular. I really enjoyed this one. The "amplified jug" playing, which almost sounds like a Theremin, adds a cool vibe to most of the songs. These guys were out their in 60s Austin, TX doing it right before many others in the genre. Standout Tracks: You're Gonna Miss Me, Roller Coaster, Splash 1, Reverberation, Fire Engine, You Don't Know, Tried to Hide

Excellent album for those who like psychedelic rock. Trully felt I was listening to some 60's band

Prefs : You're Gonna Miss Me, Roller Coaster, Splash 1 (Now I'm Home), Reverberation (Doubt), Fire Engine, You Don't Know, Kingdom of Heaven, Monkey Island, Tried to Hide Moins pref: Don't Fall Down (still good)

Wantlist

This is great. Greasy, salty surf punk that rolls right over you like a California breaker. Them with Dick Dale on lead guitar.

So good. Plenty of that dirty 60's sound, strong vocals, and amplified jug. Roller Coaster is my favorite of the album.

didn't know an electric jug existed before this. I can tell this record was really innovative and I enjoyed it a lot.

Nice and classic rock kinda doors stuff

Misschien wel de original psychedelic weirdo band, in ieder geval de eerste die echt de stempel 'psychedelic rock' kreeg. Roky Erickson is een geniale gek, en had duidelijk geestverruimende middelen nodig om die genialiteit te 'channelen'. Dit album klinkt enorm drugged-out, en eerlijk gezegd is het resultaat helemaal mijn jam. De distortion is bijna benauwend, maar onder die laag aan buitenaardse harmonica's, proto-shoegaze gitaren, en een fucking 'amplified jug', zitten toch ook wel echt prachtige riffs en sterke melodieën verpakt. En - vooral kantje één - vangt echt alle charme van de DIY garage rock van halverwege de jaren 60. Op kantje twee is die aantrekkingskracht een beetje verloren gegaan, maar alsnog kan ik niet anders stellen dan dat deze pioniersplaat altijd goed bevalt. 8/10 Highlights: You're Gonna Miss Me Roller Coaster Don't Fall Down

Old timey vibes

Roky's a goddamn legend. The rhythm section on this album kills it. Is this the best album with an electric jug player on it?

It's fine

This is the absolute shit!

Trippy

Enjoyed this while on my walk. Love this sound from that era - although there was a weird sound through every fast paced song - like a wobble board or something.

I liked this much more than the last 60s psychadelic rock album I got, The Electric Prunes. This has much more energy to it, psychadelic, garage and surf greatness. The songs may be a bit samey, but it's only 34 minutes, and sounds great.

Kind of getting a better score for existing in the 60's. Sounds like modern day shitty garage rock, which is a style I like. Will listen to again: 75%

Good psych record

If you want to hear the birth of psychedelic rock in all its raw, unfiltered glory, The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators is as essential as it gets. This 1966 album didn’t just flirt with the idea of mind-expanding rock—it fully embraced it, throwing traditional rock ‘n’ roll into a swirling, reverb-soaked chaos of wild vocals, fuzzed-out guitars, and, of course, that infamous electric jug. Roky Erickson’s voice is a force of nature, full of manic energy and haunting beauty, while the band backs him with a mix of garage rock grit and early proto-punk intensity. You’re Gonna Miss Me remains one of the most electrifying opening tracks of the era, and songs like Reverberation, Kingdom of Heaven, and Splash 1 balance that manic energy with an eerie, hypnotic atmosphere. Of course, the electric jug is the divisive element here, a percussive, bubbling presence that either makes the album feel totally unique or grates on your last nerve, depending on your tolerance. But even if you’re not sold on the jug, the sheer conviction of this record is undeniable. There’s no studio trickery or excessive effects—just pure, raw, freaked-out garage rock that feels like it’s teetering on the edge of madness. And given the tragic yet fascinating story of Roky Erickson and the band’s history, it’s hard not to hear this as a genuine transmission from another plane of existence. At its best, this album captures a moment in time when psychedelic rock wasn’t yet a defined sound but a wild, untamed force. It’s rough around the edges, sometimes unhinged, but undeniably groundbreaking. Whether you love it or just admire its historical importance, The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators is a trip worth taking.

Gotta love Texas psychedelia.

I love raucous psychedelic garage rock. It's one of my favorite genres, and probably my favorite type of rock music. But here's the thing: this is not LP music, it's 45 music. I wanna hear the 13th Floor Elevators on a mixtape, I don't want to listen to 11 of their songs in a row. This is probably the secret to the success (well, influence anyway) of the Nuggets and Pebbles compilation series. This is a three star album full of five star songs, so I'm gonna split the difference here.

One banger single, and the rest of it is good, though i suspect this lp is on the list for its influence more than it's merits. What is the background "bubbly" sound in most of these songs? Its prominent in "through the rhythm ". It could be a vocal or could be something run thru an effects pedal, but once I heard it, I couldnt ignore it and I liked the songs a bit less.

11/02/25 Were it not so goddamn long, this would have been a brilliant album

Loved it, very Rolling Stones esque

I bought a vinyl, re-issue of this album a couple of years ago, without actually hearing it before, but I'm a fan of psych-garage rock, so I knew this was in my wheelhouse of taste. Besides, the album art is so cool it would at least look nice in my collection. The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators, did blow me away, the raw garage-rock sound, the surf guitar and the psychedelic sounds (one of the first psych albums) became very influential in late 60's rock. The one issue and it's a big one, is the electric jug, which at first is interesting and kinda neat, but it's sound wears thin quickly, then becomes annoying and distracting. It bugged me enough to dock 1 star, otherwise this is a classic, must-hear album.

Easy to see how influential this album was. Good music, too.

I enjoyed this album and found it much better than most of the 60s fare that this project has delivered to me. I must admit though, the electric jug does seem rather unnecessary, and all of the tracks, I think, would have sounded just as good without it.

Once I got used to the wibblewibblewibble of the electric jug, I thought this was a pretty darned entertaining listen -- right where garage and surf rock washed up on the LSD-driven shore. There's a lot to like here. But the jug, the jug! It's got to be like ear cilantro for some folks. Unexpected bangers: Reverberation, Thru the Rhythm, You're Gonna Miss Me.

Said it before, but "psychedelic" [genre] is apparently the way to my heart, and this debut album by the band that pretty much coined the psychedelic rock phrase opens up with a great number in "You're Gonna Miss Me" that hits every note I was looking for.

Real nice. Surprisingly dark psychedelic music. Feel like I'm getting high from listening to it. Groovy.

When he says “There’s one thing about these monkeys, baby, they don’t know I’m around” it’s like yeah I think we’ve all been there.