The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators

One of my favourite albums of the 1960's. As groundbreaking as Revolver was in the UK. Its influence on bands that followed was not solely due to being the first album to use the word 'Psychedelic' in its title. Poor Rocky lived the recreational drug lifestyle until his mental health deteriorated so badly. Hall's electric jug created such a strange and unique sound which complimented Erickson's screeched crazed vocals. Right from the opening track, 'Youre Gonna Miss Me' you know you are in for a ride. There is not a bad track on this. I love psychedelia, several of my all time favourite bands cite this album as a major influence. It sounds like a 'Rollercoaster' (covered by Spacemen 3) of a drug trip where you 'Tried to Hide' from the effects, but eventually you come down with a 'Splash' (Mighty Lemon Drops) from a 'Fire Engine' (The Shamen), which caused a lot of 'Reverberation' (Jesus and Mary Chain). Many a modern band with a Psychedelic leaning would have learnt their trade from this. I almost decided to spank £4k to go to America to see this lot perform one last time at Levitation in Texas in 2015, until the wife suggested it really was a lot of money to waste. Shame on me! I love this album.

Did the group who put together this list only consist of a majority of white men born late sixties/early seventies? Should think so. Getting so tired of this genre.

One of the most important albums of all time, I can't believe this is 1966. But goddamn that fucking electric jug is annoying. So the album's alright I guess

Gets a little boring after a few listens. Cool guitar tone, probably fundamental for psychadelic rock or whatever. Had a nice time walking home from the doctor to it. Just not hitting today. 4/10

Another one of those albums I'm instantly sold on after the first couple of tracks, only for them to immediately drop the ball. It just limps through the finish line. At least I have some new songs to enjoy in the future! Favourite track: You're Gonna Miss Me

I don't feel this music has stood the test of time but if this were the 60s I might be able to nod earnestly and go "like wow man" at it.

Samey and dull - and therefore even more offensive that it was so obnoxiously long. Am I missing something here? DNF.

3.5

This is perfectly....fine. My patience for Psychodelic Rock is pretty limited so a little goes a long way for me. The lyrics are about as trippy as you expect from the hippie poets at that time, and the songs are 3 minutes or less so it wasn't a terrible album to sit through. It is a time capsule in a way so I guess it makes sense for this project. But I'll never find my way back to it.

Pure psychedelic groove

Fun, competent psychedelia. And perfectly of its age. “You’re Gonna Miss Me” and “You Don’t Know” are worth an extra listen or two. The rest of the album? Not so much. Not essential.

I think people are drawn to this album because of all the histrionics surrounding it's creation, but it is really just not very good.

You’re Going to Miss Me is such a tune, but I’m not sure that pioneering the electric jug is that much of a boast.

maybe i'm just in a bad mood but found this Very Annoying

Can't say this one is for me. I struggle with a lot of this 60s psychedelic stuff

Meandering hippy rock now with added electric jug as an instrument.

This is like a jigsaw puzzle that’s been assembled wrong. The pieces are here, but the result is annoyingly underwhelming.

I was digging this thing pretty hard. That it represents the LSD-fueled halcyon days before this band imploded into bad trips, asylums for the criminally insane, attempted prison breaks, and murder certainly adds to the listening experience.

I enjoy their singles/general vibe, but one hour plus of electric jug is too much electric jug.

I was thinking I might be too generous with my ratings so far, so the generator said here's "The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators"! Actually I started off thinking it was fine, but by the time I got to Monkey Island I was just waiting for it to be done... I should really read the Wikipedia summary first, because I didn't know until after listening that the weird sound throughout was an electric jug! I did listen a second time, and I assume it must take crazy skill to play the jug like that. It almost made me add a star, but I'm just not a fan.

It was okay I guess, thinking about when it came out. I am NOT a fan of that jug noise. Very distracting, should have been very limited in use, or cut. I'd rather you put the Moving Sidewalks on the list. That would have been a better choice.

Whacky mono psych what’s not to like

This wasn’t as strenuous or as trying as many psych rock albums can be. In fact, I’d go as far as to say the first few songs on here were pretty captivating! But the charm goes away over time. Is that the electric jug making that fluttering electronic voiced noise in every song? It’s kinda fun at first but using it for EVERY SONG becomes overkill. I wish I could say I found a gem later in the tracklisting, but “Roller Coaster” was my favorite song. 3/5 this is very well done for it’s time

This album is psychedelic rock. The electric jug really added to that weird sound. The music isn't insufferable, but it's not my preference.

I just got a train where there was one of our American cousins speaking irritatingly loudly. This album reminds me of them. Maybe I'll have to listen to it again some day, when whining americans aren't within earshot.

It’s an important historical artifact but not anything I’d listen to regularly.

i can never seem to get a break from this genre, which... i mean, i kinda get to an extent. these guys are described as true pioneers of the stuff. the title of the album is one of if not the earliest examples of the word "psychedelic" on a record release. it's always something, studying the early roots of a genre. you know it's really fascinating listening to all the weird and at times forgotten psychedelic rock efforts from around this time, god bless the being who made drugs that allowed rock musicians to mellow out and expand their horizons... one creative thing that plays throughout this album is an amplified jug. like a jug being blown. it's a WEIRD cool sound to listen to... it almost sounds like a kookaburra trying to warm up its voice. this weird sound adds to how sludgy and strange the record is. it's another one of those albums where i understand the significance of it for sure! but there's more interesting psy-rock i think... this is a very solid 3.5 for me.

Tiresome. Yes they are doing fun talented inventive things with music. They would be great background music at an outdoor beach or backyard party. These songs are thoroughly interchangeable.

aight

Weird and psychedelic but it kind of just felt like every 60s band.

Keeping this in mind for the next time I drop acid and discuss the nuances of Warhol

Never heard of this but sounds like it would have been fun to listen to after smoking a big bowl of weed in the 60s

My first exposure to them was the opening track in the opening of High Fidelity. It was an excellent movie opening. The rest of the album lives up to that opener. I also never knew that was a jug they were using to make that noise until now, but it makes sense.

It was alright.

It’s alright.

Pretty standard 60s psychedelia. Some songs sounded like early pink Floyd. It was alright.

The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators fully lives up to its title by delivering a raw, pioneering acid-rock experience defined by rough-around-the-edges recording quality, standout melodies, and Roky Erickson's soul- and R&B-influenced vocal delivery. While tracks like "Splash 1" and "Don't Fall Down" might drag the momentum down a bit, high-energy cuts like "You're Gonna Miss Me," "Roller Coaster," and the garage-psych R&B powerhouse "Fire Engine" more than make up for it. Ultimately, Tommy Hall's polarizing, love-it-or-hate-it electric jug cements the album as a wonderfully weird and essential piece of early garage-psychedelia.

This line on the album's back cover is far more interesting than anything I heard "The quest for pure sanity... forms the basis of this songs on this album." I respect this album for what it did for the psychedelic rock genre, though. Thx

Yes, this is very much my kind of thing. Too bad they didn’t stay together long enough to release a few more albums.

Pretty cool music. Never heard of them but I can see how they might have influenced a lot of bands. I would not listen to this very often.

The so-called “electric jug” in many of these songs makes this album almost impossible to listen to, at least for me. I didn’t care for the record much anyway, but the annoying electric jug doomed it to two stars.

# An In-Depth Review of *The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators* Released in 1966, *The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators* is not merely an album; it is a foundational document of psychedelic rock. Pre-dating *Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band* by nearly a year, the record serves as a raw, unfiltered blast of sonic exploration that captured the nascent psychedelic movement in its most unvarnished form. It is an album that feels less like a polished studio product and more like a transmission from a feverish, transcendent frontier. ## Music and Production: The Sound of the "Electric Jug" The music on the album is a compelling hybrid of frantic, high-energy garage rock and a more cerebral, exploratory psychedelia. At its core, the band was a potent rock unit, anchored by Roky Erickson's ferocious vocals and Stacy Sutherland's melodic yet raw guitar work. Sutherland's playing was a highlight, favoring melodic invention over extended, self-indulgent solos. However, the band's most distinctive and controversial sonic signature was Tommy Hall's "electric jug." Created by Hall blowing into a ceramic jug with a microphone placed nearby, the instrument produced a chattering, murmuring, and bird-like sound that weaves throughout the album. For many, this is the album's defining feature, lending an eerie and unique texture. For others, it is a grating and distracting gimmick that overstays its welcome. The production, handled by Lelan Rogers, is notably lo-fi and steeped in reverb, a hallmark of the garage rock era. While this gives the album an authentic, rough-and-tumble feel, it also means the recording quality is muddy, and Erickson's powerful vocals are sometimes buried in the mix. It's a sound that contributes to the album's menacing and unhinged atmosphere but lacks the "polish" or audiophile quality of its contemporaries. ## Lyrics and Themes: A Call to Open Your Mind Lyrically, the album is a direct and explicit invitation to alter one's consciousness. Tommy Hall's lyrics were heavily influenced by his studies in philosophy and psychology and his experiences with LSD, positioning the band as both musical pioneers and psychedelic evangelists. Songs like "Roller Coaster" present the psychedelic experience as a way to "stop living so un-sane," a direct inversion of the societal view of drug users. The album is filled with urgent, almost messianic calls to open one's mind and see the world through new eyes. The track "You Don't Know (How Young You Are)" is a prime example, acting as a sharp critique of someone who is "stuck" and unaware of their own potential, a theme that blurs the line between compassionate advice and a superior judgment from one who feels "enlightened". The band's music was less about escapism and more about a desperate search for a new reality and spiritual meaning. ## Influence and Legacy: The Blueprint for Psychedelic Rock The album's influence is seismic. By titling their debut *The Psychedelic Sounds*, the 13th Floor Elevators literally put the genre's name on the map. Their raw, intense approach to psychedelia directly inspired later generations, from garage rock revivalists to more avant-garde artists. Stephen Malkmus of Pavement has cited the album's second track, "Slip Inside This House," as a song he wishes he had written, praising its "florid, trippy lyrics" and Erickson's voice that "cuts through". Their work helped define a grammar for psychedelic music: a blend of philosophical lyrics, raw garage energy, and experimental sounds that would influence countless acts. ## Pros and Cons **Pros:** * **Historical Significance:** As a pioneer of the genre, its importance cannot be overstated. It's a vital piece of music history. * **Roky Erickson's Vocals:** Erickson's performance is electrifying, ranging from a desperate wail to a quiet, haunting murmur. * **Raw Energy:** The album possesses a wild, unfiltered intensity that later, more polished psychedelic records often lack. * **Influence:** Its impact on the development of rock music is immense. **Cons:** * **Lo-Fi Production:** The muddy production and excessive reverb can be a barrier to entry for some listeners. * **The Electric Jug:** While unique, the jug's persistent sound is divisive. For some, it's a charming oddity; for others, it's an irritation. * **Inconsistent Songwriting:** While the high points are legendary, some critics and fans feel the album's quality is not completely uniform from start to finish. ## Conclusion *The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators* is not an album to be approached passively. It is a challenging, raw, and deeply influential artifact that demands attention. While its production and unique instrument choices may not be to everyone's taste, its historical importance and the sheer power of its best moments make it an essential listen for anyone interested in the roots of psychedelic rock. It's a "potent delight" and a fascinating, tragic glimpse into a band that was both ahead of its time and a product of it.

Quite listenable but a bit monotonous. Nice 60s sound though not the cream of the decade.

Interesting

Weer zo'n chaotisch rockbandje uit de jaren '60. Het zal de tijdgeest wel zijn waar hippie goed stoned waren. Ik vind er weinig aan, maar het stoort me ook weer niet.

Trippin' out in the sixties.

Pretty incredible how I formed an impression of how this would sound from the name, cover art, and era, and within 10 seconds my worst fears were confirmed. I made it to the third song but gave up then.

Ihan hyvää 60-luvun rokkia. Ensimmäinen biisi oli tuttu High Fidelity-leffasta.

Meh why not

Not for me

ZOINKS! Like, not even a Scooby Snack could get me to listen to that garbage again.

This is probably an album you had to be there upon its release to appreciate it. Or you might just have to high as a kite.

I’m sure this group thinks they created something g cool and unique. They didn’t.

I was going to praise them for creating an album that sounds exactly like something from the 60s or 70s in the year 2010 and then I saw that they actually DID make this in the 60s so. Less impressive

He's got a great voice - really works well with the limited recording quality, so good whenever he spikes the mic. After the first song I was basically just waiting for it to end though. I wish they would take off that dumb electric jug sound it ruins every song - we can just call it "The Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators".

Ugh

No expectations on this one, except any that come with the word psychedelic. The pros: I like the jangly guitars, and there are some genuinely memorable tunes here. The cons: the electric jug… I’m glad that idea wasn’t picked up on by subsequent artists. And by the end of the album there was a level of sameness that pervaded the back end of the album. I feel like this should be better than a three but doesn’t quite make it to a four.

Out of the 60’s psychedelic albums we’ve heard I think this is one of my favorites. This was punchy and fun throughout with some great grooves and performances. 1 listen Favorite Tracks: You’re Gonna Miss Me

Expectation: -> I shall not judge a book by its cover. After listening: -> Not my cup of tea. Did an internet search asking if I was hearing a wobble board. Nope. That annoyingly pervasive sound heard throughout this album is an electric jug. It should be retired. Without it, this album would be a 2-3 for me.

Interesting music history, kinda cool!

Do I make you horny, baby?

Crams a lot of musical sections; mostly blues rock but with added sound effects (2.5-3)

Ok. So I've learnt the electric jug can ruin an album. Now I know.

Not a bad album but not really my style.

Was there a hit on here I missed?

Pretty dang average sounding. Probably influential but not today it's not

Nice rocky bits.

Magic jug

foundational, never quits

Monumental album and band. Electric Jug works for me. Love the pace of this album. It’s in your face from the start. Great fucking band.

Never heard it before, good

fav songs: you're gonna miss me psychedelic, raw, garage 20/100

Pretty cool and interesting album from the mid 60s. It's both very listenable, but explored some interesting early psychedelic territory as well. And they're the only band I know that use an electric jug, so I suppose that's something, too. Definitely a different vibe even in its time.

I can't be certain, maybe it's just how the albums have come through to me, but there's a lot of pysch-rock here isn't there? They can't ALL have been super game-changey

As Len Houmous always said - they’re weren’t even any elevators! 2.6 10/13 Monkey Island

I think I may have questionable taste when it comes to rock music, I just can't help but love those slacker dudes with absolute zero talent who pretend to be the best. Must be the punk in me, garage rock is a genre I just can't bring myself to hate no matter how bad it is This record is raw, noisy, sloppy and everything that would make parents and neighbours angry when hearing playing. Despite, some of the experimentation are still quite impressive nowadays. A great foresaw of modern genres like noise rock and shoegaze. Not as good as other contemporaries tho, but definetely deserves attention (and easily better than the sequel) Highlights: Don't Fall Down (genuinely beautiful song), Fire Engine

super interessting to listen, lots of refreshing stuff and innovativ. Was a joy to listen und explore this band and album

This sounds like the 60s should sound. Great psychedelic record, the only thing that did not quite work for me were the funny noises sometimes.

I did not get to listen to the entire album, however because of the date of the recording and its historical importance I would suggest this is a must listen!!!

Mid-60s psych rock. Debut. Beatles era rock with some strange howling and rythms.

Fairly bland 60s psychedelic, may have influenced other bands but didn't care for it much

Org Psychdelic 60’s bad - 1967 3 albums , lived on LSD, tried CA and moved back to TX …fun lesson reading up on them

Like the psychedelic garage band sound. Not sure they stand out particularly among other groups except for that bloody electric jug.

There were some good tracks but certainly this is a psychedelic album first and foremost. This seems to be designed to elicit a wow, crazy, radical, response from an altered state audience. Not that psyche albums can't be enjoyed by a sober audience but theres a lot of interesting noises that perhaps form musical patterns only in the third eye of those who've opened it.

The guy who played the “electric jug” in this conned his way in to the band right? Deeply ridiculous. The rest of this was pretty dull, very average 60s70s rock. Didn’t keep my attention at all.

6/10 I enjoyed it, to an extent. Thrift shop guitars, weird jug. Not exceptional in retrospect, but perfectly listenable

Albums like this make me want half ratings. 3.5

Great

decent 60 psychedelic album

Да уже по обложке было понятно что это будет Хрень Группы в то время звучат одинаково Это вообще не расширяет музыку

Actually psychedelic 😵‍💫 Love how garage-y this sounds. And they’re very passionate about what they’re doing, very sincere. Unique and heavy. Influential.

Roller coaster is cool! Hm, apparently this is one of the earliest rock albums to openly define itself as psychedelic. It is pretty psychedelic.

A fun relic or psychedelic music. I can’t describe it as a particularly enjoyable listen and there would be much better psychedelic albums in the following years, but there’s no denying it was an early pioneer of drug-aided rock music. One related note: check out the song Forever that Roky Erickson recorded with Okkervil River, and also read his story.

Not my fav so far, its ok but there are some annoying elements but still a fun listen just not at the level some of the albums I've heard so far

good fun 60's music, repetitive tho

Really good. Thought it could be an all timer after the first two tracks, but it doesn't quite maintain those levels. Still a special record, especially for it's time.

Somewhat modern music that sounds like it came out in the 1960's. It's not bad, some of the songs are kind of catchy. Overall I can't really see myself listening to it very often, it just isn't my thing. Having said that I am still glad I heard it this one time. The music is not bad and has a nice vibe.

I don’t get it. Very bad recording. Very long very long. Singing is on the boring side too. Music wise very repetitive. Some good layers of interesting choice of percussion but don’t really contribute much to the overall experience of this album.

normally i can get behind psych rock, but this one was a bit tougher. it was really really odd, some of the production choices and the sounds that they had on the tracks. the weird almost bubbling sound on Thru the Rhythm seemed to come back more than it needed to, and it really dragged down this record for me. it was odd

More psychedelic rock that doesn’t do much to stand out from the rest of the many other psychedelic rock albums on this list. Interesting enough to keep me entertained but not enough to earn a higher rating.

I think I have a thing for Psychedelic Rock. I liked this quite a bit. Pretty unique sound with some variety in it. It's not a game changer album, but I wouldn't be upset if someone put it on.

The electric jug is a very interesting instrument.

Nothing special. Maybe they were revolutionary in their time? I'll say 2.5, round up.

This might have melted my face off in ‘66

This was pretty cool - I didn't know this is what 13th floor elevators sound like!

kingdom of heaven is within me

60’s psychedelia, dated but an interesting artefact.

the whole concept of blowing into a jug to produce noise and use it as an instrument completely sucks. like dude if you put anything else into the music (including but not limited to tuba, xylophone, theremin, ukulele, banjo or bagpipes or even an accordion) it would sound better. 3/5

Surprisingly good. Sets a high bar for psychedelic prog rock that followed— most subsequent bands did not meet the bar. There are several really good tracks here, separated by weaker tracks. Definitely a 3 for its influence and creativity in spawning a genre.

no mucho para mí

I understand that this was incredibly influential, it doesn't mean I enjoyed it. This is however much better than quite a bit of the psychedelic movement. 3 stars since 2.5 isn't an option.

There’s some great music here, but the jug just sits too forward in the mix for my liking, it’s distracting.

So, this was the first album to put the word Psychedelic on the cover? Explains some of why I disliked it so much. The rest of why I disliked it was the electric jug. That noise permeated so many songs, and was utterly distracting. I can't find a way to justify more than 1*. I hated this.

Fun and you can see its influence but the jug sound gets old after a couple of songs

i love psychedelic rock very enjoyable great album art would recommend but nothing incredible or mind blowing

I liked many songs. Generally, they are very interesting, I like the psychedelia, the guitars, the 60s raw sound, the singer's voice, very much alike to the one in contemporary hard rock's bands. However, too long. I haven't been able to finish it. But I will.

Excellent album. Electric jug! Mad band bio as well.

6.5/10 - Started really hot. I thought we heading for an Acid Rolling Stones but it definitely trailed off. Glad I got to hear it but not something that will get a lot of spin time with me.

I wanted to like this but nothing here really stuck with me. There is more interesting Psychedelia from the 60's. 4/10

Eh, didn't get too excited about this

Господь за нашу праведность дал нам психоделический рок.

Well shit, this is weird even for me. A lot of hippy, a bit of garage, and toss in weird little instrument that sounds a bit like a giggly carton hyena. Tab of acid goes here. Enjoy.

Anorak

Yes, they certainly are of the psychedelic genre, which they want to make sure you know...but are they a shining example of it? No.

You can't truly appreciate this album until you hear the electric jug harmonizing with a weed whacker outside the window

Wasn’t sure what to expect with this one. It exceeded my expectations, but wasn’t anything to write home about

Buena música para dejar de fondo

3 out of 5. I enjoyed how raw this album sounded.

I admire the ambition of this album. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. No track in particular stuck out to me, they all sound the same.i could have done with a lot less jug.

Pretty average psychedelic rock, good enough for a listen.

Not a classic of the genre, but not bad.

Groovy and weird

shite

Out of this world debut for the psych rock explosion crowd.

Я еле дострадала, очень длинный альбом

You're Gonna Miss Me

Tried a few times to get into this but it feels all over the place, and was always just decent 60s psych. Maybe I need to come back to it in a few weeks with fresh ears because I tend to quite like 60s psych but I genuinely feel like I've listened to the whole thing three or so times and remember none of it.

Never has an album been so appropriately named. It is exactly what it says it is and the album was as uninspired and uncreative as the name.

This was painfully mediocre.

You're Gonna Miss Me 3.6 Roller Coaster 3.5 Splash 1 (Now I'm Home) 3.5 Reverberation (Doubt) 3.4 Don't Fall Down 3.2 Fire Engine 3.5 Thru the Rhythm 3.4 You Don't Know 3.3 Kingdom of Heaven 3.5 Monkey Island 3.2 Tried to Hide 3.4 Score: 3.409090909

Now I know why the electric jug never entered mainstream music. If you ever wanted an hour of the “more cowbell” SNL sketch, boy are you in for a treat.

Snoresville 2/5

Interesting. This reminds me of an American version of early Syd-Barrett-era Pink Floyd or early Mothers of Invention or surf music or David Lynch soundtrack music… And it’s another for the “60s Punk Music” file. It has this weird “electric jug” sound over everything. I instantly recognised the first song but I think that’s the only hit. It’s a 3 or 3.5 star album really, but I’m going to nudge it over to 4 because I want to make sure I come back to it. And also it has a song called “Monkey Island,” like the classic computer game.

The more I sit with this album the more I realize it is not for me. I am a really big fan of this era of pop and this era of psychedelic music but the music on this album feels so far away from what I like about this period. There are things I do enjoy though, I felt the vocals were very raw and stood out on each song and I also felt that the electric jug through out the album added some interesting depth to the record. All though I say these postivie things I think the main thing that gets me is the instrumentation and the subject matter of the songs the album as a whole felt like a bore to get through but there are enough songs individually on here that do save it in my eyes. Fav tracks: Splash 1, You don't know, and Don't fall down

This is fun. Whatever that instrument or effect is that does those consistent 16th notes (see Roller Coaster) does a nice job of sounding psychedelic but not annoying

A psychedelic rock album with the proper amount of crawling up one's own anus (electric jug) but not to the point of 27 minute noise odysseys that half the bands were "experimenting" with at the time. I will be taking the elevator to the 13th floor.

Credit to them, they nailed the spacey, at times slightly menacing, delicate sense of tripping. This is the definition of psychedelic rock. The jug was a a fun novelty ... for one song. (3.5)

Interesante y un poco jimi hendrixesco o rollingstonesco. Me copo para tenerlo guardado por algun momento que pinte este tipo de musica. Creo que esta para caminar

I've been a fan of this album for a long time. There is a good balance between the twisted brain of psych rock and the thumping heart of garage rock. Wild for 1966.

definitely peters out but can imagine this must have sounded phenomenal at the time

Wasnt really for me but okish

3.5/5. This album deserves something for the intention, if not necessarily the execution. A real step forward in music, but one which was quickly surpassed by others. 'You're Gonna Miss Me' still sounds amazing though.

I've tried with this album before and it still doesn't work for me now. I get it's influence on many bands that l do like, but there's nothing memorable about it. Occasional I get into it for a moment and it to often quickly descends into drugged out nonsense.

There wasn't really any song that stuck out with me.

I adore this album cover.

New fav

100% 60's sound and none of it was noteworthy. Like what you'd hear in every background 60's flick for noise.

Psych rock: Good when it’s rock, bad when it’s psych.

Just the worst

Yep that's 60s rock

2.0

A very early psychedelic rock album, and a fairly solid one. This basically sets the formula that the garage side of the genre would follow for the next few years while also being better than a lot of what it influenced. It's raw, repetitive, and trippy. That last bit comes from the electric jug, which is all over these songs. It helps to give a disorienting background to the songs, though it's unsurprisingly a bit of a one-trick pony. As unique as it is, it also sounds pretty much the same on every song. In the end it's not enough to elevate this beyond very good, as the variety is limited and there are few memorable moments. Still, it's one of the best examples of this sound.

The jug definitely sets it apart from other psychedelic music so kudos for that. I don't mind the singing or music in general, though I also wouldn't say I want to listen to it again.

Outstanding garage psych, another album that would have blown people's minds when released in 1966. Quite literally if you followed the advice on the sleeve's liner notes!

Review - better than average psychedelic album but still not great Score - 5.5/10 Need to listen? YES

If there were a stock library for generic psychedelic rock, this would probably be the 'most downloaded'.

It just went on and on. The occasional enjoyable surf guitar did not make up for the irritating as fuck electric jug. This album would probably be ok if it was mixed better AND I was off my face on acid.

This was not much fun to listen to. I am glad it is over.

Glad to have heard it, but won't be going back to it

It wasn't bad, but I wasn't impressed either.

Actually pretty great! 5

I have only a trace knowledge of psychedelic rock, and zero experience with psychedelics or The 13th Floor Elevators. While it isn’t my cup of tea, I can see, however, their influence on bands moving forward. The jug is a distinctive sound. “You’re Gonna Miss Me” is a good track.

You're Gonna Miss Me is great but a whole album is too much.

I'm a sucker for sleazy 60's music. It's interesting that this is apparently the first album to use the term "psychedelic". This is a great album for seeing the evolution of garage rock and surf rock into what we now call psychedelic rock. The electric jug was an... interesting choice. I don't think it pays off. But it's solid garage rock album that I'll place right here next to The Stooges.

I’ve long been a fan of the opener of this album thanks to High Fidelity. The rest is pretty good, but nothing quite as electric and exciting as track 1.

I appreciate what they've done, and the lyrics are definitely good. I just can't get over the electric jug.

Es psicodelico. No me molesta, tampoco es malo. Pero no es mi genero, no lo disfruto demasiado, sino un poco, como una musica de ascensor o bus.

Latazo total. HE acabado harto del "tucu tucu tú". Dos estrellas.

I don't know if I've heard You Don't Know before or not but as soon as it started it sounded very familiar. Really fun listen that was probably just as fun to make, they were going wild in the studio especially for 1966

its Fine i suppose, just not for me

I already hate this because of its length. Musically, it was alright but man did it drag on

perfect album for background groovy ambiance

100% new one to me. Good garage/surf rock. I liked it.

If I ever became a funkadelic hippie this will be my smasher. Hope it will never happen.

This is a little too trippy for me, honestly.

fun stuff, learning that I like psychedelic sounds

Fine 60's psych pop rock album. Infused with soul. I'm not one to dive on a grenade to protect or inflate this album. Its really good. Not for everyone and its influential and important to the future of music. But ultimately this album is just 3 stars on quality of product, but 4 stars on legacy.

Fun album! Very happy which I like. Lyrics was sometimes a bit... Questionable maybe? But overall really enjoyed

No huge thoughts on this, its just is. 6/10

Interesting “out there” album with neat little background noises everywhere. The vocals lines seem a bit dated, but I had no idea Roky Erickson had anything going before his solo stuff. 3.0/5.0

Not bad, but just kinda feels like generic rock music that's a bit odd.

Y a un peu que tu dad rock j'ai l'im

im being a high rater again hehe

1.5 Awful week for this project. All 1s and 2s, all new listens as well. I feel like as I enter the final leg of this project I’m getting all the weird leftovers. Absolutely forgettable, bland. I don’t really like psychedelic rock.

Interesting! The novelty of the electric jug wore off but it was fun

2.6 firstly, I can see why they could potentially be an important part for the musical jigsaw. There's a lot more raw (you could say early punk) energy in here than in the usual 60s act to grace this list. However, this doesn't stop it not being a very enjoyable listen. One good song (up first, of course), poor audio quality, unpolished tracks, a wholly forgettable 30 minutes. Save the first track, move on.

What a cool sound. These guys were making serious inroads and forging the way for stoner rock.

It was OK, I was expecting better though

Ну для жанра вообще неплохо, адекватное звучание, хороший сонграйтинг, ну и отдельно доставляют смешные звуки на фоне)

Психодел кор моей френды и ее база. Я так привыкла к этому альбому, что естественно поставлю 5, чтобы меня случайно не прирезали где-то по пути на работу.

Ну как будто под конец даже расслушал прикол

Достаточно интересное звучание для тех лет

мне нравилась песня you're gonna miss me, но прослушав целый полутарочасовой альбом в таком стиле и с фирменным звучанием и фоновыми звуками - поставлю 3

Pretty interesting stuff for me and I love psychedelia. That weird gargling, booping sound that they used was super annoying. I'm told this was an electric jug? Not a fan of that but overall this was 3 stars. Would have been 4 without that annoying thing.

This would have been a 3 star, but the electric jug stuff was just too distracting and ridiculous. 2 stars

**An ok album

I didn't really connect with this

i was excited when i saw the genre tags but this is kinda boring not gonna lie.. i feel this way about a lot of other 60s releases regardless of the genre so i think this era of music is just really not for me fave track: thru the rhythm

924. Does the elevator just stay at the 13th floor? Because that's not an elevator, that's just a tiny room. 3/5: acceptable

Electric jug. Roky Erickson is goat.

Would have been better without all the pigeon.

9/10

As expected very psychedelic. I could appreciate it, but it's not something I would put on on another day. You're gonna miss me was a nice song tho. 1. You're Gonna Miss Me 2. Splash 1 3. Fire Engine

7/10 sonido feo más que sicodélico. No envejeció bien.

Great guitar parts and “Psychadelic Sounds.” Enjoyable listen

КТО ИМ СКАЗАЛ ЧТО ДЕЛАТЬ ТУТУТУТУТУТУРУТУРТУТУТУТУТУТУ на большинстве песен с помощью этого сраного electro jug будет охриненно крутой идеей? Господи, как же это тупо и надоедливо звучит. Я люблю психоделический рок с детства, переслушал десятки групп и альбомов в этом жанре. начиная от отцов жанра, заканчивая современной неопсиходелией. Я ожидал что мне КОНЕЧНО ЖЕ понравится, ведь я очень люблю психодел 60-х, но господи... То, что не касается гитарного инструментала (довольно мощный гаражный, гитарный звучок) звучит круто, но всё что касается чего-то психоделического, либо не до конца докручено, либо этот сраный electric jug, будь он не ладен.. Типа, камон, битлы на Revolver уже реверсировали и гитары и вокал, и использовали какое-то эхо и прочий монтаж записи. Да, я понимаю что сравнивать группу средненького пошиба с Битлами, наверное уже моветон, но типа, камон... Тот же Freak Out от Заппы выпущенный в ЭТОМ ЖЕ году (как и Revolver) звучал намного безумнее, сумасшедшее и психоделичнее чем пластинка от The 13th Floor Elevators. Kingdom Of Heaven звучит круто, остальное.. либо ок либо ни то ни сё. Крч, я в расстройстве. Ожидал большего.

Bättre i teorin än i praktiken. Försökte lyssna lite på det här jag var tonåring men det var svårt. Kul att lyssna igen idag. Det var inte mycket bättre nu. Stökigt och oslipat och inte speciellt roliga låtar. Ger gärna Roky Erickson ett nytt försök med någon senare skiva.

Psychedelic Rock, Folk, Blues, 1966 -> 2

Good now, great for the time. But you can't unhear the electric jug once you notice.

Eh, listened to two versions and nothing grabbed me. Fine and fun but not hearing anything special. Maybe had to be there at the time, but I’ve never heard of this band and apparently they had one hit, so not seeing a lot of historical points. Not bad, but eh.

I suppose it’s really impressive how new and innovative this was. The reason it hasn’t had the cultural impact its contemporaries had is because the songs are mid.

Some good spots on here. Some of it was pretty hard to listen to.

Competent but inessiential

I haven’t really enjoyed the psychedelic rock on this list, but this one was decent.

A certified, trailblazing classic. I might like his later, darker stuff a bit more but this is as close to heaven as he ever got. The electric jug is sometimes a bit much, but very unique.

Beyond ‘You’re Gonna Miss Me’, they are a fairly generic late-sixties band.

Already know this is a great album. But isn't it called "The Psychedelic Sounds of..."?

Probably best known for introducing the world to Roky Erickson, America's answer to Arthur Brown, the 13th Floor Elevators was also notable for standing at the perfect intersection of psychedelia and garage rock. This has nothing to do with big budgets and warped production to give off the altered state effect. Instead, the "psychedelia" is confined almost wholly to the jug that quivers and bubbles in the background of practically every song. A little one-note for some tastes, but it really works in grounding the album in its most energetic moments. There's also something uniquely disjointed and angular about many of the songs, especially the first 2, "Don't Fall Down," "Fire Engine" and several others. It's the first time the air of menace that lurked in the shadows of post-Doors psychedelia had at least one foot in the door even prior to that group's debut. I would argue Erickson's performance is the standout here, with his gruff performances wailing up and down the high-octane tracks while also being able to simmer down just enough for the slower numbers. He's not always perfectly in time with the rest of the band, which leads to this off-kilter feeling throughout the record. The album is also given an incredibly raw sound, as though the master tape was left in its raw state and set out in the Texas sun before being pressed. It's the progenitor to the acid-charred sound that influenced heavier psychedelic music towards the end of the decade. This is an exciting debut from the 13th Floor Elevators, though it shows its age quite often. These days, it would probably serve more as a historical document, but it nevertheless has its own merits as a standalone garage psych album. Key Tracks: You're Gonna Miss Me, Roller Coaster, Fire Engine, Tried to Hide

Enjoyable psychedelic 60s rock. Would probably enjoy it more with repeated listens that I doubt I am ever going to give it.

Ist durchaus interessant zu hören, es wird nicht langweilig. Aber mehrfach hören möchte ich es auch nicht. Die Rock-Mischung mit Psychedelic und anderen Einflüssen ist aber 3/5 Sterne wert. 3/5

Hard to rate. Some songs I liked and others I didn't.

That jug work is wild.

These garage sounds... not really for me, I appreciate them for the time.

Here’s me thinking I liked psychedelic rock. It reminds me of a classic Quentin Tarantino film with the characters overtaken by some subconscious need to delve into the bizarre. But give me an hour and a half of it, of which there are many versions of the same songs, and I will furrow my eyebrows in confusion and slight boredom. Had this album have been half its length, maybe I would have seriously delved into it more. It’s not bad, but nothing special alas.

A funny world this is. Delightful Jeopardy contestant with clear hippie commune parents named Xaque (Pronounced Xaqcuetly the way you'd like to pronounce it) brought this up during the insufferable anecdote portion of the program. While the contest fell to the mighty Jamie Ding, I was slightly intrigued for once by the contestant interviews rather than clawing for the remote between the couch cushions to avoid insufferable tidbits about train museum tours with mom or how great everybody is at the studio. The way this record started continued that positive momentum, but as per usual we settled into the usual psych rock lull and found ourselves on the wrong side of interesting. The acid wore off quick, and besides the odd hooted jug , this record offers almost nothing different from the 600 other psychedelic records this list has to choose from as it spawns a new hellscape each morning. Heavier than some of the others with an excellent album cover, but just more middle of the road wannabe strangeness from people who did drugs once. 2.5 HIGHLIGHTS: The opening of the fourth eye! After all that 3rd eye fuss, I was a little disappointed.

A pleasant surprise. As many decades as I have been actively listening to music, I don't how I've never heard of this album. So far ahead of its time for 1966. I liked the creative risks with electric jug, although I can see how the replacing of the jug for the shading of the psychedelic effects would be improved when synthesizers and sequencers would become available, in the decades to come. This was pretty cool for what they had to work with at the time. Faves: "You're Gonna Miss Me", "Reverberation", and "Fire Engine"

garage rock psicodélico é doidera gostei bastante, e tava esperando alguma coisa bem duvidosa

botei esse pra ouvir de noite não esperando nada e fiquei impressionado garage rock psicodélico bacaninha demais. os mano usaram um jug elétrico (ou seja um jarro com um microfone dentro pra pegar os sons de sopro) mto foda. achei legal!!

4 stars - 2 stars for the electric jug = 2 stars.

Listened Before? N It's just another 60s Psychedelic Rock album. It was fine. We have too many of these on the list. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: You're Gonna Miss Me

Way too psychedelic for me to dig

Now we are talking real Psychedelic rock. This is brimming with energy and nails the Psychedelic vibe right for one of the first works in the genre. The album cover is great and the music inside does it justice. I like the electric jug used throughout this album. The songs themselves here are great, from the sirens on Fire Engine to the energy of Monkey Island or You're Gonna Miss Me.

I love this album, such a great psychedelic band. Classic stuff.

favs: thru the rhythm tried to hide rating 0.9/5

Good surprise and solid! Roller coaster kicks!

Decent psychedelic rock that’s not unpleasant, but I still found unremarkable. I’m sure these guys are legends in their niche, but it didn’t inspire any relistens.

Cut your hair, get a job!

The ever-present electric jug on every track started as a novelty, got annoying, and came right back around to hilarious by the end. They seem to be really good at this one niche kind of music that I don't particularly enjoy.

Trippin'...

6/10

Ya desde la portada te das cuenta de que es un álbum especial. Sonidos psicodélicos y garajeros. Acid rock que le pusieron de nombre. You´re gonna miss me es un clásico, así de sencillo. Escucha obligatoria. Splash 1 suena lo que sonarán Love. Roller Coaster la tomaron nada menos que Spacemen 3 para hacer una versión en su debut Sound of confusion, 20 años después. Reverberation (Doubt) sería entre otros por los Jesus and Mary Chain (Honey´s dead)... Don’t Fall Down baja otra vez el tempo. La cara B sigue por los mismos derroteros, con You Don’t Know como mejor tema. Kingdom of Heaven es un tanto extraña, con sonidos claramente psicodélicos. Pasa lo mismo con Monkey Island y ese sonido de jarra soplada casi omnipresente en todo el disco (demasiado). Cierra Tried to Hide que podría estar en cualquier disco de los Stones de esa época (y posterior). Un disco esencial... y aún no hemos hablado de Slip inside this house...

Groovy.

5.0/10

A good start but that goofy jug sound got me. Probably not coming back. I liked the first track, more like that please!

Weird. I have a thing for rock music of the late sixties and somehow I missed this band entirely. I really enjoyed this record. I learned what an amplifid jug is, though I’m still not sure how it works :D

This band is a wonderful 1001 discovery. An early psychedelic garage band, making some really interesting music in the mid to late 60s. Not a perfect album and seems to suffer from some minimal production capabilities, but still 4/5. I’ve explored some of their other music and it helps fill out my knowledge base of a cool musical decade.

I enjoyed this album for the familiar sound and style, but it almost seems like a parody of psychedelic music. The electric jug is more distracting than intriguing, and I am not sure that they are pushing the genre at all. It is almost as if someone commissioned someone to create a psychedelic band and put out an album that checked all the boxes. They checked them well, but I am not sure this will break into the regular repertoire of classic 60s psychedelic rock for me. Maybe the jug will eventually change my mind.

Fun trippy album, but not a remarkable one.

Lo escuché hace como una semana, me enfermé, ni me acuerdo de este álbum, pero tengo el presentimiento de que fue muy bueno:p

For a group with such an odd name, and a claim for something psychedelic, this is a surprisingly 'normal' sounding album with a few quirky elements. All that is to say, I can't quite figure out who this album is for. It's not strange enough for psychedelia enthusiasts and it's otherwise too normal to attract any other attention.

Feels like a collection to summon some rad ghouls and hobgoblins.

Felt like it wanted to be Rolling Stones

needs more jug

Fantastic psychedelic album but the jug just wears you down. I got to the point where all I would listen to is the jug and miss the other music. If they had removed it I think this might be a five star album for me.

bit crap

This didn’t do a ton for me. I love garage rock- which this gives me a ton of those jangly, lo-fi vibes. This is classic psych rock and this should hit all the boxes for me. It’s just fine- don’t come at me dads!

Not for me. It's jangly and hard to listen to. There are moments where it shines, but the electric jug wore me out.

If I was sitting in a field looking at a festival stage then this music would work for me. Any other situation it just felt like the same song every time. I got to learn what an electric jug was though.

This is fucking sick, Texan Psychedelic I read and I totally agree. I could see this becoming an even higher rating with more listens

Unremarkable album a few nice songs but mostly unremarkable

Never heard of these guys before but really liked this album. May have to check out some of their other offerings.

Certainly Psychedelic - It sounds a like a mashup of the musical styles that would follow I'm the next 30 years.

gave me a headache - and thats pretty hard for music to do. no disrespect to the elevators but did not enjoy.

The existence of an electric jug explains why we don't hear acoustic jugs in pop music anymore. Loved this the first time round, after watching True Detective S1, and loved it again here and now. Reverberations, Kingdom of Heaven and You're Gonna Miss Me were already in my playlist, in fact.

Good

Wish I liked this more than I do, but that electric jug is quite annoying. Might like it more if I gave it another go

I think this is a great album to play - full of the classic garage band style vocals, and I even enjoyed the electric jug. A very influential album.

ROKY! RIP. His totally unhinged solo stuff was more fun but "You're Gonna Miss Me" is fucking blistering. The rest of this album is alright. 3.5 rounding up.

427/1089 - Not a fan of the voice. Songs were alright. Good drummer.

I found this to be a one-trick surf rock album without much to offer. In addition it’s physically a hard listen because of the poor quality of the recording. The tone is tinny and brash. Not great.

Wow, I really disliked this. Every track has this extremely annoying “instrument” sound that I don’t know how to describe—an attempt at a signature sound? Anyway, it’s silly and relentless. Rubber Soul and Revolver came out the same year as this “psychedelic” album. That’s all I have to say.

It’s ok acid rock, could really do without the pigeon noise throughout that got old really quickly. 3 star

Raw psychedelic garage rock built on fuzzed-out guitars, driving rhythms, electric jug textures, and wild, reverb-soaked vocals spirals with unhinged intensity. Listening feels like stepping into a swirling, overstimulated haze where sounds bend and pulse unpredictably. The result is chaotic and immersive, capturing a primal psychedelic energy despite its rough edges.

The Relentless Electric Jug Is Not For Me.

I think there is a reason you don't see an electro jug in too many bands... I thought there were some songs on the end of the album that I really liked, but then I realized Tidal started autoplaying music by the band Love, who I'm now exploring more in depth because I may enjoy their music.

That sound. Is that the jug? Uh, that is.... unceasing...incessant...relentless...constant... excessive. If I try to imagine this without the incessant vocalized bleepy bloops, it's 60s garage rock. Not really for me. With the jug, I definitely don't want to hear again.

weird

Not a bad little 60’s psych album with surfer rock undertones. Felt like some of these tracks could’ve been played during the end credits of a Tarantino flick. 3.5⭐️ rounding up because this probably sounds amazing on drugs 😵‍💫🍄🌳💊💉😵‍💫

Pretty groovy shit. That electric jug goes hard. 4.5 stars.

1960s Psychedelic Acid Rock / R&B. Apparently the earliest known use of the word "psychedelic" in an album title. I prefered the tracks that were more R&B than Psychedelic Acid Rock, but overall I liked this album.

It's fine. It's just that the audio quality is so bad.

A lot of this is annoying, but this is the first psychedelic rock album ever and it has some really good parts that show it's influence.

The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators is honestly just an alright album. This band doesn't really seem to be that much different from any of the other psychedelic rock bands that were big around this time. Complete with all the insanely distorted guitars (with the production making them even more distorted). I guess the one thing that this album has that it's contemporaries did not have was that odd sound in a lot of the songs which sounded like constantly poking at a bubble. This is also one of those albums in which i have a tough time picking a favorite/least favorite because they all sound so similar. This album is okay but you can do a lot better than this. Best Song: Splash 1 (Now I'm Home) Worst Song: Tried To Hide

For me, the experience of listening to this album invited focus on the differences between "significant to music history so you should understand it" and "likely/worthy to be replayed". I also thought a lot about the opportunities for and expectations of a vocalist - who may be given almost complete imprimatur to express or perform the desired vibe - while "rhythm section" has to keep the pulse for the dancers. In some periods, the bass and drums might have to keep riff and pulse, while vox, gtr and other instruments can freak out with more or less regard for any other band members. This album by contrast sounds like gtr was obliged to stick with bass/drums, while vox had to show the wild child - and "electric jug" conveyed that we're not in Kansas any more. (I listened without pre-reading, so pretty intrigued/perturbed by electric jug, but feel no great desire to go there again.) Sections of the album palled (I felt grumpy that I was going to make myself listen to the whole thing) - but some later sections were reasonably entertaining. Didn’t relish going back to pick a favourite song, but not hard to pick “Thru the Rhythm” for its soul vibe. Overall, for me it’s Mix of Good and Bad, 5/10.

These guys are what I’d imagine an opener for the Stones would be like.

Hard to rate this one. I appreciate how weird and earnest it is, and how it's an early example of psych music, but the playing is frankly terrible a lot of the time, and not terrible in a punk way, terrible in a 'we have no idea what we're doing' way. It's an album I respected more than I actually enjoyed.

3/10 I'm running out of unique ways to say "I can hear the quality, but it's not for me".

I don't like psychedelia very much but this is an exception. Great riffing and grooves. Dig the ominous vibes of Roller Coaster.

Eh

Early acid rock, psychedelia, british invasion rock. It sounds VERY much of its time. I'm kinda surprised I'd not heard of them before. Though I have to say that once you notice that electric jug, as much as you might want to, you can't ignore it. As a whole, I enjoyed it, but it's not something I'll go back to.