I was
introduced to the 13th Floor Elevators by the High Fidelity film. For those of
you who haven't seen it (a plague upon thy houses), it opens with Rob, the
protagonist, blasting out 'You're Gonna Miss Me' on his hifi as his girlfriend
Laura walks out on him.
Ever
since first hearing it, I have loved that track. There is a controlled anarchy
about it, complete with ridiculous numbers and variety of instruments, all
supporting the screeching and yelping of Roky Erickson.
The issue
for me was that I don't really like Psychedelia. Having had a few of these
albums as part of this project (The Electric Prunes, The Young Rascals), I just
don't really get it. I can grasp that it was experimental, and groundbreaking
when released, and certainly I don't doubt they influenced the Stones and
Beatles for the better, but there are just too many elements in each song that
don't add enough. For example, when I listen to the intricacies of a Pink Floyd
or Joanna Newsom, I enjoy discovering melodies or effects I hadn't before, like
peeling an intricate onion. With these bands, it seems that the discovering of
an extra melody distracts from the overall enjoyment of the actual song. Chloe
pointed out that every song on this album has a background noise that sounds
like someone blowing bubbles, and when you notice it, it really is there all
the bloody time.
This
album is massively carried by that superb opening track. Whilst disappointing,
it is a good enough track to let me partially forgive the band, and simply
enjoy it in its own right.
Chloe's
album rating: 5
Chloe's
favourite track: 1. You're Gonna Miss Me
Olly's
album rating: 6
Olly's
favourite track: 1. You're Gonna Miss Me
Next week
is 855. The Fat of the Land by Prodigy.
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