Review:

on 2012-02-25 CharlesMartel Said:

Regarded as something of a classic, the Thirteenth Floor Elevators' debut album has come to typify the psychedelic sound which seemed to define the hippie movement. The sound is a combination of garage rock and the guitar distortion allowed by the wah-wah pedal, which had been recently developed. That innovation allowed musicians to bend the sound of the guitars, as if reflecting the bending of the mind that the hippies expected the drugs they took would achieve.

The almost inevitable difficulty was that bands could overdo it, and it could be argued that the Thirteenth Floor Elevators certainly overdid it. Behind the garage rock sound of the album there is almost continuous bubbling sound as the pedal is employed on the guitars. It makes the album distinctive, but also seriously dates it. "Roller Coaster" is, without doubt, the highlight of the album, while "Don't Fall Down" is not far behind. But then there are also tracks which fail to convey the same sense - "Tried to Hide" and "Reverberation (Doubt)" are typical of this.

In a sense, this album marks the start of the psychedelic era and, if you like, could be said to debut indie music (in the meaning of non-mainstream) as a force. Remember, the Velvet Underground were still a year in the future by the time this album came out. For that this album, should indeed be regarded as a classic, but as is so often the case, the progenitors do not always match up to expectations. Forty five years after the event, there are artists who have done what the Thirteenth Floor Elevators can be said to have pioneered, only done it far better. That is often the fate of the innovators throughout history.

Listen closely or, better still, check out the few grainy videos on Youtube and you will be able to detect the roots of everything from the Ramones to synth pop. At the time, this was not only unique, but amazingly cool. The trouble is that it becomes almost cheesy by comparison with that which followed. This is not the fault of the Thirteenth Floor Elevators. But does make it exceedingly difficult to rate this album. As a symbol, as a piece of musical history, this deserves a high rating. But it is so flawed - poor production, cheesy sounds and simplistic melodies. There is something endearing about it, and yet unless you knew you would hardly recognise its importance. This is, quite simply one of those albums I cannot give an honest rating to.
Not Rated