Psychedelic Mix----"Pyramid Texts"

I've been making mix cds for my wife for years. While listening to The Velvet Underground song "Ocean," I thought to myself, "well this would sure make a good first song on a psychedelic mix for Heather!" This is the mix I made her, with notes on each song.

1. OCEAN-The Velvet Underground

The whole song is great but it is one of the best vocal tracks ever by one of the most powerful vocalists ever. Lou Reed knows when to talk, when to sing and when to shout. I love when he chants "Here come the waves!" toward the end of the track. That song must be about heroin. Right?

2. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE BEFORE-Roky Erickson

My new favorite musician. He's from Austin and was the singer for The 13th Floor Elevators (great band name) that was popular in the 60's. Their tune "You are gonna miss me," begins the movie High Fidelity which we re-watched recently. There's a good documentary about Roky you can get from Netflix too.

3. MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON-The Grateful Dead

I love the Grateful Dead. I would bet that most of my friends do not. This is a great acoustic psychedelic song . Hi Ho the Carrion Crow Folderolderiddle!

4. THE RED TELEPHONE-Love

I first heard this song in the film Taking Woodstock. Its cute and weird.

5. LITTLE WHEEL SPIN AND SPIN-Buffy Saint-Marie

Another folky one. I almost put her cover of Leonard Cohen's "God is Alive."

6. THE RED QUEEN-Pink Floyd

I liked the Alice in Wonderland (one of my favorite books) theme to this song and that its from the film Zabriski Point by Antonioni. I still haven't seen that movie.

7. SEMI GREY CHORUS-Pregnant

By one of my good friends Daniel. A very psychedelic guy. He has a very psychedelic partner too in Jocelyn of Alak. Most psychedelic couple?

8. BIG EYED BEANS FROM VENUS-Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band

Heather doesn't really like the Captain but I put it on there anyway. I did recently find her enjoying his song My Head is My Only House Unless it Rains. Anyhow, I love this song and thought she would like its humor. "Men let your wallets flog out/ and women open up your purses/Because a man or a woman without a big eyed bean from venus/Is sufferin' from the worstes' of curses. I also like the line "Earth people around the circle."

9. I'M SET FREE-The Velvet Underground

I beautiful song that's not very psychedelic but I know Heather loves it.

10. WITCH MOUNTAIN BRIDGE-Stephen Malkamus and the Jicks

11. 1983 (A MERMAN I SHALL TURN TO BE)-Jimi Hendrix

Great guitar riff and merman lyrics.

12. KINGS CROSSING-Elliot Smith

Intense song.

13. SANTA FE-Bob Dylan and the Band

Old Weird era Dylan from the Basement Tapes out-takes. I think he's making this song up on the spot.

14. HOMECOMING QUEEN-Sparklehorse

This song gives a little shout-out to Andre Breton and the Surrealists via the "Ramblin on magnetic fields" line. The French Surrealist movement being some kind of precursor to the whole psychedelic movement in Rock n Roll. Interestingly, the Surrealists hated Rock n Roll. But they hated a lot of things.

15. RIDE INTO THE SUN-The Velvet Underground

It's hard to live in the city. So true.

Roky Erickson flyer.

A painting by Don Van Vliet.

I'm already planning another similar mix cd for Heather that should feature music by Alak, David Lynch, 13th Floor Elevators, the Beatles, Hexlove and others. Heather says there's a resurgence in psychedelia around our household. We got a nice Paul Klee print and sometimes things get a little strange around here. I recently watched a documentary about the history of the movement. They had famous rock stars trying to define the word psychedelic. I won't try. Also, the Pyramid Texts are hieroglyphics found on ancient tombs in Egypt. They are the oldest known sacred writings.