The difference, by ear
Psychedelia is built in the studio out of songs; acid rock is built on stage out of jams. The tell is whether the record could be reproduced live.
Both are sung cleanly and move at much the same pace, around 70 to 140 bpm. Songs run longer in acid rock: usually 5 to 20 minutes, against 3 to 10 minutes in psychedelic rock. To hear the difference, play Blue Cheer next to Pink Floyd. Acid rock grew out of psychedelic rock, a year later. San Francisco appears in the origins of both.
In figures
Acid rock
Where it sits
Rock › Psychedelic rock › Acid rock
In short
The heavy end of psychedelia: raw distortion and endless jams. Blue Cheer is often named the first genuinely heavy band.
How it sounds
- Massive distortion for the era, at the limit of what amplifiers could take.
- Long solos with wah-wah and controlled feedback.
- Slow to medium tempos with heavy drums up front.
Key acts
- Blue Cheer
- Iron Butterfly
- Grateful Dead
Start here
The pickBlue Cheer - Summertime Blues. Three people and a wall of Marshalls.
Full page →Psychedelic rock
Where it sits
In short
Effects, sitar, feedback and songs that fall apart halfway through. The lab that produced prog, space rock and, indirectly, doom.
How it sounds
- Studio effects: phasing, reversed tape, tape echo, extreme panning.
- Instruments unusual for rock: sitar, theremin, mellotron, harpsichord.
- Structures that come apart - a song can have three unrelated sections.
Key acts
- Pink Floyd
- Jefferson Airplane
- The 13th Floor Elevators
- Cream
Start here
The pickPink Floyd - Interstellar Overdrive. Ten minutes that explain half this tree.
Full page →