The difference, by ear
Both are built on extended jamming at volume. Desert rock is down-tuned and riff-led where acid rock is bluesy and solo-led.
Both are sung cleanly and move at much the same pace, around 90 to 140 bpm. Songs run longer in acid rock: usually 5 to 20 minutes, against 4 to 8 minutes in desert rock. To hear the difference, play Kyuss next to Blue Cheer. They share a root in rock, and acid rock came first, by 24 years.
In figures
Desert rock
Where it sits
Rock › Blues rock › Hard rock › Stoner rock › Desert rock
In short
The hypnotic, jam-based side of stoner rock, with lots of space between the notes and a warm bass tone.
How it sounds
- Long, hypnotic improvisation with loose structures.
- Warm, rounded tone and plenty of space between instruments.
- Frequently instrumental, or with the voice treated as a fourth instrument.
Key acts
- Kyuss
- Yawning Man
- Brant Bjork
Start here
The pickKyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley. It plays as one block rather than as tracks.
Full page →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 →