The difference, by ear
A great many garage bands turned psychedelic in 1967, often on the same label with the same producer. The tell is whether the studio is being used as an instrument.
Both are sung cleanly, but psychedelic rock is slower: 70 to 140 bpm against 140 to 180. Songs run longer in psychedelic rock: usually 3 to 10 minutes, against 2 to 3 minutes in garage rock. To hear the difference, play The Sonics next to Pink Floyd. They share a root in rock, and garage rock came first, by three years.
In figures
Garage rock
Where it sits
Rock › Rock and roll › Garage rock
In short
High-school bands, a Farfisa organ and one good idea recorded badly. Attitude beats technique here, and punk descends from it directly.
How it sounds
- A Farfisa or Vox organ, very often louder in the mix than the guitar.
- Raw production cut in a few hours, with saturated vocals and distant drums.
- One good riff, repeated for two and a half minutes.
Key acts
- The Sonics
- The Standells
- The Seeds
- ? and the Mysterians
Start here
The pickThe Sonics - Psycho. Gerry Roslie's voice is a decade ahead of punk.
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 →