American vs English pschedelic rock

personally i say england had a better scene (pink floyd, king crimson, soft machine) but you cant overlook the american classics (the doors, grateful dead etc.)

 

neither is better....they are both great for their own reasons...

 

true true

 

I like American more. Jerry Garcia and Jimi Hendrix are probably the reason.

 

Always a great topic for debate I reckon

If we are talkin' 60's psychedelic rock personally I prefer the US bands on the whole, but it's just a question of taste at the end of the day

 

Hendrix was from America but made British psychedelia.


This is a tough one... I've been leaning towards the more bluesy and folky stuff from the west coast, CJ & The Fish, Love, Moby Grape, 13th Floor Elevators, etc etc, but The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Experience, Small Faces, The Move, and so many other bands are awesome as well... its impossible to decide.


And anybody who mentions The Doors in front of the American bands I just listed, and many other American psychedelic bands, needs to be smacked. The Doors weren't that damn great when it came to psychedelia.. their best albums were more blues-rock and country-rock oriented.

 

They both bring completely different things to rock and roll and for that they are both fucking awesome.

 

I agree Hendrix made some British influenced stuff, but most of his shit was psychedelic blues.

Psychedelia is just like a generic term for things that are psychedelic; although the doors were generally a blues outfit, I'd say, like Jimi, they played psychedelic blues.

 

not trying to prove a point but the jimi hendrix experience is really a british/american band

 

Notice the names not in the context of their band, but as the people. ;-)


Besides, everyone knows Band of Gypsys is where it's at.

 

this was posted on another board and quoted from somewhere else on the web, not sure where but thought it quite amusing anyway

"In the 1960's there was the American psychedelic music scene, and there was the English psychedelic music scene. Were they the same? Let's compare, shall we?
American: Timothy Leary has all the answers
English: Lewis Carroll has all the answers
American: "Further!"
English: Backwards
American: We want to be treated like adults.
English: We want to be children again.
American: Let's write a song about the man who sells us drugs
English: Let's write a song about the man who sells us groceries
American: Long, shaggy hair
English: Long, neatly trimmed hair
American: Dress like everyone else in the movement, visit the thrift shop
English: Dress like everyone else in the movement, visit the boutique
American: Challenge pop music standards
English: Make sure it's got a nice melody.
American: Hammond organ
English: Harpsichord
American: Electric Kool Aid
English: Tea
American: Hash brownies
English: Biscuits (normal ones)
American: Long, often boring, aimless and chaotic jamming, mostly weird guitar sounds (the guitarist is the icon of our country's psych movement), loosely centered around a main tune to start and end on...This is our musical depiction of space travel, and it is enhanced by the awesome light show going on above us as we play. We're The Grateful Dead.
English: Long, often boring, aimless and chaotic jamming, mostly weird guitar sounds (the guitarist is the icon of our country's psych movement), loosely centered around a main tune to start and end on...This is our musical depiction of space travel, and it is enhanced by the awesome light show going on above us as we play. We're Pink Floyd.
American: Let's take a trip to that inner world of our mind... and write a song about it.
English: Let's take a trip to the park... and write a song about it.
American: LBJ is a drag.
English: Maybe Harold Wilson would like to join us?
American: Psychedelic music is a live performance experience
English: Psychedelic music is a studio thing.
American: On the bus
English: On the morning train
American: Songs about Little Men (the oppressed, the minority, the victims of establishment and anyone else who can't get their voice heard)
English: Songs about Little Men (trolls, gnomes, fairies, etc.)"

 

Can't forget Hawkwind and some Yes' early stuff. Are HP Lovecraft English? Both scenes were great, probably equal I suppose.

 

The band HP Lovecraft was American. Mmm, Hawkwind-- good call! I'll offer up Gong, Procol Harum, Soft Machine, Cream, and Caravan. Much as I love the American stuff I've gotta go with the UK on this one...

 

im gunna have to go american because of Frank Zappa and the Mothers

 

Honestly, I think I lean more to British psychedelia. I can't explain why, but British psych just feels "right." Plus, I generally enjoy the wacky British lyrics of '60s pop.

 

I think I'm leaning towards the British in this category

 

Damn... I'm gonna try some of that.

According to this, most of the stuff I write would be considered British psychedelia.... cool. :H

 

I think i prefer the American scene, but it's like choosing between The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators. Impossible.

 

I think I'm liking the British stuff better.

 

uhh most psychedelic bands, especially those from the west coast in the mid 60s WERE blues and country orientated.