10 Psychedelic Rock Albums You Need To Know
2. Surrealistic Pillow - Jefferson Airplane (1966)
This is another record that contains several songs that have become synonymous with the sound of the '60s. Musically and technically, the album is very accomplished and the band are about as tight as you could hope for, but it's the vocals of Grace Slick that really give these songs resonance.
She has a uniquely confident delivery and is able to deploy a healthy amount of vibrato onto every other word, particularly on the track Somebody To Love. As a result of some subtle mixing, her voice often sounds like it's swirling in and out of the musical sphere of the album. Slick doesn't aways feature as prominently as on songs like White Rabbit, but when she does, she commands the space.
Coming straight out of the San Francisco hippie scene of the '60s, this album inevitably contains some very folky numbers. With layered vocals and plenty of intertwining melodies, this is a record of its time. Listening to it does give the impression you're stepping inside of an audible time machine. It's an essential listen for anyone who loves this particular era of the genre.