ABSTRACT
The drug culture provided the setting for a new musical breakthrough, psychedelia. Psychedelic music was both inventive and audacious. It expanded the musical boundaries of rock, integrating elements of Middle Eastern music. Rooted in blues, country, and other musical styles, it often mirrored the lengthy improvisations more typical of jazz. It pushed the limits of the electric guitar’s sonic possibilities, with more elaborate arrangements, louder volume, and deliberate distortion. Psychedelic music, also known as “acid rock,” frequently addressed social and personal issues with lyrics that appealed primarily to post-teen listeners. As reactionaries sought to protect society by banning objectionable songs from the airways, musicians fought back through coded lyrics.
