Episode 4 - Dreamers, Unicorns and Tao-riders, Psychedelia of the 1980s

It's fascinating how the psychedelic ‘60s lingered on in the private/local recordings and how some artists continued on the psychedelic path long after mainstream popular culture had lost its interest. In this episode we highlight some of the fine psychedelic artists of the early 1980s, which is when many scholars consider the first psychedelic era to end. These artists are still part of the same psychedelic culture with a shared musical vision and aesthetics as earlier psychedelic artists but without any of the intentional revival and neo-psych moves that started to appear in the middle of the decade. The originality of the early ‘80s psychedelic artists comes from the merging of the late ‘60s songwriting with the instrumentations and expressions of the ‘80s to create something very unique and genuine. 

No matter when it was recorded we think that the open-minded listener (which we know that you are) will enjoy the timeless psychedelic quality of the music in this episode. 

Doc Holiday-Lady Free (no label, 1980)-(I Dreamed) I Went Sailing Last NightT Kail-Somewhere, Sometime (Jade 1980)-Peace of MindCarl Erdmann-Bizzarophytes (no label 1980)-Turritella FlatsJohnny Blackburn & Mary Lauren-Echoes of Love’s Reality (Wind’s Eye Music 1981)-Beautiful DreamerSteve Linnegar’s Snakeshed-Classic Epics (Snake 1982)-Desert