Brian Wilson was inspired by the Beatle’s album Rubber Soul and began working on Pet Sounds, a landmark album which in turn was admired by Paul McCartney. Brian Wilson also produced one of his greatest achievements, “Good Vibrations” which combines multiple musical ideas into one song and notes a departure from pop song writing, it’s referred to as “Pocket Symphony” because of the number of instruments and ideas present. Other psychedelic bands that began to emerge were The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. On the album Anthem of the Sun by The Grateful Dead we see the full effect of the hippie-aesthetic on music. The album was mixed using chance elements, very similar to avant-garde electronic compositions and the album was mixed specifically to help enhance and intensify an acid trip. Jefferson Airplane was one of the first psychedelic bands in the San Francisco scene. They got off to a rocky start with their first album barely charting. Once they changed singers to Grace Slick, their next album reached third in the pop charts. Slick is regarded as a pioneer not only for women in rock music but as a musician in general. She was involved in many social issues, especially during this time and her music reflected that, which in turn helped fuel the counterculture movement along with other musicians such as Janis Joplin and Jimi …show more content…
This was the era not only of hippies and drugs but also of Vietnam and rising up against the establishment. This can be reflected in the music of the era as well. For example, “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix allures to what soldiers often called the M18 Violet Smoke Grenade. Not only did the Vietnam War have an impact on music, but music had an impact on the war as well. The music was the fuel of the counterculture movement which greatly opposed the Vietnam War and violence in general. With bands like Jefferson Airplane, who had started out as hippie bands but transformed into anti-political rock bands, unlike the The Grateful Dead which stayed with the idea that music was the secondary. The culmination of the hippie-aesthetic and counterculture could be seen at The Woodstock Festival. With a sky-high lineup and drawing huge crowds, the under-prepared festival will always be something of a legend in American history. It is a symbol for everything that the hippie-aesthetic stood for, as masses of people came together to enjoy music, often helped by drugs and enhancing the hippie idea of communal