Everyone has that one album, or sometimes, albums that make you want to dive deep into and discover the whole thing after listening to a few tracks. Then, you’ll probably put the album on an endless loop on your headphones until you eventually grow out of it, and it’ll surely be among your picks whenever someone asks you, ‘What are the best albums you’ve ever listened to?’
Billy Gibbons also had a few picks when he chatted with Classic Rock in 2017 to disclose the ten albums that changed his life and influenced his musical career. As always, the frontman was generous with his compliments, as he went on to appreciate other fellow rockers by naming some of the most iconic albums by Cream to the Rolling Stones.
The guitarist’s first choice wasn’t an expected blues rock-influenced record since the record Billy called a literal mindblower was from the psychedelic rock scene, from a cult band well-known for their experimental music. It was ‘The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators’ by the 13th Floor Elevators, a classic album that has long been regarded as a powerful piece of the rock scene.
“Whoa! That one stands as a literal mind-blower,” said Gibbons as he discussed the album’s lasting influence on him. “It alters the neurons when hearing it. Roky Erickson didn’t consider adhering to any traditional boundaries or formats. In fact, the Elevators became self-appointed pioneers of a psychedelic trip that seems to have the impact of lasting past the present.”
So, ‘The Psychedelic Sounds’ was the one record that Billy called a literal mindblower as he appreciated the band’s cult sound and how the record invited you into a long, psychedelic trip away from the traditional boundaries of music. Gibbons stated that the 13th Floor Elevators were pioneers in experimenting and shaping the psychedelic sound and left their unique musical fingerprint in the rock scene.
