Seven & Seven Is Radio

Episode 022 - The Keys to Room Twenty-Two

Elvin Estela Season 1 Episode 22

Episode 022: The Keys to Room Twenty-Two: Selections from the Post-Psychedelic Era Part Two

The Bee Gees - Sweet Song of Summer (UK 1972) A true oddity in the brothers Gibb's sprawling discography, sounding like a lost track from their psych era four years previous.  They create quite an atmosphere that fuses trippy synth experiments with battle percussion and chants that sound like a crew of vikings backing them.  Part of their "lost" period where they are coming out of their early Beatle-esque pop sound, but before they'd stumble on a super successful style more informed by American soul and R&B.

Vangelis Papathanis - Sunny Earth (Greece 1973) Originally part of Greek psychedelic warlords Aphrodite's Child, this moody sound piece comes from Vangelis' second solo album.  After a prolific run of albums, Vangelis would eventually find much success in the field of soundtrack world.

Yoko Ono - Greenfield Morning I Pushed an Empty Baby Carriage All Over the City (US 1970)
Yoko's work is often polarizing, sometimes dismissed as avant-garde rambling - but her early work does have its gems.  On this standout track from her first album, her trademark shriek is backed by a thumping groove that provides just enough grounding for her to deliver her audible freak out.

Spirit - The Other Song (1975)
Recorded several years after their "heyday", this song sounds like it could be a relic from their Dr. Sardonicus era.  Produced by the enigmatic Randy California, this phased wonder comes from the second album they recorded after their first initial reunion, Son of Spirit.

White Noise - Love Without Sound (1969)
Pioneers of early electronic exploration, this band began as a group project between David Vorhaus and BBC Radio Workshop members Delia Derbyshire and Brian Hodgson.  Their first album contains some of the most forward thinking and bizarre electronic music of the time, and foreshadows how music would be made in the future with it's use of tape loops and wacky machines.

Kevin Ayers - The Confessions of Dr. Dream (UK 1974)
Originally part of prog-psych legends The Soft Machine, Kev Ayers solo discography is filled with many highlights and is most definitely worth exploring.  This psychedelic masterpiece features the haunting voice of Nico, which adds to the spooky and otherworldly mood of the track.