13th Floor Elevators

Though this album was released in 1968 on United Artists under the auspice of being a true live album, Roky Erickson and company did a perfectly fine -- if somewhat kitschy -- job of faking a live recording for their third studio effort. With added canned applause and a bevy of cover versions, the unsuspecting could have easily taken this fine psychedelic rock document as the real thing. Considering the inclusion of new versions of the 13th Floor Elevators' classics from the previous albums, Easter Everywhere and The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators, their third album does a fine mockery of the groundbreaking sound of their first two. And so be it -- the acid treatment given to their classics "You're Gonna Miss Me Baby" and "Roller Coaster" are priceless testaments to the defining outsider acid rock sound the Texas group forged as their own. Other highlights include a thrilling version of Solomon Burke's "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" and Buddy Holly's "I'm Gonna Leave You Too." The ten tracks on the album are all classic Elevators psychedelic rock, though only two originals are unique to the album -- "You Gotta Take That Girl" and "You Can't Hurt Me Anymore" -- which are both classic Roky Erickson at his best. ~ Skip Jansen, All Music Guide