The Psychedelic World of the 13th Floor Elevators [Import]

13th Floor Elevators | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 21, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Import
• Label: Snapper Records/Ka
• ASIN: B00005ULZ5
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #273,415 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars not as great as it should have been, November 19, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Psychedelic World of the 13th Floor Elevators (Audio CD)

The 13th Floor Elevators were one of America's greatest rock bands, and their first two albums, "psychedelic sounds" and "Easter everywhere" are both essential. So, I was understandably excited to come across this box set, but unfortunately it's not as good as the band deserves. One, the albums all have terrible sound quality. The set claims to be "remastered" and it does sound slightly better than what previously came out on Spalax, but it still basically sucks. I don't think anyone who isn't already an Elevators fan will be impressed by these recordings. I have read that the original masters have been lost, but there are still ways to improve the sound quality and make these albums shine. Anybody who loves the Elevators is anxious for the definitive CD reissues, but these fall way short. Two, there isn't the song "I don't ever want to come down" Considering every other Elevator song is included, one wonders why this was left out.I would much rather have had this song on the set then the edited single version of "Slip inside this house." Three, the four original albums are not represented in their original packaging; instead they come in lame "psychedelic" scribbling. The original liner notes to "Psychedelic Sounds" are perhaps just as important as the music itself, and it should have been reproduced. Finally, the 20 page booklet is satisfactory, but not the stellar piece of rock journalism it should have been. Hopefully one day a good box set of the elevators will come out. Until then, this is probably the best available, and that's a shame.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best-value, most-complete Elevators compilation, August 20, 2006

By 

Reader Rabbit (Northern Calif., USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Psychedelic World of the 13th Floor Elevators (Audio CD)

Should you choose to take the 13th Floor Elevators "trip," hep cat, this is the full six sugar cubes. Three CDs include almost all of the band's recorded output: nearly 4 hours of music, with very good audio quality. The price works out to about two individually packaged CDs. Better value than most other Elevators compilations, which are typically one disc (~60 minutes/20 tracks of music), but cost almost a much.

You get the full contents of the Elevators' four official LPs: "Psychedelic Sounds of," "Easter Everywhere," the fake "Live" album (really studio outtakes with dubbed applause), and "Bull of the Woods." Plus two genuine live sets that have floated around for years as hard-to-find bootlegs: a 1966 performance from San Francisco, and a 1967 show from somewhere in Texas. Plus various bonus tracks/alternate takes by the Elevators, their precursors (the Spades), and their most prominent survivor (Roky Erickson).

If you already like the Elevators, then drop ~$27, turn on, and tune in. If you're just discovering the Elevators: think middle-period Jefferson Airplane (Roky sings a lot like Marty Balin), with more of the Texas blues groove that influenced Jorma Kaukonen. These guys were real Texans -- some hailing from Janis Joplin's hometown of Port Arthur.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All of the original records plus more!, March 31, 2003

By 

Paul E. Shelley "Brit Iron Rebel" (Goshen, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Psychedelic World of the 13th Floor Elevators (Audio CD)

This has the complete "Psychedelic Sounds of", "Easter Everywhere", "Live" and "Bull of the Woods" plus a ton of rarities and live tracks. All the Elevators you want/need without buying the first four albums and a bunch of bootlegs. Sound quality is very good (even the extra tracks).