triptych 10 - Lucid Dreams

Pink Floyd (Meddle)

By the time Pink Floyd released Meddle in 1971, the band was already well established as a psychedelic rock act par excellence.  Singer/songwriter "Mad" Syd Barrett was three years removed from the lineup, and co-writers Roger Waters and David Gilmour were stuck in an empty groove, their stylistic needle skipping repeatedly over played out themes of acid trips, interstellar travel and pastoralia.  In fact, after weeks of recording nothing more than random sound effects, they labeled the burgeoning album "Nothings," then "Son of Nothings," followed by "Return of Son of Nothings."  Eventually, however, they found their way and arrived at an album that suggested some of the tightened production of subsequent albums like The Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here.  "Fearless," which borrows from the Liverpool FC's fight song, is emblematic of the Floyd's reawakening.  
Fearless (mp3) - Pink Floyd 

The Stone Roses

The Stone Roses reached full blossom on their 1989 eponymous debut album.  Straight out of the rollicking Madchester scene, the Mancunians drew on a variety of influences to produce dance-inflected pop nuggets.  Here, on "Shoot You Down," they demonstrate considerable restraint throughout a slow burning revival of late 60s psychedelia.
Shoot You Down (mp3) - The Stone Roses 

Tame Impala

Australia's Tame Impala make no pretense of their debt to earlier guitar-laden psychonauts, yet their recombinant Trip Hop grooves keep things moving along quite nicely on this year's full-length release, Innerspeakers.  "Lucidity," further enhanced here with a remix by Dirty label's French genius, Pilooski, suggests that the dream of inner space exploration is still alive.
Lucidity (Pilooski remix) (mp3) - Tame Impala