The shared experience between the artist and the listener is central to the world of music. It’s a dynamic interplay where emotions or sensations are felt, articulated through creation, or consumed to better understand those feelings. While love often takes center stage in this expressive dance, in the late 1960s, The Beatles diverged from the emotional realm. They delved into psychedelic experiences, largely fueled by their experimentation with LSD.
The enduring success of The Beatles, both during their musical journey and in subsequent decades, can be attributed to various factors. Their musical prowess, charm, and likability undoubtedly played a role, but it was their unwavering willingness to adapt and experiment that kept their sound fresh, ensuring each new release was eagerly anticipated.
Contrary to the assumption that The Beatles’ foray into acid was a conscious effort to unlock untapped creativity, the reality was quite different. The initial encounter with LSD was not by choice for John Lennon and George Harrison but occurred during a dinner at their dentist John Riley’s house. Riley surreptitiously laced the sugar cubes with LSD, leading the band and their wives, Cynthia Lennon and Pattie Boyd, into an unintended voyage into psychedelia.
Despite initial discomfort and John Lennon’s dissatisfaction with the surreptitious drugging, George Harrison embraced the experience more openly. Harrison recalls Lennon’s revelation about LSD, “The dentist said something to John, and John turned to me and said, ‘We’ve had LSD.’ I just thought, ‘Well, what’s that? So what? Let’s go!'”
The night unfolded with moments akin to a horror film, as described by Cynthia Lennon, with Harrison eventually feeling uneasy due to the dentist’s inappropriate behavior. Harrison recollects, “It felt as if he was trying to get something happening in his house… I really think that was his motive.”
Amid highs and lows, the group sought refuge at the Ad Lib Club, experiencing moments of insanity and paranoia. However, towards the end of the evening, the positive effects of the drug became apparent. Harrison expressed, “I had such an overwhelming feeling of well-being, that there was a God, and I could see him in every blade of grass. It was like gaining hundreds of years of experience in 12 hours.”
The transformative power of LSD ignited a newfound connection between John and George, prompting them to share the experience with the rest of the band in 1965. While Paul McCartney resisted until late 1966, the group, except for him, tried LSD at Benedict Canyon. Harrison reflects on the experience, “I had a concept of what had happened the first time I took LSD, but the concept is nowhere near as big as the reality when it actually happens.”
The night unfolded with guitar playing, swimming pool adventures, heated discussions, media evasion, and transcendental experiences. Harrison notes, “You go in tandem, you’re out there for a while and then, BOING!”
These LSD-induced experiences marked a pivotal shift for The Beatles, steering them towards psychedelia and influencing some of their most experimental music. The ambiguous and open-to-interpretation nature of their songs reflected the impact of these psychedelic journeys, arguably making their music more accessible and undoubtedly altering the course of the band forever.
