When you put on a classic rock album, one thing you’re sure to get is a sonic punch to the gut. In a good way, of course! The heft and power of a classic rock record is meant to, well, rock your world. But that doesn’t mean every bit of the album is like an explosion or a locomotive shooting through the night. There is also nuance and great musicianship involved.
That’s what we wanted to investigate here. We wanted to dive into three classic rock songs from the golden age of the genre—but not just because we dig the tunes. We wanted to show how these great classic rock bands could also, if you were so inclined, be considered jam bands. With long solos that feel like extended psychedelic experiences, these groups bridge the two styles.
The Allman Brothers
Formed in the late 1960s in Macon, Georgia, the Allman Brothers rock band boasted some of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. And that’s what made them rise up head and shoulders over most of their peers. While the southern rock group brought the buzzy bravado, they could also extend their songs for five, 10, or even 15 minutes if and when they wanted to live. Just check out this 11-minute version of the blues-rock number “Whipping Post” above.
Pink Floyd
Fans of Pink Floyd know—the band would rather be in some psychedelic sonic dreamscape than just about any other slice of life. Whether performing live at Pompeii, recording the trippiest album ever (The Dark Side Of The Moon), or playing guitar leads that seem like reverse lightning bolts into the night sky, the British-born rock group in many ways laid the foundation for the jam bands that would follow. Pink Floyd was unafraid of showing off their skills. Just check out this hour-long live performance of their iconic LP.
The Grateful Dead
Okay, yeah. The Grateful Dead is the jam band of all the jam bands. They’re the godfather, the grandpappy, the big cheese when it comes to the genre. But whether you consider them a jam band that played rock music or a rock band that could jam, it doesn’t matter. They helped create a blueprint for many other groups after them, including Phish, Dave Matthews Band, Gov’t Mule, and many others. The Dead could play shows that extended for three, four, or even five hours. They were a lifestyle even more than a band.
Phtoo by Clayton Call/Redferns