Description
Shiva’s Headband – Take Me To The Mountains – Vinyl Record
Shiva’s Headband – Take Me to the Mountains, released in 1969, stands as a hidden gem of psychedelic Americana, and holds a special place in rock history as the first major-label album released by an Austin, Texas band—specifically on the Capitol Records label. Blending acid rock, country, blues, and a dash of classical influence, Take Me to the Mountains is a distinctive snapshot of the late-’60s counterculture filtered through the lens of the emerging Texas psych scene, centered around Austin’s iconic Armadillo World Headquarters and the city’s growing identity as a musical hotbed.
Led by Spencer Perskin, a classically trained violinist and vocalist, Shiva’s Headband brought a unique instrumental texture to the psychedelic soundscape of the time. Perskin’s electric violin—used as a lead instrument alongside guitar—gives the album a fluid, sometimes eerie, and often lyrical quality that sets it apart from their San Francisco or L.A. contemporaries. The rest of the band complements this well with bluesy guitar licks, country-tinged rhythms, and organ-drenched atmospheres, creating a sound that’s both rooted in the American South and open to cosmic exploration.
Tracks like the title song “Take Me to the Mountains” are mellow and expansive, evoking the desire for escape and spiritual renewal, while songs such as “Homesick Armadillo Blues” and “Kaleidoscoptic” show the group’s range—from whimsical and funky to introspective and trippy. The album feels grounded and organic, never quite veering into the full-blown freak-outs of bands like the 13th Floor Elevators, but still managing to channel the lysergic spirit of the era.
The album steers away from overt political messages, opting instead for a dreamy blend of pastoral imagery, introspection, and laid-back groove, making it more reflective than revolutionary. It captures the mood of a generation seeking peace and authenticity outside the urban chaos—an ode to rural counterculture and communal life, with echoes of both hippie idealism and southern storytelling.
While it never broke through to mass commercial success, Take Me to the Mountains has grown in stature over the years, especially among collectors and fans of regional psychedelic rock. It also helped lay the groundwork for the Austin music scene that would later nurture artists like Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and the cosmic cowboy movement of the ’70s.
Take Me to the Mountains is an album that rewards slow, immersive listening—not a psychedelic firestorm, but a gentle climb into visionary Americana, guided by violin, organ, and a distinctly Texas vibe. It’s perfect for fans of The Band, early Grateful Dead, Country Joe & the Fish, or psychedelic folk-rock looking to dive deeper into the American underground of the late ’60s.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
My Baby
Take Me To The Mountains
Homesick Armadillo Blues
Ripple
Song For Peace
Ebeneezer
North Austin Strut
Come With Me
Good Time
Kaleidoscoptic
