Listening was an American

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in the late 1960s. Listening became the leading Boston stage act in 1968 and was an example of what is now called the

Bosstown Sound The Bosstown Sound (or Boston Sound) was the catchphrase of a marketing campaign to promote psychedelic rock and psychedelic pop bands in Boston, Massachusetts, in the late 1960s. The concept was conceived by the record producer Alan Lorber as a m ...

. The band released one self-titled album on the

Vanguard The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives fr ...

label and one non-LP promo single. The group is famous for its ambiguous song lyrics, sometimes related to

marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...

and psychedelic acid trips. The group's sound reflected a confluence of

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...

and psychedelic influences, with added elements of

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...

. Nevertheless, some of songs, such as "9/8 Song" and "Cuando" were gentler. The band's approach had a great impact in the period and helped define the Bosstown Sound. Michael Tschudin, a leading figure, was an accomplished and inventive piano player and organist. Bassist Walter Powers had previously played with the Lost and ended up in Boston punk groups until the 1970s.

Discography

* ''Listening'' (1968) (promo LP) * "Hello You" b/w "Life Stories" (promo single)

References

Musical groups from Boston Psychedelic rock music groups from Massachusetts {{US-rock-band-stub