The Complete Acid Test Reels (1966) audio

The Acid Tests were a series of parties held by author Ken Kesey primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area during the mid-1960s, centered entirely on the use of, and advocacy of, the psychedelic drug LSD. LSD was not made illegal in California until October 6, 1966.

Kesey began throwing parties at his farm in La Honda, California. The Merry Pranksters were central to organizing the Acid Tests, including Pranksters such as Lee Quarnstrom & Neal Cassady. Other people, such as LSD chemists Owsley Stanley & Tim Scully, were involved as well.

Kesey took the parties to public places, and advertised with posters that read, "Can you pass the acid test?", and the name was later popularized in Tom Wolfe's 1968 book, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. Musical performances by the Grateful Dead were commonplace, along with black lights, strobe lights, and fluorescent paint. The Acid Tests are notable for their influence on the LSD-based counterculture of the San Francisco area and subsequent transition from the beat generation to the hippie movement. The Jefferson Airplane song "A Song for All Seasons" mentions the Acid Tests.

Timeline

1965
27 November; Soquel, California -- The very first Acid Test was a party at Ken Babbs' house on 27th November 1965, although Ken Babbs recalls it as Halloween night. A flyer of the Warlocks, however, (one week before the band became known as the Grateful Dead) shows they played at Soquel as the Warlocks on November 27. There is no evidence this flyer is genuine, and several witnesses confirm that the Warlocks / Grateful Dead did not play at Soquel, but that they did mess around with Prankster instruments In his book, Phil Lesh confirms that he attended: 'We were at the first Test not to play, but just to feel it out, and we hadn't brought any instruments or gear' Most likely Phil Lesh, Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia, members of the future Grateful Dead did attend this party.
4 December; San Jose, California (first performance by the Grateful Dead)
11 December; Muir Beach, California
18 December, Palo Alto, California
24 December; Portland, Oregon

1966
8 January; San Francisco, California (Fillmore)
15 January; Portland, Oregon
21–23 January; San Francisco (Trips Festival at Longshoreman's Hall)
29 January; San Francisco, California (Sound City Studios)
5 February; Los Angeles, California - Sepulveda Unitarian Universalist Society
12 February; Los Angeles, California (Watts) – Youth Opportunities Center
25 February; Los Angeles, California (Hollywood) – Cinema Theatre
12 March; Los Angeles, California (Danish Center)
19 March; Los Angeles, California (Pico) Carthay Studios
25 March; Los Angeles, California (Sunset Strip) – Troupers Club
30 September – 2 October; San Francisco, California (San Francisco State) Whatever It Is Festival – three days
31 October; San Francisco, California (Acid Test Graduation at Winterland Ballroom)

1967
16 March; Houston, Texas (Brown College, Rice University) (despite the "graduation" concept of the final West Coast Acid Test, the actual final Acid Test of The Merry Pranksters was organized in Texas by Kesey's friend Larry McMurtry)

1968
24 October; Congress passes the Staggers–Dodd Bill, criminalizing the recreational use of LSD-25

Recording by Ken Kesey

Part I:
Stage Chaos - More Power Rap
King Bee
I'm a Hog for You Baby
Caution Do Not Step on Tracks
Death Don't Have No Mercy
Star Spangled Banner - closing remarks
Ken Kesey interviewed by Frank Fey
Ken Babbs and harmonica
Take Two - Ken Kesey
Bull
Peggy the Pistol
One-way Ticket
Bells and Fairies
Levitation
Trip X
The End

Part II:
Viola Lee Blues
You See a Broken Heart
In the Midnight Hour
The Head Has Become Fat Rap
A Mexican Story - 25 Bennies
A Tarnished Galahad
Get it Off the Ground Rap
It's Good to Be God Rap
Nirvana Army Rap
The Butcher is Back
Acid Test Graduation announcement
Send Me to the Moon - Closing Rap

Part III:
Ken Kesey's & Hugh Ramney's Dialogue
Telstar Sound Collage
NAGA Sound Collage
Muessin Sound Collage
Closing Jam
Electronics Sound Collage
Jam Session

Part IV:
Speed Limit
Meal Cassady Raps
Jerry Garcia commentary with Acid Test audio
Jerry Garcia interview about music, drugs, politics and social changes

Part V:
Who Cares Rap
Viola Lee Blues
One Kind Favor
I Know You Rider
You See a Broken Heart
It's a Sin
Beat it on Down the Line
Heads Up
Next Time You See Me
Unknown blues instrumental
Death Don't Have No Mercy
Midnight Hour

Part VI:
Jerry Garcia intro
A Mexican Story - 25 Bennies
Get it Off the Ground
It's Good to Be God Rap
Nirvana Army Rap
The Butcher is Back
Acid Test Graduation announcement
Send Me to the Moon
Jerry Garcia interview
Sound Collage
Ken Kesey interview
Sound Collage #2
Jerry Garcia interview
Sound Collage #1
Ken Kesey Interview
Sound Collage