AMG Review of Psychedelic World of the 13th Floor Elevators

Bruce Eder
All Music Guide

There are so many compilations and reissues out on the 13th Floor Elevators that it's difficult to recommend one, but this small-scale, triple-CD box set does make the cut, if only for care and comprehensiveness. Essentially, this is everything they ever recorded for International Artists, the four official albums augmented by such choice bonus tracks as the Spades' version of "You're Gonna Miss Me" (plus its B-side, "We Sell Soul"), and the live 1966 San Francisco sides. Each is housed in a miniature reproduction of one of their original LP sleeves, and all of it is supported by a nicely annotated booklet. The sound on this box is exceptionally good, given 2002 standards.