9 6 7 . ▁ ▁The ▁LP ▁was ▁considered ▁by ▁For ced ▁Ex pos ure ▁magazine ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁" true ▁representation ▁of ▁the ▁San ▁Francisco ▁area ▁sound ▁in ▁the ▁psych ed el ic ▁era ," ▁with ▁" gre at ▁male / f em ale ▁vocal ▁harm on ies , ▁interesting ▁but ▁unusual ▁lyr ics ▁and ▁excellent ▁guitar ▁work ." ▁It ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁rock ▁albums ▁to ▁ ▁introduce ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁Middle - E astern ▁music , ▁establish ing ▁the ▁genre ▁of ▁ra ga - rock . ▁ ▁Rol ling ▁Stone ▁magazine ▁included ▁The ▁Ser pent ▁Power ▁in ▁its ▁list ▁of ▁the ▁ 5 0 ▁best ▁albums ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 7 . ▁ ▁Robert ▁Christ g au ▁suggested ▁the ▁group ▁was ▁" the ▁Bay ▁Area ' s ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁Vel vet ▁Under ground . ▁Their ▁music ▁was ▁described ▁as ▁" min imal ist ▁folk - rock ▁with ▁noise ," ▁while ▁" all ▁but ▁a ▁few " ▁songs ▁were ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁" g rac ed ▁by ▁excellent ▁t unes ." ▁ ▁Short ly ▁after ▁the ▁album ▁was ▁recorded ▁and ▁while ▁the ▁band ▁was ▁re he ars ing ▁in ▁the ▁studio ▁for ▁their ▁next ▁one , ▁Ell is , ▁St enson , ▁and ▁Pay ne ▁left ▁and ▁were ▁replaced ▁by ▁Bob ▁C uff ▁from ▁the ▁group ▁The ▁Myst ery ▁Tr end ▁on ▁lead ▁guitar ▁along ▁with ▁Jim ▁Mos cos o ▁on ▁bass . ▁But ▁their ▁first ▁album ▁failed ▁to ▁chart ▁or ▁generate ▁decent ▁sales ▁and ▁the ▁band ▁broke