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TheCellarTapes · 05-20-2009, 06:33 AM

Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
(1967)

Tracks

1 Astronomy Domine 4:12
2 Lucifer Sam 3:07
3 Matilda Mother 3:08
4 Flaming 2:46
5 Pow R. Toc H. 4:26
6 Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk 3:05
7 Interstellar Overdrive 9:41
8 The Gnome 2:13
9 Chapter 24 3:42
10 The Scarecrow 2:11
11 Bike 3:21

Pink Floyd were formed in London in 1965, the darlings of the UFO Club, they were at the forefront of the emerging Psychedelic movement coming out of England during the post Beat period. A group of talented musicians, they were led by a charismatic guitarist from Cambridge called Syd Barrett.

On the back of the success of the single, Arnold Layne, in 1967 the band cut their first LP, and as it turns out the only Pink Floyd album to fully include Syd Barrett in its conception and creation. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was released on EMI during that magical Summer of 1967 and is now heralded in the same bracket as Sgt Pepper as a game changer, an album that changed the nature of music forever, this despite the album appearing on paper to be not very accessible at all.

That said this album is obviously something special, mixing whimsical and fairytale like lyrics with the avant-garde and space rock, creating a sound quite clearly new and dynamic. The album begins with Astronomy Domine, surely one of the most fascinating songs to come out of 1967, it literally has everything you can ask for if you’re a connoisseur of space rock or Psychedelia in general.

Following this staggering opener, the album moves to Lucifer Sam, a surprising song for Pink Floyd. The descending riff is actually more akin to Swinging London than it is to Underground London, but Syd Barrett’s eerie voice takes the song back into the vibe of the album as a whole.

Track three on this album actually is my favourite song from the LP; Matilda Mother is a song performed by keyboardist Richard Wright. It is naturally a beautiful song, spooky and fairytale like and arranged flawlessly to create a masterpiece if ever there was one. Roger Waters has a chance to shine on this album too, taking the album from fairytale and the space age to the realms of West Coast, with Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk.

But this album at the end of the day is tilted in favour of the talents of Syd Barrett, songs like the marvelous The Gnome and the closer, the bizarre Bike, a song so silly and off the wall that there was really only one person on the planet in 67 who could have written it, sheer Barrett, sheer brilliance.

A remarkable album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is considered by many to be the holy grail of British Psychedelia, a staggering creation from a band on top form. In later years the band would lose their leader but still re-emerge as the figureheads of the Progressive Rock era. Barrett would go on to attempt to launch a solo career but sadly his demons would catch up with him in the end. But the fact remains, in 1967 Barrett and Pink Floyd created something quite wonderful, a must for us all.

05-20-2009, 06:33 AM	#98 (permalink)
TheCellarTapes Music Addict Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 490	Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn *(1967)* Tracks 1 Astronomy Domine 4:12 2 Lucifer Sam 3:07 3 Matilda Mother 3:08 4 Flaming 2:46 5 Pow R. Toc H. 4:26 6 Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk 3:05 7 Interstellar Overdrive 9:41 8 The Gnome 2:13 9 Chapter 24 3:42 10 The Scarecrow 2:11 11 Bike 3:21 Pink Floyd were formed in London in 1965, the darlings of the UFO Club, they were at the forefront of the emerging Psychedelic movement coming out of England during the post Beat period. A group of talented musicians, they were led by a charismatic guitarist from Cambridge called Syd Barrett. On the back of the success of the single, Arnold Layne, in 1967 the band cut their first LP, and as it turns out the only Pink Floyd album to fully include Syd Barrett in its conception and creation. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was released on EMI during that magical Summer of 1967 and is now heralded in the same bracket as Sgt Pepper as a game changer, an album that changed the nature of music forever, this despite the album appearing on paper to be not very accessible at all. That said this album is obviously something special, mixing whimsical and fairytale like lyrics with the avant-garde and space rock, creating a sound quite clearly new and dynamic. The album begins with Astronomy Domine, surely one of the most fascinating songs to come out of 1967, it literally has everything you can ask for if you’re a connoisseur of space rock or Psychedelia in general. Following this staggering opener, the album moves to Lucifer Sam, a surprising song for Pink Floyd. The descending riff is actually more akin to Swinging London than it is to Underground London, but Syd Barrett’s eerie voice takes the song back into the vibe of the album as a whole. Track three on this album actually is my favourite song from the LP; Matilda Mother is a song performed by keyboardist Richard Wright. It is naturally a beautiful song, spooky and fairytale like and arranged flawlessly to create a masterpiece if ever there was one. Roger Waters has a chance to shine on this album too, taking the album from fairytale and the space age to the realms of West Coast, with Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk. But this album at the end of the day is tilted in favour of the talents of Syd Barrett, songs like the marvelous The Gnome and the closer, the bizarre Bike, a song so silly and off the wall that there was really only one person on the planet in 67 who could have written it, sheer Barrett, sheer brilliance. A remarkable album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is considered by many to be the holy grail of British Psychedelia, a staggering creation from a band on top form. In later years the band would lose their leader but still re-emerge as the figureheads of the Progressive Rock era. Barrett would go on to attempt to launch a solo career but sadly his demons would catch up with him in the end. But the fact remains, in 1967 Barrett and Pink Floyd created something quite wonderful, a must for us all. Last edited by TheCellarTapes; 05-20-2009 at 06:52 AM.