Pink Floyd
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Release Date: 1967 | Tracklist

“The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn” is the debut studio album of Pink Floyd that was released in 1967. The line up on the album is Syd Barrett, Richard Wright, Roger Waters and Nick Mason. It had also the participation of Peter Jenner.


Pink Floyd is a British progressive rock band that was formed in London between 1963 and 1965 and that had several names and several band’s members during that period of time. In 1965 it was officially founded with their usual name and the original members consisted of the architecture students Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Richard Wright and the art student Syd Barrett. Barrett was the original creative force behind the band, which he named after the bluesmen Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. He would lead the band only for three years. However, Barrett’s era was fundamental for what they became in the future. Pink Floyd is one of the pioneers, most important and influential prog bands ever.

At the time, Pink Floyd was Barrett’s baby, more of a hippie era psych band than the space band that they would later become after Barrett’s departure and with Waters and Gilmour’s struggle for the power within the band. “The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn” is Barrett’s rendition of acid laced music, no doubt influenced by the London underground scene at the time. Filled with trippy sound effects, glissando guitar, Wright’s organ and electric piano, Mason’s steadfast, almost jazzy drums, and the fuzzy bass of Waters, this is an album with a bizarre head trip that still holds up well today.

“The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn” was named after the seventh chapter of the children’s book “The Wind In The Willows” by Kenneth Grahame. It was the only album made under the leadership of Barrett. For many Pink Floyd’s fans, the album has a cult status. This is partly due to the music that can be heard on “The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn”. Because this is truly different than everything that has been pressed on records up to this point and different from what Pink Floyd would made later. Another point that justifies this cult status is probably the Barrett's contribution to this album. Barrett is solely responsible for eight compositions on “The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn”. Barrett left the band after the album was finished, due to his drug problems and the resulting unreliability. He wasn’t picked up for joint performances. Gilmour, already during the recording of the album, acted as a replacement for Barrett at the band’s concerts.

“The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn” has eleven tracks. I’m talking about the original UK version. The original US version has only eight different tracks and with a different order. “Astronomy Domine” is a great opener. It’s a psychedelic song of the late of the 60’s with a powerful rhythm and a great guitar work. “Lucifer Sam” has a powerful rhythm due to the great bass work of Waters. “Matilda Mother” is a typical song of the late of the 60’s. It’s a good psychedelic song that reminds me some other great bands in those days, like The Rolling Stones and The Pretty Things. “Flaming” is another psychedelic song that begins with a strange sound. It has some dissonant parts but is a very enjoyable song to listen to. “Pow R. Toc H.” has a strange beginning. It’s a bit insane song with some dissonant moments but has a charming piano work. It reminds me The Doors, especially the piano sound of Ray Manzarek. “Take Up The Stethoscope And Walk” is a typical song of the 60’s. It has improvisation moments with a good keyboard work. It’s one of the weakest songs on the album. “Interstellar Overdrive” is the great magnum opus of the album. It’s full of improvisations and dissonant parts, confusing and chaotic. It’s different, innovative and interesting with some progressivity. It’s maybe the first approach to the space rock. “The Gnome” is a very weird song with silly lyrics reminding us the children’s world. It’s an enjoyable and funny song. “Chapter 24” is another psychedelic with a strong presence of the organ. It’s a weird and a dark song, simple, nice and melodious. “The Scarecrow” has an interesting and strange sound. It’s another psychedelic song with a kind of a medieval sound with nice keyboard work and an interesting percussion. “Bike” is a childish and mad song with good lyrics but completely insane. This is a very strange way to finish this strange, naïve and very special album.


Conclusion: “The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn” is a special and unique album in Pink Floyd’s discography. It’s the only album under the leadership of Barrett and practically, the only album with his presence. It appears on “A Saucerful Of Secrets”, but his participation was seminal in only one song. “The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn” is, in a certain way, a Barrett’s album because he wrote almost all its songs. It’s a mythic album for who love this Pink Floyd’s era and Barrett’s music. “The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn” explores the psychedelic in its more intimate and complex senses with touches of blues. It isn’t a true prog album, but it’s a landmark of the psychedelic music, and it must be seen as a central piece of the end of the 60’s. This is also a very important document that clearly shows the beginning of the mental instability of Barrett, with his deep disturbs, which would become unfortunately, in a short term, in a breakdown.


Music was my first love.
John Miles (Rebel)

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