Reviews (page 6 of 9)
I have come to a realisation that I am a David Gilmour era pink floyd fan. While there were some good songs to listen to, there is nothing really that excited me about this album at all. I cannot see myself selecting this to play when other pink floyd albums are available
This is the third Pink Floyd album I've gotten out of 85 generated albums: I got the last one three albums ago. I don't really think this needed to be on the list. It was OK, but a bit scattered. I think the other two Pink Floyd albums I've gotten ("The Dark Side of the Moon" and "The Wall") were better, but I'm not even a tenth through this list and feel a little Pink Floyd-ed out already.
I remember buying this back in my youth when I was heavy into Floyd. Wasn’t what I expected of course and I hated it. Giving it a full lusten with adult ears, not much had changed
Pink Floydin debyyttilevy. Huomaa kyllä Pink Floydin elementtejä mutta on kyllä vielä tosi erilaista verrattuna myöhäisempään tuotantoon. Ja myöhäisempi parempaa. Ollut varmaan aikaansa edellä kokeellisuudessa, mutta kappaleet ei niin hyviä. Parhaat: Matilda Mother
I love some of Pink Floyd’s work but this one did not do it for me at all. 2
3.8 2x catch up on 11/4/24 first time listening to the debut album
Syd Barret's Pink Floyd. Really good, but not quite the same as later Pink Floyd. Enjoyable nonetheless.
3.5
I guess this album was very influential. I didn't like it.
4.4
Weird psychadelic fantasy rock, this ticks all the boxes of things I dont like. Its interesting to see how much better they got after this. I bet this is some Pink Floyd hipsters favorite album.
Nerdy folk rock by a band that would make great albums… later
It's not terrible, just not very exciting or interesting to listen to. The progress they made from this first album, to their rest is huge.
# Playlist track - Astronomy Domine # Notes - It's kind of interesting to listen and to ponder what Pink Floyd could have been with Syd Barret. - Having said that, this isn't a great album. It's interesting, and noisy, but it is not quite there yet. - Worth a listen, but just move over to the other albums after.
4.5/10
I like psychedelia. I think weird and unorthodox music like psych/prog rock is vastly more interesting than anything that's been on the pop charts for ages. I like nontraditional song structures, with strange chord progressions and time signatures. I really enjoy the 1967-1979 era when rock musicians were really pushing the boundaries of music, creating cohesive mind-expanding albums instead of cheap radio pop singles. Even though this album shows its age, it is much more inventive than anything produced in this century. I find it fascinating that music like this ever sold, back in the day. It's the opposite of radio-friendly. I will say that this album is not a great intro to Pink Floyd. Their later albums are more well known and definitely the reason they are considered one of the timeless classics of rock. Favorite Songs: Astronomy Domine, Lucifer Sam, Interstellar Overdrive, Bike Also, the album cover looks like a bunch of rejected actors for 1960s Doctor Who (which is a positive!). 4⭐️
**The Piper at the Gates of Dawn** is Pink Floyd's debut album, released in August 1967. The only Pink Floyd album made under the leadership of Syd Barrett, who was the primary songwriter and creative force, it is considered a cornerstone of psychedelic rock. The album blends whimsical lyrics with experimental sounds, effectively capturing the spirit of the late 1960s' counterculture. ### Lyrics The album's lyrics, penned mostly by Syd Barrett, reflect his unique and whimsical storytelling style. Barrett's songwriting exhibits a blend of childlike wonder, fantasy, and surrealism. Many songs feature a dreamlike quality, touching upon abstract imagery and imaginative scenarios, rather than focusing on typical rock themes like romance or rebellion. For instance, "Astronomy Domine" paints an otherworldly picture of space exploration, filled with celestial references and cosmic phenomena, conveying the feeling of drifting through the universe. In contrast, "The Gnome" tells a simple yet fantastical story about a character named Grimble Gromble, using nursery rhyme-like language to create an otherworldly atmosphere. This playful approach is seen throughout the album in tracks such as "Matilda Mother," where Barrett delves into themes of childhood tales and bedtime stories. The lyrics also exhibit a darker, more chaotic side, such as in "Interstellar Overdrive," which, though largely instrumental, contains Barrett's surrealist approach to constructing a musical journey, resembling a sonic equivalent of stream-of-consciousness writing. Another example is "Bike," where seemingly absurd and nonsensical lines create a sense of dislocation, highlighting Barrett's eccentricity. The lyrics blend humor with a melancholic undertone, foreshadowing the troubled aspects of Barrett's mind, which later surfaced in his life. ### Music Musically, **The Piper at the Gates of Dawn** is a bold experiment in blending rock music with avant-garde elements. The album is characterized by its diverse range of influences and instrumentation. It includes conventional rock instruments, but also employs effects, keyboards, and tape manipulation to create a soundscape that was groundbreaking for its time. The opening track, "Astronomy Domine," is a quintessential example of 1960s space rock, combining driving guitar riffs with organ swells and echoing vocals to produce a sense of cosmic wonder. Richard Wright's Farfisa organ plays a pivotal role throughout the album, adding a distinctive texture to tracks like "Pow R. Toc H." and "Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk." This use of the organ, combined with Barrett's jangly, angular guitar work and the unorthodox rhythmic structures provided by Nick Mason and Roger Waters, gives the album a distinct sound that sets it apart from the more blues-based rock of the time. Tracks like "Lucifer Sam," with its surf-inspired guitar riff, show Pink Floyd's ability to infuse their experimental approach with more traditional rock elements. The song's moody and mysterious tone fits well with the lyrical content about Barrett's cat. Meanwhile, "Interstellar Overdrive" stands as one of the album's most ambitious pieces, featuring an extended instrumental jam. The track epitomizes Pink Floyd's improvisational style, incorporating dissonance and a freeform structure to evoke a journey through space and time. This experimental approach to composition, focusing on atmosphere and texture rather than traditional song structures, would become a defining characteristic of Pink Floyd's later work. Songs like "Scarecrow" and "Chapter 24" demonstrate the band's softer, more melodic side. These tracks feature simpler arrangements but are still infused with a sense of the mystical. The folk-like quality of these songs adds diversity to the album, showcasing Barrett's versatility as a songwriter. "Bike," the closing track, is a playful, chaotic mix that ends the album with a sound collage, featuring laughter and various sound effects, encapsulating the spirit of playful experimentation that permeates the record. ### Production The production of **The Piper at the Gates of Dawn** was handled by Norman Smith, who had previously worked with The Beatles. Recorded at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios), the album was produced during the same period The Beatles were working on *Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.* While Pink Floyd did not have access to the same level of resources as The Beatles, Smith and the band still managed to push the boundaries of studio techniques. The production incorporates a wide array of sound effects, tape manipulation, and early stereo panning techniques to create a psychedelic experience. For example, "Interstellar Overdrive" uses stereo panning to disorient the listener and enhance the sensation of a chaotic journey. Smith’s engineering techniques allow for the placement of sounds in a three-dimensional space, which was innovative at the time and helped to give the album its ethereal quality. However, the album does show signs of limited resources and a lower production budget compared to later Pink Floyd albums. Some tracks, like "Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk," feel less polished and have a rawer quality, which some listeners may find adds to the album’s charm, while others may see it as a detriment. Despite these limitations, the production successfully captures the band's live energy and translates their experimental approach to the studio environment. ### Themes The album's themes revolve around exploration, both outwardly in the form of space travel ("Astronomy Domine," "Interstellar Overdrive") and inwardly through the psyche ("Pow R. Toc H.," "Bike"). There is a recurring motif of childhood, fantasy, and innocence, particularly in songs like "The Gnome," "Scarecrow," and "Matilda Mother." These tracks evoke a sense of nostalgia, yet are tinged with an unsettling quality that suggests a loss of innocence or the intrusion of darker forces. The title of the album itself is derived from a chapter in Kenneth Grahame's *The Wind in the Willows*, a children's book that celebrates the mystical beauty of nature. This reference aligns with the album's fascination with whimsical and surreal imagery, as well as its underlying darkness. The juxtaposition of light and dark, playfulness and foreboding, innocence and insanity, runs throughout the album, reflecting Barrett's own struggles with mental health. ### Influence **The Piper at the Gates of Dawn** had a significant impact on the development of psychedelic rock and progressive music. Its experimental nature, unconventional song structures, and blending of genres paved the way for the emergence of progressive rock in the 1970s. The album’s influence is evident in the works of later artists and bands who sought to push the boundaries of rock music beyond simple song formats. Syd Barrett's role in shaping the album's character cannot be understated, and his influence resonates in the music of later psychedelic and alternative rock bands such as The Flaming Lips and Tame Impala. His use of whimsical storytelling and eccentric arrangements became a blueprint for countless musicians seeking to blend pop sensibilities with avant-garde elements. Additionally, the album set the stage for Pink Floyd’s evolution into one of the most influential bands in rock history. While later albums like *The Dark Side of the Moon* and *Wish You Were Here* would move towards more polished production and thematic cohesion, the experimental spirit present in **The Piper at the Gates of Dawn** remained a fundamental aspect of the band's identity. ### Pros 1. **Innovative Sound**: The album was a groundbreaking work in the realm of psychedelic rock. It introduced many unconventional elements that became influential in shaping the genre. 2. **Whimsical and Poetic Lyrics**: Syd Barrett's lyrics offer a unique blend of fantasy, humor, and darkness, which was unusual for rock music at the time and provided a refreshing contrast to the straightforward themes of most contemporary songs. 3. **Variety in Music Styles**: The album includes a wide range of musical styles, from hard-hitting space rock ("Astronomy Domine") to softer, more melodic pieces ("Scarecrow"). 4. **Bold Experimentation**: The use of sound effects, tape manipulation, and stereo panning techniques gives the album a distinct character and showcases the band's willingness to experiment with the boundaries of conventional rock music. 5. **Captures a Moment in Time**: The album serves as a historical artifact, perfectly encapsulating the spirit of the late 1960s and the burgeoning counterculture. ### Cons 1. **Lack of Cohesion**: The album sometimes feels disjointed, with its eclectic mix of styles and Barrett's unpredictability resulting in a lack of thematic or musical unity. 2. **Raw Production Quality**: Compared to the band's later albums, the production on **The Piper at the Gates of Dawn** is less polished, which may be seen as a drawback for listeners accustomed to high-fidelity sound. 3. **Not Accessible for Everyone**: The album's eccentric nature and the avant-garde approach might not appeal to those who prefer more structured and traditional rock music. 4. **Some Filler Tracks**: Songs like "Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk" are often viewed as weaker efforts that do not match the quality of the album’s strongest tracks, contributing to an uneven listening experience. 5. **Barrett's Limited Involvement in Future Works**: While not a flaw of the album itself, Syd Barrett’s later struggles meant that this record remains the only true representation of Pink Floyd's original vision under his leadership. ### Conclusion **The Piper at the Gates of Dawn** is an album that remains essential for understanding the evolution of Pink Floyd and the broader psychedelic rock movement. It stands as a testament to Syd Barrett's creative genius and his ability to channel his imagination into music that resonates with a sense of wonder and madness. Despite its inconsistencies, the album's innovative spirit, whimsical lyrics, and bold production techniques make it a landmark of 1960s rock. The record's legacy endures not only because of what it achieved at the time of its release but also due to the groundwork it laid for the band's future endeavors. Its blend of fantasy, experimental soundscapes , and exploration of the inner and outer worlds continues to influence musicians across genres. While not without flaws, **The Piper at the Gates of Dawn** is a vivid snapshot of a band on the verge of greatness and a cultural period marked by a desire for exploration and transcendence.
Плохо помню, честно говоря. Но процент говорит сам за себя 18%
reak psyldelic
They actually get better
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is the debut album by Pink Floyd, originally released in 1967. This isn't your average stoner rock Pink Floyd. This is hard hitting, experimental, acid-drenched Pink Floyd. Those who are familiar with their 70s output may be surprised at the sound of this, because it is just so different. In truth, Pink Floyd was a completely different band at this time. Syd Barrett was the bandleader and had this very interesting brand of psychedelia that included whimsical themes and heavy studio experimentation. This isn't your average 1967 summer-of-love hippie rock. This is a lot darker in my opinion. The experimentation is pretty ahead of its time, even delving into noise rock in some spots. It may not be as extravagant as something like "Dark Side of the Moon" would be, and it's definitely very weird, but it's so damn cool.
“The Piper at the Gates of Dawn” is one of those timeless albums that never ceases to amaze. No matter how often I listen, it blows my mind with its ahead of its time experimentation and studio techniques. The band overdubbed multiple layers of vocals, instruments, and sound effects to give the album rich texture. They used tape manipulation and backward recordings to create unique sounds and textures, along with echo and reverb effects. The music ranges from childlike, playful melodies to raw, gritty distorted guitar riffs that capture the essence of proto-punk. So many groundbreaking albums emerged from the 60s psychedelic movement, but “Piper at the Gates of Dawn” stands out as one of the best, forever topping my list of psychedelic classics.
Certainly not the album that defined their sound, nor one which would be critically acclaimed should they not attain their later success. A stepping stone along the pathway, but I need to hear some of those Gilmore shreds.
Given the hype around this band I was looking forward to giving this album a go but unfortunately it was largely unlistenable tripe!
Not their best but certainly good
A fun thought exercise is to imagine a universe in which Syd Barrett took just a little bit less LSD, didn't fully lose his mind, and stayed with Pink Floyd throughout the band's career. Would we still have Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, The Wall, etc.? Certainly not like they exist in this universe, but would there be a version of these masterpieces with Syd involved? Would David Gilmour have even joined the band? Who knows, but I'm glad we have this record so that we don't have to imagine a Syd-led Pink Floyd. There isn't a lot here to compare to the aforementioned records, and other than the trippy space-rock of Interstellar Overdrive and Astronomy Domine there's little resemblance at all to 70's Floyd. The star here is Barrett, a weird charismatic dude that enjoyed drugs a little too much. His story is a sad one, but The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn was largely his masterpiece. While Pink Floyd would have much better individual songs and better overall albums in the next decade, this is their first masterpiece I think and an excellent album to listen to today. It reminds me most of the Zombie's Odessey and Oracle, which came out a year later and is another masterpiece of the late 60's psychedelic era. I'd rank it somewhere around the 5th or 6th best Pink Floyd album, but it's as important to their legacy as any outside of Dark Side of the Moon.
Epic album. No matter what your opinion of the music, it demands your attention throughout.
I could go on about this - and the obvious but tragically lost genius of Syd Barrett - but that story has already been done to death many times. This isn't a Pink Floyd Album. It is a great album.
if you're gonna be a drug band you should at least be unhinged. that's the problem with later Pink Floyd. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
I won’t be banging down the door to listen to this again, but Syd Barrett brings an element of fun to Pink Floyd that makes them palatable in a way that later Floyd is not.
It was just okay. I didn't hate it but I'm in now rush to listen again.
Oh fuck off Pink Floyd. Most overrated band of all time. Gave it a track and a half and then listened to something good. Trash!
The Dawn of Psych Rock and a peek inside Syds musical mind.
Formative Pink Floyd is interesting, but hard to say anything past that. Ultimately, if you separate out who put this album out from the music itself, it's just not that good. It's interesting because it's Pink Floyd and a chunk of their history, but the music isn't anything anybody NEEDS to hear in their lifetime. This band has much better albums. This one is a lot of psychedelic wankery (and not even their best of that type) and some silly songs closing it out. If it wasn't Pink Floyd, it would be a long forgotten album.
Not everyone’s debut album has to be great and this one to me just didn’t hit. They for sure figured it out and became amazing but this just wasn’t it for me.
I was looking forward to this when I saw it was Pink Floyd. Some tracks are so strange, but all of them are boring. It's as if they found whatever objects they could in the studio and started banging them together and whatever noise came out ended up on the record. Is it genius and I just don't get it? Am I taking it too seriously? Or is it just really crap? I actually gave it a second listen and I do genuinely think it's just a bad album. I can certainly hear a lot of early Beatles and Bowie in this, it's just a shame that those two artists do it so much better. Take 'The Gnome' for example. Bowie's 'The Laughing Gnome' is a fun, whimsical tune and he gets away with it because that was his whole shtick back then, it wasn't too serious. However I do think that Pink Floyd wanted this to be taken very seriously, like they thought they'd written a masterpiece and we should all sit up and listen. The lyrics are laughable. Take 'Bike': 'I've got a bike, you can ride it if you like / It's got a basket, a bell that rings and things to make it look good / I'd give it to you if I could but I borrowed it' Then it's all about red and black cloaks, a mouse named Gerald in a house and gingerbread men clans. And then the second half is quite literally 'just noise'. Creepy alarm clock is the only way I can describe it. Genius or crap? Whatever the answer is, I don't get it. Take some hallucinogenic drugs and you'll probably have a better time than I did listening to this. Let's just hope that when they pop up on this list, their other albums are better than this.
I was never a huge Floyd fan, yes there is some talent here, but this is not an album that I would purposely listen to.
Not really my thing
The Syd Barrett age of Pink Floyd was an interesting one. Heavily psychedelic-forward rock. It's definitely not my favorite or even top 3 albums from the Floyd Boys, but it's got its place on this list for a reason.
Not a touch on the stuff they made just a few years later.
Trippy
I can never decide on my feelings about this album. So much of it just feels like alright psychedlic pop, but then stuff like Interstellar Overdrive comes on and you realise they had some insane stuff hidden inside them. Just wish they let it show on here more, most of it is a little bland honestly.
Terrible
I have no patience for these boys with this album. The breaking point was that Gnome song. I like the rest of the Pink Floyd I've heard but i just found this very trite and a waste of time.
I did not enjoy this collection of randomly panned noises and nonsense songs
It's a Syd Barrett album and one can only imagine what PF would have been if he didn't sadly derail (but then we wouldn't have gotten Gilmour). It's psychedelic infused on another level and its disjointed throughout relative to their other work but some of the experimentation is way ahead of it's time and would inform their later works. You don't get Animals without Piper at the Gates of Dawn!! Favorite lyric by Syd: Change brings success, action brings good fortune
Really sounds "old" but also has some songs I'm familiar with. I like the songs Matilda Mother and Interstellar Overdrive
Was happy when I saw it was a Pink Floyd album, but confess it left me disappointed. Their debut album, hailed by many, leaves me wanting the “real” Floyd that would come about under Waters. This album really needs the LSD to be appreciated and sober a lot of it is kinda - well I’ll go with weird.
I eat wrong kind of mushrooms, can't understand this.
So many better Pink Floyd albums. They hadn’t figured themselves out yet.
Despite the general wavy nature that is quite irresistible, I found the bulk of this album, with its pacing and structural fade ins and fade outs, to be like an under carbonated fizzy drink. The bubbles are there, but are there enough of them?
Incredible album. The craziest ever?
Wildly experimental album that feels somewhat disjointed at times ("Interstellar Overdrive" being on the same album as "Bike" is just crazy to me) but overall it was a really pleasant listen. As a drummer myself, J found Nick Mason's stylistic choices super interesting
It sounds a bit Beatles-ey at times, but it's still Pink Floyd weird in certain places. It's interesting as a beginning point for a band that would ultimately create some truly great albums, but they are clearly not there yet.
Primeiro álbum do pink floyd. Bem parecido com o The who
Very different in many ways from the Pink Floyd that I know, which is Dark Side through the Wall. Hints of the creativity they possess is apparent, as is the willingness to be creative with instrument and sound choices. A good starting place if you want to delve into some early Pink Floyd.
REAL EYES REALIZE REAL LIES
It is clear that pink floyd was still finding their sound with this album with more pop influence than in the future along with the classic abstract sounds they are known for. The songs are somewhat chaotic and clunky but is still enjoyable to listen to 3/5
it is ok
Not as good as their later work
following dsotm, i had very high expectations for this album, failing to realise that it came much before. i can appreciate that this was floyd’s first record, and probably a record where they weren’t trying to be too out there with the sound so as to gain a following, but i found it quite bland after dsotm. there were some high points, and i enjoyed the final 3 or 4 tracks more than the start, but for me, this isn’t prime pink floyd. im looking forward to getting more floyd albums to come…
I'm glad they got better at making music later on. RIP Syd Barrett but maybe recording your psychedelic freakouts wasn't the best idea.
This album is mysterious and impenetrable—a style I might call madcap psychedelia. It has Syd Barrett written all over it. It’s not a particularly likable album, and it’s certainly not radio friendly. Much of it isn’t so much about music as it is about sound—it uses the L-R stereo to great effect, as strange cacophonies zoom between the speakers. Some of it feels like noise (much of “Interstellar Overdrive”), and some feels like it has this charming, oddball fantasy bend (“The Gnome” and “Bike”). The ending was strange, with squeaking sounds like a broken bicycle horn or a wheezing rubber duck. It sort of made me want to listen to the whole thing again.
i have what feels like my whole life tried to get into pink floyd. this didn’t do it could i write poetry to this? n
Some moments of real brilliance here wrapped in a bunch of acid-soaked weirdness. Not a fair marker of what Pink Floyd would become.
One drugs, please.
A fun album but nothing major. I’ve given it a handful of listens throughout the years but I can never fully get onboard with the vision, which seems to me split between the psychedelic, childlike, and astronomical, elements that don’t combine in reverberating ways.
Too psychedelic for my tastes
My relationship with Pink Floyd's *oeuvre* is the one many people from different generations experienced. Discovered them through their classic seventies prog albums in my early teens (Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here, The Wall...), rejected them later as a young adult when I got into punk-rock, before reconciling with them between being 30 and 40 years old... And somewhere during this timeline, I also explored their psychedelic beginnings during the sixties, of course. Syd Barrett was a mad genius, and this debut is the magnum opus of this early phase of the British band's career. Even if the group had split after Barrett went full coo-coo, and its remaining members had not kept on under the Pink Floyd moniker (adding Dave Gilmour to their ranks), you can bet your boots *The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn* would still be a cult classic today--ignored for a time, and then avidly praised later on. With the exception of one-off single "See Emily Play" (an *extraordinary* song), *The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn* gathers all the key compositions Syd wrote for the band, tittering between epic psych-rock regalia (opener "Astronomy Dominé"), a brooding song supported by ominous guitar tones--suddenly lighting up for the chorus--in which Syd hallucinates his cute cat is actually Satan in disguise ("Lucifer Sam"), and a bunch of seemingly whimsical yet also disturbingly LSD-soaked tunes that would fit a psychedelic reading of Lewis Carroll's stories ("Flaming", "The Gnome", "Chapter 24", "Bike"). "Mathilda Mother" is also an unsung off-kilter gem of a ballad--which, oddly enough, kinda foretells the moments in "The Wall* where the topic of childhood trauma would be explored, twelve years down the line, by a band still reeling from the incomprehension Syd's early tenure as their unlikely "leader" had left them with... Finally, *The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn* harbors one of the craziest instrumentals ever performed in the psychedelic umbrella genre, the epic and partly dissonant "Interstellar Overdrive", whose sonic scope must have appeared as unbelievably daunting in 1967. The only real dud here is the Roger Waters-penned "Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk", where Waters tries to ape Barrett's style without ever reaching a tiny fraction of the man's surreal poetry. Roger would do a far better work of it with "Let There Be Light" and "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun" in the follow-up (and admittedly more uneven) LP *A Saucerful Of Secrets*, where Barrett's eerie and mysterious presence ended up fading into full oblivion. Richard Wright would be pretty good at it as well, through "Remember A Day" and "See-Saw". But I guess all of this is a story for another time, kiddies.... Number of albums left to review: 85 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 393 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 229 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 294
God I hate the British (and will be using this exact review several more times)
Not their best but not bad either
Dark side of the moon it aint
3.0 More "out there" than I was expecting. Besides a couple songs I don't think it will find a regular rotation in my library but overall interesting
One of the most important albums I know. I first heard it with my friend, G Mouse carpooling to high school in 1993. It takes an extreme departure initially with Lucifer Sam which is an outrageously good song capturing the zeitgeist of 1967 and then walking you right into the other end of the looking glass. By the time we get to Flaming, we realize we may be peaking with the completely irrational pacing and of course the fuckin bonkers lyrics. OMG who am I? Pow R. Toc H. leaves us still deep deep in the thick of it but chooses to mindfuck us somewhat more gently until dissolving completely into mad chaos at the end. Once Interstellar Overdrive hits, we realize that when we thought we were peaking a couple tracks in, that was just a ledge on the cliff we are climbing into complete and total mind melt. The Gnome brings us back a bit-- in a way to normalize this bizarre world we now inhabit with a sweet little song about a fuckin gnome. And finally, all gas and not a brake in sight, we close on Bike. This is quite possibly the best song that ever came out of the Pink Floyd catalogue and I don't think it's even close to being as lauded as it should be. Listen closely to the lyrics which are a celebration that not only have we recklessly abandoned all sense of normalcy and fully embraced a massive hallucinatory universe, we've also decided a.) we're staying here and b.) we love it here and c.) dude, those ducks. They're ducks right?
This wasn't what I was expecting. It was much further off the beaten path and more 'experimental' than I would've thought and also maybe a little more subdued. That said, I can't think of anything that would prevent me from finding joy in bicycling except the song 'Bike." That was truly horrible. But Interstellar Overdrive was great. All in all, I think I'd listen to this again but I'd probably be really high. Depending on the number of bong rips, I may / may not skip through a few tracks.
You can just feel this album devolve along with Syd Barrett. His fall is a tragic and sad story, triggered by drug abuse like too many other young artists, but different from those as the abuse doesn’t end in an early death but rather a long, drawn-out period of depression and reclusivity. I like post-Barrett Pink Floyd much better - I don’t care for his vocals or the excessive psychedelic abstractions - but “Piper” and other early Floyd aren’t for me. Halfway through “Interstellar Overdrive” I just couldn’t take it anymore.
Maybe important in terms of showing where Pink Floyd came from and their development. But not great music and not a great album.
As I said when we got the Syd Barrett solo album, Pink Floyd was better off without Syd.
It’s nice to listen to this album…so I can baseline how far Pink Floyd advanced from here to their classic 70s albums. Psychedelic _________ is not a great genre description. It’s just too out there and lacking structure. Interstellar Overdrive was hard to take.
Wacky. Zany, even.
I love Pink Floyd, but I much prefer the later work after Syd left. This was exciting, interesting, experimental and challenging, but I think some of it was just a bit to over-indulgent knob twiddling
Fun, spacey, and at some points kind of accidentally hilarious thanks to Syd's warped lyrics. 4/5
I think if you take into account this came out in 1967 and not 1973, it’s an impressive psychedelic album ahead of its time, but compared to DSOTM it feels very dated very soon. But I think there is an argument for this being included on the list.
Really liked this album , solely because it's the one that actually feels most like it puts the 'psychedelic' in 'psychedelic rock'. Later pink floyd albums make for a more cohesive and atmospheric listen, but this one isn't hidings its influences at all.
Was about to give this a four star then there was an awful song about a bike
3-
Torn on this. To have made this is in 1967 is unreal. Released only a month or so after Sgt Peppers. On the other hand it's really not very good in places. Prog rock really finding it's feet and stumbling many times along the way. Flaming, for example, sounds like someone taking the piss out of early prog. That entire track 3-5 section is very poor. But then there are some good moments, like the opening track and the majority of Interstellar Overdrive. Difficult to score. 1* if it was released today, 4* as it kicked off a genre, extra points for it being Pink Floyd. 2.5*, but rounding up.
This one was random, started off pretty good then turned Into what felt like early Beatles songs
Fun silly trippy mystical stuff.
This sounds like an 8 year old on acid with a recorder. Masterpiece.
I would also lose my mind if I made this album.
This album changed my life and is everything to me. Fantasy themed catchy psychedelic rock with so much creativity found within the arrangements and the weird chromatic vocals by Syd Barrett. It's just astonishing that someone came up with this in the 60s. This album is everything I love in music and litterature, really.
Diciamo che sono migliorati col tempo
Nja, det här var ingen kioskvältare direkt. Hade väldigt höga förväntningar eftersom Dark Side Of The Moon var något av det bästa jag hört. Men den här skivan var knarkig på det där inte så bra sättet och märklig på ett konstigt sätt. Men inget man vill lyssna på. Säger bara The Gnome, underhållande men inte bra. En 2a för att de ändå försökte.
lol Tur att Syd försvann. Men ärligt, att anno 2024 digga detta är trots. Ok, smaken är som baken, men jag har väldigt svårt att se hur man på allvar kan tycka att detta är bra musik. Jag förstår att man där och då kunde digga, det skilde sig från annan musik och man kunde vara hög på lsd. Men nu, idag, så är den chansen förbi. Skivan påminner lite om en konstnär som tröttnat på att måla realistiska motiv och börjar med kubism eller surrealism istället. Kul för dem. Men inte för mig. Jag tror faktiskt inte ens musiken blir bra på lsd. De sporadiska partier av "bra" musik räddar inte helheten.
Kanske lite banbrytande när det kom, men det här är ofrånkomligen flera pinnhål under det Pink Floyd man älskar.
... astronomy domine- 6 lucifer sam- 4 matilda mother- 3 flaming- 3 pow r toc h- 5 take up thy stethoscope and walk- 4 or 5 interstellar overdrive- 4 the gnome- 7 for gnomes. not many people sing bout gnomes anymore. STOP WHISPERING YOURE SCARING MEEE chapter 24- 3 the scarecrow- 6 bike- 6 what
Shine on you crazy diamonds.
I used to think I liked this album and hated the rest of Floyd’s catalogue. However this list has already forced me to realise that ‘Wish you were here’ is, well, OK. Re-listening to this has forced me to admit it’s a bit of a mess of an album. Yes there’s some great bits in patches e.g. interstellar’s intro riff and the organ parts are generally excellent. But there’s far too much filler experimentation, and Syd Barrett’s lyrics are rather childlike in all honesty. You can imagine this being a pretty awesome live show, particularly if you were mashed, and it has a certain charm about its dreamlike quality (albeit not a favourite dream). But it’s not really something to sit down and listen to for any great enjoyment, so it’s more something of a curiosity to wheel out occasionally for amusement.
Origineel, echt psychedelisch, en vooruitstrevend. Wel af en toe wat lastig luisterbaar.
OG Pink Floyd with Syd Barrett. Good album solid all the way through. Stand out tracks: - Lucifer Sam - Pow R. TocH. - Interstellar Overdrive - The Gnome
152/1001 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑
This album is just Syd and the gang throwing some weird shit at the wall and not even caring if it sticks. And I can't help but respect it for that, even if a lot of it definitely does not stick. Pink Floyd go on to make some of the greatest albums of all time after this, and they leave this wacky stuff behind them, but it's still interesting to look back and think about what a Syd Barrett led group would have looked like long-term. Fav songs: - Astronomy Domine - Lucifer Sam - Pow R. Toc. H - Interstellar Overdrive - Bike
Okay SO… whilst I am a fan of classic rock, I’ve never really been exposed to Pink Floyd much. That being said, this album grew on me quite a bit. I slowly embraced the quirks of their style and… I mean…. ‘I know a mouse, he hasn’t got a house, I don’t know why I call him Gerald’ is peak lyricism lmao. Cracks me up every time.
Nice start to their careers
incontestável a importância de pink floyd para a música mundial, em especial o rock, tendo influência em muita coisa que gosto, como o rock que ouço hoje em dia, a exemplo do TOOL. Porém, esse álbum é uma miscelânea de experimentação que, obviamente quebrou barreiras à época mas soa incômodo hoje em dia e exige paciência e compreensão do contexto. Parece, sinceramente, uma boa trilha sonora para alice no país das maravilhas. Repito, entendo a importância, mas prefiro, sonoramente, a era de David Gilmour, sem a presença do "Crazy Diamond" na banda.
Never been a big fan of the late 60s psychedelic LSD-laced Pink Floyd. This was fine, but nothing here elevated past a 3/5 in its rating.
It's fine.
Favourite song - Lucifer sam
4.0
It was ok. I guess I'm not a Pink Floyd fan anymore...
Syd Barrett craziness you can hear the start of what they'd become but its also pretty weird
wanted to like this and it's not even like bad in any way it just took me several sessions and retries to get through because it is SO dull. sorry pink floyd.
A great album from Pink Floyd and not one I've heard before. I liked so many songs on it but top four would be Astronomy Domine, Flaming, Interstellar Overdrive and The Gnome.
5/5. I tried going into this one with a critical mind because I had listened to it more than 30 times probably. I know psychedelic music can age poorly. Despite some production issues it is so unique in its worldbuilding, it truly feels like I am inside someone else's dream, or nightmare depending on the song. The music itself holds up as well: weird, scary, silly, heavy and light. And despite the inaccessibility, it is surprisingly catchy. Definitely a must listen before I die. Best Song: Astronomy Domine, Bike, Interstellar Overdrive, Lucifer Sam
Kaleidoscopic, man!!!!!!!!
It's funny to listen to this and anticipate the many other albums this band has on the list. It's still weird, intricate, and full of fantasy, but it is heavily rooted in the blues and folk of England at the time as Pop and Rock were just getting off the ground with the Beatles and Stones.
nonostante mi sembri di commettere un crimine contro l'umanità, questo album è davvero troppo psichedelico. troppo. sempre bravi eh, ma ho fatto veramente troppa fatica a finirlo.
Belli sti Beatles travestiti da Pink Floyd
Diciamo che sono migliorati col tempo
Nice that my first Floyd album is the first Floyd album. And really good it is too. Hadn’t listened to this for many years but there are great moments I remember, like Bike and Astronomy Domine and great moments I was more than happy to be reacquainted with, like Lucifer Sam and Interstellar Overdrive. A sign of things to come, albeit via some lineup changes, and a great listen in itself as well.
Very good 60s psychedelic rock album, but not a great Floyd album. I've never been a fan of Barrett era PF mainly because I grow up with the seminal Gilmour era 70s and onward LPs. Overall I enjoyed it, but would have liked to have had Animals on the list instead. 3.5/5
Interesting from a historical perspective with glimpses of the brilliance that would follow...but not a great album. Doubtful they would have evolved in the same way if Syd Barrett hadn't departed due to his mental health issues...
Listened to before, but not for a long time. One of the more memorable albums from Spın̈al Tap's psychedelic period. Syd Barret's sad story makes for great mythic status, but it's clear on this album (for which he wrote most of the songs) that his loss has been overstated. Pink Floyd simply wasn't very good until David Gilmour joined the band. "That cat's something I can't explain"
Interesting, but kind of uneven and sounding pretty dated. I like Astronomy Domine and Interstellar Overdrive which still get played fairly regularly. Mathilda Mother was a good one I've ever heard before.
Liked Song Astronomy Domine
Pretty good. Some excellent riffs.
pretty good but producer gotta chill with the pan dial holy shit
Very beatles influenced, but still very left field and what I expect from them. Syd Barret def creative as hell but I prefer Roger. 3.25 Not a bad listen
Of its time
I did not care for this.
Liked, didn’t love
Now this is a fascinating album right here. Pink Floyd is a very iconic band that I've had good experiences with in regards to their prior albums that I have gotten. However, when I say "prior albums" I mean that in terms of albums I listened to before this one. However, in a chronological sense, there are no albums prior to The Piper at the Gates of Dawn because this was their first album they released. Because of that and various other traits, this album feels drastically different from albums like Wish You Were Here and The Dark Side of the Moon. The vibe is just completely different. It's more whimsical and the sound leans a lot closer to psychedelic rock rather than the progressive rock the band would become known for. On top of that, this is their only album to heavily involve Syd Barrett, as his mental health heavily deteriorated after this album's release, leading to him leaving the band. Enough with the facts, it's time for my opinion on the album. I like it. It's a very good psych rock album. The sound is nice, and so is the singing. While the album doesn't feel much like Pink Floyd, there is one song that kind of has those foundations. The instrumental song "Interstellar Overdrive" has the same ambitions that later songs like "Echoes" and "Comfortably Numb" would have. I also like the album's opener "Astronomy Domine." Overall, this is a fascinating album that managed to not only revolutionize psychedelic rock, but also kickstart the career of an amazing band. Light 4/5.
ho hum
Normally, the level of whimsy would make me want to kick a hobgoblin on a unicorn in its face, but there's something so charming and well put together about Barrett era Floyd I can't resist, even when it throws you the Gnome, Scarecrow and Bike within four tracks... Plus actually good 10 minute wigouts like Interstellar Overdrive. Ace stuff.
Already listened to it, amazing 4 Some filler but still amazingg
Psychedelic pink perfection.
Kinda overrated.
I like Pink Floyd, but this was a bit weird, even for them.
I prefer the later works of Pink Floyd, but this album is still a standout for me, one of the first albums I ever owned, and released in my birth year. For a period I didn't love this album, finding it too bizarre and put off by the childlike lyrics/ vocals/ strange noises. However, over the years I found that some of the tracks that I thought I hadn't liked had actually taken up residence in my head and had more depth than I had first appreciated. There's actually a lot going on here, not just a jam by some garage band, but some interesting arrangements and a level of musicality missing from similar late 60s psychedelia. Some parts are maybe a little over-indulgent, like the heavy-handed stereo effects, but it's still a lovely piece of music and well deserving of 5 stars. Incidentally, Arthur Brown does a brilliant cover of Lucifer Sam.
Rock psicodélico. Ni fu ni fa.
Bueno, no está mal. Le voy a dar un 4 porque son Pink Floyd, aunque no he prestado mucha atención.
60's psychedelic rock that reminds me more of the Yardbirds than Pink Floyd. Not a bad album, but after two listens, I probably won't return to it. 3/5
Way short of their better later works, sounds like a band finding their feet but still trying to fit in with what is popular at the time. Syd may have been a genius, but there's not much evidence of it here!
more beatles and king crimson than the pink floyd you think of but cool to hear their start
I like this more than the Roger Waters era for what it's worth but I don't really care for Pink Flyod in all honesty. Interstellar Overdrive is so overblown and tiresome. I'm down for a long track but I want it to actually develop some ideas. This one had so many short repeated ideas that did not serve an 11 minute length. Gnome and Take Up Thy Stethoscope... were super fun on either side of it at least.
I’ve heard plenty of references to Syd Barrett and ‘Piper at the Gates of Dawn’-era Floyd in my time, but I don’t think I expected it to sound like this. It’s full of Kinksian/Small Faces-esque British whimsy (I assume this is mostly Syd’s input) but at the same time it’s very much at the space-rock end of the 60s psychedelia spectrum (presumably at the behest of the rest of the band). Both facets have their moments, though both can get tiresome after a while. While I’ve heard the individual elements done better elsewhere, this particular blend might well be unique, and surprisingly cohesive. They threw a lot of experimental sounds into the mix yet retained some sense of accessibility, so for that maybe this album is worth hearing before you die, at least once.
Pretty good background study music. Lively energy. I do wish there were more 'traditional' lyrical songs, but the instrumentals are great.
Only liked a couple songs, but the Spotify radio that came on after the album finished was excellent.
......they got better.
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn is a phenomenal debut album from by far my favorite band. Syd Barret's writing, although cartoonish at times, is really beautiful on songs like Interstellar Overdrive.
oh another pink floyd,, im not high enough for this band or this album i think idk. the SOUNDS are very interesting though to say the least. very unique as always
It was good but not my favorite pink floyd album
Okay fint. Det er et godt album😤
This is pretty bad
One of my favourite albums, maybe my favourite album. A lot of nostalgia and history here for me, but I think I would always have liked its whimsy and fantasy, evocative lyrics and meandering, trippy sound. Deeply English and rooted in the culture of the time, but also I've not heard anything else quite like it, apart from some Saucerful of Secrets, but already that was leaning away from their origins.
The cover makes me more uncomfortable than some of the psych jams. It was likely more monumental a release at the time, but I don't get the feeling like it has grown in stature over the course of the years. Although the myth of Syd Barrett has. As I listened, some of it was cool but I did look at the track listing / run time on occasion just waiting for things to end.
This version of the Pink Floyd are not my favorite version but a good version none the less
3.5/5. I wanna call early Pink Floyd mid but I can’t help but feel pity and sympathy toward Syd Barrett.
Not an album for me. Wanky middle class pop music. The lyrics are odd, there is no real stroy telling at all. I do think I am biased and hate most things that Floyd have done. Favourite song: None Least favourite: Flaming Album artwork: Not a fan
An ok album
I remember liking this album when I first heard it, but now i think I skipped through the few tracks I liked - namely the first two tracks plus Interstellar Overdrive. It's still the only Pink Floyd album I would even attempt to listen to, and it is an interesting snapshot of the time, with a few rocking riffs. But anyone who claims Syd was a genius has clearly never listened to Bike. Very silly.
A little left of the dial even by my flaky standards. It strays into BONKERS mystic and mushrooms territory.
Floyd gets way better after Syd Barrett!
10 10
Some excellent stuff but also has the worst kind of silly prog rock which I hate
An endless dirge, I'm glad they involved into something much better than this.
Let's be real: there's very little of the band that would become Pink Floyd present on Piper - only Nick Mason punishing his drum kit and the occasional harmonies from Rick Wright. Roger Waters hadn't even written his first song about his daddy dying (but would do so the following year with the GOAT kazoo track 'Corporal Clegg'). But Piper remains a monolith in British psychedelic with one of the most outrageous uses of stereo mixing, panning, echo and reverb. At times it truly makes you question if something is wrong with your sound system - case in point: the ending of 'Interstellar Overdrive'. The album is packed with memorable moments from my all-time favorite psychedelic track 'Matilda Mother' to Syd Barrett's ASMR pronunciation and rolling of his "R's" on 'The Gnome'. Along with Sgt. Pepper, recorded at the same time in the same studio, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn stands as the greatest album of 1967. Coincidentally, the two albums end on almost exactly the same note - a cacophonic tape loop of noise reminding everyone not to take things too seriously.
If you invited people by your house to listen to Pink Floyd and then only listened to this, you could ruin a lot of friendships. Piper is lacking a lot of what would later make Pink Floyd a household name; it’s just as exciting as most of their post Dark Side-releases. It’s a psychedelic trip through the weird wonders of early Floyd. It’s unclear if they knew what they were doing at all times, but it almost always works - even though the mixing will make you fear for the condition of your stereo.
Beetje wacky
Surprising sound… not the pink Floyd i know and love. 4/5
"Mom, can we have the Beatles?" "We have The Beatles at home" - *drops acid
For a 1967 album that saw an integral member lose his mind, never to recover, this sonic tapestry is appropriately psychedelic. They have some great sound collages, experimental effect treatments, and left field approaches to songwriting throughout. Ultimately, this "super-British-quirk" approach to psychedelia isn't my favorite form of the genre but there are some great and memorable moments.
This record’s sonic components, apart from the era-typical spooky-ghost singing, tickle my happy place, but the songs themselves usually annoy me. Lucifer Sam starts with mighty, deep twangy guitar before deciding it wants to be a song about heck knows what, just I don’t like it. Interstellar Overdrive is an exception, because it starts with a decent riff before the band just opens throttle, and there’a no drivel, no la la la. Barrett could smash that guitar good! Don’t like his songs though! The flippant review is: go to Skip Spence’s “Oar”.
Another very busy day. Love much of this esp. Lucifer Sam and Bike (from a melodic point of view) and Astronomy/Overdrive (from a tripped out one). The best psychedelic Floyd I reckon
Sorry, I know I'm supposed to worship the tortured genius of Syd, but Floyd's debut does nothing for me. I have little patience for the precious British whimsy of it all, especially combined with severely undercooked psychedelia that's not nearly on the same level of other artists coming out around this time. I will continue to give out other high scores for Floyd, but this won't be one of them. 2/5
Not a huge Pink Floyd fan and this was a bit too out there for me.
Not much to like here. I do like some Pink Floyd but this one is pretty lame.
seen crazy shit girl crazy shit
Standard psychedelic 60s stuff
I can't listen to this anymore but i used to love it. For that reason....5*s. Also, Bike.
They were definitely on some of that good stuff.
Very experimental, but a lot of the tracks sounded good/interesting enough to keep me entertained. It's a wholly unique experience. Like watching a indie movie or something. I understand why druggies would like this.
Bara konstig och megaflummig, men lite rolig gör att den ändå får tre
I like Pink Floyd! It is one of my favorite groups. As for this album, Syd Barrett is seemed out of this world but gifted and genius. Album is a masterpiece! I am very glad to listen it again. Thanks.
I'd never previously heard anything off this album, though I've listened to plenty of Pink Floyd. This doesn't sound anything Iike Dark Side of the Moon, or The Wall. This is 60s psychedelic rock, reminiscent of Jefferson Airplane, and other acts. It wasn't bad, just not what I expected from their debut album.
Boring. Like, let's be the Beatles with no fun.
Mostly too psychedelic and jammy for me. Was very happy to see a reason to listen to Pink Floyd's first album with it's inclusion on this list, but it wasn't terribly great. Half of this record is long noisy jammy bits, mixed with a little silly british man telling stories about gnomes and the like.
This is a great rag-bag of folk, psychedelia and pop. Very different from the Waters Floyd, with Sid's whimsey well to the form - gnomes and bicycles etc.
This is my first time listening to Pink Floyd's debut album after hearing Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall (one of my all time favorite albums across all genres) countless times. Due to that bias I was expecting something more cohesive. But it's clear that they started out even more disjointed, dystopian, psychedelic. I had trouble getting into it at first. Maybe because I was looking into it too hard. When I first heard Interstellar Overdrive that's where I really got hooked. It's so spacey and it kind of just helped me zone out and enjoy the album. I listened to it one more time through and enjoyed it a lot more on the second listen. I feel like I can't give this album a true rating without listening to it while tripping but that's not going to happen any time soon. So for now, a 4 it is.
2.5
Trippy, so raw compared to later Pink Floyd. I dig it
El álbum de debut Pink Floyd es la culminación de la psicodelia británica. Canciones pegadizas y melódicas inspiradas en el acid pop fruto de la mente creativa de un Syd Barrett todavía centrado en la música y largas composiciones experimentales que evidencian la maestría interpretativa del grupo. El uso de la metáfora del viaje espacial como una experiencia alucinógena es evidente en temas como "Astronomy Domine" o "Interstellar Overdrive", primeras incursiones en lo que más tarde se denominará "space rock". En todo el disco contrastan las letras y melodías humorísticas y juguetonas de Barrett con las inquietantes disonancias y efectos sonoros que trasladan una sensación casi constante de caos. Para mi gusto uno de los mejores exponentes en este sentido, y gran tema, es "Pow R. Toc. H". En The Piper at the Gates of Dawn se vive la ampliación de los límites de la percepción frente a la amenaza del desorden mental y la locura como una premonición de la crisis posterior de Barrett. Se trata de uno de los mejores discos psicodélicos de todos los tiempos.
Can tell the time the album was released. If you are expecting the popular sound of Pink Floyd you will be disappointed but here the foundation of the Wall and Money in places.
I loved this album back when it was newer, but don't like it nearly as much as I do the later albums, like Meddle and Dark Side of the Moon.
Loved this when I was younger but its nonsense now
not my favorite Pink Floyd album, but I can see how they evolved into what they did
Another psychedelic groovy album. Would’ve loved to be an age in the sixties to appreciate it in real time. Would’ve been an amazing trip if Syd kept it together
Quintessential psychedelic album. This is the one that teleported people through all the sounddd mannnnn
Later albums are so much better and iconic than this one. More psychedelic and less prog rock compared to the later releases.
Glorious and groovy. 5 stars.
I’m a sucker for people who write songs about their bicycles.
Not as familiar. Very psychedelic
Generell ist Pink Floyed überbewertet. EIgentlich kann man nur die Experimentierfreudigkeit loben. Rest is nix besonderes.
Well, it's certainly a unique one. Not sure how much I actually liked it though. I didn't hate it... This seems like the right rating, I dunno.
This is a big old mess. Tolerable as it is a precursor to the masterpiece dark side of the moon. Chemically induced weirdness coupled with an impending psychotic break. Tough to get into while driving to work but everything has its place.
Perfect
I'm surprised I liked this so much. I don't care for later Pink Floyd albums, and this is so much less polished, but as a result far more interesting.
Ah, the Barrett years. I appreciate the debut album in its psychedelia, but it doesn't hit me the way the other classic Floyd albums do.
Not a big fan of early Floyd but it’s still unique and experimental so points for that. Rating: 3.1
It’s like Love’s Forever Changes but they were in a silly mood. Like if gremlins made it. And if gremlins were the only thing keeping Jesus and a Moai statue from feuding.
Good
1.5 - Yeah, not really sure how to even attempt to enjoy this. Do I need to be really really high? Very Cambridge
Pink Floyd on LSD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_az91rgENc Fave Tracks: Pow R. Toc H., Take Up The Stethoscope and Walk, The Scarecrow 2.8/5
I like the cover art. Interstellar overdrive stressed me out.
This is one of the worst albums I have ever heard
Cool but not that cool
Trippy and experimental is what I would say about this album and I mean that in a good way. I'm a huge pink Floyd fan but this is not one of their albums I visit much. It's a little to our there for me but when I do listen to it, I always wonder how this band would've evolved had Syd been a part of it.
A project which might have better captured the early Floyd freewheeling spirit if not for two aspects: one, EMI producers not understanding the band's style, and two, Barrett's rapidly declining mental health. There are moments of brilliance here and there, but overall too much of the project is wasted on waffling away at discordant tones or unappealing gimmick tracks which overutilize studio trickery - also worth mentioning is the downright heinous stereo effects popping in and out on occasion. The band is solid, but hearing songs which sounds like the whisperings one would hear deep in the midst of a heavy acid trip is not entirely appealing. Not necessary for enjoying later Floyd works.
This album was okay. It's nice to listen to their earlier music, but it went on for a bit too long at times. Some of it was pretty fun and inventive. In particular, Bike stood out to me.
1.5
I’ll always love this demented clown show of a record.
First ever listen to Pink Floyd, I think I’d need to listen a few more times to fill appreciate.
I know some of the later Pink Floyd albums, which are mostly really good, but I'm glad to see they started pretty strong as well. Really nice psych rock, altho it feels a bit less inventive then some of their later albums.
man this is not it. sorry 2/5
A decent debut from Pink Floyd, especially for the time — and an important mark in the history of Psychedelic Rock for sure — but it’s just not as interesting, engaging or unique as any of their catalogue that would come later. It’s hard not to be biased, and I’m glad I got this as my first Pink Floyd album of this project, but I just had hopes for more. It IS interesting to see the work of Syd Barrett and his influence on Pink Floyd, but what a sad life he led.
I should be giving this a 2 stars just on the principle of this list containing over three Pink Floyd albums. Putting that aside. Today we get to learn about artistic foreshadowing! Syd Barrett sings about whimsical gnomes and leads the band into wild vocal/instrumental passages, surely foreshadowing is imminent mental spiral! Fun!
Personal favorite. Dynamic impact on music and my psyche.
I can’t listen to this and not think of poor Syd and what could have been. He never would have achieved the soaring chops of Gilmour so Pink Floyd would have been quite a different beast. But where would that experimental mind have gone? It doesn’t hold up as well as many touchstone recordings of that era, but it definitely shows the promise of what could have been.
Holy crap what a waste of time.
Such a mystical meandering of mysterious music from the late 60s, from a band that would morph into something (equally splendid, btw) that would sound nothing like this. This is a conjuration of psychedelic musical spirits caught in the organ and the dreamy guitar. The drumming and the laughter--at times quite tribal in feel. Like a religious ceremony. And then they turn around and sing silly songs about gnomes, gingerbread men, and aging mice named Gerald. Splendid!
Favourite tracks: astronomy domine
I don't get it.
I know there is a lot of Pink Floyd I haven't listened to and The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is one I know I need to listen to. What a cool name for an album. So not my favorite Pink Floyd album but it was cool to hear for the first time. Next time I'd like to be on LSD and really get into the Syd Barrett mindset. Also cool to learn this was produced at Abbey Road at the same time The Beatles were recording Sgt. Pepper. I heard a lot of similarity to the Beatles here so who (or what) influenced who? Maybe Syd and John were taking LSD together. Who knows. Cool album but I probably won't listen again sober.
This was a little to preogressive for my taste.
750 songs into this project and I have never regretted it less than I do right now. The generator has been on an absolute tear for me lately. This isn't my favorite Pink Floyd, it isn't anyone's favorite Pink Floyd, but it is still an album I should listen to before I die and I'm happy I did.
its ight?
Too bad Syd went down the rabbit hole…wonder what they could have done if he hadn’t lost himself
Too whimsical for me
Psych rock ain’t really my thing
Sweet Jesus this is a load of noodly bollocks
I used to love Pink Floyd a lot, I have to at least contribute this album partially to that. An excellent psychedelic experience to say the least. Syd Barret’s influence and simplistic writing style is very apparent here. It’s both interesting and intriguing. The psychedelic songs are playful, sometimes ominous, and intriguing. There’s not a song here I’d consider bad, all these songs are a good time. Excellent debut album!
Not a big Syd Barrett guy…. Sorry…
listened to again such a magical experience with so much stereo experimentation
This album is an icon of psych rock and one of my favorites. It gets weird and I love it.
Reminded me of Cream, Beatles, hints of future Pink Floyd. A delirious mixture of enjoyable, strange, and all in the middle. Some songs got a little excited about newish stereo mixing experimentations and “Interstellar Overdrive” almost had me taking out my headphones. Good experimental stuff though! 3.5 star
This album is interesting to me primarily because you can hear the beginning of the sound of Pink Floyd massive later on in their career, but they had a long way to go at this point. Not enjoyable, but not particularly enthralling or exciting. …
Okay - so I have done a deep dive of the Syd era Floyd, and I have listened multiple - AND I MEAN multiple times, and as much as I appreciate what Syd did to bring Richard, Nick, & Roger together, I'm about to type some things that might be sacrilege... There is no doubt that Syd was absolutely brilliant - no doubt whatsoever... However, significant LSD use, combined with schizophrenia is just a bad - bad equation for anyone... Happy that the band took care of him in his later years, and Floyd is pretty fortunate that David Gilmour just happened to be there as a good friend to "fill in" - simply an amazing story... "Piper's" is nothing but psychedelic experimentation - which was pretty good for 1967 - but there is absolutely nothing here more than that... I would have loved to plug in, back in 1967, and play some shit and say - "...Wow - check that out...", but that's not me... I appreciate that that Gilmour and the band played "Astronomy Domine" on the live "Pulse " album - and Gilmour played it on a couple of his live solo albums (i.e. with Richard & Nick by the way...), but the best track on this album is "Interstellar Overdrive" - HANDS DOWN!!! All that said - this album is LIGHT YEARS BEHIND the Pink Floyd that would we all know and love - though there is no doubt that Syd's influence on the band will never be forgotten - as he inspired their best work in "The Dark Side Of The Moon" & "Wish You Were Here"... Channeling my friends - channeling... Though I for some strange reason, I DO have MAD love for "Bike" which closes the album - so there's that... : )
Ngl there’s like two decent songs, rest is ass
Too experimental for me - 4/10
Not bad for on the road. However my mom kept thinking things were wrong w the car bc of the noises in the music.
2 weird and out there 4 me 4/10
3/10 - Pow. R. Toc. H. was weird. Interstellar Overdrive was long and bad. The beginning of bike sounded normal and the lyrics were strange "I know mouse and he hasn't got a house I don't know why I call him Gerald." And then the song ends with geese calling.
I didn’t really like most of it, it was a bit to chaotic at points, I liked the ones with lyrics a bit better 5.5/10
I typically like experimental stuff. This album does the experiment part well, but unfortunately just doesn’t sound good. 4/10
As I said previously, I'm not a fan of psychedelic music, or a fan of any music created by Syd Barrett. And although few songs on this album can be linked with their later style, overall it was filled with Syd's quirkiness and unique sound. It's not terrible, but certainly not enjoyable to listen to. Just another brick in the wall.
Screwy to say the least, its not something I will go back to, I do like some of Syd's solo work so I thought I may appreaciate this more than I did. Spawned alot of indulgent music but tha doesn't make it bad either.
Because it's a Pink Floyd.
Insufferable
nöö
Other bands have done this better.
Very good
The pinnacle of sixties British psychedelic rock. Sure the beatles had peaked (and remained peaked) but no one had done what Syd and the boys did here. USA had hendrix and the doors, while the stones remained a British r&B band and the kinks were at thier height, but Floyd started at a different level and were a new pace for rock experimentation.
The Piper At The Gates of Dawn must have been shocking in 1967. The recording of a man losing his mind. A mix of instructional freak outs and childish pop songs. Surprisingly it’s the pop songs that let the album down for me. I think Barrett at his best during the LSD freak out instrumentals. Sam’s Lucifer and Bike are the best of the more conventional songs. 5.9/10
Ah...the one that started it all driven by the leadership of Syd Barrett. There are some gems here. I've always favored Bike.
#135 The description says this was only Pink Floyd album led by Syd Barrett, and I think that's probably for the best, because this is nowhere as good as their later stuff. 3/5: alright Song added to playlist: Bike I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
This might be OK if I took a double dose of gummies...
Soooo yea... wtf was that? That was definitely acid fueled 60s songs.
Pink Floyd is always fun to listen to.
Still not a big Pink Floyd person
It really doesnt matter if this was their debut album or not, because this album typifies exactly why I never have, and never will like Pink Floyd. The randomness of instruments which sound as if they're playing different songs all at the same time... is just bonkers and I struggled to listen to this. Take Thy Stethoscope and stick it where the sun don't shine. Not for me... ever!!!!
Totally tracks that this came out the same year as Sgt Pepper’s. I think this is what Todd Rundgren was shooting for, but he missed the mark. This album requires one’s attention. I don’t like that about it. Overall, it’s too trippy for me to fully enjoy, but there are some interesting things going on throughout. 3.2
No thank you - has a little bit of edge beyond the experimental psychedelic madness, but mostly experimental psychedelic madness. Not much to grab onto unless you're in the throes of an acid-induced fever dream. 2.5
Pink Floyd makes sense now.
So mid it hurts
Acid
A pivotal release for the psychedelic movement and the debut of one of the best selling bands of all time. It's also interesting to hear Syd Barrett leading the band here. It's particularly bold for a debut album in the 60s and doubtless it turned more than a few heads. It holds up fine, both as an experimental record, but with enough pop elements to keep it listenable. It's obviously not as iconic as their later work, but it definitely deserves its place in music history.
Pleasant surprise. I don't like their newer music very much. Too perfect. Perfection is boring. This has the youthful energy their newer stuff lacks. It sounds more human. The lyrics are... let's say they're better at writing music. Favorite song: Lucifer Sam
When I first got into Pink Floyd, I think (?) I listened to this or at least I listened to the popular songs. I really love Lucifer Sam, and Astronomy Domine is pretty good… in fact, the first few songs are quite nice, but I’m indifferent to the rest of the album. The best for the band was definitely to come. LOVE the album artwork though. One of my favorite of their many iconic covers.
Was not high enough to enjoy. Too much craziness going on for my typical "background of work" style of listening.
I like the gnome a lot it is a fun song, I don't remember much of the rest of the album tbh, I don't think it counts as a 5 star album even though technically I will listen to the gnome again. Maybe my standards are getting too high
I stopped listening a couple songs in nothing really gripped me.
When this popped up my first thought was why this album, rather than Dark Side of the Moon or the Wall. Then I listened to it. A psychedelic trip far removed from what the band would become. I can understand why it's here now. The question now is, is it good? From a historical perspective it's a ground breaking record that pushed boundaries. From a modern perspective it lacks focus and the lyrics are infantile. This is one of those albums I will need to listen to a few times and sleep on before I can decide on a star rating.
2 - I knew this was gonna sound different than their famous stuff, as I've heard some of this before, but damn, this was out there. It had good moments here and there, but the majority of it felt aimless and started to grate on me. Bike was funny though.
Most song are too psychedelic and experimental for me
4/5. theres some mid in here, other than that is okay ig idk
Psicodelic, strange... Good album
Can’t say it’s my favorite genre; Psychedelic and experimental rock generally sounds off putting, jarring, and immature. I think there is something here though. It would take the right mood and more listens to enjoy this album.
Hard to think past a strict historical time frame when listening, but obviously a major stake in the ground. The traditionally structured singles don't really grab. "Interstellar Overdrive" has the desired effect, one supposes, but one never craves to hear it. Not exactly "In A Gadda Da Vida" in that sense, now is it? Yes, it's more artful than say Moby Grape, and cooler, but also more considered and even contrived. One finds it easy to envision the lads thinking, "How clever and out there and psychedelic are we!" Perhaps the more important question is whether it's any more historically significant than say, A Final Cut (a moment of time in the '80s that has held up better? This child of the '80s says indubitably no, even accounting for one's personal weak spot for AFC? Is Meddle a better record straight up? One thinks, yes. Is Animals? Again, indubitably. This is a curiosity only worth caring about because of what was to come.
Quite interesting songwriting. I personally really dislike the time where stereo became a thing and all the studios thought it was a great idea to pan the drums hard left or hard right... hahahah Good listen though :)
THIS is Spinal Tap. Psychedelic aspects aside... Did nobody in the band figure that something about Syd was way the f*** off when all this was going down? I'm sorry about what happened with Syd: nobody deserves that. But from a musical perspective: thank heaven he went off on his own trip. Songs like "Astronomy Domine" and "Matilda Mother", which start off strong, end up taking weird left turns that diminish the strong elements. Just say, "no", kiddies.
Too much prog rock
Favourite Song: The Gnome Blended into the background a lot which didn't quite grab me much. However, the more instrumental songs were interesting.
Favorite Tracks: Matilda Mother Astronomy Domine Chapter 24
LP
Cool album, didn't know about this one from Pink Floyd. Psychedelic and experimental. Not really at the same level as their Dark Side Of The Moon and The Wall, but still very nice. Can't go wrong with trippy spacey vibes with me. Will listen more 8/10
Good and good I finally listend
So, as a die-hard fan of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" and "The Wall," my journey through "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" was like stepping into a time machine - one that was a bit tough to navigate. This album is a testament to Pink Floyd's roots, showcasing the embryonic stages of their evolution. It’s dominated by Syd Barrett's unique style, a stark contrast to the band's later works. His influence is a constant presence, offering a glimpse into what Pink Floyd was before they became the band that many of us know and love. It’s a piece of history that shows where they started and hints at where they were going. However, the vibe of the album is undeniably dated, and at times, it ventures into territory that feels, well, corny. The psychedelic sounds and whimsical lyrics about buttercups and unicorns are far cries from the introspective and philosophical themes of their later albums. It's like listening to the teenage diary of a band that would grow up to write epic novels. I would recommend "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" to Pink Floyd fans as a once-off listen. It’s important to experience where the band came from, to appreciate the full spectrum of their artistic journey. But once you've taken this trip back to the 60s, you might not feel the need to take it again.
Love it
Not in the right mood for this one. Too stressful. Not chill