The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

by Pink Floyd

Overview

The title of Pink Floyd's debut album is taken from a chapter in Syd Barrett's favorite children's book, The Wind in the Willows, and the lyrical imagery of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is indeed full of colorful, childlike, distinctly British whimsy, albeit filtered through the perceptive lens of LSD. Barrett's catchy, melodic acid pop songs are balanced with longer, more experimental pieces showcasing the group's instrumental freak-outs, often using themes of space travel as metaphors for hallucinogenic experiences -- "Astronomy Domine" is a poppier number in this vein, but tracks like "Interstellar Overdrive" are some of the earliest forays into what has been tagged space rock. But even though Barrett's lyrics and melodies are mostly playful and humorous, the band's music doesn't always bear out those sentiments -- in addition to Rick Wright's eerie organ work, dissonance, chromaticism, weird noises, and vocal sound effects are all employed at various instances, giving the impression of chaos and confusion lurking beneath the bright surface. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn successfully captures both sides of psychedelic experimentation -- the pleasures of expanding one's mind and perception, and an underlying threat of mental disorder and even lunacy; this duality makes Piper all the more compelling in light of Barrett's subsequent breakdown, and ranks it as one of the best psychedelic albums of all time. [Piper at the Gates of Dawn was re-released on CD in 2016.] ~ Steve Huey

Product Details

Release Date:	01/15/2016
Label:	Columbia
UPC:	0888751708426
Rank:	24243

Tracks

1. Astronomy Domine
2. Lucifer Sam
3. Matilda Mother
4. Flaming
5. Pow R. Toc H.
6. Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk
7. Interstellar Overdrive
8. The Gnome
9. Chapter 24
10. The Scarecrow
11. Bike

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Pink Floyd   Primary Artist
Syd Barrett   Slide Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Guitar (12 String),Vocals (Background),Tape,Guitar,Vocals,Lead Guitar,Lead Vocals
Roger Waters   Bass,Gong,Tape,Vocals,Double Bass,Lead Vocals,Guitar (Bass),Slide Whistle,Vocals (Background)
Richard Wright   Tape,Cello,Flute,Organ,Piano,Violin,Vocals,Celeste,Harmonium,Tack Piano,Vibraphone,Harpsichord,Lead Vocals,Farfisa Organ,Organ (Hammond),Piano (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Norman Smith   Drums,Conductor
Peter Jenner   Vocals
Nick Mason   Tape,Drums,Chimes,Vocals,Cymbals,Maracas,Timpani,Percussion,Tambourine,Spoken Word,Temple Blocks,Tubular Bells,Finger Cymbals

Technical Credits

Syd Barrett   Cover Design,Composer
Bob Ezrin   Composer
Joe Boyd   Producer
James Guthrie   Mastering
Roger Waters   Composer
Polly Samson   Composer
Richard Wright   Composer
John Woods   Engineer
Joel Plante   Mastering
Chris Walter   Band Photo
Norman Smith   Producer
Vic Singh   Original Cover Photography
Dezo Hoffman   Band Photo
Hilaire Belloc   Composer
Andrew Whittuck   Band Photo
Peter Brown   Engineer
Colin Prime   Band Photo
Robert Ezrin   Composer
Nick Mason   Composer
Anthony Moore   Composer
David Gilmour   Composer
Jon Carin   Composer
Peter Bown   Engineer,Recording