The Piper at the Gates of Dawn by Pink Floyd - DeepRiffs

ALBUM

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. [Classic Rock Legends released a DVD edition of the album in 2006.] ~ Steve Huey

1. Astronomy Domine

Primary Artist: Pink Floyd; Main Performer
Drums: Nick Mason; Performer
Performer: Pink Floyd; Performer
Composer: Syd Barrett; Composer
Lyricist: Syd Barrett; Composer
Mastering Engineer: Joel Plante
James Guthrie; Production
Producer: Norman Smith; Production
Recording: Peter Brown; Production

2. Lucifer Sam

Performer: Pink Floyd; Performer
Primary Artist: Pink Floyd; Main Performer
Composer: Syd Barrett; Composer
Lyricist: Syd Barrett; Composer
Mastering Engineer: Joel Plante
James Guthrie; Production
Producer: Norman Smith; Production
Recording: Peter Brown; Production

3. Matilda Mother

Primary Artist: Pink Floyd; Main Performer
Drums: Nick Mason; Performer
Performer: Pink Floyd; Performer
Composer: Syd Barrett; Composer
Lyricist: Syd Barrett; Composer
Mastering Engineer: Joel Plante
James Guthrie; Production
Producer: Norman Smith; Production
Recording: Peter Brown; Production

4. Flaming

Performer: Pink Floyd; Performer
Primary Artist: Pink Floyd; Main Performer
Composer: Syd Barrett; Composer
Lyricist: Syd Barrett; Composer
Mastering Engineer: Joel Plante
James Guthrie; Production
Producer: Norman Smith; Production
Recording: Peter Brown; Production

5. Pow R. Toc H.

Primary Artist: Pink Floyd; Main Performer
Performer: Pink Floyd; Performer
Composer: Nick Mason
Richard Wright
Roger Waters
Syd Barrett; Composer
Mastering Engineer: Joel Plante
James Guthrie; Production
Producer: Norman Smith; Production
Recording: Peter Brown; Production

6. Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk

Performer: Pink Floyd; Performer
Primary Artist: Pink Floyd; Main Performer
Composer: Roger Waters; Composer
Lyricist: Roger Waters; Composer
Mastering Engineer: Joel Plante
James Guthrie; Production
Producer: Norman Smith; Production
Recording: Peter Brown; Production

7. Interstellar Overdrive

Bass: Roger Waters; Performer
Primary Artist: Pink Floyd; Main Performer
Drums: Nick Mason; Performer
Guitar: Syd Barrett; Performer
Performer: Pink Floyd; Performer
Composer: Roger Waters
Richard Wright
Nick Mason
Syd Barrett; Composer
Mastering Engineer: Joel Plante
James Guthrie; Production
Producer: Norman Smith; Production
Recording: Peter Brown; Production

8. The Gnome

Performer: Pink Floyd; Performer
Primary Artist: Pink Floyd; Main Performer
Composer: Syd Barrett; Composer
Lyricist: Syd Barrett; Composer
Mastering Engineer: Joel Plante
James Guthrie; Production
Producer: Norman Smith; Production
Recording: Peter Brown; Production

9. Chapter 24

Performer: Pink Floyd; Performer
Primary Artist: Pink Floyd; Main Performer
Composer: Syd Barrett; Composer
Lyricist: Syd Barrett; Composer
Mastering Engineer: Joel Plante
James Guthrie; Production
Producer: Norman Smith; Production
Recording: Peter Brown; Production

10. The Scarecrow

Performer: Pink Floyd; Performer
Primary Artist: Pink Floyd; Main Performer
Composer: Syd Barrett; Composer
Lyricist: Syd Barrett; Composer
Mastering Engineer: Joel Plante
James Guthrie; Production
Producer: Norman Smith; Production
Recording: Peter Brown; Production

11. Bike

Primary Artist: Pink Floyd; Main Performer
Bass: Roger Waters; Performer
Performer: Pink Floyd; Performer
Composer: Syd Barrett; Composer
Lyricist: Syd Barrett; Composer
Mastering Engineer: Joel Plante
James Guthrie; Production
Producer: Norman Smith; Production
Recording: Peter Brown; Production

Technical Specifications

Volume

1 volume only

Tracks

11 tracks available

Type

ALBUM

Format

Digital Media

Duration

41 minutes and 51 seconds

Explicit

None

Coverart

Available and up to 1500x1500 px

Booklet

Not available

Max Quality

CD Quality (Lossless)

16bit / 44.1 kHz

Stereo

Audio Extension

Lossless: FLAC, M4A, WAV, WV, AIFF

Lossy: AAC, MP3, M4A, MP4, OGA, OGG, OPUS, WMA

Archive Format

Available in these formats: ZIP, TAR, RAR

Lyrics

7/11 tracks have lyrics

Synchronized Lyrics

4/11 tracks have synced lyrics

Genres

Rock, Psychedelic, Prog-Rock, Art Rock, Arena Rock, British Invasion, Space Rock, Mod

Label

Pink Floyd Records

Music Distribution Service

Sony Music Hi-Res

Country

United Kingdom

Language

English (United States)

Popularity

Release Date

Aug 4, 1967

Track Preview

Available

Delivery Charge

Free

Delivery Method

Digital download link via Email or Personal Dashboard on this site

UPC

886445613193