THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN

Pink Floyd

Psychedelic/Space Rock

3.87 | 2281 ratings

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One Live Badger

Having read most of the existing reviews for this I can only conclude that you had to have been there!

Reviewers speak about this as not being representative of the "Real Floyd", but at the time of its release this was the only Floyd we had!

The tracks on this is debut, along with the Floyd singles of the same era (Arnold Layne, See Emily Play & Apples and Oranges) represent transition from the Psychadelic into the Progressive and as such are more akin to bands like Idle race than they are to bands like Yes or even the Floyd to come. As such there is much more whimsey than would ever appear on later albums (Even "Saucer"), but that to is right for the time. Music was about to lose that pretty, hippy, rose-tinted view but then so was society and Floyd were right out there in the forefront.

Yes Syds influence is written all over this release but you can sense a harder edge creeping in and Roger is begining to stretch his muscles.

As you can probably tell I have a soft spot for this era Floyd and will defend it vigorously. To younger listeners I would say don't listen to this in the context of "Dark Side" but in the context of both its time and its place in the growth of one of the worlds great bands.

It may be dated but at nearly 40 years old I think it holds up well; and as a debut album, made at a time when it was only just becoming possible to get a record label to allow you to experiment (without worrying where the next single was going to come from!!) it takes some beating.

So remove your preconceptions and open your ears to some great music, bearing in mind that some of thes songs (Astonome Domine, Lucifer Sam, Pw R Toc H and Interseller Overdrive in particular) would find their way into the live act over the years to come.

One Live Badger | 4/5 | 2005-9-9

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