THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN

The debut album of one of the most influentially stirring Progressive bands of all time, The Piper At The Gates of dawn is a whimsical work of genius. The only truly notable compilation by founding-Floyd songwriter Syd Barrett before he left the band (due to drug issues), this album is a testament to his inate, albeit turbulent sense of originality and unabbeded creativity.

This is the album that started space rock in earnest. The opening track, 'Astronomy Domine' is a perfect example of the tripped out musical inspiration that makes this album such a work of art.

Throughout listening to this, I became certain that Syd Barrett (famous for his heavy usage of LSD) was under the influence of psychedelics for most, if not ALL of the songwriting sessions. There is a feeling of near insanity throughout the album, held however in tightly composed 'accessible' length songs. The true influence and unique style of Syd Barrett comes through full-circle in the lyrics however. While the lyrics are childish (some could say downright inane), thats the pure magic and beauty of it. While the words and content are (for the most part) basic and random, theres a sudden realization that comes after a few spins of the disc that somehow, everything that Barrett says in this makes sense, given a bit of creative leighway.

There is only one other album of this time that made such advancements in Psychedelic (or should I say, LSD influenced) music, being the Beatles' Revolver. However, taking into consideration is Pink Floyd's debut, and given how uncompromisingly original it is, it deserves nothing less than four stars, if not five. Any fan of Psychedelic music will appreciate this greatly; hopefully as much as I did! On the other hand, some Pink Floyd fans might not like this album; being too used to the more familiar Gilmour/Waters Pink Floyd songwriting style.

Overall, it's a fantastic record, recommended for any Prog-fan who can appreciate music that doesn't take itself completely seriously. I mean, where else are you going to hear music about gnomes, scarecrows, satanic cats and mice named Gerald?

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