Music Banter - View Single Post - By the way, which one's Pink?-Pink Floyd reviewed

jackhammer · 12-16-2007, 01:26 PM

I am going to attempt to review and evaluate the entire Pink floyd catalogue. Considering that they are one of the biggest selling bands of all time, a lot of people just associate them with DARK SIDE OF THE MOON or THE WALL. I would like to introduce people to what has been a highly influential and certainly in their early years; an eclectic sound.

PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN 1967

The Floyd's debut along with Sgt. Peppers shaped British pop music for ever and is a stunningly original debut in it's own right. In a strange twist, this album was being recorded next door to where the Beatles were themselves recording Sgt. Peppers.

Floyd were led by the talents of Syd Barrett; who indeed named them, and gave them their sound and was the main songwriter. Having gotten a reputation as one of the finest live bands around at the time, it was only a matter of time that they were signed to a major. That major was EMI. On the strength of their first single ARNOLD LAYNE, EMI were hoping for more radio friendly hit singles. This was not to be. Their free form experimental side was something the band desperately wanted to harness and so on the 9 minute epic INTERSTELLAR OVERDRIVE, the band produced an undeniable classic in experimentation. Sonically original and produced brilliantly, it features one of the best speaker to speaker phases you will ever hear which is completely disorientating even now. What people thought of it then must have been mind blowing. It is also extremly heavy and could put a lot of metal bands to shame.

This however wasn't just what the Floyd were all about. In Syd Barrett they had a highly original talent whose guitar experimentation coupled with his child like whimsical nature produced some of the albums most astonishing tracks. THE GNOME appears on first listen as a nursery ryhme and almost laughable. Listen again. It is an exercise in beautiful simplicity and lyrically brilliant albeit simple. THE BIKE is in similar vein and features a great time signature change.

The albums opener ASTRONOMY DOMINE is one of the finest opening tracks ever and proclaims that music will never quite sound the same again.

Elsewhere LUCIFER SAM is a great song with a catchy hook but peek beneath the surface and listen to it on headphones. It sounds incredibly multi layered and innovative. POW R TOC H has some great piano work from Richard Wright .

The albums innovative production, Syd Barrett's songwriting and the bands experimentation produced one of the very finest psychedelic albums ever made and should be rightly held as a must have album on any self respecting music fans shelf.

12-16-2007, 01:26 PM	#1 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	By the way, which one's Pink?-Pink Floyd reviewed I am going to attempt to review and evaluate the entire Pink floyd catalogue. Considering that they are one of the biggest selling bands of all time, a lot of people just associate them with DARK SIDE OF THE MOON or THE WALL. I would like to introduce people to what has been a highly influential and certainly in their early years; an eclectic sound. PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN 1967 The Floyd's debut along with Sgt. Peppers shaped British pop music for ever and is a stunningly original debut in it's own right. In a strange twist, this album was being recorded next door to where the Beatles were themselves recording Sgt. Peppers. Floyd were led by the talents of Syd Barrett; who indeed named them, and gave them their sound and was the main songwriter. Having gotten a reputation as one of the finest live bands around at the time, it was only a matter of time that they were signed to a major. That major was EMI. On the strength of their first single ARNOLD LAYNE, EMI were hoping for more radio friendly hit singles. This was not to be. Their free form experimental side was something the band desperately wanted to harness and so on the 9 minute epic INTERSTELLAR OVERDRIVE, the band produced an undeniable classic in experimentation. Sonically original and produced brilliantly, it features one of the best speaker to speaker phases you will ever hear which is completely disorientating even now. What people thought of it then must have been mind blowing. It is also extremly heavy and could put a lot of metal bands to shame. This however wasn't just what the Floyd were all about. In Syd Barrett they had a highly original talent whose guitar experimentation coupled with his child like whimsical nature produced some of the albums most astonishing tracks. THE GNOME appears on first listen as a nursery ryhme and almost laughable. Listen again. It is an exercise in beautiful simplicity and lyrically brilliant albeit simple. THE BIKE is in similar vein and features a great time signature change. The albums opener ASTRONOMY DOMINE is one of the finest opening tracks ever and proclaims that music will never quite sound the same again. Elsewhere LUCIFER SAM is a great song with a catchy hook but peek beneath the surface and listen to it on headphones. It sounds incredibly multi layered and innovative. POW R TOC H has some great piano work from Richard Wright . The albums innovative production, Syd Barrett's songwriting and the bands experimentation produced one of the very finest psychedelic albums ever made and should be rightly held as a must have album on any self respecting music fans shelf. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”