89. Pink Floyd | Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)

---

Wikipedia Entry

---

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. Scarecrow
11. Bike

---

Piper at the Gates of Dawn is a mad album. It is a challenge at first to figure out where the ground is, but once stability is found and it can be found, it's quite an interesting album of sound. The songs are defined by their contradictions. They are well-structured until they become formless. They are loud until they become quiet. They are fast and heavy until they become quiet and melodic.

This album blows the whole roof off of psychedelic music. Whatever it had been, well, it's something else now. What came before will seem too tame to be called psychedelic music. And so won't what comes after it. The songs that have lyrics are completely bizarre and nonsensical. The remaining songs are instrumentals attempt to give a sense of what a trip is without the mind-altering drugs.

There is a beauty buried deep within all the contradictions and insanity. It may not be an album for everyone, but it's certainly worth listening to just to hear one of progressive rock's direct ancestors. The songs are all really worth listening to, but the real stand outs are Astronomy Domine, Lucifer Sam, Matilda Mother, Interstellar Overdrive, Chapter 24 and Bike.

★★★★★★★★★★