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THE REVIEW
Surely, enough has already been said about this masterpiece; but also not.
It is true, streams of reviews have been written about the debut album of Barrett's band, but it is also true that too often we forget about pearls of this caliber, true generational symbols, essential and indispensable not so much for their historical importance, but for the beauty and musical innovation they accompany.
It's 1967, a golden age for rock music, and something is stirring in England, LSD is on the rise, the sounds and the very conception of music are being revolutionized, a new "era" is about to be born, so it is impossible for the new-genius Syd Barrett not to strike while the iron is hot, and so here we are: "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn."
Even the title itself is enigmatic and fascinating, the cover already shows that "something" that hints at what the work will be like: fragmentary, twisted, distorted, yet always coherent to itself; without compromising or following easy trends, the "prehistoric" Pink Floyd (those now unknown, from when within the band there was this other unknown and misunderstood genius, Syd Barrett indeed) create an album of pure music, pure poetry and sweet melodies from other worlds (those visited by the alienated alien Barrett).
The light danceable rock of Lucifer Sam, the exotic fairy tale Matilda Mother, the frantic pop of Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk, the folkloric ballads The Scarecrow and The Gnome, which with their amusing and surreal lyrics make listening to this work even more enjoyable, combined with the 9 minutes of majestic psychedelic and delirious madness of Interstellar Overdrive and the nonsense Bike which with its disturbing and (in my view) "philosophical" and significant ending closes the album (not to mention the masterful opening of Astronomy Domine) make this album one of the best rock records ever conceived by a human mind.
Entirely a masterpiece, perhaps THE Pink Floyd masterpiece, since it is difficult for an album like this to be and will be surpassed by other attempts to create (and mind the term "create") purer and more engaging psychedelia.
Frankly, there's nothing more to say; it was my intention to speak, even briefly, of such a work of art, because a work of art it is, despite all the pathetic detractors.
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Summary by Bot
The review praises Pink Floyd’s debut album as a timeless masterpiece driven by Syd Barrett's unique genius. It highlights the album’s innovative psychedelic style, varied tracklist, and lasting influence. The reviewer celebrates its musical creativity and enduring appeal amid the 1967 rock revolution.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in Cambridge in 1965, known for pioneering progressive and psychedelic rock and for landmark albums such as The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall.236 Reviews
Other reviews
By charles
From the very first record, you can tell what they would do in the future, which is create a sound all their own.
Excellent record, which deviates a bit from the typical Pink Floyd sound but is still a colossus in the history of music.
By zaireeka
Written at the tip of LSD.
One of those clocks, orphaned by the irreversible madness of Syd Barrett, was preserved by his old companions and made to chime once again at the start of Time.
By Moro1
Only Barrett can explain the masterpiece he composed and wrote, and he does it through the stories of a king told in a mother’s fairy tale.
He sang it almost 40 years ago and it is still the most beautiful of all.
By anthon
"From these first seconds, the listener is transported into an otherworldly dimension, a dimension that characterizes much of the album."
"Interstellar Overdrive represents the true innovation, in terms of harmonic-melodic physiognomy, of the album."
By AJAX
The early Pink Floyd managed to synthesize into a unique and inimitable vision the impulses from West Coast acid rock, ... and the love for genuinely English fairy-tale elements.
'The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn' captures both sides of the coin, marking a year when pop and the avant-garde went hand in hand.
