THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN

-- First Pink Floyd LP's (with leader's Syd Barett and without David Gilmour). Barrett's guitar gives a more speedy perspective than Gilmour. More psychedelic, nothing to do with the other albums, but very innovative. Short songs with only one good musical structure. Strange poetry and vocal play signed Barrett's. Good introduction with a space-rock classic (Astronomy Domine). --

The Piper at the gates of dawn has a unique sound that doesn't fit with the traditionnal Floyd mood (except maybe for Astronomy Domine and Interstellar Overdrive that use the typic Floyd ambience). Try to mix The Beatles, Iron Butterfly and Pink Floyd (humm... I suspect demence).

Barrett sings in 90% of this album. The Roger Waters touch is nearly absent. So if you come from the Dark Side and the Wall period, you have to be warned; the Piper sounds more psychedelic and less mysterious. It's a strange mixture signed Syd Barrett, the first leader of the band. There's nothing to do with the other Floyd albums but it's very good after all.

The words I have to describe it are dynamic, funny, unpredictable, ballads, strange lyrics (I love Barrett's poetry). Small songs like The Gnome, The Scarecrow, Flaming and The Bike are good examples of gentle "ballads" with nonchalent Barrett stories. The music is quite simple and very original. The experimental Interstellar Overdrive is very impressive by moments but the chaotic part is a little bit too long for me. Pow R Toc H gives the origin of the freaky musical invention of Pink Floyd with vocal sound effects (remember Ummagumma). The keyboard is not exactly the same than in the Saucerful and the others albums. Also, the album is more builded in the vocal structure than in the musical structure.

A point I very like: Barett doesn't have a precise voice and don't sing exactly with the music. Sometimes, he slighty shifts the lyrics with the notes (It's more evident in The Madcap Laugh). I like that because I prefer the feel-free-to-be-original-and-to-make- mistake to the Robot-like-musical-structure.

Impossible to choose a best-song in The Piper. The combination of the songs makes the album. The worst song: Lucifer Sam (the beat is too redundant, the song seams to be unachieved and the small solo ends anywhere). Other thing; I suggest to all Floyd fans to listen "See Emily Play" (not in the Piper... before that). It's essential for your survival. You have to listen the song before your next Floyd discussion in a bar.