The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is the début album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, and the only one made under founder member Syd Barrett's leadership. The album, named after the title of chapter seven of Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows and featuring a kaleidoscopic cover photo taken by Vic Singh, was recorded from February to May 1967. It was produced by Beatles engineer Norman Smith and released in 1967 by EMI Columbia in the United Kingdom and Tower in the United States, in August and October respectively.
The release of the album in the US was timed with the band's tour of the US. In the UK, no singles were released from the album, but in the US "Flaming" was offered as a single. The US version of the album has a rearranged tracklist, and contains the UK non-album single, "See Emily Play". Two of the album's songs, "Astronomy Domine" and "Interstellar Overdrive", became central to the band's setlist around this period, while other songs were performed only a handful of times. Since its release, the album has been hailed as one of the best psychedelic rock albums of the 1960s. |
A Saucerful of Secrets (1968)A Saucerful of Secrets is the second studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd. It was recorded at EMI's Abbey Road Studios on various dates from August 1967 to April 1968 and was released on 29 June 1968, through EMI Columbia in the United Kingdom, while the album was released on 27 July 1968 in the United States by Tower.
The album was recorded before and after Syd Barrett's departure from the group. Due to Barrett's behaviour becoming increasingly unpredictable, David Gilmour was recruited in January 1968. As a result, A Saucerful of Secrets became the only non-compilation Pink Floyd album on which all five band members appeared, the first for Gilmour, with him appearing on five songs ("Let There Be More Light", "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun", "Corporal Clegg", "A Saucerful of Secrets", and "See-Saw"), and the last for Barrett, with him on three ("Remember a Day", "Jugband Blues" and "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun"). "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" was the only song all five members appeared on together. |
More (1969)More is the first full-length soundtrack album, and third studio album, by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 13 June 1969 in the United Kingdom. On 9 August 1969, it was released in the United States as Original Motion Picture Soundtrack from the film More. The film More was made in Luxembourg in 1969 and was directed by Barbet Schroeder.
|
Ummagumma (1969)Ummagumma is a double album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd. It was released on 25 October 1969, throughHarvest Records. The first disc is a live album that contains part of their normal set list of the time, while the second contains solo compositions by each member of the band recorded as their fourth studio album.
Although the album was well received at the time of release, and was a top five hit in the UK album charts, it has since been looked upon unfavourably by the band, who have expressed negative opinions about it in interviews. Nevertheless, the album has been reissued on CD several times, along with the rest of their catalogue. The album is also notable for its artwork, featuring a number of pictures of the band combined together to give a Droste effect. Like several other of the band's covers, it was designed by Hipgnosis. |
Atom Heart Mother (1970)Atom Heart Mother is the fifth studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd. It was released by Harvest and EMI Records 2 October 1970 in the UK, and by Harvest and Capitol on 10 October 1970 in the US. It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, England, and was the band's first album to reach number 1 in the UK, while it reached number 55 in the US chart, eventually going gold there. A remastered CD was released in 1994 in the UK and the United States, and again in 2011. Ron Geesin, who had already influenced and collaborated with Roger Waters, made a notable contribution to the album and received a then-rare outside songwriting credit.
This was the first Pink Floyd album to be specially mixed for four-channel quadraphonic sound as well as conventional two-channelstereo. The SQ quadraphonic mix was released on LP in a matrix format compatible with standard stereo record players. There was also a release of the quadraphonic version in the UK in fully discrete four-channel form on the "Quad-8" format, a four-channel variant of the stereo 8-track tape cartridge. |
Meddle (1971)Meddle is the sixth studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd, released on 30 October 1971 by Harvest Records. It was produced between the band's touring commitments, from January to August 1971. The album was recorded at a series of locations around London, including Abbey Road Studios and Morgan Studios.
With no material to work with and no clear idea of the album's direction, the band devised a series of novel experiments which eventually inspired the album's signature track, "Echoes". Although many of the group's later albums would be unified by a central theme with lyrics written mainly by Roger Waters, Meddle was a group effort with lyrical contributions from each member. The cover, incorporating a close-up shot of an ear underwater was, as with several previous albums, designed by Hipgnosis, though Storm Thorgerson was unhappy with the final result. The album was well received by music critics upon its release. However, despite being commercially successful in the United Kingdom, lacklustre publicity on the part of their United States-based label led to poor sales there. |
Obscured by Clouds (1972)Obscured by Clouds is the seventh studio album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, based on their soundtrack for the French film La Vallée, by Barbet Schroeder. Some copies of the album refer to the film by its English title, The Valley. The cover ofObscured by Clouds is an out-of-focus film still of a man in a tree. The lyrics and music tell the story of one's journeys. The album includes many overlooked songs from Pink Floyd's catalogue such as Childhood's End, Free Four, The Gold It's In the..., andWot's...Uh The Deal. The album was released in the United Kingdom on 2 June 1972, and a few weeks later in the United States, by Harvest, reaching number 6 and number 46 respectively. A single, "Free Four" was released in the US only.
|
The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)The Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in March 1973. It built on ideas explored in the band's earlier recordings and live shows, but lacks the extended instrumental excursions that characterised their work following the departure in 1968 of founder member, principal composer, and lyricist, Syd Barrett. The Dark Side of the Moon 's themes include conflict, greed, the passage of time, and mental illness, the latter partly inspired by Barrett's deteriorating mental state.
Developed during live performances, an early version of the suite was premiered several months before studio recording began; new material was recorded in two sessions in 1972 and 1973 at Abbey Road Studios in London. The group used some of the most advanced recording techniques of the time, including multitrack recording and tape loops. Analogue synthesizers were given prominence in several tracks, and a series of recorded interviews with the band's road crew and others provided the philosophical quotations used throughout. Engineer Alan Parsons was responsible for some of the album's most notable sonic aspects and the recruitment of non-lexical singer Clare Torry. The album's iconic sleeve, designed by Storm Thorgerson, features a prism that represents the band's stage lighting, the record's lyrical themes, and keyboardist Richard Wright's request for a "simple and bold" design. The Dark Side of the Moon was an immediate success; it topped the Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart for one week and remained in the charts for 741 weeks from 1973 to 1988. With an estimated 50 million copies sold, it is Pink Floyd's most commercially successful album and one of the best-selling albums worldwide. It has twice been remastered and re-released, and has been covered in its entirety by several other acts. It produced two singles, "Money" and "Time". The Dark Side of the Moon is one of Pink Floyd's most popular albums among fans and critics, and is frequently ranked as one of the greatest albums of all time. |
Wish You Were Here (1975)Wish You Were Here is the ninth studio album by the English progressive rock group Pink Floyd, released in September 1975. It explores themes of absence, the music business and former band member Syd Barrett's mental decline. Inspired by material the band composed while performing across Europe, Wish You Were Here was recorded in numerous sessions at London's Abbey Road Studios. The premise of the album was based on a song written by the band called "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". "Shine On" was a tribute to Barrett, who, coincidentally, made an impromptu visit to the studio while it was being recorded. It was lead writer Roger Waters's idea to split the "Shine On" in two parts and use it to bookend the album around three new compositions, forming a new concept similar to their previous album, The Dark Side of the Moon.
As with that record, the band made use of studio effects and synthesizers for Wish You Were Here. Additionally, the band brought in guest singers to supply their vocals to some tracks, another feature from their previous album. These singers included Roy Harper, who provided the lead vocals on "Have a Cigar", and The Blackberries, who made guest background vocals on "Shine On". Wish You Were Here was released in September 1975. The album became an instant commercial success and record company EMI was unable to print enough copies to satisfy demand. Although it initially received mixed reviews, the album has since been acclaimed by critics and appears on Rolling Stone 's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Band members Richard Wright and David Gilmour have each declared Wish You Were Here their favourite Pink Floyd album. |
Animals (1977)Animals is the tenth studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd, released in January 1977. A concept album, it provides a scathing critique of the social-political conditions of late 1970s Britain, and presents a marked change in musical style from their earlier work. Animals was recorded at the band's studio, Britannia Row, in London, but its production was punctuated by the early signs of discord that several years later would culminate in keyboardist Richard Wright leaving the band. The album's cover image, a pig floating between two chimneys on Battersea Power Station, was conceived by bassist and writer Roger Waters, and photographed by long-time collaborators Hipgnosis.
The album was released to generally positive reviews in the United Kingdom, where it reached number 2. It was also a success in the United States, reaching number 3 on the Billboard 200, and although it scored on the American charts for only six months, steady sales have resulted in its certification by the RIAA at four times platinum. The size of the venues on the band's In the Fleshtour, and an incident in which Waters spat at a fan, prompted him to conceive the band's subsequent album, The Wall. |
The Wall (1979)The Wall is the eleventh album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd. Released as a double album on 30 November 1979, it was supported by a tour with elaborate theatrical effects, and adapted into a 1982 feature film, Pink Floyd – The Wall.
As with Pink Floyd's previous three albums, The Wall is a concept album and explores themes of abandonment and personal isolation. The album is a rock opera that centres on Pink, a character bassist and lyricist Roger Waters modelled after himself and the band's original leader, Syd Barrett. Pink's life begins with the loss of his father during the Second World War and continues with abuse from his schoolteachers, an overprotective mother, and the breakdown of his marriage; all contribute to his eventual self-imposed isolation from society, represented by a metaphorical wall. Waters conceived the album during Pink Floyd's 1977 In the Flesh Tour, when his frustration with the audience became so acute that he imagined a wall between the audience and the stage. The Wall features a harsher and more theatrical style than Pink Floyd's previous albums. Keyboardist Richard Wright left the band during its production but remained as a salaried musician, performing with Pink Floyd during the Wall tour. The album was one of the best selling of 1980, and by 1999 it had sold over 23 million RIAA certified units (11.5 million albums) in the United States. Rolling Stone magazine placed The Wall at number 87 on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. |
The Final Cut (1983)The Final Cut (occasionally subtitled A Requiem For The Post-War Dream by Roger Waters) is the twelfth studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd. It was released on 21 March 1983 by Harvest Records in the United Kingdom, and several weeks later by Columbia Records in the United States. The Final Cut is the last Pink Floyd studio album to include founding member and long-time lyricist Roger Waters, and the only Pink Floyd album on which Waters alone is credited for writing and composition. Most of the lyrics are sung by Waters; lead guitarist David Gilmour provides vocals on only one of the album's tracks.
Waters originally planned The Final Cut as a soundtrack album for the 1982 film Pink Floyd – The Wall. With the onset of the Falklands War, Waters rewrote it as a concept album exploring what he considered the betrayal of his father, who died serving in theSecond World War. The Final Cut was recorded in eight studios across Britain, from July to December 1982. As with much of Pink Floyd's discography, a range of session musicians were employed as contributors, but its production was dominated by increasing tensions between Waters and his band mates, particularly Gilmour; keyboardist Richard Wright was at that point no longer a member of the band. The packaging was designed by Waters, and reflects the war theme of the album. The album reached the top of the UK Albums Chart, but received mixed reviews. An accompanying short film was released in the same year. After the The Final Cut's release, Waters left Pink Floyd and later attempted to keep Gilmour and drummer Nick Mason from using the Pink Floyd name. |
A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987)A Momentary Lapse of Reason is the thirteenth studio album by the English progressive rock group Pink Floyd, released in the UK and US in September 1987. It followed guitarist David Gilmour's decision to include material recorded for his third solo album on a new Pink Floyd album with Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and keyboardist Richard Wright. Although for legal reasons Wright could not be re-admitted to the band, with Mason he helped Gilmour craft what became the first Pink Floyd album since the departure of bass guitarist, singer, and primary songwriter Roger Waters in December 1985.
A Momentary Lapse of Reason was recorded primarily on Gilmour's converted houseboat, Astoria. Its production was marked by an ongoing legal dispute with Waters as to who owned the rights to Pink Floyd's name, an issue resolved several months after the album was released. Unlike many of Pink Floyd's studio albums, A Momentary Lapse of Reason has no central theme and is instead a collection of rock songs written mostly by Gilmour and musician Anthony Moore. Though it received mixed reviews and was derided by Waters, A Momentary Lapse of Reason outsold Pink Floyd's previous album The Final Cut (1983) and was supported by a successful world tour. It is certified quadruple platinum in the US. |
The Division Bell (1994)The Division Bell is the fourteenth studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd. It was released in the UK by EMI Records on 28 March 1994, and the US by Columbia Records on 4 April.
The music was written mostly by David Gilmour and Richard Wright; lyrically, the album deals with themes of communication. Recording took place in several locations, including the band's Britannia Row Studios, and Gilmour's houseboat, Astoria. The production team included Pink Floyd stalwarts such as producer Bob Ezrin, engineer Andy Jackson and saxophonist Dick Parry. Gilmour's new wife, Polly Samson, co-wrote many of the album's lyrics, and Wright performed his first lead vocal on a Pink Floyd album since 1973's The Dark Side of the Moon. The album reached number one in the UK and the US, but received lukewarm reviews. Its release was followed immediately by a tour of the US and Europe. The Division Bell was certified gold, platinum and 2x platinum in the US in 1994, and 3x platinum in 1999. |
The Endless River (2014)The Endless River is the upcoming fifteenth studio album by British progressive rock band Pink Floyd. Produced by David Gilmour, Youth, Andy Jackson and Phil Manzanera, the album is scheduled to be released by Parlophone and Columbia Records respectively in Friday-release countries on 7 November 2014 and in the United Kingdom on 10 November 2014. The album is the band's first since the death of keyboardist and founding member Richard Wright, who appears posthumously, and the third by the Gilmour-led Pink Floyd after Roger Waters' departure from the band in 1985. The Endless River is the first studio release by the band to be distributed by Parlophone and Warner Bros. Records, following the purchase of EMI and its assets by the Universal Music Group in 2012, their transfer to Parlophone and the purchase of Parlophone by Warner Bros. in 2013.
Described as a "swan song" for Wright, The Endless River mostly comprises instrumental, ambient music. It is based on twenty hours of unreleased material the band wrote, recorded and produced with Wright during sessions for Pink Floyd's previous studio album The Division Bell in 1994. The album was finished aboard the Astoria, Gilmour's houseboat recording studio, in 2013 and 2014. Information about the album was leaked via social media, after which Pink Floyd made a formal announcement. News of the impending release was positively received. |