The Piper at the Gates of Dawn cover

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Released

Before they were every dorm room’s heroes, The Pink Floyd were young John Peel’s favorite, a paisley bunch of psychedelic punks. More concretely, before David Gilmour, the main songwriter was lunatic genius Syd Barrett, and that cat’s something you can’t explain. The band stretches out the way they would later, sort of. They’re mostly a very exploratory and freaky version of the bands down on the High Street, selling singles and seeing visions in the wake of The Beatles cracking open the heavens. Shit is goofy and elevated and wild and dumb and fantastic.

Sasha Frere-Jones

Recommended by

Suggestions
Revelation cover

Revelation

Jean Carn, Doug Carn
Godbear cover

Godbear

Charlemagne Palestine
Zaireeka cover

Zaireeka

The Flaming Lips
Leaper cover

Leaper

Gosheven
Pripyat cover

Pripyat

Marina Herlop
Shooting at the Moon cover

Shooting at the Moon

Kevin Ayers and the Whole World
AZD cover

AZD

Actress
The American Metaphysical Circus cover

The American Metaphysical Circus

Joe Byrd & the Field Hippies
La Maquina de Hacer Pajaros cover

La Maquina de Hacer Pajaros

La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros