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
(No Pussyfooting) cover

(No Pussyfooting)

Robert Fripp, Brian Eno
The For Carnation cover

The For Carnation

The For Carnation
My Pharaoh, My King cover

My Pharaoh, My King

John Moloney, Anthony Pasquarosa
Safe as Milk cover

Safe as Milk

Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band
Zeit cover

Zeit

Tangerine Dream