#89. Pink Floyd | The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)

Named after a chapter from Syd Barrett's favorite children's book, The Wind in the Willows, this album is full of colorful, childlike images...on acid. There are whimsical lyrics about space, scarecrows, gnomes, bicycles and fairytales, as well as some very psychedelic instrumental passages.

It's a very catchy album, and not at all what I was expecting from Pink Floyd. The group were soon to lose Barrett to a mental breakdown and gain David Gilmore's epic guitar leads. Roger Waters became the creative force and fueled his fascination with concept albums (Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall). Pink Floyd would of course go on to reach greater heights with these albums, but they managed to capture the essence of '60s psychedelia with their debut.

Track Listing:
01. Astronomy Domine
02. Lucifer Sam
03. Matilda Mother
04. Flaming
05. Pow R. Toc H.
06. Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk
07. Interstellar Overdrive
08. The Gnome
09. Chapter 24
10. Scarecrow
11. Bike