Pink Floyd: Album By Album: The Definitive History. On the 50th anniversary of the band this special edition tells the story of every album. New interviews. Stories from studio and stage. Album art explained. And much, much more.
Greed, insanity, isolation and loss
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn • Space rock, fairy tales and a one-way ticket back to the fears and anxieties of childhood.
Follow The Piper • Riding high on the 60s Zeitgeist, Pink Floyd’s debut album captured the psychedelic spirit of the era with Syd Barrett leading the charge.
Innocence Lost • The tale of the sad demise of Syd Barrett is legendary in rock’s history, as the wonderkid fell from grace into obscurity.
Oh, What A Trip! • The cover image used on Piper encapsulated the colourful mood of the psychedelic 1960s.
A Man Called Smith... • Pink Floyd producer Norman Smith discovered a second career when he turned his hand to the rather serious business of being a pop star.
A Saucerful Of Secrets • Floyd say goodbye to Syd’s psychedelic excesses and welcome in a more spacious sound.
A Time Of Transition • Syd Barrett’s profound problems and the band’s subsequent sense of chaos and unease make for an intriguing, if disjointed, second album.
Cover Concept • Strange artwork marks the beginning of an era
Turning Point • The title track on A Saucerful Of Secrets signalled the future direction for Floyd
A Saucy Little Tale • Nick Mason on why Saucerful is still special for him…
More • With Syd gone, Pink Floyd’s third album was a difficult and confounding affair.
The Making Of More • Although they’d dabbled in film music before, this was the Floyd’s first full commission for a soundtrack album and it gave them room to explore their new sound.
The Movie, More • An obscure piece from the French new wave movement.
The Director • Meet Iranian-born director Barbet Schroeder – the creative force behind this curious film.
Ummagumma • Pink Floyd re-emerge with an experimental album divided into four sections.
Band Of Four • With Syd Barrett now firmly planted in the band’s past, the quartet dip their toe into the world of avant garde with each band member composing their own section of the album.
Portrait Of A Band • Pink Floyd step out of the box with new, portrait-style approach to the album cover.
Careful With That Axe, Eugene • The hypnotic track that set the stall for a future sound.
Atom HeArt motHer • This hard-to-place album played an important role in Floyd’s musical journey.
Heart Of The Matter • Fractious horn players, a Dadaist collaborator and the Workers Revolutionary Party – just a few of the elements involved in the convoluted creation of one of Floyd’s most impenetrable albums.
Here Is The Moos • A few interesting tidbits about Atom Heart Mother, from concept to cover and beyond...
Road Test • In keeping with a number of Pink Floyd albums, the material was first debuted live before a note was even recorded.
Meddle • Psychedelic blues rock, a hint of jazz, Water’s ‘happy’ moment and a song dedicated to a dog.
Finding Focus • Shaking off the hangover of the Syd Barrett era, 1971’s Meddle marked a sea change for Pink Floyd as the band discovered their classic sound and set the controls for the stadium league. “It’s the point”, says David Gilmour, “at which we found our focus.”
Surf’s Up • Revisiting the 1973 cult movie soundtracked by Echoes…
All Ears • Meddle wins the prize as Pink Floyd’s worst ever album sleeve?
An Empty Stage • An avant garde concept leaves Live At Pompeii limping home with a whimper.
Obscured By Clouds • A coherent, underrated album...