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PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN: The Rev's early impressions
So, maybe it should have been called "Piper at the Gates of Insanity", ya think?
Anyway, I listened to it tonight (along with the singles "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play" from Relics), and now I will give you my early impressions of music that I've only discovered recently (which I know shames me as a self-proclaimed psychedelic music freak and "armchair expert" of the genre):
ASTRONOMY DOMINE--Could this be the real birthplace of prog? With it's rocking 3/4 time and sci-fi lyric, this song was quite a bit ahead of its time, I think. Perhaps Syd's most forward-looking composition.
LUCIFER SAM--To me, this really sounds like the music of someone who is in the process of losing his sanity. It's beyond psychedelic--it's psychotic!
MATILDA MOTHER--I would classify this as an OK 60s psych song, but not one of my favorites.
FLAMING--Now, here is a fine piece of work. Possibly Syd's best take on the whole "childlike" thing he was into. It's trippy, it has very nice instrumental passages...what's not to like?
POW R. TOC H.--I love this piece! This is a GREAT psychedelic instrumental. Better than drugs! (But then, what do I know about drugs?...well, at least it's better than caffeine or bynedryl...)
TAKE UP THY STETHOSCOPE AND WALK--The best thing about this is the title, which takes a phrase from the book of Acts and turns it on its head...otherwise, we all know that Roger Waters went on to much better things...
INTERSTELLAR OVERDRIVE--This has its moments, and I am well aware of its legendary status, but to me it's not nearly as creative as "Pow R. Toc H.". I do enjoy parts of the middle section a lot, but it doesn't knock me out.
THE GNOME--Once again, we get an opportunity to observe the descent of Syd Barrett into complete insanity...
CHAPTER 24--A very intriguing piece, that shows what Syd was capable of at his very best. This, I think, is English folky-mystical psychedelia of the first order.
SCARECROW--Well, as we saw in the last two selections, Syd was equal parts psycho and genius...this one is more of the psycho...
BIKE--Oh wow, this song is so bizzare. I can't decide if this is the genius or the psycho at work. It has strong elements of both...which means that this is immediately a true classic of the psychedelic era. I find myself loving this one very much in spite of myself.
And the singles:
ARNOLD LAYNE--It's OK, but not one of my favorites...
SEE EMILY PLAY--Oh yeah...this is a psych classic for sure. Great effects. Very trippy. One of Syd's best, and fully deserving of its legendary status.
All in all, I'll never be as huge a fan of early Pink Floyd as I am of their later work, but theirs was certainly an important contribution to the psychedelic era. Syd at his best was a true visionary. At his worst, he was a tragic casualty of his times.
__________________
Peace,
The Rev
"Where there is great love, there are always great miracles."--Mother Teresa
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