Before Pink Floyd became (deservedly) famous in the mid-70's for Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here, and later for The Wall, they were a different band--they were Syd Barrett's band. Instead of the epic, moody, atmospheric, trippy rock forged primarily by the synergy of Roger Waters and David Gilmour later on in Pink Floyd's existence, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn finds the band making music that is very much of its time (1967). The music that became known as "psychedelic" is loosely defined as music that combines creative sonic textures and surprising sounds with bizarre, often whimsical lyrics to either simulate or enhance a drug experience. With the Beatles just down the hall in Abbey Road Studios recording Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Pink Floyd (named after obscure American bluesmen Pink Anderson and Floyd Council) were on the cutting edge of the British psychedelic scene while recording The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Now, 40 years later, we're offered a worthy definitive edition of a classic band's classic debut that still endures today as a classic of its genre, thanks to Syd Barrett's unique vision and inimitable songwriting.

What is offered in this 3-CD set? Discs One and Two are Mono and Stereo versions of the album in its entirety. Many fans are passionately divided as to which version is better: younger fans are most likely accustomed to hearing music in stereo, so a mono mix may seem antiquated. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn's stereo mix is pretty awesome--I find it a very well-thought-out stereo mix (some from this era weren't particularly well-done), and some great panning effects happen (especially in "Lucifer Sam" and the finale of "Interstellar Overdrive") that really add to the music's psychedelic impact. On the other hand, the mono version is just as essential. At the time of the album's release, British pop music was more geared toward recording radio singles in mono, so a mono version of the album is likely truer to the spirit of the times and more reflective of how bands and producers approached the recording of music when entering the studio. It certainly sounds thicker, denser, and perhaps a bit more chaotic than the stereo version, which seems to benefit the wild nature of a lot of the album's music. The great part about this set is that you get both versions, so you can decide for yourself which one you like better. In my opinion, they're both essential.

Disc 3 is composed of bonus material--the A and B sides of Pink Floyd's singles from 1967. Of these, several (including the classic singles "See Emily Play" and "Arnold Layne") were available on the hodgepodgy compilation,

, but some weren't--the mono and stereo "Apples and Oranges" and the B-side "Candy and a Currant Bun" were heretofore quite scarce on CD. Additionally, Disc 3 offers a couple alternate takes of the classic "Interstellar Overdrive" and an alternate version of "Matilda Mother." Since the early Pink Floyd was definitely a singles-oriented band (they had to have a successful single in "See Emily Play" to record a full-length LP), these are all essential and worthwhile bonus tracks. Just listen to "See Emily Play," and "Apples and Oranges"--they're total British psych-pop gold, with Barrett's playful charm set over a quirky and snappy backdrop of irresistible, concise pop. Fans may be upset that other rarities (i.e. "Vegetable Man," "Lucy Leave," "Two of a Kind," the list goes on...) aren't included on this disc. Although it would be great to have a definitive CD collection of these rare tracks, it's understandable that they aren't included--most were recorded after the sessions that produced this album and the accompanying singles, so it makes sense that they'd all be bundled together. Throw on top of the 3 discs of music a beautiful cloth-covered book designed by Pink Floyd design stalwart Storm Thorgerson full of pictures, information, and an 8-page reproduction of Syd Barrett's notebooks, and this set fills the bill as a definitive package.

As for the music on the album itself, it certainly justifies the fanfare of a 3-disc edition. The Pink Floyd may not have been the only (or first) British band making psychedelic pop rock at the time, but they sure made some of the best. "Astronomy Domine" is a classic opener, with strange radio chatter giving way to Syd Barrett's mysterious and evocative spacey musings sung in his gentle but haunting voice. The backdrop is dominated by Barrett's reverb-drenched guitar and Rick Wright's crazy organ sounds--two musical elements that typify the classic sound of the whole album. Barrett's songwriting really shines for its uniqueness of vision and effortless un-self-conscious whimsy on the groovy "Lucifer Sam," the hazy childhood loveletter "Matilda Mother," and the tripped-out "Flaming." The middle of the album gets really trippy, with the bizarre "Pow R. Toc H.", filled with weird vocal sound effects, Roger Waters' only track on the album ("Take Up Thy Stethescope and Walk") and "Interstellar Overdrive," one of the early band's most classic tracks. Through these songs they show a penchant for jamming centered on virtuosity, but more on a restless urge to experiment sonically and chase down some strange and stimulating sounds. Unlike the tedious jams that typify some music from this era, Pink Floyd pulls it off remarkably well (case in point, the wild ride of "Interstellar Overdrive" sandwiched between the song's surf-sounding primary riff). Barrett's fantastical whimsy returns for the album's last few tracks, especially on the Tolkein-esque "The Gnome," which jollily interrupts the droning embers of "Interstellar Overdrive," the sublime "Scarecrow," and the classic "Bike," which sees Barrett rattling off nonsensical details about his life. The album ends (much like the contemporary Sgt. Pepper) in a chaotic clamor of strange sound effects and percussive noises, marking the end of a particularly distinguished psychedelic journey. Really, what sets The Piper at the Gates of Dawn apart from some of its contemporaries is Barrett's imagination and intuitive knack for catchy lyrical and musical hooks. This is music that, despite its weirdness, sticks with you by virtue of quality writing.

Who would I recommend this set to? Die hard fans will definitely want this version--the book is fabulous, both versions of the album are essential, and the bonus material is too irresistible to pass up. If you're interested in the music but don't want to shell out the extra money, the

has both Mono and Stereo versions of the album at a lower price. If you're new to this classic music and aren't sure you're willing to go for a fancy version, I urge you to at least grab the

that's been out for a while. This is great music and an excellent example of a great musical era that fans of the later Pink Floyd may really appreciate. Once you're hooked on Pink Floyd's take on British psychedelic rock, be sure to check out some of the other classic albums of the genre, like the Zombies'

, self-titled

, the first two

albums, the Small Faces'

, the Move's

, and

, to name a few. I hope you enjoy this classic music!

The first track on the 1967 American release of "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" [Tower ST 5093] is the Syd Barrett gem, "See Emily Play." This is arguably the best song the Floyd ever recorded, but in England it was originally released only as a single. Since this new 2 cd re-release of Piper is the English album, "Emily" is not included. Floyd lovers may prefer to purchase the 3 cd set, "LIMITED EDITION - EXTRA TRACKS" scheduled for 9/11/07 release which includes "Emily" along with other singles from the period.

This probably the 2nd most amazing and original psychedelic album ever released. The FIRST most amazing and original psychedelic album is the much better monoaural mix of the same album, as mixed by the band, and released only in Great Britain, in 1967, and briefly re-released on CD as a European Import only, back in 1997. But, since you probably can't find that one, please do make do with this one, which is also blessed with *all* the original artwork, which has never seen the light of day before as a CD reissue. This version of the LP *is* the original stereo mix by Norman(Hurricane)Smith, who you may remember as George Martin's assistant producer on Beatles LP's like "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver". Yes, it costs a bit more than the domestic release of the same CD, BUT it is an authentic miniature of the original stereo release. In fact, my only criticism, and the only thing that keeps me from giving a wholehearted five-star endorsement, is that they didn't include the several very different monoaural recording versions on the original mono mix of the LP, you see, three or four cuts really *are* significantly different, and could have easily been tacked on the end of the disc as bonus tracks!

A new 40th Anniversary Edition of this CD has just been announced, a 3 CD Box Set!

Tuesday 5th June: Floyd Lays Plans For Piper

To mark the 40th anniversary of the original release of Pink Floyd's first

album 'The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn', a special edition is planned for

release via EMI Records on Tues 28th August in North America, and Monday

September 3rd in Europe.

The packaging, designed by Storm Thorgerson, resembles a cloth-covered book, and holds 3 CD discs, along with a 12-page reproduction Syd Barrett notebook.

Discs 1 and 2 will contain the full 'Piper' album, represented in both

stereo and mono versions. Both have been newly remastered by James Guthrie.

Disc 3 includes bonus tracks, including the following: all the Pink Floyd singles from 1967, ('Arnold Layne', 'See Emily Play', and 'Apples And Oranges'), plus the B sides 'Candy And A Current Bun' and 'Paintbox'. Other tracks are a version of 'Interstellar Overdrive' - Take 2 of the original recording sessions, previously only available on an EP in France - and the 1967 stereo version of 'Apples And Oranges'.

Other activities surrounding the 40th anniversary celebrations will be

announced in due course.

_http://www.pinkfloyd.co.uk/index.php_

This may seem like a strange statement to those not in the know, but any record nerd out there who knows what I'm talking about knows exactly what I mean. In most cases the difference between mono and stereo is not too significant, and stereo is obviously superior. The thing to understand about this album and others released around '67-'68 (i.e. Sgt. Pepper) is that two separate mixdowns were made from the original master tapes. ie. THERE ARE TWO VERSIONS OF THIS ALBUM. Because mono was still a more popular sound format, there was a tendency to spend more time and care on the mono. This is true for albums such as Sgt. Pepper which any audiophile geek will tell you sounds superior in mono, and beleive me it does. However, in the case of that and other albums the difference is not so overwhelmingly significant. But the difference between the stereo and mono mix of Piper is like night and day, and the stereo mix is a bastardized, botch job mix of this album. Unfortunately any CD version of an older album is going to be the stereo mix, leaving future generations the misfortune of never properly hearing this album. When I first heard about the mono mix of this album, it was some mythical thing worth so much money that I thought I would never hear it. But in 1997, due to the demand there was a 30th anniversary reissue of the mono mix of Piper released on CD and LP. Amazon has this CD listed, it's the limited edition re-issue with the weird green cover. Unfortunately, it's out of stock on amazon, but I occasionally see it on ebay for not too much money. Seriously, I would strongly encourage any fan of this record or Pink Floyd or Syd Barrett to get a copy of the mono mix of this album ASAP. When people first gave me this advice, I was like, come on, it can't be that big of a deal. Trust me, it is. The brilliance of this album was lost in the stereo mix. I'm talking full instrumentation, soundscapes, all gone. Once you hear the mono mix you will understand that this album truly is one of the greatest albums of this era. I'm a big Pink Floyd fan and personally I prefer their earlier work, though anything through The Final Cut is worthwhile music. Meddle was always my favorite Pink Floyd album, that is until I heard the mono mix of Piper. It stands as my favorite Pink Floyd album, hands down. If you love this band or this album, please please please get the mono mix, it breaks my heart to see it forgotten.