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A CONSUMER'S GUIDE TO PINK FLOYD ALBUMS
A short (and possibly subjective) look at Pink Floyd's recording history from 1967 onwards, in order to separate the chaff from the wheat. Availability refers to a new release currently available at the best price we can offer. When a certain album is not available at this moment, you can search our catalog for a deleted release we might have in stock.
* A Piece For Assorted Lunatics??
** Any Colour You Like?
*** Raving And Drooling
**** You Gotta Be Crazy!
***** The Amazing Pudding!!
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Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (1967) ****
An estranging album held together by brilliant spaced out tunes like Interstellar Overdrive and Astronomy Domine, and tiny little masterpieces like Scarecrow and Bike. The album that turned Syd Barrett into a living legend, instantly and well deserved.
Availability: CD (remastered)
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A Saucerful Of Secrets (1968) ***
Pink Floyd on the verge of a new period. Saying goodbye to Syd Barrett and hello to David Gilmour. The title track shows the first signs of the band's desire to work in concepts. Also recommendable is Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun.
Availability: CD (remastered)
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More (1969) **
A rush recorded and released album to support the movie with the same name. Includes Pink Floyd's minutes of hard rock fame with The Nile Song, but also brings the concert favourites Green Is The Colour (mostly the overture to Careful With That Axe, Eugene) and Cymbaline.
Availability: CD (remastered)
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Ummagumma (1969) ***
A double album released only three months after More. The first record is a collection of solo tracks, of which only Grantchester Meadows (Waters) and The Narrow Way (Gilmour) stand out. The second record contains four excellent tracks recorded earlier that year.
Availability: 2CD (remastered)
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Atom Heart Mother (1970) ****
The first classic post-Barrett album that shows a giant step forward from A Saucerful Of Secrets with the epic orchestral 23 minute title track. Other songs to remember are If, Fat Old Sun, and the rather funny but delicately performed madness of Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast.
Availability: CD (remastered)
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Relics (1971) **
A nice but rather incomplete collection of early singles, b-sides, outtakes and album tracks. Includes the classic Careful With That Axe Eugene, and Biding My Time, also known from 1969's The Man & The Journey, but fails to include hard to find single tracks like Point Me At The Sky.
Availability: CD (remastered)
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Meddle (1971) ****
Atom Heart Mother turns out to be a blueprint for Meddle. Again with a majestic piece, Echoes, which a less complex but at least equivalent to Atom Heart Mother, with its beautiful flow. The other album side includes the haunting One Of These Days and laidback songs such as A Pillow Of Winds and Fearless.
Availability: CD (remastered)
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Obscured By Clouds (1972) ***
Just like More a soundtrack album, for the French movie La Vallee. It was conceived and recorded in a matter of weeks but none the less a bit more powerful and coherent than its predecessor. Stand out tracks are the openers Obscured By Clouds and When You're In.
Availability: CD (remastered)
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Dark Side Of The Moon (1973) *****
This album can be described in one word: brilliant! If you ever gonna buy just one Pink Floyd album, make sure it's this one. Written thirty odd years ago, but still standing as a masterpiece. The album where lyrics and music are in perfect balance.
Availability: CD (remastered) CD (super audio) LP (anniversary edition)
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Wish You Were Here (1975) *****
Not as mindblowing as Dark Side Of The Moon, this is still a very good album. Only five songs, but all of them classics with Shine On You Crazy Diamond Parts 1-5 and Parts 6-9, and Welcome To The Machine as stand out tracks.
Availability: CD (remastered) CD (anniversary edition)
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Animals (1977) ****
With music and lyrics perfectly balanced on the two previous album, Roger Waters takes more and more control on Animals, while Rick Wright loses grip. Apart from that fine tunes, two short ones, and three longer ones, including the epic Dogs, originally performed as You Gota Be Crazy.
Availability: CD (remastered)
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The Wall (1979) ****
Could've been a five star album and Floyd's best but is a bit too fragmentary in places and loses power. Roger Waters is in control and only allows certain influence from the others, most notably in the best track, David Gilmour's Comfortably Numb.
Availability: 2CD (remastered)
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A Collection Of Great Dance Songs (1981) ***
Released to cash in on the band's sudden pop star status following the success of Another Brick In The Wall, but nevertheless a fine compilation with tracks from 1971 to 1979. Includes a re-recorded version of Money.
Availability: CD (remastered)
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The Final Cut (1983) ***
Follow up to The Wall and started up as the soundtrack to the movie version of this record. Appropriately titled, but actually a Roger Waters album with contribution from a certain David Gilmour. Being recorded with holophonic sound, this is perhaps the best recorded Floyd album ever.
Availability: CD (remastered with bonus track)
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A Momentary Lapse Of Reason (1987) ***
Following the departure of Roger Waters and the lack of success on his own, David Gilmour decided to restart the machine, which resulted in this 1987 album, with Rick Wright back on board. A collection of mediocre and excellent songs, most notably Signs Of Life, On The Turning Away and Sorrow.
Availability: CD
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Delicate Sound Of Thunder (1988) ***
Pink Floyd's first live album since 1969's Ummagumma. Not bad but a bit too much of the Momentary Lapse songs and too much overdubs which makes it sound less like a live album. Not very much surprises for a greatest hits sets.
Availability: 2CD
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The Division Bell (1994) ***
Much more of a band feel than on A Momentary Lapse Of Reason and much less typically Floydish. Has some memorable songs including the instrumental Marooned, Wearing The Inside Out sung by Rick Wright, and the grande finale High Hopes.
Availability: CD
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Pulse (1995) ****
Like before, Pink Floyd celebrates a world tour with a live album. Compared to Delicate Sound Of Thunder, Pulse sounds more like a real live album with the complete Dark Side Of The Moon suite and surprise track Astronomy Domine. Best choice when you're looking for a Pink Floyd compilation.
Availability: 2CD 4LP
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Is There Anybody Out There? (2000) ****
The long awaited live version of The Wall, recorded at Earls Court, London. Much more powerful than it's studio predecessor and with extra material played through the concerts. A minor point is the awful packaging.
Availability: 2CD (standard edition) 2CD (limited edition)
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Echoes (2001) **
Presented as the first real Pink Floyd compilation, but not a great success. Songs are presented at random and segue into each other. If you're looking for a compilation, better try A Collection Of Great Dance Songs or Pulse.
Availability: 2CD 4LP
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also available ...
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Tonite Let's All Make Love In London (1967) **
Early '90s various artists release of the pre-EMI recordings for the film by Peter Whitehead. Includes a 16 minute versie of Interstellar Overdrive and the previously unreleased Nick's Boogie.
Availability: CD
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The First 3 Singles (1967) ***
Issued in 1997 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first Pink Floyd release. This 6-track CD in a nice card sleeve plays a- and b-sides of the the first three 1967 Barrett era singles Arnold Layne, See Emily Play and Apples And Oranges.
Availability: CD
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Zabriskie Point (1970) ***
The various artist soundtrack album to the Antonioni movie, which originally was meant to be a Pink Floyd only album. The original version has three Floyd songs, the 1997 2CD edition has four extra Pink Floyd tracks.
Availability: 2CD (remastered)
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Works (1983) ***
Non-Harvest countries only compilation album with pre-Columbia recordings. Includes the elsewhere unavailable classic Embryo and different mixes of Brain Damage and Eclipse, taken from the quadraphonic masters.
Availability: CD
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