Count Pink Floyd as one of those rock bands that tended to look at their albums as complete artistic statements. As a result of that outlook, they generally delivered opening songs that were not only memorable in their own right, but also got the ball rolling for the themes defining their respective albums.
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These four album openers will captivate you when you listen to them on their own. But a couple of them also serve as the perfect table-setters for what’s to come.
“Astronomy Domine” from ‘The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn’ (1967)
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, Floyd’s 1967 debut album, didn’t contain an underlying theme. But it was still unified by the experimental feel of the music and the fantastical songs that were mostly written by then-frontman Syd Barrett. It made sense that they’d open their debut with “Astronomy Domine”. That song had already acted as a kind of calling card in their wild concert performances around that time. Composed by Barrett, the track takes off for the outer reaches of the galaxy in the opening moments and just keeps ascending from there. Although he wouldn’t often take center stage in this band, drummer Nick Mason deserves credit here for unifying the disparate sounds with his aggressive playing.
“One Of These Days” from ‘Meddle’ (1971)
After Barrett was removed from Pink Floyd when his mental problems made him unreliable, the band floundered for a few years trying to find their footing. Meddle acted as a major turning point towards the superstardom they’d eventually reach with Dark Side Of The Moon. The colossal extended track “Echoes” takes up the entire second side. Songs on the first side include the fan favorite “Fearless”. And it all opens up with the searing instrumental “One Of These Days”. Well, almost instrumental, aside from Nick Mason’s gargled pronouncement: “One of these days, I’m going to cut you into little pieces.” The song emerges from Roger Waters echoing bass notes into a thrilling display of instrumental interplay.
“Shine On Your Crazy Diamond” from ‘Wish You Were Here’ (1975)
Though they went on to become superstars after he was no longer in the band, Pink Floyd still couldn’t quite escape the shadow of Syd Barrett. Feelings of guilt and sorrow about how it had all turned out with their former frontman still enveloped them. Roger Waters unleashed all those emotions into the writing of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”. And his bandmates stepped up to the plate as well, concocting some of their most moving instrumental parts. David Gilmour’s icy guitar notes set the tone. You could argue that this is also one of their best closing tracks as well. The song was so massive that the band split it in two and used the two parts as bookends for Wish You Were Here.
“The Post War Dream” from ‘The Final Cut’ (1983)
Pink Floyd wasn’t really getting along well enough to imagine a new album for release in 1983. The original intent was to release a collection of leftover songs from The Wall. But then the Falklands War happened, and Roger Waters became inspired to flesh the project out into a massive anti-war treatise. “The Post-War Dream” comes out sounding like two songs in one. Co-producer Michael Kamen’s harmonium dominates the quiet opening section. Then the full Pink Floyd attack hits in the second half, sounding very much like one of the lumbering rockers from The Wall. In the lyrics, Waters calls out Margaret Thatcher (“Maggie, what we have done?”) for betraying the promise of peace that was made after World War II ended.
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