Back catalogue: Progressive Rock

Review: Here's a Record Store Day 2020 special that all Pink Floyd fans will want to take a look at: an etched, single-sided seven-inch single featuring a previously unreleased version of Piper at the Gates of Dawn-era favourite 'Arnold Lane'. It was recorded at The Madcaps Last Laugh concert in 2007, a tribute to band co-founder Syd Barrett. It features three Floyd members - David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Rick Wright - alongside vocalist Jon Carin, whose singing is very similar to that of Barrett, and bassist Andy Bell. It's a fairly faithful rendition all told, and one with added weight given the travails of Barrett after he left Pink Floyd in the late 1960s.

Review: Pink Floyd's seminal album A Momentary Lapse Of Reason was originally released in 1987 but later record an update and remix by David Gilmour and Andy Jackson for The Later Years Box Set. Some of the original keyboard parts were put back in and new drum tracks were recorded for the project and thus it is said that the band's original creative balance was restored. This version was mixed in 2019 from original master tapes and has been pressed to heavyweight 180g vinyl at half speed. A new 28-page booklet is also included to make this an absolute must for collectors.

Review: Prolific Pink Floyd record producer and engineer James Guthrie once again has his 2018 remix album for the band's 'Animals' reissued, this time on limited LP wax. A five-piece meditation on Floyd's penchant for animalism, Guthrie's reinterpretation yanks the Orwellian structure and themes of the original album and hurls them back into an electronic prog rock prayer, with many of the new versions impressively breaching 10 minutes. In true Floyd fashion, this is window-closed, record-sleeves-on-the-floor, bong-hitting stuff, but with an extra Guthriean darkness lended to it. Clock the pig oinks littering the mix too.

Review: In the post-Syd Barrett years, Pink Floyd spread their sound in a number of directions before settling on the pomp and splendour of Dark Side Of The Moon et al. Atom Heart Mother - their fifth record - finds them tinkering with sonic collage and suite-based songwriting executed with the cinematic scope and inescapable Britishness their music has always possessed. It's an album beloved by the Floyd faithful, and now it's being released as a Special Edition with the original album remastered and a Blu-Ray disc featuring the title track performed live at Hakone Aphrodite in 1971 and additional behind the scenes documentary footage. Throw in a 60-page booklet for good measure and you've got yourself a must-grab piece of Floyd archival material.

Review: The Blu-Ray version of the 2018 remix of Pink Floyd's Animals breathes new life into a classic album, addressing previous issues with the original mix and delivering a significantly improved sonic experience. This reimagined version allows the details to emerge more clearly, giving each instrument ample room to shine. For listeners familiar with earlier editions, it's akin to a revelation, as if something previously clogged in their ears has suddenly cleared. While Animals was released during the heyday of punk rock, its sarcastic and ironic social commentary aligns more with punk's ethos than with traditional progressive rock. However, musically, the album remains a pinnacle of Pink Floyd's progressive sound. David Gilmour's guitar work is particularly notable, with standout moments like the mesmerizing solo on 'Dogs.' Compared to Pink Floyd's other iconic albums like The Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here, Animals holds its own, if not surpassing them in some respects. The album's complexity reveals itself with each listen, rewarding attentive audiences with its intricate compositions and thematic depth.

Region code: ABC (universal)