Music Magazine Pink Floyd Sixth Edition Back Issue

The most significant British band to emerge from the late-60s British psychedelic boom, Floyd's trajectory has not been without its problems. The tragic breakdown of the mercurial Syd Barrett by the second album was followed a decade later with profound creative tensions and the eventual departure of creative lynchpin Roger Waters. The fact that such losses did not impact in the slightest on Floyd's popularity, suggests that the band – and the ‘brand’ – known as Pink Floyd, is infinitely greater than the sum of its individual parts.

But beyond the decades of acrimony and the astronomic sales statistics is the music – 15 studio albums stretched across five decades, that chart the band’s development from psychedelic space rockers to sublimely emotive prog visionaries and purveyors of stately melodicism. In the 50th anniversary year of the recording of The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn – as the band releases its lavish The Early Years 1965-72 boxset – Music Milestones re-examines Pink Floyd’s 15 studio albums, assessing their merits and taking an in-depth look at their creation – from first concept through to the critical fallout.

Through the words of the band and their inner circle we take a behind-the-scenes look at all aspects of each album – from the songwriting and recording sessions through to the artwork, the gear and the near-legendary tours. What follows is an account of a unique band, who created music that is as timeless and innovative as it is enduring and majestic.