Pink Floyd: Atom Heart Mother [PINK FLOYD]

Why you'll love it

This 180g gatefold edition was remastered from the original analogue tapes by James Guthrie, Joel Plante and Bernie Grundman. Atom Heart Mother was the band's first No. 1 album in the UK.

This edition

• Remastered from the original analogue tapes
• 180g vinyl
• Gatefold jacket
• Stereo mix

About the album

Hipgnosis put a Holstein cow on the front, with no band name and no photograph, and started a Pink Floyd tradition of covers that let the music do the introductions. Inside, the band went bigger than they ever had: a full side of orchestral rock recorded at EMI Studios in London, on a brand new eight-track machine.

The title suite began life in rehearsals as a chord progression David Gilmour called Theme from an Imaginary Western, and composer Ron Geesin built it out with brass and choir. Side two belongs to the songwriters: Roger Waters' gentle "If," Richard Wright's "Summer '68," Gilmour's pastoral "Fat Old Sun," and the sound-collage of "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast," which features a roadie making, and eating, his breakfast. Nick Mason's drumming keeps the whole sprawling thing on its feet.

It went gold in the US and pointed the way to Meddle. Over fifty years on, the cow still hasn't been told she fronts one of the most famous album covers in rock, and frankly we think it's best for everyone that way.

Also at Kops: more Pink Floyd on vinyl · browse Rock

Tracklist

Listen

On Pink Floyd Records (cat# PFRLP5), a reissue of the 1970 album.