Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother [180g, Remastered, Gatefold]

Recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London throughout 1976 and released October 2, 1970, Pink Floyd's fifth studio album Atom Heart Mother marked a pivotal moment in the band's evolution toward progressive rock experimentation. The album became their first to reach number one in the UK Albums Chart while climbing to number 55 in the United States, eventually achieving Gold certification. This 2016 reissue on 180-gram vinyl presents the album remastered from the original analog tapes by James Guthrie, Joel Plante, and Bernie Grundman, housed in a gatefold jacket featuring the iconic Hipgnosis-designed Holstein cow cover that deliberately omits the band name.

The 23-minute title suite occupies the entire first side, composed by all four band members alongside Ron Geesin, who provided orchestration and received a rare outside songwriting credit. Named after a newspaper headline about a woman fitted with a plutonium-powered pacemaker, the six-part instrumental features the John Alldis Choir, Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, and cellist Haflidi Hallgrimsson alongside David Gilmour's soaring guitar work. Side two showcases individual songwriting talents across four tracks: Roger Waters' introspective "If," Richard Wright's brass-tinged "Summer '68," Gilmour's folk-influenced "Fat Old Sun," and the experimental sound collage "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast" featuring roadie Alan Styles preparing breakfast over three instrumental sections. The album represents the band's first extensive use of orchestra and choir, a sonic expansion they would never repeat but which influenced their approach to longer-form compositions on subsequent albums.

Pressed on 180-gram vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket, this remastered edition captures enhanced clarity and separation across the album's 52 minutes. Made in the U.S., the pressing reveals previously buried details in Nick Mason's thundering drums, Waters' commanding bass lines, and Wright's atmospheric keyboards and Mellotron textures. The remastering maintains the warmth and dynamic range of the original analog tapes while delivering quiet surfaces and exceptional fidelity. Despite band members later expressing reservations about the album, Atom Heart Mother stands as a crucial bridge between Pink Floyd's psychedelic origins and the conceptual ambition that would define their most celebrated work.

• Format: 180g Black Vinyl LP
• Standout tracks: "Atom Heart Mother Suite," "If," "Fat Old Sun"
• Pressing details: Gatefold jacket, remastered from original analog tapes by James Guthrie, Joel Plante, and Bernie Grundman, Made in the U.S., 2016 reissue
• Genre/style: Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Art Rock, Symphonic Rock
• UPC: 888751842212

This 2016 remastered pressing delivers Pink Floyd's most experimental studio work with enhanced sonic clarity, capturing the orchestral grandeur and intimate acoustic moments that define an album reaching number one in the UK while showcasing the band at their wildly experimental peak.

* The Spotify track list may not exactly represent the tracks and audio of this LP edition.

Track List:

Side A:

1. Atom Heart Mother; Father's Shout\ Breast Milky\ Mother Fore\ Funky Dung\ Mind Your Throats Please\ Remergence
2. If
3. Fat Old Sun
4. Summer '68

Side B:

1. Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast; Rise and Shine\ Sunny Side Up\ Morning Glory