March 4, 2011 Playlist

In Search Of Space
for 
Pledge Drive!
 
"A Saucerful Of Secrets" by Pink Floyd (1968)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Pink Floyd  "A Saucerful Of Secrets"  1968 (UK)
We're featuring songs about outter space and flying saucers on the show this week, and perhaps the most important "space rock" band of them all was The Pink Floyd.  The original lineup led by Syd Barrett was one of the leading lights of British psychedlia in 1967, but Barrett was thrown out of the band for his erratic acid-fueled misbehavior in 1968.  Although there were two classic songs about "space" on their debut album (Barrett's "Astronomy Domine" and the group-composed instrumental jam "Interstellar Overdrive"), it was on this, their second LP, that Pink Floyd first made "space" the primary focus of their style.  An unusual transitional album, this is the only Floyd record on which most of the lead vocals are handled by keyboardist Richard Wright (and drummer Nick Mason even sings lead on "Corporal Clegg"), and the first of a series of records in which the songwriting was evenly divided between the members.  After a period where the band labored in relative obscurity figuring out their post-Barrett musical direction, the "mark II" lineup led by Roger Waters and David Gilmour eventually went on to become one of the most popular bands in the world (their classic 1973 LP Dark Side Of The Moon stayed on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart for nearly fifteen years!)  
Here are some vintage video clips of Pink Floyd in 1968, right after Barrett left and David Gilmour replaced him as the band's guitarist:  "Let There Be More Light" is more typical of their early acid rock style, and "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun" points towards the atmospheric "space rock" direction they would continue to follow in the 1970's.  During this period, the group also released a lot of non-LP singles, in an attempt to duplicate their earlier success with Syd Barrett's pop songs -- here's one written & sung by keyboardist Richard Wright, "Paint Box".  Surprisingly, there isn't a lot of footage of the band from their peak years of popularity 1973-1977, though they did release an iconic film in 1972: Pink Floyd At Pompeii.  Another classic space rock anthem featured on the show this week is "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft", originally by obscure Canadian art rockers Klaatu, but the Top 40 hit version was a remake by easy listening supergroup The Carpenters!
 
(N) = New Release
   
Artist Song Album Year Country
David Bowie Space Oddity David Bowie 1969 UK
Pink Floyd Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun A Saucerful Of Secrets
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
1968 UK
Jefferson Airplane Have You Seen The Saucers? A-side 7" single (Early Flight compliation LP) 1970 USA
Blue Öyster Cult E. T. I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) Agents Of Fortune 1976 USA
 
 
Pink Floyd A Saucerful Of Secrets A Saucerful Of Secrets
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
1968 UK
Pink Floyd Astronomy Domine (live) Ummagumma 1969 UK
   
 
Hawkwind Silver Machine A-side 7" single
(bonus track on CD reissue of In Search Of Space)
1972 UK
Von LMO Future Language Future Language 1981 USA
Black Sabbath Into The Void Master Of Reality 1971 UK
MC5 Starship (live - based on a poem by Sun Ra) Kick Out The Jams 1969 USA
   
 
Yes Starship Troopers The Yes Album 1971 UK
Rush Cygnus X-1, Book I: The Voyage A Farewell To Kings 1977 Canada
   
 
KISS Rocket Ride KISS Alive 2 1977 USA
The Suit Double Crossed On Planet Love Smart Studios & The Slipper Club Present Under The Rader Volume 1 (various artists compilation) 2006 USA
The Pixies Planet Of Sound Trompe Le Monde 1991 USA
Magma Liriïk Necronomicus Kahnt (In Which Our Heroes Ürgon & Gorgo Meet) Attahk 1978 France
MV & EE Out In Space Liberty Rose (N) 2010 (Child Of Microtones) USA
Deathcock (Guzzo Pinc) 3039 Masters Of The Midwest 2007 USA
   
 
Klaatu Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft Klaatu 1976 Canada
Gong Flying Teapot Flying Teapot 1973 France/UK
/Australia
 
 
Van der Graaf Generator Pioneers Over c H To He, Who Am The Only One 1970 UK
The Floaters Float On
The Floaters 1977 USA
             
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