Today, our Friday Feature is devoted to the music of Pink Floyd, one of the most popular bands of all time. They came together at the tail end of the British Invasion and their early output reflected that sound but with a hallucinatory and experimental flavor that was mainly due to their early leader, Syd Barrett. The group’s history can be divided into three eras: Syd Barrett (pre-1968), Roger Waters/David Gilmour/Richard Wright/Nick Mason (pre-1985) and the post Waters incarnation. All three lineups created interesting (and successful) sounds, and certainly the middle period made the band’s reputation and fortune, but the best came at the beginning under the guidance of Mr. Barrett and for a time after his exit, when the band was low on musicianship but rich with ideas. Here’s a few examples:

Cosmic, yes, but you can still dance to it.

“Put on a gown that touches the ground.”

One of the first modern songs about cross-dressing.

A structure of an iron crystal from the 1958 World’s Fair can be seen in the background. (Not actual size.)

The worst navigation in rock history.