They encountered many roundabouts on the way Anderson claimed “maybe 40 or so”, which inspired Anderson and Howe to write a song about the journey as they sat in the back of the band’s transit van, and include the roundabouts and the surrounding mountains into the lyrics.Īnderson had smoked marijuana during the trip, “so everything was vivid and mystical”. The song originated in March 1971 when the band were on tour promoting The Yes Album (1971), travelling from Aberdeen to Glasgow after a gig in Aviemore, Scotland. BTW, A, while we’re talking about Yes, I recall you were not thrilled with Jon Anderson’s lyrics, specifically “Roundabout.” You might find this little blurb from Wikipedia informative: Come on, man, streaming on your phone is the way to go.

Pink Floyd Albums RankedĬB, a Discman? Those things weigh 38 pounds. Here are the band’s fifteen studio albums, ranked. Gilmour took the band through three further albums, including their swansong, 2014’s The Endless River. As the 1970s wore on, Waters became more dominant and limited the contributions of the other members 1982’s The Final Cut was effectively a Waters’ solo album. Pink Floyd were at their best when Waters’ lyrical concepts were enhanced by the musical abilities of Gilmour, keyboardist Richard Wright, and drummer Nick Mason. In the early 1970s, bassist Roger Waters assumed control of the band, and his lyrical concepts took the band to new heights of popularity.

After Barrett’s departure, the band recorded a series of experimental albums where they sometimes seemed directionless Barrett was replaced by vocalist and guitarist David Gilmour after burning out on LSD. They debuted with the confident psychedelia of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, where Barrett was Pink Floyd’s clear leader. Pink Floyd started recording in the psychedelic 1960s, led by Syd Barrett. While most attention is given to stadium-rock blockbusters like Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall, they enjoyed a lengthy career on either side of the 1970s. Formed by London architecture students in 1964, Pink Floyd are one of the most beloved classic rock bands.

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