-01.jpg "Cover")
Vinyl L.P - Columbia Records - SCX 6258.
1968 - U.K.
Cover design, photography (A. Powell/S. Thorgerson): HIPGNOSIS.
Typography: Dave Henderson.
-02.jpg)
Back cover
%20(3).jpg)
Back cover & front cover
-08.jpg)
Inner sleeve
-07.jpg)
Inner sleeve
-03.jpg)
Disc side 1
-04.jpg)
Disc side 2
%20(9).jpg)
Labels
Pink Floyd
.jpg)
David Gilmor, Nick Mason, Roger Waters & Richard Wright
Pink Floyd is one of the most influential rock bands in history, formed in London in 1965. Initially part of the psychedelic underground scene, they gained attention with their debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967), largely driven by Barrett’s whimsical and surreal songwriting, they revolutionized music with concept albums that blended experimental soundscapes, philosophical lyrics, and striking visuals. The band’s classic lineup included Barrett, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason. Their work spans genres like art rock, progressive rock, psychedelic rock, and even symphonic rock.
Some of their most iconic albums include The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977), and The Wall (1979). These records not only achieved massive commercial success but also left a lasting cultural impact, influencing countless artists and shaping the sound of modern rock. Their live performances became legendary for elaborate light shows and immersive atmospheres.
Their music often explores themes of alienation, war, mental health, and societal critique. Songs like “Comfortably Numb,” “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” and “Another Brick in the Wall” remain timeless classics. Even decades after their peak, Pink Floyd continues to resonate with new generations of listeners.
A Saucerful of Secrets is their second studio album, produced by Norman Smith and recorded at Abbey Road Studios. It reached number 9 on the UK charts upon its original release, though it didn't chart in the US until its 2019 reissue. It's a pivotal piece in their discography, being the only album to feature all five members of the classic and transitional lineup: Syd Barrett, David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason.
The artwork is a psychedelic collage that uses negative layering and long exposure techniques to depict altered states of consciousness linked to the band's religion, drugs, and music.
On the left edge is an illustration of the Marvel character Doctor Strange battling The Living Tribunal, taken directly from "Strange Tales" #158 (1967), drawn by Marie Severin. This reference was later echoed in the lyrics of their song "Cymbaline."
Much of the background and circular diagrams are taken from a medieval painting by Johann Daniel Mylius titled Alchemical Cosmos, which symbolizes the union of the earthly and the divine. The presence of planets, stars, and mandalas reinforces the "space rock" sound the group was perfecting at the time.
In a small circle near the center, a blurry photograph of the band members can be seen. Interestingly, it is one of the few visual representations that capture the lineup's transition, including David Gilmour.
This was only the second time that EMI Records allowed a band to hire outside designers for an album cover. Thorgerson and Powell, who were childhood friends of the band members in Cambridge, were paid £110 for this initial work.
.png)
%20(2).jpg)
%20(1).jpg)
%20(1).jpg)
-01.jpg&description=A Saucerful Of Secrets - Pink Floyd){kind=link}
1 Comments
ReplyDeleteThe sleeve of A Saucerful of Secrets was Pink Floyd’s first to be designed by Hipgnosis, a graphic designers’ collective founded by Storm Thorgerson (1944–2013) and Aubrey Powell (b. 1946) a little while before.
In 1968, Storm Thorgerson asked his friends Roger Waters and David Gilmour to persuade the EMI management to commission him to design the artwork for their second album (the Beatles having been the only other group up to this point who were allowed to externally commission covers).
The sleeve illustration is, without doubt one of the most fascinating in the entire history of psychedelic rock. It consists of superimposed cosmic elements that give the impression of a vision, of a journey in space and time.
Thorgerson and Powell have revealed to Q magazine that they wanted to depict three “‘altered states of consciousness,’—religion, drugs, and Pink Floyd music.”
In another interview, Storm Thorgerson explains that “the cover is an attempt to represent things that the band was interested in, collectively and individually, presented in a manner that was commensurate with the music.
Swirly, blurred edges into red astrology/Dr. Strange images merging into images, a million miles away from certain pharmaceutical experiences.”
And continuing this theme: “In one’s youth, […] drugs, particularly acid, were pivotal in shaping your world view, but no specific style was derived from drugs. I never even smoked dope when I worked.”
On the reverse are the black-and-white faces of Nick Mason, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, and Rick Wright, semi-obscured by the cosmic order. Exit Syd Barrett.