Pink Floyd | Saucerful of Secrets (LP)

180-gram vinyl pressing

Mastered by James Guthrie, Joel Plante and Bernie Grundman

For the first time in more than two decades, Pink Floyd Records — along with Sony Music and Warner Music Group — will begin the reintroduction of the band's classic catalog on vinyl. The first four records to be released in June 2016 include The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, A Saucerful Of Secrets, the soundtrack from the film More and the two-LP set Ummagumma. Pink Floyd Records will reproduce the vinyl catalog throughout the year with release dates being announced at regular intervals.

Special care has been taken to replicate the original packaging. The first set of releases, mastered by James Guthrie, Joel Plante and Bernie Grundman, will be pressed on 180-gram vinyl for optimum sound quality.

Pink Floyd Records' distribution deals will see the new LPs issued through Warner Music in the U.K. and Europe and Sony Music's Columbia imprint in North America and the rest of the world. "We're proud to continue to support one of the world's greatest and most influential bands," says Warner chairman Max Lousada. "This is an exciting new chapter in our long-standing partnership with Pink Floyd and we look forward to working with them to help curate their remarkable body of work."

"We are proud to continue the long standing relationship in North America and beyond between Columbia Records and Pink Floyd," adds Columbia chief Howard Stringer. "We are excited to work together with the band on their incredible musical legacy."

Released in 1968, Pink Floyd's second album, A Saucerful of Secrets, shows the band in a transitional period. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Syd Barrett was ousted from the band due to his LSD use and erratic behavior (although the Floyd still allowed him a final appearance at the album's end — the jovial 'Jugband Blues'). Taking Barrett's place was singer/guitarist David Gilmour, while bassist Roger Waters picked up the bulk of the songwriting duties, along with a pair of contributions from keyboardist Richard Wright. AllMusic writes that much of the material retains a gentle, fairy-tale ambience. "Remember a Day" and "See Saw" are highlights; on "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun," "Let There Be More Light," and the lengthy instrumental title track, the band begin to map out the dark and repetitive pulses that would characterize their next few records.