Even though I am one of Pink Floyd's most ardent fans [this is an understatement - Ed], I have always been vexed and somewhat dubious about the many reissues and remasters they've managed to squeeze out of their 50 year career. My vexation came to a head back in 2011 when they announced their aptly titled WHY? PINK FLOYD releases. It seemed like such an egregious ploy to delve deeper into the wallets, purses, and bum bags of their obsessive-completist fans.

However, the one reissue avenue the Floyd have seemed quite apprehensive of undertaking is a full-on effort to release their entire studio catalogue on remastered, audiophile-worthy vinyl. With the vinyl market as strong as ever (and with people like Radiohead showing confidence in the vinyl reissue market), the folks at Pink Floyd HQ must have crunched the numbers and liked what they found, because it was recently announced that Pink Floyd will be reissuing their entire 15 studio album back catalogue on remastered 180g vinyl beginning on June 3. All 15 studio albums will be fully remastered (again?) by James Guthrie, Joel Plante and Bernie Grundman and will be housed in packaging that will replicate as closely as possible that of the original releases.

The vinyl reissue campaign will take places in phases. Phase 1, which begins on June 3, will see the release of their first four albums; The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, A Saucerful of Secrets, the soundtrack from the film More and the 2 LP set Ummagumma. Subsequent releases will be announced at regular intervals throughout the year. Either way, get them as they are released... or you can wait for the inevitable Pink Floyd remastered LP boxed set with bonus book and deluxe housing that I ASSUME is an inevitability. Artwork for the first remastered releases as well as some mega-rare pics of the band in their infancy below.

Now if they could finally put The Wall on goddamned BluRay... crimony.

Piper at the Gates of Dawn - Remastered Vinyl Artwork

A Saucerful of Secrets - Remastered Vinyl Artwork

Music From the Film 'More' - Remastered Vinyl Artwork

Ummagumma - Remastered Vinyl Artwork

©Pink Floyd Music Ltd

Photo by Storm Thorgerson - ©Pink Floyd Music Ltd

Pink Floyd in 1968 - Photo by Storm Thorgerson - ©Pink Floyd Music Ltd