adriandenning.co.uk
album reviews

Pink Floyd



Piper At The Gates Of Dawn 9½ ( 1967, UK pos 6 )
Astronomy Domine / Lucifer Sam / Matilda Mother / Flaming / Pow R Toc H / Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk / Interstellar Overdrive / The Gnome / Chapter 24 / Scarecrow / Bike

According to an interview Pete Jenner, the first Pink Floyd manager, gave journalist Nick Kent Syd's influences included The Stones, Beatles, Byrds and Love. A song from the debut Love album went on to inspire the chord pattern for 'Interstellar Overdrive'. Syd wrote virtually the entire 'Piper At The Gates Of Dawn Album', but within 12 months he'd be out of Pink Floyd, and 'out of it' altogether, to all intents and purposes. Solo records would follow, but these will be discussed elsewhere on this site. Syd was the undisputed creative leader of Pink Floyd for their early clutch of singles, and this, the only full album he'd participate in for the group. Who knows what went on in the mind of Syd Barrett? What makes this one of the finest Psychedelic albums of all of time is that Syd had different thought patterns, he did things differently. The way he played guitar was different, the way he sang was different ( resolutely english ) and his lyrics were certainly not something heard before. Nursery rhyme lyrics almost, but very striking, not Rock n Roll lyrics as such. Syd took too many drugs, but the drugs wore him down, ripped him apart. He had a natural creativity, always did. He reportedly continues to paint to this day. Only one song from this set continued to be played live by Pink Floyd well into the Eighties and beyond, and that was the opening number 'Astronomy Domine' - "lime and limpid green, a second scene, a fight between the blue...." and the guitar doesn't even sound like guitar half the time, the production and mixing effects, the level of experimentation turn this into something far more that the basic structure and entity of the actual song, if stripped completely back, would suggest. But, there's all this groovy bass and pit-patter drum sounds here. It sounds like it's from outer-space, and it sounds pretty great, different for the time it was released, too. Still different to this day. And yeah, the guitar is truly fantastic, I don't even know what it's doing, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything 'usual'. The ending of the song is glorious, the layered vocals wonderful. 'Lucifer Sam' opens guitar heavy, the lyrics are stupendous other world poetry with a hint of nursery rhyme, making no sense, but sounding deep and heavy no doubt at all, provided you're out of your head! If you aren't out of your head, they sound great anyway, there is a natural poetry about the lyrics of Syd Barrett, not a structured learned poetry, rather a very natural way with language. Glorious guitar parts appear everywhere. I can even begin to imagine how the song came to be. 'Matilda Mother' has heavenly harmonies, more great lyrics, an exciting and mind-blowing mid instrumental section.

Roger Waters wrote a couple of songs here, people sometimes forget that. Well, he wrote 'Take Up They Stethoscope & Walk' and contributed to the band compositions, 'Intestellar Overdrive' and 'Pow R Toc H'. Before those 'Flaming' arrives, more Barrett lyric genius, more production and mixing experimentation - but it never obscures the melody of the song. 'Pow R Toc H' continues in this albums usage of strange effects and noises, but also continues with strong musical melodic content. 'Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk', the sole Waters solo composition owes obvious debts to Barrett, the lyrics are clumsy and basic compared to Syd, though. Roger would get better, and 'Take Up Thy Stethoscope' benefits from a demented musical assault, especially the way the organ solo is taken! 'Interstellar Overdrive' is nine minutes of loosely structured experimentation and jamming, although the basic pattern of the song holds it together, allowing the room for improvisation. Personally, 'Interstellar Overdrive' is just something to get off on, not a piece of writing genius, just these sequences of sound. Syd takes center stage for the closing sequence of songs. 'The Gnome' is a charming nursery rhyme song with strummed guitar and typically imaginative lyrics. 'Chapter 24' indulges in mixing experimentation, it sounds fantastic harmonically. 'Scarecrow' opens with lots of ticking and clock noises, a simple, very simple childs melody, more nursery rhyme type lyrics, but then, these lyrics? I mentioned the natural poetry about them. Let's mention the sheer imagination behind them, the worlds and pictures and places they place in your brain. Because they do. Who needs drugs? 'Bike' is almost a novelty song, but very very funny for it's lyrical content. And, that's 'Piper At The Gates Of Dawn' Syd and Pink Floyd together for the only time for a whole album project, an album project that's been massively influential through the years, and something that's never quite been done again.

Share Your Views?

Readers Comments agnesfrechette frechett@granite.mb.ca Piper is a 10. Let's face it. The recording was done at Abbey Road and the Beatles used to pop in while they were recording Pepper and be completely blown away. The melody writing is unsurpassed, better than all future Pink Floyd. It took Pink Floyd 4 records to finally come close to this one. Pretty hard act to follow. And I have never done hallucinogens. I'm just a songwriter who really likes great melody. Dave dave_goggin@hotmail.com "Bike is just a novelty song" but for its lyrics its "very very funny". What planet are you from? Bike is not only the best Barrett composition available to us but also one of the most disturbingly chaotic songs ever recorded, it is literally like peering into Syd's head and seeing whats going on. This is a 10 out of 10. And Bike is NOT a novelty song. Robert St. James robertstjames@yahoo.com God, I'm fucking tired of hearing the Syd Barrett Floyd praised to the skies. This is the musical equivalent of miking up a toilet on St. Patrick's Day. Endless, endless puking mixed with nonsensical "lyrics." It's a good thing Barrett went off his head, because Dark Side/Animals/Wish You Were Here/ era Floyd would never have happened with this pretensious untalented twat in the band. noiyzmaker noiyzmaker@thedextro.com I totally disagree with some of your ratings. I don't see how anyone could possibly like Piper. Piper sucks shit. It sounds like shit. The songs are fucking stupid. The whole "syd was a genius" is a myth. Momentary lapse of reason and division bell are fine albulms. I don't know how any fucking tard can possibly think that Momentary deserves 3 out of 10. Oh, wait I do know how. It's fucking retarded fans who listen to myths instead of the music and can't use their own judgement. Sorry dude, but if you think that piper sounds good and momentary sounds bad, you have hearing problems. Stuart O\'Neill his1sgo@leeds.ac.uk The above comment is shit, This album is a masterpiece of wonderful melodys and witty, interesting lyrics. It may contain every 60's cliche you can think of but they invented these cliches. Matilda Mother, Chapter 24, Astronomy Domine and Interstellar Overdrive are my favourates. Listen to this album on magic mushrooms and it will change your life. bass player edd eddie123zeppelin@hotmail.com This a very good album but certainly isn't their best. The only great great songs are "astronomy domine", "lucifer sam", "take up thy stephiscope and walk", and "bike". Don't get me wrong all the other songs are good but i would rate darkside, wish you were here and meddle higher. Piper is my 4th favourite. I'd give it a 9 but 9.5 is fair for its musical significance Joe jbaker4eva@aol.com Noiyzmaker must be a complete nerd. Momentary and Division bell are better than this, and this is crap? I bet you feel Paul Mccartney's solo albums are better than The Beatles. I bet you you consider The Who's "It's Hard" as their definite work and "Tommy" or "Quadrophenia" suck. I could understand if you said you like Roger Water's Pink Floyd better (I would disagree with you although both are great), but for you to say that David Gilmour's (who is one of the best guitarists ever...still) 80's bullshit is better than Piper??? When I read that I just had to post a comment. To each his own, but when I first heard Piper at 14, I was looking for "Wish you were here" and of course was disapointed...Since then I have seen the light...This and his solo work is genius, you just need to let it set in. As far as someone's comment about them being glad he went mad, nice empathy. It's tragic and sad and you should be thankful that you never lost your mind. runnie gengen@alltel.net i guess i'm a rarity - i love the syd-floyd as well as the "classic" post-syd floyd. piper is one of my favorites but there's a little too much self-indulgence (plus a couple of just plain weak tracks) to put it on a level with 'dark side' or even 'wish you were here' (i won't include 'the wall' because it also suffers from a lot of filler). now if the best tracks from 'piper' were put together with their great singles from '67 (arnold, emily, candy..., etc.) then you would really have a great album, and i'd hate to have to choose between that and 'dark side', for instance. but why choose anyway, when you can listen to both. i made a cd-r of syd-era floyd with the above-mentioned tracks plus jugband blues (which is really sort of out of place anyway on 'saucerful') and it's awesome. i probably listen to it more than any of my other floyd cds. and for the syd-haters posted here, i think your comments and "mastery" of the english language speak for themselves. Ben Fishes_Inc@hotmail.com It took me awhile to appreciate this one, I was too used to the Pink Floyd of later years. Now I love it more than even Sgt Pepper's. Nathan Schulz srpgmaker@hotmail.com This album is simply a masterpiece. "Astronomy Domine" is probably my favorite Pink Floyd song, from its perfect dissonant riff to the mystifying lyrics and timely slide guitar work. Not all of these pieces are perfect but all are interesting, and the melodies are all memorable. Its diversity makes it slightly stronger than Dark Side for me. Oh, and I'm not on halucinogens. 9.5/10 otis otiscass@shaw.com oh man come on now!...this is THE floyd album...rock star tragic myths aside this is a 60's masterpiece...and personally, (even though i grew up listening to the whole pink floyd catalogue), i find "Dark side" to be a complete bore ...might as well go out and buy some alan parsons...this is the real deal...this and the early singles are untouchable...and yes i do like post syd floyd..."More" especially sounds great to my ears and 'Meddle" is a good album. But Syd Floyd will always be the reason for me still clinging to this band...and if "Piper", "Emily", "Arnold" and "Jugband" are self indulgent and "Dark Side", "Aniamls", "The Wall" and "Final Cut" aren't?? i don't know what is...again...if all you enjoy is indulgent prog rock then this is not your album so you're better off listening to "us and them" for the zillionth time....hey but why stop there...go ahead and thumb through your well worn "Yes" collection...i know you will..."Piper" is golden an absolute! classic!...the only thing i disagree with in your review is the rating...if any Floyd album deserves a solid "10" , it is this one...p.s. bike is no novelty song Michael Zeigermann michael.z@dial.pipex.com Another great review. Piper is my favourite Pink Floyd album, beating Dark Side Of The Moon by a whisker. It's been ten years since I first heard it and it has lost none of its novelty and charm, and there's only a handful of albums I can say that about. Plus Syd is easily one of the greatest lyricists in rock history -- the term "genius" has been liberally applied to rock stars left, right and centre, but Syd is one of the few cases where I would genuinely agree. Of course, whether his genius was entirely drug-induced or not is another question, but as we all know it came at a price for him. But can you imagine what music would sound like today had Syd retained his marbles? One of the biggest ifs in rock history if you ask me, right up there with "what if Ian Curtis hadn't died". Anyway, I'm rambling. Great review. nazar nazariusrudius@yahoo.com This album has some really good songs, like the first four, and Scarecrow. I also like Take Up Thy Stethoscope, although it took me a while to get used to it. However, Interstellar Overdrive is unbearably boring. Tony AlienAntFarmer41@msn.com I bought this album with a lot of doubt of whether I'd like it or not. Much to my surprise, the album sounded excellent. I agree with your review paul paulwatts@optushome.com.au Piper plays its absolute strongest trump card right up front. Astronomy Domine stands alongside any of Pink Floyd's work as one of their classics, and is in my view Syd Barrett's finest contribution to rock. To balance that initial glittering moment, Interstellar Overdrive, whilst representative of the band's live performances of the time, and also an indicator of the direction the majority of the band's members saw the Floyd progressing at the time, is basically an unlistenable mess these days, and a lengthy one at that. This was always my least favourite of the early Floyd's long (half a side of vinyl) tracks (until the schemozzle that was the studio half of Ummagumma which was even more dire). Astronomy Domine and to a lesser extent PowR TocH ultimately provided a much clearer blueprint for Pink Floyd's future. Of the remaining Syd compositions, Lucifer Sam is a reasonably accomplished pop song which sounds like it could have been a suitable follow up t! o the hit single See Emily Play, and the remainder of his songs more hint at an emerging songwriting talent than demonstrate a talent at its peak. It is now ancient history that this outing was in fact Syd Barrett at the peak of his powers as his acid burnout was imminent. The Waters composition Stethoscope seems to be a clumsy attempt to copy the Syd style (as Adrian suggests in his review) and was a very early effort of a band member who would in due course become a prodigious talent in his own right, but unfortunately it doesn't really show here. It's just not pleasant listening to my ears. The group composition PowRTocH strongly points to the Atom Heart Mother era Floyd, and as such is a somewhat important piece in the band's history, but it too is in parts rather grating to listen to (as indeed is the AHM suite). I think if Syd Barrett had gone on to fulfil the undoubted potential that he had, Piper would not be regarded as any kind of classic Floyd ! album. It contains but one four minute masterwork with the rem! ainder v arying between more or less decent, if often quirky and childlike 60's pop, and unlistenable screeching noise. I give the Piper 7.5/10. badger badger@gregory1972.fsnet.co.uk A BRILLIANT AND IMAGINATIVE PSYCHEDELIC MASTERPIECE! INTERSTELLAR OVERDRIVE IS FANTASTIC,A BRILLIANTLY DEPRESSING RIFF AND THE ULTIMATE IMPROVISATIONAL FREAK OUT (THE VERSION ON TONIGHT LET'S MAKE LOVE IN LONDON IS EVEN BETTER AND RAWER).BIKE IS PURE GENIUS-''I'D GIVE IT TO YOU IF I COULD........BUT I BORROWED IT''-BRILLIANT. 10/10 john, county kildare john.j.doyle@nuim.ie astromy divine, how could it be best possibly described? it sounds like the intergalactic shipping forecast with musical backing by nice middle class blues wailing stoners. guess what? absolute magic. lucifer sam has the kind of riff that would give neil hefti a hard on. bike is the best i dont give a flying fuck song ever written. wont you excuse me now please, ive been asked to go to the shop and purchase a carton of milk. ta very much. 10/10. crazydiamond sloppyfloppy@hotmail.com piper has its moments of brilliance, but it also has its moments of lunacy. I love syd and the symplisity of his songs,but to say it's the floyd's best album is just crazy to me. astronomy is a great song, but in no way does it compare to songs like shine on or comfortably numb or time and i could prolly name about ten others. Larry Smith and his Dog Blue_Meanie@shroom.com Brilliant album, although I must admit it's something that grows on you. Some songs such as Bike and The Gnome seem strangely out of place on this album - they are good songs for what they are however. Brad Smith AnalogImage@hotmail.com Although I may not put it in the same way as noiyzmaker or Robert St. James (way to go, that post made me laugh out loud!) I do have to agree with their sentiments. Truthfully, not having grown up in that era, I find the songs from Piper to be at best adolescent and throwaway, with the sole exception being Astronomy Domine, which itself is even unremarkable in comparison to their later masterpieces. Perhaps maybe if I was in my teens dropping acid at the time the album came out, maybe I might have found something to like about it, cause afterall, the time an album is released can have a major effect on it's relevancy, and I can't help but think many of these reviewers sharing their opinions about how great this album is, either heard it at an important time in their lives, or are merely enamoured with the whole Syd story (which unquestionably does have a hauntingly intoxicating appeal for many, I admit, I find it interesting and somewhat spooky). Out of context however,! to even compare these songs to later floyd is just wrong. It's not even in the ballpark. The only thing I'd agree with is that it definitely is British sounding, just not the good kind. P.S. I've never came across any literature that stated the Beatles were wowed by Floyd at this time, I imagine if they were it was only because they were probably as high as Syd was at that time. bassfreak msa@inorbit.com Piper is an absolute masterpiece. Anyone dissin' piper deserves to have their head cut off. Astronomy domine is the best psychedelic song ever written. The musical significance of this album is comparable only to DSotM, Zoso, Led Zeppelin I, Sgt. Pepper's, and Are You Experiemced? These albums changed the way rock music is. Daniel Jones dljone9@ibm.com Jeez, some of the flames of Syd I read here are laughable and misguided. I think production and songwriting values evolved considerably by the late 60's and early 70's, so Floyd had more time to perfect songs in the studio and a good deal more experience behind them by that point. But...Syd was quite creative and deserves a good deal of recognition for his efforts, to be sure. In all honesty, I find the mid period and later day Floyd to be a bit tiresome...but that is simply a personal taste matter. Regardless of what I or anyone else thinks, his imaginative writing and playing proved to be the catalyst for many significant artists to follow. There are guitarists and vocalists and writers I prefer, but this ain't a contest... Kier Smith amusedtodeath@hotmail.co.uk It's mad, it's weird, its multi layered and technicoloured, Syd Barrett deserves all the praise he can possibly stand for this early floyd masterpiece. Of course they would go onto record better albums and of course had barrett not left the band we wouldnt have had dark side, the wall etc......but lets appreciate this for what it is, crazy, off the top of the head songwriting that matches the music perfectly in some strange detatched kind of way......it works and its brilliant. praise be...... 8/10 for sure.. IlikeGoodmusicandkillingProglovers stevenpinkgrease@hotmail.co.uk Look you fools who try to put down us who like Syd's Floyd, your real sad and naive to me! I hate prog rock and I hate Pink Floyd for all the crap albums they did after this one(sorry I just hate music like that)and all the light shows and shit. I never liked them untill I heard this album. Do you really think we are all sucked in by a myth or cos we all got this record in the sixties when we were teens?! You must be stupid and old too. I'm 27 years now and I heard it at 21 and I know the difference between over produced prog pomp and this punk rock gem. You nerds are to pussy to understand this album, you seem to think its just baby talk, so there is no point in explaining its apeal cos your brains are to small. We would not have Bowie with out Syd. He is the daddy of real english rock, I love his singing style. I don't give a shit about the myth I dig him as a bad guitar player as well as a great song writer. This is better than his solo albums and way better than an! y other boring Floyd albums. for me the real Pink Floyd ended with this record. Eat that haters! Ha Ha. Gazza garyhess44@hotmail.com Nothing like this was ever recorded in a british studio at the time and it deffo influenced SGT PEPPER (being recorded in the same studio at the same time) Barretts childlike view resulted in some incredible songs here , i particularly like the second half of the album from "interstellar overdrive" to the end . "Lucifer sam" sounds like a theme from a tv cop show on acid . pow r toc h is jazzy and groovy ."bike" mixes humour with the whimsy and sports a great melody. Barrett had a great pop instinct too as well as being a psychedelic warrior and it would have been a nice touch if EMI had included "arnold layne" "see emily play" and their rare b sides with the album . It has aged very well over the years and gets a 8/10 from me. Killing Time retro_tull@yahoo.com A good one! Great entertaining pop songs with great cromatic riffs BUT, if only those chaotic pseudo-instrumentals sections were a bit more concise I would be enjoying this album far more than I do. kaczmar kaczmar_joe@hotmail.com 9 and a half is a superb rating, tho personally, I'd give it a 10. I say its a great rating because you find most Floyd reviewers put this to shame and praise DSOTM, WYWH and the later ones. This is the greatest Floyd album that you will find. Syd Barrett was a much better composer (at the time), than Roger Waters was ever in his lifetime. "Flaming" is my personal favourite, with "Astronomy Domine" and "Matilda Mother" right behind. Definitely amazing! Greg mccoy.gregory@yahoo.com You can not compare this record with Dark Side, or any other post Barrett Floyd records. This was a different era.This was 1967, and music was never going to be the same. This was a daring record.(Yes I still call them records.) Those of you who think this record is a load of rubbish simply don't understand that if it had not been for this record, there would have been no Dark Side. Barrett's influence went beyond Piper. It influenced everything Floyd did after that. Wheather you like it or not, the fact that so many people have posted responses to this review proves the relavence of this record. I put it on and it transports me to a dimension that is all it's own. A wonderous record.

Syd contributed one full song, and contributed at least something in the way of instrumentation to the two Rick Wright numbers here, and possibly one of the Roger Waters songs as well. To compensate for a rapidly unpredictable and unreliable Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd hired Dave Gilmour, who'd been in a number of professional groups around the same Cambridge area that Pink Floyd had sprung from. He was a friend of Syd's actually, a good guitar player with a mimics instinct which was a huge help in overcoming the lack of Syd, especially during live performances at the time. Given Syd's decline and eventual ejection from Pink Floyd, 'Saucerful' perhaps necessarily comes across as an album that doesn't quite know which direction to take. Rick Wright contributes a couple of songs that are semi-syd, really. Roger Waters picks up and tries to carry on from the likes of 'Astronomy Domine' from 'Piper' and the title track is an experimental extended group composition along the lines of 'Interstellar Overdrive' but for the complete lack of structure. There are countless stories surrounding Syd Barrett of course, but one story that Roger Waters told has always amused me. Syd was playing a new song for the group to learn, titled 'Have You Got It Yet?'. The group were having difficulty working out the song, Syd kept changing it everytime he replayed the opening sequence, the group genuinely unaware that Syd was having a great laugh at their expense. That's a light-hearted example, the real problem was Syd live, often just sitting in the middle of the stage playing nothing at all, other times playing a completely different melody to the rest of the group that bore no relation to the song they were meant to be performing. Following 'A Saucerful Of Secrets', Syd would play no further active part in Pink Floyd recordings or performances.

The Roger Waters song 'Let There Be More Light' opens this album, and whilst it's absolutely not as thrilling or impressive as 'Astronomy Domine' for example, the repeating bass line does become hypnotic, the keyboards over the top of the songs introduction slightly free-form, and the vocals and lyrics suitably psychedelic. It's a good song, and leads into another good song, the Rick Wright penned 'Remember A Day'. The drum pattern here is fun and enjoyable, the vocals and lyrics, the entire song in fact reminding you of Barrett, although never scaling the same heights as the finest songs from 'Piper'. I do love 'Remember A Day' though, love the feel of the song and the sound of the Piano and the effects. Roger writes another song around a simple bass riff, 'Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun', and so far, so good. A strong follow-up to 'Piper' if only they'd be able to maintain this quality throughout a ten track album, or so. But, 'Corporal Clegg' although containing some biting guitar has hideously cringe-inducing lyrics. Roger tries to ape the style of Syd here, with mixed results at best. The Kazoo sections are entertaining though. The title track is very free-form avant-garde, perhaps a response at one of the very few critiscms levelled at the 'Piper At The Gates Of Dawn' record, that it didn't accurately represent the live Pink Floyd experience. What can work well in a live setting though doesn't always necessarily work as well on record, and this title track although displaying admiral attempts at sound manipulation and experimentation, is absolutely no kind of song or composition. The closing section of the track is the best part, the mellow Church Organ sound that comes through, with harmonies, is quite beautiful. 'See-Saw' contains the lyric "marigolds are very much in love" - another obvious Syd styled song from the pen of Rick Wright. Syd actually encouraged both Roger and Rick to write songs in the first place, and the songs of Rick Wright especially would have complimented Syd's songs very well, with Roger contributing to the group compositions and adding a couple of spacey things like 'Set The Controls To The Heart Of The Sun'. 'See-Saw' is a beautiful song, although let down by the vocals, or the mixing - quite hard to put a finger on, but these Rick Wright vocals are really not very strong, working much better when in harmony with the rest of the group.

The final song here was a Syd Barrett inspired piece of either genius of lunacy, depending on which way you look at it. The lyric is a masterful self-diagnosis by Syd into his own escalating mental illness and declining state of health. The music is courtesy of a Salvation Army band who were invited into the studio by Syd and told to play whatever they felt like. Syd plays acoustic guitar, strums and sings very simply, whilst brass instruments, effects and insanity swirl around this lonely and lost figure. The track fades outs to leave just Syd alone, with acoustic, and it's beautiful, yet haunting and desolate. 'Jugband Blues' is the most striking track on the entire album. Two of the three Roger Waters compositions certainly have merit and are much improved from his efforts on 'Piper'. The title track is more worthy and admirable than it is enjoyable and 'Corporal Clegg' just isn't very good at all. So, 'A Saucerful Of Secrets'? It remains a strangely fascinating listen, even with several flaws. It's absolutely no kind of 'Piper At The Gates Of Dawn', but it was well enough received at the time to give Pink Floyd encouragement and something to build on, post Syd.

Share Your Views?

Readers Comments piggyinthemiddle poorroyschieder@hotmail.com Corporal Clegg is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Quite possibly Rogers finest moment, and I mean that. I have caught myself singing Clegg a lot more than anything from The Wall or Dark Side. The song is brilliant and most importantly, outright hilarious. bassplayer edd eddie123zeppelin@hotmail.com I think this is a bloody good album and deserves more. Not the best floyd album i'll admit but still very good.It has to have the biggest contrast in an album ever. The spooky eerie "set the controls for the heart of the sun" followed by the hilarious and mad "corporal clegg". clegg is in the same style as some of the more random beatles songs e.g "i am the walrus". dawsdani dawsdani@ukonline.com i think that this album should have been given a higher rating. its an acid trip to end all acid trips. just brilliant. otis otiscass@shaw.com next to the obvious "Jug Band Blues"..."corp. Clegg" is the best track on the album i.m.h.o....always the second track i skip to (i can't bare this entire album)....next to this omission ...i agree Tony AlienAntFarmer1@msn.com I thought this album was an excellent follow-up to Piper, and shows a lot of growth musically, especially with the addition of Gilmour. I'd say 9/10. paul paulwatts@optushome.com.au The title track appears to depict some great battle. It is in three parts. Firstly is the buildup of tension culminating in breaking point being reached. This is followed by a few seconds of ominous near-silence and then the battle itself. Finally, you have the aftermath, the mourning and reflection. For its time, and considering the band's situation at the time with having lost its main creative force, it is a stunning performance. kaczmar kaczmar_joe@hotmail.com Definitely a good follow up, definitely no Piper, but deserves a 9/10. Heres the thing, if you listen to "Remember a Day", "Corporal Clegg', the last two minutes of the title track (never really took a knack to the whole track, just the group sinign at the end), and most IMPORTANTLY, "Jugband Blues", you will like the album. I heard that last tune and was determined to buy it, its so awesome, and so sad at the same time.Go for it!!

This isn't the first Pink Floyd album that springs to mind in the hearts of fans when discussing the groups greatest achievements. I've an idea that Pink Floyd were lucky to be born in an era that allowed them to release an album like 'More', a low-profile soundtrack album, a way to find a direction, find themselves, without the pressure of having to make a heavy artistic statement, or anything like that. Imagine for a second Pink Floyd were born in the Nineties rather than the Sixties. So, they lose their singer & songwriter after an album and a half. After 'More' they'd probably have lost their record contract as well. Major record companies don't have the patience that they used to. Are today's groups given the time to develop? Well, that's another discussion, and shall take place another time. But yeah, 'More' is a sound-track album, thus heavy on atmospheric instrumentals. It isn't a major work, yet it's a very enjoyable work that is unfairly overlooked. You see, 'More' has it's own character and atmosphere, which is the first sign something is happening here. You may or may not love what is happening, but there is something happening. 'More' is soft and mellow for the most part, a marked change already from either of the first two albums. There is little display of Pink Floyd the instrumentalists, even though this is an album with a large portion of instrumental music and vocal free sections. What I mean by that, is there are no lengthy guitar solo's, not that much in the way of production or mixing trickery. 'More' is very straight, and very straight-forward. The songs themselves are almost like little folk-songs, and very humble. Pink Floyd humble? Yeah, once they were. This is such a nice listen, very satisfying, even with a complete lack of innovative ambition, maybe because of that lack.

'Cirrus Minor' opens with a little bird-song, tweets and chirps and so forth. The vocals are very mellow and reminiscent of Syd in places. A little quiet guitar figure comes in, church-organ sounds - the song builds up and is very beautiful indeed. This beauty is contrasted with, 'thanks' to 'The Nile Song'. A little fuzzy distorted guitar, god-awful lyrics and rhymes, yet it still remains entertaining because it's so bloody stupid! 'Crying Song' blatantly rips off Syd Barrett's solo composition 'Opel' for it's entire concept and feel, but seeing as nobody would even hear that Syd song for many years, nobody noticed or cared. Who does care, it's a little piece of prettiness and addictive, affecting listening. Tribal drums open the noisy 'Up The Khyber', more pretty and delicate guitar is a feature of the quite frankly gorgeous simplicity that is 'Green Is The Colour'. Here the folk thing comes in, it has that feel to it to me, at least. It's got a flute in there! 'Cymbaline' is another piece of atmospherics with a very understated chorus, a very beautiful chorus, a mellow piece of humble prettiness. Yes, sir. We move on to obvious pieces of soundtrack padding with the tribal percussion of 'Party Sequence', the so light it's hardly there 'Main Theme' and the more 'Saucerful' stylings of 'Ibiza Bar'. Pink Floyd it seems had one foot in the past and one foot in an as yet uncertain and undetermined future. The closing four songs are not essential, yet all share the atmosphere and character of 'More' even with 'More Blues' being just an excuse for Dave Gilmour to play a little blues, and nothing else. It still fits in, and i'm not sure why, but it does. 'Quicksilver' is seven minutes of mellow stretches of electronic and treated instrumentation, not a favourite of mine here it must be said. 'A Spanish Place' is indeed very Spanish sounding, but not unattractive. The closing 'Dramatic Theme' sounds like it fell right off the writing process for 'Saucerful' yet also shows a development from 'Saucerful' - the guitar is falling into place for a start, that Dave Gilmour guitar is becoming characteristic of him, rather than dealing with somebody else's style as of yore. It's an interesting, fascinating listen.

Share Your Views?

Readers Comments dave dave_wood81@hotmail.com I believe this is one of Floyd's best albums. Though you may disagree, it is very humble and soothing for the soul. A more bluesy album that Syd would have liked. Dave Charlton charltond@charisps.com I think this is one of pink floyds best albums also. Green is the color is my favorite song although I like all of Piper also. I agree with many that is is very erratic with the instumental tracks not fitting in and making it a solid album with commerical songs but that is to be expected from a sound track. This album is certainly more mainstream than Zabriskie Point soundtrack Tony antonytsnorris@aol.com I can't possibly go along with the whole 'It's so stupid' outlook about Nile Song, nor that the lyrics and rhymes are rubbish! The song is rich in texture, and story, if you care to actually use your ears for the intended purpose! Besides which, The Nile Song is quite possibly the finest piece of 'designed to make your ears bleed' hardrock ever produced! Listen to it on record- not the wishy washy CD version which cuts out all the highs and lows, and lacks the ultimate volume and texture of the original vinyl cut.

They should have just made a live album, goddamit! They should have made a double live album featuring a mix of old and new material. The first disc here, the live disc, is stupendous. Pink Floyd in excelsius! 'Astronomy Domine' remains a stellar composition ( in the first instance ) and actually gains in performance ( in the second instance ) - this is raw yet together, full of power and biting, aggressive guitars, a stunning performance. 'Careful With That Axe, Eugene' borders on an extended free-form jam rather than coming across as a studied composition, but it doesn't harm the piece. When it explodes around the three minute mark, Pink Floyd suddenly sound more aggressive and all-out ROCK than they ever had before. Lots of good rhythms and playing all over this. 'Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun' is now nine minutes long, and given the kind of performance that would have enriched 'Saucerful Of Secrets' no end. Speaking of which, the title track from that album runs for twelve minutes, still isn't a favourite of mine - but works well within a live setting, certainly. The studio portion of this allows each member of the group a showcase for their compositional ability and performance talents. 'Sysyphus' is showy yet so lacking in substance it may as well not exist, and would be no great loss to anyone if it didn't. 'Grantchester Meadows' reprises 'More' to an extent, even including the birdsong in the background, including the mellow feel of that album as well. It does ramble though, and never really does anything bar some interesting lyrical poetic patterns of voice. Roger Waters may not have been able to match the mind of Syd Barrett in terms of crazed madcap genius writing of a certain kind, but he could sure come up with a 'funny' song-title. 'Several Small Species' is pure experimentation, yet so truly ridiculous and off the cuff, so messing around in the studio, that I applaud it. And then laugh stupidly, then after listening to it for a third time, never want to hear it ever again.

'The Narrow Way' has some interesting musical guitar sections, the closing 'The Grand Vizier's Garden Party' pure throwaway nonsensical messing around with sound in the studio. There is nothing to see here, please move away. Even with the live disc being pretty decent, even great in places - the studio material here is so wretched it pulls the album down significantly, although the live disc still just about keeps this 'Ummagumma' project's head above water. If the record label of an imaginary Nineties Pink Floyd hadn't dropped them after 'More', they certainly would have done so now. And then where would we be!?

Share Your Views?

Readers Comments matt rhamadan1@yahoo.com I consider Ummagumma to be one of Pink Floyd's best albums. The Live album gives a good look at the early Floyd, and a great version of Careful with that Axe, Eugene. The Studio album gives a voice to each member of the band. By far the best of the Floyd's non-commercial albums 9/10 Matthew Pereduer@aol.com I honestly feel that Ummagumma is the Floyd's best album. It is amazingly creative (the studio) and the live songs are of the perfect length and style. The version of Saucerful of Secrets is amazing but I feel that the vocals are not as strong as they are on the SoS Album or Live at Pompei. Tony AlienAntFarmer41@msn.com I felt this album was pretty well done. The live album was especially good. The studio album was alright, but a lot of it was just filler. However, there are a few moments that do shine on the studio album, so overall I'd give it an 8/10 nathan farland nfarland@hotmail.com i'm sorry, the ummagumma studio album is floyd at its worst and most pretentious... every time you think it might be building up to something, it reverts back to unstructured experimental garbage. floyd took a real step backwards here from the more album. the live stuff is fantastic, though. alex alex_rib19@hotmail.com i seriously thought that ummaguma was terrible. like it may hav been a voice of the guys in it but still c'mon it wasnt even music it was sound effects and like i dont no how ANYONE cood listen to this and enjoy it paul paulwatts@optushome.com.au If Creedence Clearwater Revival's Mardi Gras was, as is widely stated, the worst ever LP recorded by an established act, the studio half of Ummagumma must run a very close second. Only Grantchester Meadows has any merit whatsoever, and even it is about four minutes too long. The live half is better, without being fantastic. Astronomy Domine pads out the original with a boring quiet mid-section but otherwise adds nothing, and sounds very tinny to boot. A Saucerful of Secrets adds the vocal at the end but loses much of the starkness of the original. This could not have been an easy piece to reproduce live. Set the Controls is quite a decent embellishment of the original, and Eugene presents an entertaining live version that loses the original single B side's wonderful sound textures and is thus slightly inferior (the original Eugene is perhaps Floyd's most underrated piece of work). Live album a 7, studio album a 2, overall score 5.

There are a few things you might like to know about this album. The album and title suite were named after a newspaper headline about a woman who had a nuclear pacemaker installed. It seems to have no bearing on said title track, or the rest of the album. The cover art consists of a rather attractive cow called Lulubelle III, with her back slightly turned towards the camera. They wanted a cover that wasn't at all psychedelic. It's one of my favourites pieces of cover art for its sheer stupidity. Alan's Pyschedelic Breakfast was written for their cook, and partly because back in the Syd Barrett days, Syd would take a break during a song to cook eggs and bacon, or at least - so the stories go. The title suite which opens this album was composed with Ron Geesin, who is responsible for the orchestral elements. The piece is split into six sections which are all given silly titles such as 'Breast Milky', 'Mind your Throats Please' and 'Funky Dung' - something to do with the cow on the front of the record, I suppose. This twenty three and a half minute suite was considered to be little more than a demo - they wanted to go back in and re-record it, but it never happened that way. These twenty three minutes of music indeed aren't smooth, but do mark the arrival of Pink Floyd as we now know them. It's here, albeit in rather undeveloped form and albeit with orchestral elements over the top making up for the lack of a single cohesive concept. It sounds stitched together, and by all accounts it was. It works for me though, the orchestral opening sweeping into keyboard work, brass parts coming in. A really nice mellow mid section with a few holy-sounding wailing vocals, the only vocals in this otherwise entirely instrumental suite. You can fast forward three years and think 'Dark Side Of The Moon'. Of course, this isn't anything like 'Dark Side' really, but there are elements here of later Pink Floyd work. Around the seventeen minute mark a transition occurs with a little avant-garde dissonance thrown in before a violin rather attractively takes us towards the close and the piece swings back to reprise themes that have appeared earlier. 

The real meat of this album is the three shorter songs that appear in the middle. Seemingly derivative, seemingly throwaway but there is much to enjoy. Beautiful Piano through the mellow attractiveness that is 'If'. More Piano to open 'Summer 68', a Rick Wright composition, and a mighty fine one too. Little elements of Syd still creep into the writing of Rick Wright here, but the way the harmonies break in and the way the rhythm develops with brass parts arriving..... it more than works for me, a great track. Dave Gilmour writes a fantastic Kinks sounding song that's so good it beggars belief. Where did this vocal come from? Mr Gilmour singing  Ray Davies? It works, and when the guitar solo comes in everything is sent skywards. The closing 'Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast' is a sound collage lasting for thirteen minutes. It's quite amusing in places, and I like the instrumental sequence of Piano, drums and bass guitar that 'decorates' the close before the last minute is taken up with sound effects. 'Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast' invites dismissal as a pile of random rubbish and arseing around, and indeed that's what it appears to be. Parts of the title suite are far from perfect..... the middle three songs range from good to excellent. This album by rights shouldn't really work or hold itself together, yet it does. There are too many flaws for this to be a classic Pink Floyd album, and yet there is much to enjoy.

Share Your Views?

Readers Comments Simon Brigham slb23@shaw.ca This is one of my favourite Pink Floyd albums. I bought it in the winter about three years ago, and since then, whenever I listen to it, it reminds me of summer. Probably all the summer-like themes in it: listen to "Fat Old Sun", for example. The title track is their first crack at a side-long composition. And they do a good job. (Although the sound quality - especially the drums - is a bit muddy at times). "If" is one of Roger's 'list' songs. It's quite sparse in the arrangement compaired to the slightly overblown title track. "Summer 68" is just a plain good song. I didn't like it at first, but it grew on me. "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast" is delightful. On the early U.K. pressings of the vinyl version, they would have a run-out groove with the tap dripping. So if your record player didn't have a return mechanism, the tap would just keep dripping forever. Pretty neat, eh? This album, for me, is one of my favourites, and is probably the most enduring. Matt Marley vamp472@yahoo.com i can see your gripes about this album, but it deserves at LEAST a 9. 'AHM Suite' features the best gilmour solo of all time, and is probably the best pink floyd song of all time--structured like classic cinema, no less,not just "sewn together"...(i'm writing a screenplay to it, in fact, long the lines of 'the wall') and 'if' and 'fat old sun' are great tunes. i didn't like 'alan's' at first but it has stellar guitar and piano parts, even if the 'conversation' parts go on too long. and 'summer 68' is an alright, chilled out song. Tony AlienAntFarmer41@msn.com The first time I heard the album, I was a little disappointed. However, by the 3rd listen-through I found my admiration for the album growing. Now I can't imagine my collection without it. mike djmixmastermike@yahoo.ca i think pink floyd had so much talent at this point but a lot of it was wasted. this album has way too much instrumentals. the songwriting is beautiful but it takes a lot of patience to sit through a 23 minute instrumental. with the same effort in songwritng imagine how much more popular this album could be if they scrapped the 23 minute long instrumental and replaced it with 3 or 4 shorter songs and with vocals? although i like this album it only apeals to the most diehard of fans. Dan justto_haveone@hotmail.com Perhaps I'm one of those die-hard fanatics, but there is nothing wrong with Atom Heart Mother. Not cheesy at all, but that's Pink Floyd's specialty! It's better than The Move's "Shazam," though probably not better than Floyd's own Ummagumma or Animals. Maybe that lyric "ha ha, charade you are" of Animals's just appeals to me too much, but I like Animals a bit better. Not that that has anything to do with Atom Heart Mother, something worth just a bit of money. Not so much, though. kaczmar kaczmar_joe@hotmail.com Well, I have to say, I have every Floyd album, and this is one of my favourites, and its all because of the title track. To me, its just so interesting, like they were trying to go back to Interstellar Overdrive and Saucerful of Secrets, but obviously without AS much psychedelia, tho there still is loads. Would anyone agree this is better than the 24 minuet "Echoes" on Meddle?

Pink Floyd edge slowly forwards. An album like 'Dark Side Of The Moon' didn't appear from nowhere, albums like this and 'Atom Heart Mother' laid the groundwork, especially for the groups instrumental progress. The opening 'One Of These Days' may sound like a jam, but it's a jam that's been highly developed and thought about, a jam with structure, if such a thing is possible at all. Dual bass guitar parts give this piece an interesting sound right from the start. Keyboard parts come through the bass guitar, snatches and pieces of keyboard and guitar. The guitar starts to prowl, sounding like a motorcycle. It takes a good few minutes for 'One Of These Days' to build up, but this build up is relentless and captivating. You don't want to turn away, it seems like anything is about to happen at any moment - you're kept on the edge. The guitars continue to create interesting sounds, and close to the four minute mark everything bursts outwards and everything is totally together and thrilling, creating easily the most impressive opening song on any Pink Floyd album since 'Piper' at the time. 'A Pillow Of Winds' is soft and folky, five minutes long and very beautiful. The guitar is absolutely gorgeous, the vocal delicate and the lyrics, well. There are lyrics and they sound nice, although they could be about anything. You can pick out sections of lyrics and say, 'yeah', so they do work. 'Pillow Of Winds' progresses delicately and works as a nice flip to the opening song. 'Fearless' is an indication of the newly 'mature' Pink Floyd that's on display throughout this album. No messing around, Pink Floyd seem to suddenly have an impetus and a purpose, however and whichever way they found themselves at this stage. Harmony vocals softly sweep through sections of third song 'Fearless', and it's nice and so very easy to listen to. The music is understated, though perfectly performed. This isn't any kind of skyscraping song reaching for the heavens or pretending to be Nirvana. It isn't very Rock & Roll, either. Which way do you like your Pink Floyd? And how come Dave Gilmour suddenly sounds better than he's ever done before? What happened to the guy, or was it just that he suddenly knew his place within the group as everyone had finally gotten over the loss of Syd, once and for all?

'San Tropez' is slightly quirky in it's musical feel, a little Jazzy and a little easy listening, but the vocals cut through, just about. 'San Tropez' is the weakest of these opening four songs, but there is nothing you could describe as being 'bad' about it. Dull, perhaps, but not bad. It's a strange thing, but I really enjoy the Jazz Piano section that appears mid-way through the track. It's a good Jazz Piano section! 'Seamus' works as a supporting track with bluesy guitar, a bluesy feel and bluesy Piano. Filler? Quite possibly. Like 'San Tropez' this isn't essential Pink Floyd and I could live very happily having never heard it. I wouldn't really be missing very much. 'Seamus' is atmosphere and quirkiness, with a dog howling in the background, but there's just a little matter of the twenty three minute side long 'Echoes' to close this album. Just a little matter..... 'Echoes' is a clear step forwards for the group. The vocals suddenly sound like 'Dark Side Of The Moon' vocals. Well, in 1971 they didn't, because that album didn't exist. That's the trouble with reviewing stuff like this knowing what came after. You find yourself looking for the progress you know fully well the group made. At the time the album came out however, it was clear the group had progressed. Even with the slightly less than important 'San Tropez' and 'Seamus' - 'Meddle' is clearly a more serious and artistic album than anything the group had done since 'Piper'. It's more cohesive than anything they'd done since 'Piper'. There are sections of 'Echoes' that quite frankly are dull and boring, but it works just about. As a piece, as a twenty three minute long 'suite' it works. 'Meddle' works. Pink Floyd were working! Okay, ok. You get the idea.

Share Your Views?

Readers Comments agnesfrechette frechett@granite.mb.ca If you listen closely to the dog, it is singing minor 2nds and 7ths all the way through! It is clearly a dog who was once a musician but was karmically annhilated and sent back to sing on a Pink Floyd album, mostly off key! chris godemperorferenczy@yahoo.com Sure Seamus and San Tropez are a bit cheesy, but Echoes is the greatest song ever written, and therefore the whole album gets a 10 in my book. Shockey armedomlette@hotmail.com I guess everyone has their opinion. But this is the single most meaningful album pink floyd has to offer. And the most beautifly crafted songs I have ever heard. Since this scale only goes to 10, I think it deserved an 11. bassplayeredd eddie123zeppelin@hotmail.com Meddle in my opinion is the first post Syd album where the band really came together. The earlier albums had some good stuff on but i think this is where all the hit and miss of earlier albums paid off. "One of these days" is a great opener combining a rock jam with sound effects and experimentation. "A pillow case of winds" has nice guitar work but i don't care much for the song. I love the vocal style on "Fearless" which is another high point on the album. "San Tropez" is cheesy but still enjoyable and "Seamus" is original and fun. "Echoes" is obviously the albums greatest asset, the lyrics aren't great but the music is, the wonderful descending and asscending chromatic chords with Nick's steady drumming and a great solo from Dave. The middle funky section is a great jam with Rick's organ particularly standing out. I don't care much for the nosie in the middle but it nicely connects the twohalves of the song. The end of the builds up nicely and i like the vocal effect on t! he final verse. The song finishes strongly with some nice piano and guitar. The album has its weak moments but the experimentation and great sound should earn it a 9.5. Tony AlienAntFarmer41@msn.com Okay, this is a wonderful album and deserves at least a 9. Granted San Tropez and Seamus are a little cheasy, but One of These Days is a concert classic, A Pillow of Wind is a great ballad, Fearless is just awesome, and Echoes is incredible. john.j.doyle@nuim.ie frechett@granite.mb.ca the production on echoes is out of the cosmos, on a par with norman whitfield and thomas jefferson kaye's finest experiments.the section that begins where dave's jingly jangly guitar jumps straight out of nowhere, and ends at the start of the final verse is perfect doctor who regeneration music. seamus and san tropez are conclusive evidence of pink floyd's variety and eclecticism. 8/10. Teeters menialtaskguapo@yahoo.com Alright, personally, I think you rated this album a wee bit too high. Atom Heart Mother should be rated higher, even if the first track of this album lacks the wider appeal most Floyd tracks provide. Song for song, Meddle does not deserve this rating. One of These Days is an attractive, different stroke for Floyd, yet strays from the great guitar licks found in Echoes. A Pillow of Winds is a weak attempt at mellow psychedelia acheived by Fearless, the better of the short tracks. San Tropez does not acheive the preferred Floyd sound as it sacrifices intrigue with bland near elevator music devoid of the psychedelia portrayed in earlier albums. Seamus is lame, sorry, no sympathy there. Finally, Echoes achieves the sound previously attempted in this album; the downside there is the twenty minute length of it with little diversity to the sound, aside from the sirens in the middle. Overall, Meddle is a last ditch effort to relive the psychedelia found in other albums which! fails aside from a few shining moments, namely in Echoes and Fearless. I would give it a 6.

What kind of song title's are these? 'The Gold It's In The'. In the what? Oh, but this is a sound-track album, of course it is. Instrumental textures and patterns sound mature compared to even two years earlier but they also sound slow. 'Obscured By Clouds' isn't as together as 'Meddle', it isn't as ambitious as 'Meddle', bearing in mind the material here. There are very few stand-out tracks, even if the whole amounts to a listenable whole. Instrumental tunes mix with vocal tunes aka 'More' but with a few interesting things happening, granted. 'When You're In' has a riff worthy of Glam Rock - did Marc Bolan copy this for 'Children Of The Revolution'? It's possible! 'What's Uh The Deal' is a very pretty sounding piece of mellow guitars and vocals. "Heaven sent the promised land, looks alright from where I stand" go the lyrics, and everything is oh so sweet, but yeah, nicely sweet. The opening title track is the most striking piece on the entire record, and bear in mind how close the follow-up album is now. Thinking about it, the title song doesn't obviously DO anything bar great sounding guitar over a rhythm section that sounds together. Does it mean anything? Can you get emotionally attached to this - good and pretty as it sounds? I can't, although I can admire it. The closing song is called 'Absolutely Curtains', oh the japes! Spooky and quiet keyboards provide the backdrop for samples of ordinary folk singing a solemn piece of solidarity, albeit waywardly, as a crowd of people tend to do. I have no idea what the intention was, by the way. I don't particularly care. The pressure was off, this is a sound-track album, low-key. Work had already tentatively begun on 'Dark Side Of The Moon' - this is breathing space. 

'Free Four' reminds you ( as did 'When You're In' ) that Pink Floyd were existing in the throes of Glam Rock, Marc Bolan, and the rest. This sounds like Mungo Jerry! Okay, so it doesn't really, but this is bizarre stuff to hear coming from Pink Floyd. There is no glitter surrounding it, it all sounds deadly serious, then this Hard Rock guitar solo comes in. What's going on? The rhythm is glam, it's folky, it's both things - although everything is understated.  'Mudmen' features a Dave Gilmour guitar part that tries to soar, but everything is taken at such a slow tempo, you'll fall asleep before he's finished playing. It still sounds okay. But is 'Obscured By Clouds' a major work? No. Did Pink Floyd learn anything through the recording process? Quite possibly. It sounds well recorded and with a small selection of samples used. That idea would continue. Ominous keyboard sounds replace slightly less ominous keyboards of old. The vocals are deadly serious - straight for the most part. But..... you could miss this album out entirely, really you could, although if you're a fan you'll want to get it. Pink Floyd didn't release that many albums through the years that you'll want to live without something like 'Wot's Uh The Deal', which is my song of choice from this collection.

Share Your Views?

Readers Comments john Kedward keddy1980@hotmail.com Having grown up with 'Dark side of the moon' Listening to Obscured by Clouds for the first time. It comes across as something lighter more etheral at times. However the instrumentals sound a bit dated bringing the listener back to Ford zodiacs and eight tracks. It also like 'more' sounds a bit half finished but I love some of the tracks on it. 'There's gold.' and 'Wots a deal'. However I what really is outstanding is the album cover. A truely wonderful piece of abstract imagery. It is somebody trying to break through into a different dimension? The play of bubble likelights, as if you were looking into bright morning sun is very catching! Tony AlienAntFarmer41@msn.com This albums suprised me, it sounded only vaguely like the Floyd mostp eople know, but I still love this album. I myself describe it as a little bit like The Eagles, Creame, and just a hint of Zepp. But there is some great stuff on this album, and it deserves a lot higher. jordan jordansterling1@yahoo.com I thought Obscured by clouds could be one of the better pink floyd albums that people miss. To me, it seemed that the songs on here were nearly 1 step away from becoming their dark side of the moon material. If you listen to Childhoods end, it sounds very similar to Time. Burning Bridges is similar to Us and Them. It seemed to me as if this album was visual of Pink Floyd's transition to their Dark Side of the Moon style. Even more so than Meddle showed. Huw davidhuwthomas@hotmail.com I bought this with low expectations as it was a film score and a lesser known Floyd album. I was pleasantly surprised to find a collection of accessible "proper" songs - some of which are pretty untypical of the band and some of which give a hint of what was to come. If you don't like the instrumentals try playing them at 45RPM!

Cosy couples happy in their new homes rushed out to buy copies of 'Dark Side Of The Moon' to play on their newly installed state of the art Seventies hi-fi equipment, safe in the knowledge that here was the very best audio quality the world had to offer. If you happened to be living in Thailand you'd discover your copy of the 'Time' single came backed with two ELO tracks, and quite possibly be very confused in the process. No singles were taken from the album in the UK, although 'Money' became a breakthrough hit for the group in the US. Finally, something for the live audiences to boogie to! Concert attendances blossomed, the same cosy couples were broken from their usual respectful silence during Pink Floyd concerts and enticed to yell out a request for the catchy 'Money' in the middle of the set instead. But, all of that came a little later. An idea for a song about insanity came into Roger Waters head during the 'Meddle' sessions. A little later, the group found themselves in Nick Masons kitchen discussing the idea of a suite of songs all linked together. The insanity idea was held - madness, death, ageing and tape splicing ( to create some of the albums sonic effects ) all added during the writing and recording process. Clocks tick and chime at the beginning of 'Time', cash registers are heard at the beginning of 'Money' - screaming and spooky voices are heard elsewhere in the album. In fact, the screaming that ends 'Speak To Me' ( composed by Nick Mason, no less! ) flows wonderfully into the beginning of 'Breathe'. A suite of songs all linked together? You bet! Occasionally, it's not the songs themselves but the joins and links between the songs that are the finest moments here. 'Dark Side Of The Moon' isn't ten of the greatest tracks ever written, and then committed to tape. It's ten tracks that work brilliantly in combination - a whole more than the sum of its parts.

The keyboards and effects heavy instrumental 'On The Run' is only here to join together 'Breathe' and 'Time'. That's all. But you see, as 'On The Run' fades out oh so quietly, the clocks and ringing of 'Time' literally leaps out and grabs your ears and tears them from the side of your head, leaving you bloody and in some level of pain! Yeah, it 'literally' does that! A great transition, you see! 'Time' has great vocals. 'Us And Them' has glorious vocals, a friend of 'Breathe', it's a song with a similar feel and atmosphere. Guest vocalist Clare Torry enriches the already beautiful Rick Wright composition 'The Great Gig In The Sky' with some terrific vocal wailing. 'The Great Gig In The Sky' is spooky, it's glorious perfect music. The music and production, even forgetting the superlative vocal sounds - is enough already, really. Combined together, yeah, we really have something. If the likes of 'Money', 'Breathe' and 'Great Gig In The Sky' are amongst the highlights here, the only real weak point is the instrumental 'Any Colour You Like'. Even then, this isn't a weak track as such, just weaker than everything else here. The purpose of the keyboard led 'Any Colour You Like' seems less certain within the whole than other pieces here. Still, it's a minor point, I guess. The closing two songs pick up the slack, "The lunatic is on the grass" opens 'Brain Damage', 'Eclipse' sounds like the end of a film, the end of an opera or stage show. It fades out to mirror the sound of a heart beat, the same kind of sound that opened the album. That's a nice touch.

I don't really know how to sum up 'Dark Side Of The Moon' in a couple of easy sentences. I made the point earlier than the whole is more than the sum of its parts, and it's true. There aren't really that many classic songs here, but 'Dark Side Of The Moon' isn't really about the songs. It's a marvellous piece of inventive production, the samples and effects really adding to the record. There are highlights here, and very few weak points. It's a cliche, but 'Dark Side Of The Moon' is a trip. Whether it lives up to its reputation is another matter, but it doesn't really disappoint either.

Share Your Views?

Readers Comments Nick nickspicer@talk21.com clearly the best album and deserves a 10. Personally i find money the poorest and most irritating of all tracks on the album, with songs such as us and them and the great gig in the sky making it the masterpiece that it is. spencer lowe spancy11@yahoo.com you have obviously rated dark side of the moon too low, it deserves a 10. any floyd fan knows that album really made floyd and was on the charts for some 14 yrs. bassplayeredd eddie123zeppelin@hotmail.com 10. Has been overplayed for 30 years and still sounds great. To the person who commented first Money is a class song, second only to Time. The only song i don't think is great is "on the run". runnie gengen@alltel.net a great album period. maybe not rock'n'roll (excluding "money") but great music and lyrics nonetheless. i'm certainly not going to downgrade it just because yuppies (and apparently everyone else) happen to own a copy (or two). and the fact that i'm not totally sick of it after hearing it, and about it, for so many years, says something. the music alone to "time", "the great gig...", and "us and them", is some of the most beautiful to be heard anywhere in any genre. but the previous comment is correct, the whole is greater than the parts - "on the run" for example is not a great track taken out of context, but sounds fine as part of this particular album. Bryan Way Maxsisrus7@aol.com For starters, no. No. There are plenty of classic songs here. Money, Us and Them, Time, Brain Damage and Eclipse. The fact that they are incorporated into the lavish production of the album itself is part of what makes it great, and something tells me that 'On the Run' and 'Any Colour You Like' are not simply filler. The album practically defines Pink Floyd, and its success is in a large way because of that. It should move up to an 11, or the other albums should drop below it. neil upton uptonneil@hotmail.com 9? This should be the 10 on the scale by which you judge any album ever made. However, I agree with Nick's comment about money. I always skip it. ben scotty leach cleach@columbus.rr.com I am a 12 year old kid and i still know that dark side needs a 10.It is their best album(and trust me i have heared them all)and one the greatest rock n roll albums of all time.And 'Money' is not the best song on the album,'Time' is fallowed closely by 'Eclipse'.And if a album from the 70's gets a good review from a 12 year old kid it,needs a good review Sara upton krazy_rockin_kid47@msn.com Dark side of the moon is a brilliant album, and for those who think on the run isn't all that great you're wrong, on the run is very experimental and thats what pink floyd basically is!!!! As for the rest of the album, its bloody brilliant, no songs are a nuisance to me and I can never get sick and tired of any song on this album, not even money! Just to say, Im 15, and I know how to rate an album and this one deserves a 10 and a half! (if there is such a thing) I LOVE FLOYD! Brian Dickson jed@dickson171.fsnet.co.uk Oooh I liked Dark Side Of the Moon when I was 18. It was so slick and mysterious. You see at the time I was into bands like Queen that had poncey "melody" shudder and Iron Maiden who were just brainless Neanderthals. It was high time I listened to some REAL music. The Floyd. Yeah. Totally legendary. And Dark Side is their magnum opus. The pinnacle of intelligent rock. One of the defining moments in the history of popular music. The atmospheric hearbeats, the mellow, spacey guitar runs of Breathe. What a fantastic start. I'm truly listening to the sound of deepest space here. And the repeated electronic loop of On The Run, with it's mysterious spoken passages. What is it? It sounds like a woman speaking over a PA ystem about flights to Rome. I can see the sheer GENIUS of that! And The great Gig In the Sky with it's soulful wailings. Money too, the more mainstream track with Waters in fine vitriolic form about how corrupt the music business is! It's all about mak! ing money! Oh no! I'm with Roger in feeling outrage too! And it's so obvious that The "dark side of the moon" is a clever metaphor for madness. And even the cover fits pefectly. A prism. The prism means both madness and the dark side of the moon. It's all so obvious! Pink Floyd really know how to churn out some clever stuff! That's all great. But that's what I thought when I was 18. Hearing it more dispassionately 16 years later I don't think there's much good music on The Dark Side Of The Moon. The guitar run on Breathe is so mundane. The electronic loop on On The Run? You could do better these days on a music making software program. The singing on Great Gig In the Sky has no form or melody to it. I can just imagine Waters saying to the session singer "Right make it loud and soulful, but none of this melody bullsht. That's for commercial bands" And Us And Them to me sounds like something you might hear on Sesame Street circa 1971. Us....us...us....and...them! ....them....them... .None of the members are exceptional at wh! at they do. Waters isn't the best singer, Gilmour isn't the best guitarist, Mason isn't the best drummer... you get the idea. In fact virtually nothing on Dark Side is MUSICALLY very good. For me Time and Brain Damage are stll quite good songs. So a band wrote some good songs, Whoopee. I could list a hundred bands who have written "good" songs. Dark Side Of The Moon ( and Pink Floyd in general) is mainly about EFFECT. The overall effect, the "sound landscape", is what makes it a noteworthy album. Some might find this reason to laud it. I don't particularly. And really, what's the dark side of the moon got to do with madness? The ideas which seem to obvious to impressionable 18 year olds don't really hold any water (no pun intended) to closer inspection. Dark Side To me is a clever album in that it can make you believe you're hearing a masterpiece, but really it's to pop music what Star Wars is to movies. Lots of cool efects to suspend disbelief, but not much else beyond that. These days I don't take Pink Floyd seriously. I've outgrown Pink Floyd in the same way that I've outgrown watching The A Team. One entertained me at age 13, the other at age 18. In my opinion Pink Floyd appeal to a specific age group roughtly 16-25 or so. Their themes of mystery, madness and whining about how life sucks when you've got a mountain of cash no longer appeal to me now, and there isn't really much good music backing it up. Most Pink Floyd bores me to tears now. Trying to find the substance behind the aural chicanery (or less charitably, "wankery") of their albums is like chasing a rainbow. Some might find this a worhtwhile pursuit. I don't. These days I actually prefer Iron Maiden and Queen to pretentious Pink Floyd. Things have turned full circle indeed. But I don't hate Pink Floyd now either. And really, people like Beethoven, Wiliam Byrd and Bach have written stuff better than any pop/ rock group, and in much greater quantities than the most prolific ban! d. The best pop music is something to entertain you. Some rave! about " The greatest musical achievment in recored history" when speaking about Dark Side Of The Moon. I can listen to arty pop music and enjoy it, but I don't take it all that seriously, unlike most Floyd fans. If you're the type who thinks Picasso was a genius then Pink Floyd are for you. Because while Picasso's paintings can draw attention for being odd, at the end of the day his paintings are from a technical point of view absolute crap. I won't go so far in saying the same for Pink Foyd, but really the main appeal lies in the presentation, not the music itself. Similarly people like to eat caviar because it has such high brow and classy connotations. But really it's just fish eggs. Prententiousness is seemingly part of the human condition. I can cautiously recommend Dark Side Of the Moon to the listener, because it does have some worth, even if nothing more than a museum piece of popular culture. But I don't think that it's because the MUSIC is great. Some- and I mea! n SOME- Pink Floyd is quite good music IMO, but I need a lot of patience to find it amongst the overgrown sonic weeds of their albums. When people apply genius status to Pink Floyd it just makes me smile. guerillabedlam dogsflyhigh@hotmail.com OK first i would like to say I think Dark Side of the Moon is a good album, I dont think as good as their next three efforts (Wish you were Here, Animals, or The Wall) but still a solid album. I think 9 is an appropriate rating. Also it is probably the best introduction to Pink Floyd. OK, time for the ranting. I read a review about how this album and Pink Floyd in general is not really a talented band just uses a lot of cool effects and "trickery" to do the job and is basically just a young adult band. I have to say that's one of the dumbest things ive ever heard. Yes i think Pink Floyd probably does appeal more to young adult "pot smoking" age but that's not why theyre so great. In fact a poll said the reason that Dark Side of the Moon is most people's favorite album is because its people's favorite album to make love to. (although lyrically i think its a weird album to choose) Anyways, the reason why Floyd is great is because theyre! basically everything that's good about rock music. In my opinion Dark Side of the Moon outside of Money is far from a pop album, almost half the album is insturmental On the Run, Great Gig in the Sky, Any Colour you like, and then even Time takes awhile to kick in. I dont know how you cant call them musically gifted either, Gilmour is defintely a very good guitarist and his style fits perfectly with the band, and then even though Money gets old after awhile there is still a great sax solo and another good solo by Gilmour, and just the little touches by Waters and Right such as the background voices and such add so much more to the album. So what Floyd did is they made an album not with a couple of hits, but an album sticks with a particular mood that we all as humans can relate to. This album doesnt really sound dated either compared to most of the other stuff in 73. Some people were saying that they could make ON the Run on their computer and how its simple and repetiti! ve, Well if you can make it on your computer and all today I g! uess you cant really say it sounds dated cause you would think that technology would be gone now if it sounded that dated. I think that's part of the mystery and genius of Floyd and while they have and will outlast the majority of other 70's rock bands. (Boston, Ted Nugent,Doobie Brothers) I think Floyd will outlast even Kiss and Zeppelin, (and i am a huge Zeppelin fan) because if rock "officially" dies which it looks like its in the process of those bands will die with it because there is no otherway to categorize them, and you categorize their 70's stuff as psychedelic either cause by this time almost all of the prominent psychedelic bands were part of the past (Beatles, Doors, Jimi Hendrix, i dont really consider Grateful Dead a psychedelic band and Jefferson Airplane became Jefferson Starship.) So basically what im saying is Floyd's style is one of a kind and if I were to try to label Dark Side of the Moon as any kind of album I would call it the first ever ambient concept album! because i know when i listen to it and my friends listen to it it basically just strikes the right chord evokes some basic human feelings. John Smith johnsmith@omega-studios.cjb.net Uhh, Brian Dickson just churned out the most crap I've ever heard. On the Run can be done better by some computer program today? That makes no sense. That's like me saying "haha, suckers, all you in the past who didn't have access to the internet because IT DIDN'T EXIST, well, I'm superior to you." I think you're mistaking poetry, art, and seriousness for pretentiousness. The Great Gig in the Sky has no melody? They were just trying to capture the spontaneousness. Obviously because this album doesnt cater to your every desire it must suck and be a piece of crap. And uh, do you have no life? This EXACT review of yours is on Amazon.com and reviewcentre.com. Do you have nothing better to do than try to be a rebel and piss on this album? Nice job raging against the machine, dumbass. Contrary to what Brian might say, this IS a great album. In atmosphere, I'd say it's the best Pink Floyd album, however, musically, I think Wish You Were Here is a bit ! better. I'd still give this album a 10/10 for providing a great listening experience. Floydfanatic tboltED@aol.com Anyone who thinks "Money" sucks needs to go to hell. It is the best song on the album. The sound fx and guitar solos are 100% flawless! In fact, every song is flawless. I give this album 10+. bassplayeredd eddie123zeppelin@hotmail.com sorry to post again but i must say i've changed my mind about "on the run". It is really quite breath taking to say when it was made. I suppose you also need to be wearing headphones to apprciate it because there are a lot sounds that go from one side to the other. Stuart O\'Neill stuart.oneill6@btinternet.com Awesome album, just wonderful. Bryan, if Gilmour isn't a great guitarist how come he's been one of the most in-demand session players for the past 30 years? Ben (Jamin) Riddell ben_jamin401@hotmail.com ?Ok Brian, so what's the gag here? Did someone bribe you to start ripping apart Dark Side Of The Moon, did someone blackmail you into hating Pink Floyd? because trust me Brian, you are likely one of the few that will challenge the greatness of DSOTM. So you say that you can do better things on a studio program now-a-days because we are so hi-tech? That's great, now anyone with moeny can write a song, no talent involved. Here are guys that were experimenting with new technology, breaking ground with their art-rock sound, using their actual combined talent to creat a masterpeice concept album, and what do you have to say? let's praise the rich kid with the computer program he's just as good. well ive heard a lot of tribute bands on floyd, its is not as easily replicated as u might think! i'd like to see you create an album on your little program that comes near to this! ok so you've gotten yourself all wrapped up in the purely lyrical! message being sent. how about the actual music? does that mean nothing, lyrics are an extension of pink floyd, how can you expect to understand them if you don't listen to the instrumental half? ok, and so your saying that bach and beethoven were better right? well thats great for them, no one said pink floyd was better, because they weren't trying to be them! its comparing apples and oranges. Here's my thoughts Brian "Benjamin Franklin was way better than Beethoven because he created electricity, and we all depend on it so hes much better!" apples and oranges that's what u were comparing Brian. You liked it when you were 18 eh? too bad you gave up your soul with your age, wow have you possibly become some of the things you vowed never to become? Some of the things people specifically listen to Pink Floyd for, the messages conveyed through their music huh huh??? I think you've lost your soul Brian, and frankly I'm dissapointed you wo! uld write something so terrible about This Album, or Pink ! Floyd at all. you have insulted many by your careless comments. now on to my thoughts on the album, for those of you who get tired of some of the songs, i don't understand how you can just skip them? its a concept album it doesnt make sense if you skip sections! I never listen to an album and just flip to my favourite songs, thats not what they were made for. its a concept album and meant to be played from beginning to end! I'm just amazed evertime i listen to their stuff, is this all in their heads? is this what they hear during the day? how does one create something like Dark Side Of The Moon? it al flows into eachother so smoothly like it was all imagined together. the slow build up to the end couple songs, where you can just feel the energy pulsing through you, living the music! anyways if you have listened to this album you know what I mean, and if you have read Brian Dickenson's comments, then you will realize that Dickenson minus the "E! nson" is a good description for him. Tony AlienAntFarmer41@msn.com Deserves a 10 for its musical significance. Without, most of us would've never heard WYWH, The Wall, Animals, Piper, etc. I don't understand everyone's beef with Money, its a great song in concert, and is fun to play if you're in a band. Josh Jshcprc@yahoo.com Dark side of the Moon is one of the greatest concept albums of all time, However I feel that it's overwhelming popularity throughout time has taken away from the beauty of thier other concept albums that were just as good (AKA The Roger Waters era) Simon odd_fellow@hotmail.co.uk To be honest, i thought you summed the album up about right in your review, as usual. Musically it's not the best thing ever, but the production and sequencing is awesome. I really like this album, but what i really can't stand is people who think it is so fucking great, and by far the best album ever etc. Those wankers who say it deserves '11' can fuck off, because it doesn't. It is way above average, but not the best album ever by any means. Steven skinny-snowman@hotmail.com Just because something is popular doesnt mean its not good. Look at the symphony, its way popular and its still good. No then....... Since i bought dark side of the moon, i am still finding out new things about it. Like when you hear, "There is no dark side of the moon, really, its all dark". I just dicover that yesterday (pathetic, i know). To me, dsotm is a great work of art and will never die. Rating:20 Kier Smith amusedtodeath@hotmail.co.uk I think every man and his dog has said something about this album, but id just like to add this. 'Time' is the best song every written, in the world - ever! no question, i wondered if i could ever say this but im settled with it and im proud to say it. This song means the world to me and i just wanted everyone to know it. ' the build up, the tempo, the way it kicks in, the lyrics (unbelievable, just out of this world. The times ive recited the lyrics from this song, it just shakes me every time i run through them) - the greatest guitar solo ever, the final verse, the resigned attitude the end of the song brings. ah its perfection. i'll say no more. Go listen to it. Again! ha, ha. matt mcolville1@yahoo.com Lets not kid ourselves guys, just because somethings famous, popular or well known doesn't warrant the over analyzing and extremely critical grading of dark side, deep down. its a nine and a half at least, i know that you are more a fan of the kind of music that gives an atmospheric feel rather than bluesy rock or guitar heavy music, but this album blends those two types of music together perfectly, its an amazing accomplishment, 9.5 from me, btw Time is the best song on the album and one of the best in the whole pink floyd catalogue matt Colville6969@yahoo.com Dear Sweet Brian, You seem to have taken your view on dark side of the moon a little bit too far. Yes, your right, Dark Side of the Moon probably isn't the best album of all time. It may or may not be Pink Floyd's best album. Point taken, and understood. But don't try to tell people that Pink Floyd is an average group,because few bands have ever been as unique and innovative as Pink Floyd over the years, they are unique. and don't very cautiously reccomend it to the listener, (everyone's already heard it anyway and knows that its a good album) Anyway i have to disagree with you "Money" lovers, Time my favorite on the album Dan j4triv@lycos.com An easy 10. Wonderfully evocative, hauntingly beautiful, etc., etc. Originally, "Us and Them" was my favorite, the repetitive beats like a slower, sadder version of the wars it rues. Then, of course, there was "Time", which plays on all of our fears of death, and more precisely, a wasted life ("And then one day you find/Ten years years have got behind you/No one told you when to run/You missed the starting gun"). But now I'm more drawn to "Brain Damage", contemplating how Roger must have felt writing it, projecting what can only be his version of "survivor's guilt" (no doubt his father's death at Anzio also plays into this) onto the Sid-figure narrator, and the subtext of resentment ("You raise the blade/You make the change/You rearrange me till I'm sane"), abandonment ("You lock the door/And throw away the key"), and horror ("There's someone in my head but it's not me") that Roger imagines "Sid" lashing out on him, culminating with wistful-yet-menacing promis! e that all of this will happen to Rog, too. ("I'll see you on the dark side of the moon.") And its musical beauty is unsurpassed, building and building until it cuts out, leaving only the stark beauty of "Eclipse" to follow. Pure excellence, IMO. paul paulwatts@optushome.com.au I think what this Brian fellow was trying to say, and not very well, is that DSOTM was of its time, but hasn't aged all that well. This is bound to happen when currently fashionable technologies and ideas are used in a recording. Like Sgt Pepper a few years before, DSOTM became flavour of the decade, but given the passing of time, somehow falls short of other works by the same artists. GAZZA As far away from the syd barret psychedelic whimsy as you can get "dark side of the moon" remains the most incredible concept album on life,madness,and mortality thats ever been made. Musically it takes the ideas the beatles had circa 67 to their logical conclusion ,but unlike the beatles who excelled in bringing diverse material together floyd prefer to stretch their music out into peaks and troughs that fit together musically as well as conceptually . It gave birth to a lot of pretence and dodgy albums , but this one remains a classic. Their are some majestic moments here, the mellow melancholy of "breathe" , the intricate funk of "money" , "the great gig in the skys" ominous beauty, the overlapping keyboards on "any colour you like" and of course the dreamy sax enhanced "us and them" . And you cant mention this album without commenting on david gilmours incredible guitar playing. What an incredible journey this album takes you on and it has done for nearly 35 ! years now .

You'd have to go back as far as 'Meddle' to find a Pink Floyd album structured like this, a long extended piece ( albeit split into two sections ) and then a few shorter songs to add variety and fill out the whole. 'Dark Side Of The Moon' had been such a massive success, that Pink Floyd were in something of a quandary as to how to produce a follow-up. Record company pressures added to the confusion, a subject touched upon in the lyrical matter of 'Welcome To The Machine' and 'Have A Cigar' in particular. Truth is, Pink Floyd didn't have very much material ready. 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond', a tribute to lost founder member Syd Barrett, arrived out of stretches of studio jamming. The three songs inbetween the two 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' tracks were all Roger Waters songs, whereas in the past, you'd have got one Waters, one Gilmour and one Wright. Rick Wright has no song-writing credits here bar a co-write for the 'Shine On' suite. Gilmour gets co-write credits for the title song and 'Shine On'. It doesn't really matter, I guess, but one result of the massive success of 'DSOTM' was that Pink Floyd became a far less democratic venture. Having said that ( phew! ), Rick Wright plays good keyboards throughout and Dave Gilmour shines in places, particularly all through 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond'. The instrumental keyboard and guitar introduction lasts for nearly nine minutes. A couple of minutes of vocals, and then more instrumental music to close. The 'reprise' that finishes the album is similarly instrumental heavy, but when the instrumental music is as gorgeous as this, nobody is complaining, least of all me. This nine minute introduction to 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' is slow, mournful and truly beautiful. Very touching, more so than the vocal section in a funny way. The guitar parts from Gilmour seem scientifically precise, but are no less impressive or touching for that.

Of the three shorter songs, I really love both 'Welcome To The Machine' and 'Wish You Were Here'. 'Welcome To The Machine' is monotone, lacking in melody. But then, the idea was oppression and technological fear. 'Welcome To The Machine' I find to be very addictive listening, very cold and dark yet able to provoke an emotional response, certainly. The title song is beautiful, the lyrics if you read them as laid out on paper work as poetry. They sound great when sung, which is important as well, but this is a good set of lyrics, no question. There is a folky atmosphere, a weary vocal, a few touches of the blues about Gilmour's guitar work. The title song is better than the already decent 'Welcome To The Machine' and very nearly a match for the opening 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' ( parts 1-5, if you really wanted to know ). 'Have A Cigar' is the clear weakpoint of the album. A dog of a song, seemingly an attempt at providing a little groovy funk aka 'Money', but it falls flat on its face. The funky aspect is clumsily executed - neither the guitar nor keyboard parts sound comfortable. The vocals are provided by Roy Harper, and don't sound great either. Roger Waters was apparently meant to sing the song, but never got a satisfactory vocal down. The closing 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' ( parts 6-9, this time ) is less beautiful than the opening sequence, but still impressive and gorgeous all the same. It ties up the album very well.

Splitting 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' was a great idea, actually. It gives the illusion that 'Wish You Were Here' is a more cohesive work than it really is! This is no 'Dark Side Of The Moon' conceptually or in terms of easy flow one track to the next. The transition from 'Have A Cigar' through to the title song is a case in point. 'Have A Cigar' fades out to the sound of a transistor radio, 'Wish You Were Here' opens with the sound of a transitor radio amid voices and crackles - but the songs don't naturally lend themselves to be joined in such fashion. Anyways! 'Wish You Were Here' on the strength of the title track and 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' alone is more than impressive. Add in 'Welcome To The Machine' with its fear and paranoia, and you can forgive them 'Have A Cigar', really you can. A step down from 'Dark Side Of The Moon' this may be, but it's not that much of a step - this is still mighty stuff.

Share Your Views?

Readers Comments Simon Brigham slb23@shaw.ca This was my first Floyd record. I found it in a box of records a friend of my parent's gave to me four years ago. I took one look at the cover and said "This one's a keeper!". So I set it aside, and listened to it later. I didn't like it at first, so I shelved it. But then I came back to it and it was quite good. That's how I got to like Pink Floyd. This is really a sad album. You can immediately tell from the sad keyboards at the begining of "Shine on You Crazy Diamonds", and also from the mournful guitar. It's all very mechanical. It's like very creative machines are playing the instruments, instead of people. One of my favourite parts is when "Have a Cigar" gets 'sucked' into the radio that's go from station to station, finally resting on a station that's 'playing' "Wish You Were Here". If you turn up the begining part you can hear Dave cough a disgusting smoker's cough. Rumour has it that when he heard it on playback, he immediately quit. Good for you, Dave! The only part I don't like it "Shine on you Crazy Diamond Part VI". A must for floyd fans. bass player edd eddie123zeppelin@hotmail.com except for welcome to machine it is an absolute gem.9.5/10 ben leach misszg@wideopenwest.com I think this is a 100% tribute album to Syd Barret.I mean come on, (S)hine on (y)ou cray (D)imond. I feel that both Welcome to the machine and Have a cigar are songs about his life. "come in here dear boy have a cigar, your gonna go far" and Wish you were here, jeez if that isent a white flag of a tribute album then what is. MattP cincy4912@aol.com Couldn't agree more with your review, great album despite the uncoordinated sounding "have a cigar". "Shine On" (part1) and "Wish you were here" are in my opinion two of the best floyd songs ever. Both are gorgeous songs. Philthy Phil philthyphil@ntlworld.com I can't believe that you completely miss mentioning the whole point of this album. It's not a tribute to Syd (as one of your other contributers says) but a deeply heart-felt outpouring of sorrow over what became of the man. Every lyric, every line, every word is about Syd (with the possible exception of have a cigar). The very title of the album is lamenting that Syd is NOT here, ie. with us, in the real world. I thought every Floyd fan knew the meaning of this album. It is one of the Floyd's most personal albums. The four of them are coming to terms with the fact that Syd has gone (even if not physically) and is lost to them. He has traded his walk on part in the war for a leading role in a cage; there's a look in his eyes, like black holes in the sky; he's caught in the crossfire of childhood and stardom; he bought a guitar to punish his ma; he is threatened by shadows at night and exposed in the light; how they wish, how we all wish, that he was here. Tri! bute to Syd? I think it's more of a requiem. An R.I.P. to the lost mind of a loved one. For me, this is better than Dark Side - it has the same themes: madness, corporate manipulation, the unbearable difficulty of merely living from day to day - but in this album, those themes are not abstract, they stem instead from the bands experiences of watching a friend fall apart at the seams. One could argue that the wall is the Floyd's most personal album. But that is dominated by Roger Waters personality, his concerns and experiences. Wish you were here is much more of a joint enterprise - they all share the feelings here - that for me is why it works better than the wall. I know you don't like handing out 10/10's - but I think this deserves one more than any other Floyd album. And BTW, I love Roy Harper's vocal on Cigar! The comic lyrics of this track contrast beautifully with the sinister nature of the song's story - 'we're so happy we can hardly count', 'by! the way, which one's pink?' - when all the time, this, ultima! tely is what led to Syd's demise - the pressures of stardom, sudden wealth and always someone with the drugs, whenever you want them - even when you don't! - especially when you don't!! If I could own just 1 Floyd album, this would be it. Tony AlienAntFarmer41@msn.com Ah yes, my 2nd Pink Floyd album. I loved it my first listen-through, and I still love it. A must have for anyone who's ever even heard one song from Dark Side. Josh Jshcprc@yahoo.com I feel that WYWH is just as good of a concept album as DSOTM. It is a musical postcard to Syd. It starts off talking of Syd's mental state in scorn and disbelief (Shine on you crazy diamond 1-5). Then the album talks of various factors that one has to deal with when they are a musical celebrity covering every thing from Lying record lables to a blood hungry society(Welcome to the Machine & Have a cigar). Then the album changes pace as if the writer of the "Musical Postcard" had changed thier mind in regards to the scornful and disbelieving comments made during the first Shine Medley, and began longing for the time when they were ignorant to fame and showbiz(Wish You Were Here)and then finally comes to realize that they are on the same path as the one they scorned (Shine On You Crazy Diamond 6-9) Ultimately I believe that this is just as well of a thought out concept album as Dark Side of the Moon. Lily lili8530@hotmail.com My only regret is discovering Pink Floyd only when I did. I think Roger Waters is a genius and A world without Floyd would suck. I will See Roger Waters live in September, he will be doing in full, Dark Side Of The Moon. I'll pop back and let yall know how that went. Talk about having your dreams come true at the tender age of 27. Have a cigar, great tune.... Skinny Snowman skinny-snowman@hotmail.com First of all, its a brilliant album and "Shine on you crazy diomond is are great songs". So i disagree with that. But at least you gave it a good rating. big matt m_rupoli@hotmail.com "Welcome to the machine" is without doubt my favorite song on this album. I think it gives a good intake on syds life, and thats basically what floyd's trying to accomplish with this tribute album. the tone and style of the song flow perfectly with the lyrics. i dont think this cd has a bad song at all, but this one stands out the best for me. perfect 10. Gavin Gleed gavin_gleed4@msn.com i remember going out to buy this album. i had worked all week, ordered it in, and on the day it ws the best thing i had ever bought. 13 years after its release, i walk into a shop, and im amased that the sleeve is a black vaccum pack with post cards and stickers........i was lost!!!!! floyd made music history with this album. there are very few bands that are able to make an album with as much success as DSOTM...but to have the ordasity to follow it up with one of equal if not better qualities is the mark of prefection. most bands would have struggled to have come up with a seller after dark side, but this just showed everyone what a fine group floyd are. GAZZA In every way as strong a concept album as DSOTM, this one focuses on paying tribute and perhaps providing encouragement to syd barret their former bandleader and friend , as well as having a swipe at the mechanics of the record industry . The lengthy "shine on" is beautiful and symphonic , layers of keyboards providing a bed for some more inspired soloing from gilmour but every player gets a chance to provide something special , its lengthy - especially when adding the second part at the end of the album but you can just float along with the harmony of the piece , it really shows you dont need lots of lyrics to make emotional music . "welcome to machine" however is a doomy ballad and covered in great synthesised sounds , "have a cigar" attempts something more funky and robotic and fits well in the sequence . But the title track is one of the best things floyd have ever done and sends shivers up your spine with its beauty and sadness . That 2 years after "dark si! de of the moon" floyd could create something as powerful as this is some achievement . Its not quite as accessible as DSOTM but its one hell of an artistic statement .

You get to hear Roger Waters really moaning ( or 'having a go', whichever you prefer ) and you get three songs, with two brief one minute long pieces of nothing to bookend the album. Does this sound like value for money? I know many a Pink Floyd fan that will hold up 'Animals' as the groups absolute peak, or if not, then close to it. I can't understand why, I really can't. Gone are the sections of sweeping beauty that had been a feature of practically every single Pink Floyd album and it's replaced by an ugliness, an anger. 'Animals' rocks? Well, in places. Dave Gilmour impresses with his guitar parts all through the mid section of second song 'Dogs' in particular. Seventeen minutes long, 'Dogs'. It sounds even longer than that, but there are some genuinely great sections here. It doesn't flow smoothly - the keyboard section that comes in around the ten minute mark before moving into acoustic guitar with added Roger Waters bile for good measure - isn't smooth. That's probably not the point of 'Animals' though, is it? It's welcome that PF didn't release another 'Wish You Were Here' or 'DSOTM', they did need to change, but change to this? What the hell even is this? One thing, Pink Floyd prove they can play pretty damn well, even if they've forgotten how to write songs. Dave Gilmour comes in with more great guitar sections, genuinely freaky and wonderful sounds - but god! Fourteen minutes pass, the song swings back to kind of how it began, almost makes sense and almost seems to have a structure. Art rock? Progressive rock? There are far, far better extended pieces than this. Not that 'Dogs' is bad, you understand. But bar the sound of the guitar, certain keyboard parts and the quality ( not the tone ) of the lyrics - this isn't a song I love. At all. I can admire it, it has a certain quality, but this is a huge step down from peak Pink Floyd, as far as i'm concerned.

'Pigs ( Three Different Ones )' is only eleven minutes long and opens with some angry guitar to match the Roger Waters lyrics. The song has a little funk around the bass lines, keyboards come through interesting guitar parts, and this is genuinely good stuff that I can dig. Not hugely, but yeah, a good track. 'Sheep' is up-tempo, it's got drums on it!! Rock n Roll! Yeah!! The keyboards sound dead nice, the slow weird mid section of the song doesn't sound nice, but it adds a little more 'spook' to the song that it already posesses. And yeah, cool guitar. I guess I like this 'Sheep' song. Mark it down as my fave from this album. Why? Because it is. In case you might miss it ( and you probably will, there is nothing overt here ) - 'Animals' is a concept album revolving loosely around the work of George Orwell and 'Animal Farm' in particular. Roger Waters rails against the government, divides people into three groups - 'Sheep', 'Pigs' and 'Dogs', and so forth. Just in case you really wanted to know that. I've described the concept behind this album are not being overt, but I've also heard other people describe the concept as overly obvious. What's going on? Maybe with the pigs flying over Battersea power station on the front cover, and the lyrics dissected with the aid of explanations from Roger Waters, the concept seems more obvious. Really, it just doesn't hold together and doesn't reveal its nuances from simple 'listening' - eg, not relying on other reference or source material. That's really what I meant. The concept doesn't leap into your ears via mere listening. Not unless you're the kind of person that really wants to catch and study every single word of Mr Waters lyrical content without enticing music or songs to help guide you through the process.

Share Your Views?

Readers Comments Dagoberto Reis dagoberto.reis@netvisao.pt animals is the best Pink Floyd pos Syd era album 3 parts making a circle with the 2 folk pieces in the begining and end. A must for floyd fans. Matt Poplawski poplawsm@sheridanc.on.ca How could you rate Animals so low.... I have to call you crazy for doing so. Animals is in Pink Floyds top 4.... #1 - Dark Side #2 - Wish you were here #3 - The Wall #4 - Animals Simon B slb23@shaw.ca IMHO, I think a 6.5 is too low for ANIMALS. It's generally quite under-rated (especially by the music magazines). Probably it doesn't have any radio-friendly tracks. It just has two 1.5 minute songs ("Pigs on the Wing, Parts 1 & 2"), two songs over 10 minutes ("Pigs: Three Different Ones", and "Sheep"), and one 17 minute song ("Dogs"). It may be hard to get into at first, but when you do get into it, ANIMALS is a great album. 8/10. piggyinthemiddle poorroyschieder@hotmail.com Animals is brilliant. Second only to Piper. Listen again man, ya missed something. Henry Kerr henryker@hotmail.com I do think that you have rated Animals way to low. this album should be at least a 8.. its bloody great! Michael Baker guess_who@hotmail.com I find this album quite enjoyable, but I think there is alot better Floyd. This album is a little to pedestrian for my liking. But if your a Floyd nut like myself its worth having. Pamela Gomez pammi2003@yahoo.com How can you call yourself a floyd fan when your dissin animals? C'mon, this is the best floyd album, it's pure art. Nontheless, I respect your opinion, even though I dont agree with it. andrew matthews amatthews@bemrosebooth.com I think you and the music press in general have underrated this album. Everyone I know that knows this album well rates this as one of the best Pink Floyd offerings. 8.5/10 is nearer the mark. Nathan Schulz isrpgmaker@hotmail.com The first time I heard this album through, I was not impressed. But after the second time I listened, I came upon a revelation, it was even worse the second time. 6.5/10 sounds accurate. Good review, this album is overrated by far to many reviewers marco mvanderwel@hotmail.com Oke, Roger isn't Sinatra. Myself I like the sound of David better and his absence is too bad. Roger's voice comes out great anyway. Animals (maybe based on animal farm) is a prologue to the wall and has quite good sound effects. So, 1 point up would I say. cop c087714martyn@yale-wrexham.ac.uk Compared to the previous floyd albums, all of which I've got time for, Animals stands out as one to put on before a night out with its rockier sound. Plus it sent me mates dog wild with all the animal noises ben leach misszg@wideopenwest.com I love this album.This album is everything a Floyd fan needs. It has a massive guitar wail by Gilmour in 'Dogs', a slightly catchy funky part in 'Pigs(all three of them)' and a awsome keybored mix in 'sheep'. I do agree with you that 'Sheep' is the best on the album but 'Dogs' dose give some killer sections where me and my dad scream along too and air guitar. A great album. Listen agein. Damon, pashathree@aol.com I think Animals is a great album. I dont think its their best album, though. In my opinion it's a masterpiece. I'm glad you you put up the Animal Farm part. Few people know that. Just in case you read the book, it's about a group of farm animals who "overthrow" the "rule" of the farmer and take control of the farm and form a new society. At first, all animals are equal. But eventually power shifts to the pigs they are more intelligent and that's what they have convinced the animals. The pigs train dogs to be their underlings and do their dirty work. The sheep are the stupidest animals and follow whatever the pigs say. Eventually the pigs start acting like humans which goes against what the animals originally stated. That's how they got the idea for the three classes of society. Animal Farm had a different message but in ways the same. Animal Farm symbolizes Russia. Everything symbolizes someone in Russia. Not Russia today, because the book was written in like 1945. The head ! pig (Napoleon) represented Stalin, dogs are his body guards or police or the KGB, and sheeps were peasants. I'm not gonna get into all the symbolism now. Haha, I like to know as much as possible about Pink Floyd. I get a little bit more out of the music that way. Anyway, i think Animals deserves a higher rating, but you are entitled to your own opinion. Animals is definitely not a classic Pink Floyd album, but I like it none the less. 9/10. O yeah, in Pigs(three different ones), the third pig is Mary Whitehouse. British people should know her. She was pro-sensorship( see lines like: your trying to keep our feelings off the street and you gotta stem the evil tide). Waters obviously did not like this. Any one who hasn't heard Animals should listen to it sometime. You might like it, you might not. Tony AlienAntFarmer41@msn.com So far you're reviews are somewhat accurate, but most Flyd fans know Animals was one of their best concept albums. It just might me my favorate, but I love them all. It seems that Floyd can do no wrong for me, because their music is just so appealing no matter what the sound. Kyle Wagner kdwkyle@aol.com This is my favorite album of all time. This does not make it the greatest album ever, nor does it mean you have to feel the same way. I respect other views, but only from those intelligent enough to use correct grammar. "TOO many viewers overrate this album" versus "TO many viewers, this album is overrated." Simple grade school stuff there - that was directed at you there Schultz. In order for something to be OVERrated, it has to be something held in high esteem - eliminating this album from ever be characterized as such. What is not to like about this album? Incredible lyrics, great guitar solos, keyboard....drums etc. And for those of you too impatient to listen to longer songs, just shutup please, you aren't worth hearing. Just listen to the end of dogs and don't make a sound because it's simply put, a musical nirvana. It really doesn't get any better. Definately a ten - doesn't bother me that music "critics" don't appreciate it, but you really have no argument! against it other than that the songs are not radio-friendly. Any real Floyd fan could ever let such blasphemy be spoken about such a great alubm. Josh Jshcprc@yahoo.com Anyone Who had overanalyzed anything in thier life should love "Animals" All Pink Floyd Studio albums between the years of 1973 through 1983 Were very analytical. That is the beauty of Pink Floyd. Every Album during this era (Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, The Wall and The Final Cut) were concept albums and if you are looking only for Mama's and Papa's oriented Material you probably will not enjoy Pink Floyd. It takes an intellectual to appreciate the musical references to George Orwell's "Animal Farm" The Album begins and ends with a song that Roger Waters wrote for his wife at the time. In between these love songs he categorizes all people into three types of people Sheep,Dogs and Pigs. Sheep being the blind majority who follow blindly and are massacred when ever conveinent. The dogs would be the forces that are used to "get rid" of whatever entities propose a threat to the Pigs. The Pigs would be the controlling force behind all decisions made. Pigs o! n the wing (Parts One and Two) are used as a contrast between Good and Evil and Mundane. Steph stephe_tr@yahoo.fr There are so many things to love in Pink Floyd music, their albums are so different one from each other that it can happen that some real pink floyd fans do not like this album. Animals is one of my favorite album ever. It makes me fly, like a flying pig! Absolutely gorgeous from beginning to the end. walt kthup1@yahoo.com The lyrics are depressing, no doubt. And perhaps this type of rock, as was suggested in the review, has been done better by others. But I love this album. Dark Side of the Moon, in my opinion, is their masterpiece, and I feel that with that record, they did what Michelangelo did with marble. They discovered something of beauty that was always there, just waiting to be uncovered. Animals is a great album that was created, not discovered. Not perfection, but very, very good. The obviousness or lack thereof of the concept can be argued, and whethere the songwriting falters at times can be argued, but whether the music itself reaches moments of greatness, I think, cannot be argued. It's my second favorite Floyd album. bassfreak msa@inorbit.com Animals. Not an influential album, due mainly to the abscence of (quote) "radio-friendly tracks". This cut down on it's popularity, however, it deserves a 10/10. In my opinion Animals and Piper share the title of best floyd album ever. I especially like the way Dogs focuses on Gilmour's guitar wails, Pigs on Waters' funky bass lines, and Sheep on Wright's eerie keyboard playing. They could of made a song for Nick too I guess, but then the record would have been too long, No matter, cause Animals includes some of the best playing and definitely the best lyrics ever: "And when you lose control, you'll reap the harvest you have sewn" ("You'll reap what you sow", sounds familiar doesn't it? Maybe Linkin Park of RATM?) Anyway, I have no idea why you rated this album so low. Listen again. Steven skinny-snowman@hotmail.com Holy cow man.... I cannot belive you just said that. Animals is a great album. Espically the guitar solo in Dogs. Just because the songs are really long except 2 doesnt prove squat. I have no idea how you can be a true floyd fan and not like at least 2 songs on this album. Kier Smith amusedtodeath@hotmail.co.uk Animals is definately the sound of Roger Waters getting just a little bit pissed off with things, ha, ha,......he's not messing around with his lyrics here, theyre sharpe, direct and cut to the bone. its a fine album, i always think this is the one thats under-rated - probably because it only has the three real songs on it.........but belters they are, i like pigs (three different ones) it sort of goes in fits and starts until that unmistakeable screeching gilmour solo at the end - which of course is out of this world......he lyrics to dogs is great, And roger did a belting version of 'sheep' on his recent tour..... fine album 8.5/10 paul paulwatts@optushome.com.au Leaving aside the inconsequential "Pigs On The Wing" that bookends this record, there are three long tracks. The Floyd look to have tried really hard to make a silk purse from a sow's ear with "Dogs", but I find myself in agreement with Adrian on this one. It's got some good bits, but is bloated and tedious. Pigs (Three Different Ones) mnight have made a passable album track had it been half its eventual length. At eleven minutes it is just filler. Finally we have Sheep. Not only is this the best track on the album, it is easily the equal of anything on the much vaunted DSOTM and nothing on Wish You Were Here comes even close. Sheep is in my view the final true group performance of Pink Floyd, before the era of Waters domination. As a swansong to Pink Floyd as a group it is a fitting performance. The subject matter can be taken literally or at a higher, symbolic level (sheep being humans who blindly follow convention) with equal validity. I prefer it as a! song about the plight of sheep, it seems creepier that way. You can look at this two ways. One way is that Animals has just one worthwhile track on it, the other is that it contains 10 minutes of absolute inspired Pink Floyd brilliance. Very few recordings have 10 minutes this good on them, regardless of the other 30, and for this reason alone I give Animals a rating of 8. James Lennon7_13@yahoo.com Giving Animals a 6 1/2 is a joke. Value for your money? Hey retard, you just sucked WYWHs dick, and you only got 4 songs on that one, 3 of which are standard 4-6 minutes. So again, what the hell are you blabbing about? Shouldnt be reviewing Pink Floyd albums that youve only heard a few times. Wasting everyones time. Stephen Your rating for Animals is way too high at 6.5.This is the album that turned me off Floyd back in '77 when I already owned and loved the rest of their albums up to that point and I still see no redeeming features in it.I would struggle to even give it a rating. greg mccoy.gregory@yahoo.com Absolutely a great album. I agree with Kyle that people need to have patience and listen to the longer songs, but come on man, get off of your intelectual fucking high horse Kyle! This is Rock 'n' Roll. Yes, it is Rock 'n' Roll written and performed with a certain amount of intelligence. But to criticize someone on their grammar?!? I know I should stick to the album here, so yes a better rating would probably come with a little more patient listening. Yes Kyle I started a sentence with the word BUT and I'm not sure I spelled everything correctly either...or iether. Randy Ottawa Almost as good as The wall.Fantastic guitar licks and another stellar vocal performance by Waters.If you are a Floyd fan,your collection cannot be complete without this masterpiece.Anything less than a 9 is unwarrented.Any true Floyd fan know that!!!C'mon Tyler Plaza994@yahoo.com 6.5? Your joking? You must have no idea whats it's really about? From knowledge I know its based on the book Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution. You say people wouldnt care for the lyrics? What are you talking about? There great and yes there very powerfull to me. To me this is more than a concept album its reality. Every song on the album is great and making an album