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PINK FLOYD
THE
PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN (1967)
RATING: 8
PLAY THESE: ASTRONOMY DOMINE, LUCIFER SAM, BIKE
SKIP THESE: POW R. TOC H., TAKE UP THY STETHOSCOPE AND WALK
At first glance my decision to review the Pink Floyd catalogue may seem to be motivated by Syd Barrett's death earlier this week, but the truth of the matter is that I had already downloaded the entire Pink Floyd mp3 discography from Bearshare a couple of weeks ago (at 256 kb/s, no less! What a score!), so this band was already on my "to do" list. I've long refused to listen to these guys at length, mostly because Pink Floyd is played TO DEATH on classic rock radio, and because I've always been a little bit leery of prog rock (and David Gilmour's massive beer belly as well). However, my attitude towards the band has softened in recent years, to the point where I am actually looking forward to listening to all of their albums. I'm not sure why Pink Floyd appeals to me now more than they used to, but I'm really getting into their music, so I guess I won't question it and just roll with the punches.
Actually, I did go through a brief Pink Floyd faze when I was about twelve years old, and I listened to Dark Side of The Moon quit a lot. I even dug out some of my dad's old LP's and gave Floyd albums like Animals and Wish You Were Here a fairly excessive number of spins. Eventually, however, I started to listen to other bands like The Who and The Rolling Stones a bit more, and Pink Floyd just kind of fell by the wayside. Until now, that is.
To get to the point, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn is the debut record from Pink Floyd, and is still generally regarded as the the most important musical document from the late 1960's British psychedelic movement. The band, of course, was led at this time by the infamous singer/guitarist Syd Barrett, whose musical style oscillated between the surreal and the insane - often within the same song. Syd Barrett wrote almost all of the songs on this album, so I suppose it fitting that we spend a bit of time talking about him. Barrett was a true original, a tormented, innovative genius whose time in the spotlight was short, but his influence is still felt today. As far as I know, he was one of the first British singers to purposely sing in his native English accent (as opposed to most singers, who tried to sound American), and he was a master at pulling the most demented, otherworldly sounds out of his guitar. His lyrics also presented a strange dichotomy: one one hand, his fanciful, fairytale prose was almost innocent and childlike, but at the same time, the music always carries with it dark, mentally disturbed undertones that remain somewhat disturbing even to this day. Undoubtedly, Syd's massive LSD habit and his pre-existing mental instability spawned the madness that is The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, although credit should be given to the other members of the band as well.
Bassist Roger Waters may play a somewhat diminished role in the band's beginnings, but later events would prove how valuable he was, and keyboardist Rick Wright's spacey, atmospheric playing is the cornerstone of the Floyd sound. Drummer Nick Mason is also hugely talented, and his versatility would be one of the key ingredients in the Pink Floyd sound in the coming years.
As great as this album is, it is not for everyone. I'm not sure if the whole "let's get completely messed up on acid" thing has aged particularly well, and some of the tracks are heavier on atmosphere than they are on tunefulness. Still, there are some excellent songs to be found. The album opener 'Astronomy Domine' achieves the perfect balance between trippy space rock and pop hooks, and still sounds great today. There are some very cool sounds to be found, that's for sure. The riff-driven 'Lucifer Sam' is the closest thing to a "rocker" that we get here, a song about Syd's cat that is probably the most accessible song on the album. I also quite like the melody of 'Matilda Mother,' which also has that fascinating "childlike/insane" duality that I was talking about earlier, as does 'Bike,' a true Syd Barrett moment that starts off in typically whimsical Barrett fashion but ends in a cacophony of trippy sounds (sample lyric: "I've got a bike, you can ride it if you like/ It's got a basket, a bell that rings/ And things to make it look good/ I'd give it to you if I could, but I borrowed it").
More esoteric, however, are the two LSD freak-out instruments, both of which are interesting, but aren't exactly something you'd want to listen to everyday. The lengthy guitar-riff driven 'Interstellar Overdrive' is perhaps the seminal psychedelic track of the sixties, while the gnome-like chatter on 'Pow R. Toc H.' is just plain effed-up. And speaking of gnomes, 'The Gnome' seems to divide fans, but it's infectiously whimsical to my ears (my three year old daughter Jane loves it!). In the end, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn is not the "easiest" listen in the world, but if you persevere you are sure to be rewarded. There's a lot of dissonance, chaos, and weird noises, but the overall musical picture is so vibrant and so colorful that it would be a shame to miss out on it.
RATING: 6
PLAY THESE: LET THERE BE MORE LIGHT, SET THE CONTROLS FOR THE HEART OF THE SUN, JUGBAND BLUES
SKIP THESE: A SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS
With Syd Barrett almost completely out of the picture, Pink Floyd soldiers on with A Saucerful of Secrets, released in the summer of 1968. Replacing Syd on guitar is his childhood friend David Gilmour, who, along with bassist Roger Waters, handles the lion's share of vocal duties (and quite ably too, I might add). Predictably, A Saucerful of Secrets is a transitional record, providing a sort of happy medium between Barrett's demented (but compact) psychedelic pop songs and Roger Water's love for extended, atmospheric mood pieces, with liberal use of feedback, interesting percussion, swirling keyboards, and bass-dominated arrangements. The results are as good as can be expected from a band who has just lost their lead singer, guitarist, and leader, and in spots the album is just as good as The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn.
The main problem, however, is that A Saucerful of Secrets isn't nearly as consistent as its illustrious predecessor. Take, for instance, the title track. This eleven minute long instrumental acid freakout may have some interesting sounds (I love the celestial-sounding choir bit at the end), but in truth it is a little bit boring, and one cannot help but surmise that it wouldn't have even been considered had Syd remained in the band. Other misses include Waters' 'Corporal Clegg,' which seems to be Roger's misguided attempt to out-Barrett Syd in terms of its sheer whimsical psychedelia.
That being said, there are several moments of greatness on the album. Roger Waters' inspired 'Let There be More Light' is catchy psychedlic pop at its best, with enough tempo/time signature changes and spacey sounds to placate the legions of Syd fans, while Rick Wright demonstrates his songwriting chops on the pleasantly melodic 'Remember A Day.' The best moment on the record, however, is the trippy, almost Arabic-influenced 'Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun.' While I would hesitate to call it an actual "song," the track is hypnotic in its own way, and certainly points to a bright future for the now Syd-less Pink Floyd.
And speaking of poor old Syd, he does contribute one final song to this album, 'Jugband Blues,' which was originally recorded during the sessions for The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn a year prior. The track offers a fascinating glimpse into Barrett's deteriorating mental state (e.g. "and I'm wondering who could be writing this song"), as well as what appears to be his sad, detached commentary in his diminishing status within the band (e.g. "it's awfully considerate of you to think of me here/ and I'm most obliged to you/ for making it clear that I'm not here"). The song veers off into this weird, dissonant Salvation Army marching band section in the middle, and then back to Syd at the end - very intriguing stuff, indeed. It's the sort of track that makes one wonder just what might have happened if the acid-popping Syd wouldn't have developed schizophrenia and become a non-functioning recluse. But then again, it was probably the dreaded mental illness that helped unleash his brief creative outburst circa 1966/67 - the force that once helped him to create would later debilitate him.
I personally believe that Pink Floyd would have been a one-hit psychedelic wonder if Syd had stayed on with the band, and that his departure allowed the band to re-tool its style to survive into the early 70's and beyond. Regardless, Syd's story is perhaps the most tragic in the history of rock 'n roll: young lad discovers LSD, embarks upon an unbelievable period of creativity and commercial success, but with a year and a half suffers a schizophrenic-induced breakdown that renders him a vegetable-like recluse for the rest of his life. What a shame.
RATING: 6
PLAY THESE: THE NILE SONG, GREEN IS THE COLOUR, CYMBALINE
SKIP THESE: A SPANISH PIECE
The soundtrack for a druggy French art film by the same name, More consists mainly of instrumental aural collages, with a couple of loud, full-on "rock pig" tracks and a few pretty little folk tunes thrown in for good measure. It's definitely a departure for the reinvented Floydsters, who appear to have left the Syd Barrett era behind them (David Gilmour aptly handles the majority of the vocals), forging forward as a quasi-progressive rock act that plays lengthy, atmospheric pieces, with few of the acid-tinged pop tunes that Syd made famous. If you're looking for an album full of three minute pop songs you've come to the wrong place, but if you need something to listen to while you're drifting off to sleep (not in a boring way, but in a good way), then this soundtrack can't be beat. Many of the tracks are brooding, ethereal mood pieces that almost defy description (i.e. the tabla-driven 'Party Sequence,' the hypnotic 'Main Theme,' and the stark-raving-mad 'Dramatic Theme'), but there are some truly great songs to be found, all of which have been unjustly forgotten by classic rock radio and compliers of Pink Floyd compilations alike.
The best of the bunch is the breathtakingly majestic 'Cymabline,' a very un-Pink Floyd-ish, folk-influenced tune that can be best described as "Simon and Garfunkle with balls." The song starts off fairly low-key, with some acoustic guitars, piano, and some bongos, but swells to untold heights in the chorus - what a great track. It's been stuck in my head all week, but I don't mind in the least, because it's the best song the band had come up with up until this point. Almost as memorable is the equally-folky 'Green Is The Colour,' which sounds a lot brighter and optimistic than 'Cymbaline,' but has a very good melody and nice Gilmour singing to boot. There are also a couple of David Gilmour-shouted hard rock tracks, 'The Nile Song' and 'Ibiza Bar,' both of which are so similar that they are almost impossible to differentiate (I do prefer 'The Nile Song' though). Some fans dismiss these tracks as "generic hard rock," but I disagree - they're catchy, and they rock harder than anything the band had done up until this point.
Apart from these aforementioned tunes, though, there are few proper "songs,' although I suppose 'Cirrus Minor' and 'Crying Song' would qualify as being compositions, as opposed to mood pieces. In the end, this is a deceivingly solid Pink Floyd album, and one that set them on solid footing for a career without Syd Barrett.
RATING: 7
PLAY THESE: ASTRONOMY DOMINE, CAREFUL WITH THAT AXE EUGENE, SET THE CONTROLS FOR THE HEART OF THE SUN, SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS, WINCHESTER MEADOWS, SEVERAL SPECIES OF SMALL FURRY ANIMALS IN A CAVE AND GROOVING WITH A PICT, THE NARROW WAY
SKIP THESE: SYSYPHUS, THE GRAND VIZIER'S GARDEN PARTY
A bizarre, experimental double album, Ummagumma (the word is apparently a 1960's British slang for "sex") is one of Pink Floyd's most popular pre-Dark Side Of The Moon releases. This is rather surprising, especially considering the fact that much of it is avant-garde in nature, and there isn't a proper "song" to be found anywhere. Not only that, but Gilmour and Waters have both expressed dissatisfaction with this record, and have gone out of their way to slam it in the media. As with most things, however, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. This album is no masterpiece, but it is very intriguing - few bands would have the balls to release this kind of experimental music, that's for certain.
The first CD is a live album, consisting of four performances recorded back in the summer of '69, all of which improve upon their studio-recorded originals. Best of all is the riveting B-side freak-out 'Careful With That Axe, Eugene,' which slowly builds from a quiet, hypnotic beginning into an explosive climax that will be sure to grip your attention. Wow! - I didn't know that Roger Waters could scream like that. Also quite good is 'Set The Controls For The Heart of the Sun,' as well as 'Astronomy Domine,' which sounds every bit as spacey as the original studio version. The biggest surprise, however, is 'Saucerful of Secrets,' which blows the original version right out of the water. What a performance! I didn't prefer the original recording, but this is great! Overall, the band's live performances are very impressive, as the Floydsters play with a real edge in a live environment, and bring forth a type of energy - and volume - that just doesn't come through (as often) in the studio. So basically, the first disc alone is worth the price of admission.
Now comes the hard part. The second disc consists of "solo" recordings contributed by each of the band members. All of it is difficult material, although much of it is interesting. There are no actual songs to be found (although Roger's beautifully melancholic folk piece 'Winchester Meadows' comes close to being a "song" in the traditional sense), and each of the band members seems to be outdoing each other in the "weirdness" department....
Keyboardist Rick Wright's opening 'Sysyphus' suite is a rather puzzling set of four tracks, consisting of atonal noises and random piano notes that doesn't really seem to go anywhere in particular. As previously mentioned, Roger Waters contributes the majestic 'Granchester Meadows,' as well as one of the strangest aural collages I've ever heard in 'Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict.' The track features the chattering and chirping of various types of wildlife, and ends with Roger spouting off some gibberish in a put-on Scottish accent. Very baffling, indeed. But whatever it may be, it is not "music" in any traditional sense. However, the track is very interesting, probably one of the most fascinating avant-garde pieces in the history of rock music.
As for the other group members' selections, David Gilmour's three-part piece ('The Narrow Way') is the most straight ahead of the lot, as it is mostly guitar based and as such more easily digestible for the average fan. Still, it has more than its fair share of spacey guitar sounds, and is just as "out there" as the other tracks in many respects. However, when the vocals kick during the third track, it is very reminiscent of what Pink Floyd would sound like during the Dark Side Of The Moon era, so I suppose Gilmour's selections have a certain historical importance. In terms of drummer Nick Mason's 'The Grand Vizier's Garden Party,' it is probably the most disposable of the bunch. That being said, my two year old daughter Katie loves the flute at the beginning of the piece, so it does have some redeeming features. Predictably, the tracks contain a variety of electronic and acoustic percussive instruments. It doesn't really grab me, though.
So, the final post-mortem? This album is probably too experimental for most casual music fans, but it certainly is interesting - and the live album portion is one of the best things the band ever did. To say that drugs were involved in the recording of this music would be a massive understatement. If any album in history was tailored for bong hits, this would be the one. Seven out of ten.
RATING: 6
PLAY THESE: IF, FAT OLD SUN
SKIP THESE: ALAN'S PSYCHEDELIC BREAKFAST
A strange, strange album that sees Pink Floyd at the apex of its "pompous progressive rock" stage, Atom Heart Mother has largely been disowned by the band and its fans. Still, it is quite an interesting record, more focused than the sprawling double-album Ummagumma, and one of the most ambitious concepts the band ever envisaged. Plus, there are a couple of lost classics to be found, and some of the music here is a definite precursor to the group's better known (and more commercial) mid-1970's output.
The centerpiece of the album, of course, is the twenty three minute long title track, which takes up the entire first side of the original LP. The epic instrumental track was co-written/produced with wacky Scottish producer Ron Geesin, who adorned the song with an orchestra, a choir, and all manner of over-the-top sonic embellishments. Unfortunately, the band ran out of time and money, and were unable to complete the track to their satisfaction. As a result, one could make a fair argument that 'Atom Heart Mother' is more of a demo than a finished product. But in spite of all of this, the song is stuffed full of compelling musical bits - every Pink Floyd fan should listen to it at least once all the way through. Built upon the classic Floyd backbone of Rick Wright's organ and David Gilmour's slide guitar, there are six separately titled sections ("Father's Shout," "Breast Milky," "Mother Fore," "Funky Dung," "Mind Your Throats Please," and "Remergence"), although for the life of me I can't figure out when some of the parts begin and end. I would suspect that the only reason why the track is broken down into smaller "sub-tracks" is so that the band could receive more royalty payments, as apposed to a single one for the track in its entirety. All I know is that there is a really groovy section that I assume is 'Funky Dung,' and there is also a section with a bunch of wacky, atonal brass instruments on it. The choir-driven bit is also quite good. Still, the track is far too long, and not all of the bits necessarily belong there.
The second half of the album is a little bit more straightforward, as Roger Water's, Rick Wright, and David Gilmour each contribute a short, concise pop song of their own. Waters' own 'If' demonstrates once again that he has a talent for writing folk-influenced tunes, although the song could've been a bit better had he bothered to write more than a single verse. Meanwhile, keyboardist Rick Wright's 'Summer '68' is a not-so-intellectual tale of a nightclub hookup gone sour, although I must admit that the vocal effects during the chorus sound, like, far out, man. The best song, though, is David Gilmour's Kinks-like 'Fat Old Sun,' which has one of the most beautiful melodies the band ever put down on tape. Although the breezy, wistful song is mostly acoustic guitar-driven, the song is also notable for Gilmour's electric guitar solo. The guy is really starting to find his own style for the first time, which is nice to hear. Also noteworthy is Waters' melodic bassline (especially at the end of the song), which I feel is his most impressive bass playing yet.
Unfortunately, these moments of triumph are compromised by the album's goofy final track, 'Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast,' which is divided into three sections, all of them retarded and pointless. Basically, the track consists of a recording of a Pink Floyd roadie preparing breakfast after dropping some acid. The track consists of "Alan" blathering on about God knows what as the acid starts taking effect, and also includes the sound of frying bacon, running water, cereal being poured into a bowl (among other things) from time to time. Of course, the Floydsters are playing music as all of this goes on, but none of the pieces are particularly interesting (although Gilmour's acoustic guitar on the 'Sunny Side Up' section is nice enough). In short, this sort of aural collage might be humorous on the first listen, but inevitably it loses its novelty factor - and fast. And basically, this is the story of the album as a whole. If you love Pink Floyd, you need to listen to this record at least once, but there really isn't a lot of material that has stood the test of time. Or if you're pressed for time (and/or cash), just download 'Fat Old Sun' and 'If' and be done with it.
RATING: 9
PLAY THESE: ARNOLD LAYNE, SEE EMILY PLAY, BIDING MY TIME
SKIP THESE: none
An early Pink Floyd compilation that includes miscellaneous high points from the band's 1967-1969 period, Relics is far from comprehensive, but is nonetheless a very compelling listening experience. The collection's primary selling point is that it culls highlights from the band's first five singles, which include two of The Floyd's classic psychedelic Barrett A-sides ('Arnold Layne' and 'See Emily Play'), as well as three pretty interesting B-sides (Rick Wright's 'Paintbox,' Roger Waters' 'Julia Dream,' and the instrumental acid freak-out 'Careful With That Axe, Eugene'). If you want a quick overview of what the band accomplished in its early years, the look no further than Relics.
One of the most interesting aspects of this compilation, however, is the inclusion of a previously unreleased 1969 Waters composition, 'Biding My Time,' which is one of the most uncharacteristic Pink Floyd songs you'll ever hear. It's got a retro swing, big band kind of feel to it (with a horn section, no less), which at first glance seems like a pretty bad idea, but the band pulls it off in grand style. The energy is all there, and Gilmour's guitar solo is one of his best ever. In fact, the track is so successful that it makes one wonder why Pink Floyd didn't explore this kind of musical territory a little bit more extensively.
The compilation also contains some selections from the band's early albums, including Syd's delightful 'Bike' and the acid-soaked 'Interstellar Overdrive' from The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (where's 'Lucifer Sam' and 'Astronomy Domine' though?), as well as the melodic Rick Wright composition 'Remember A Day' from A Saucerful of Secrets. We also get a couple of tracks from the More soundtrack ('The Nile Song' and Cirrus Minor'), both of which should probably been elbowed in favor of the hauntingly beautiful (and unjustly ignored) 'Cymbaline.'
Nevertheless, the collection's raison d'etre is the presence of the singles and b-sides, some of which are not available on any other pink Floyd CD. The group's debut release, 'Arnold Layne,' is a case in point, a jolly psychedelic pop tune about a neighborhood cross dresser who steals women's panties from clothesline. Better still is the effervescent pop tune 'See Emily Play.' The song's melody is so strong that you don't really notice how unusually structured the tune really is (what an arrangement!), and Syd Barrett's lyrics are brilliant as per usual. The song was a huge hit in England, and one can't help but marvel at how such an unusual song could've sat side-by-side with some of the sappy, cookie-cutter pop hits of the day.
Other interesting moments include Waters' pretty, folk-ish 'Julia Dream,' as well as the original studio version of 'Careful With That Axe, Eugene.' The live version on Ummagumma is far more effective (and the stunning live performance on the Live At Pompeii DVD is to die for), but it's still quite interesting to here the song in its earliest incarnation. The only song that stands out as being a bit weak is 'Paintbox,' yet another Richard Wright song about picking up stupid chicks at the nightclubs, and spending more time with them than he would otherwise like to. Yes, pimpin' ain't easy, and nobody knows this better than Mr. Wright, whose rampant philandering would put many a rapper to shame. The song is pretty catchy though...
In the end, this is an essential album for the Pink Floyd fan. It's got enough rare tracks that it can almost be considered a proper "album," and when viewed as a whole it gives you a pretty good idea of what Pink Floyd was all about in the early days. It's missing some great material, but to bemoan this fact would miss the point of this aural snapshot altogether.
RATING: 9
PLAY THESE: ONE OF THESE DAYS, A PILLOW OF WINDS, ECHOES
SKIP THESE: none
Now, this is one excellent album. Meddle is undoubtedly first solid Pink Floyd album from start to finish, with no filler (apart from the goofy 'Seamus,' of course, but that track is too funny to be a complete write-off). Dedicated Pink Floyd fans will already know that this is an amazing album almost on par with Dark Side Of The Moon, as the "classic" Pink Floyd sound of the mid-1970's makes its first appearance here. If you're tired of the narrow-minded version of Pink Floyd represented on classic rock radio, and want to explore the group's catalog, then this might be an ideal place to begin.
The centerpiece of the album is the trippy, twenty-three-minute-long opus 'Echoes,' an ethereal, hypnotic epic featuring several distinct musical sections that for some inexplicable reason doesn't seem anywhere near as long as it actually is (it takes up all of Side Two on the original LP). Incredibly, nary a note is wasted. It's difficult to pick out the best moment of the song, there are so many to be found: the single, ringing echo of the piano note at the beginning, the haunting melody during the main part of the song, the "groovy" section, or David Gilmour's amazing slide guitar playing. It's all good, of course, and if you would be doing yourself a disservice if you dismissed purely on the basis of its nearly half-hour length.
The other major track of note is the album opening 'One Of These Days,' which is one of the rare instrumental recordings that doesn't bore me to death. In fact, it's riveting from start to finish, a groovy masterpiece of slide guitar, funky bass, and masterful drumming that will be sure to grab your attention. If nothing else, you'll certainly take notice when the bass drum replicates the sound of someone pounding at the door, and that demented, slowed down voice growls "one of these days I'm going to cut you into little pieces!" If you've never heard it before, listen to the song on headphones with the lights turned off and you'll know what I'm talking about. Absolutely entrancing - it doesn't need any vocals.
Other highlights include Roger Water's brilliant folkish 'A Pillow Of Winds,' a beautiful song with more great slide guitar (great work, Mr. Gilmour!), and 'Fearless' is one of the band's rare forays into the world of blues rock. Based on this excellence of this track, the band should've done more of this sort of thing - great tune. I also like the way it ends with the crowd singing one of those British football anthems, and how it segues into 'San Tropez.' The technique is very reminiscent of parts of Dark Side Of The Moon. And speaking of 'San Tropez,' it's jazzy tone doesn't really fit in with the rest of the songs on the album, but it's still a pretty good song. A bit of a grower. The remaining track is the aforementioned 'Seamus,' an uncharacteristic attempt at twelve bar blues. However, this being a Pink Floyd song, there is a bit of a twist: the lead "singer" is a canine. Yup, you heard right, a dog sings the darn song. Hilariously enough, the dog even nails a couple of the bendy notes, which has to be heard to be believed. If nothing else, it shows that contrary to popular belief, Pink Floyd do have a sense of humour.
Just to re-emphasize my main point, this is a great album. If you love Dark Side Of The Moon then you have to check this one out as well, because it sounds pretty similar, and the songs are great. Nine out of ten.
RATING: 8
PLAY THESE: THE GOLD IT'S IN THE..., WOT'S...UH THE DEAL, CHILDHOOD'S END
SKIP THESE: none
Wow. This album is, as Ned Flanders would say, "splendidily" good. In the most brilliant way too, I might add. Sometimes written off as a mere "soundtrack" throwaway release (for the French film La Vallée), Obscured isn't generally viewed as a true Pink Floyd "album" in any sense of the word. However, that doesn't make it any less compelling than more revered Floyd records like Dark Side of The Moon, which was recorded around the same time. As such, it will come as no surprise to discover that this album sounds an awful lot like its more famous counterpart, although the production is less polished. There is also little thought to any overriding concept, as is the case with most late-period Waters-era Floyd albums. It's just a great collection of dissimilar tracks. Nothing more, nothing less. And that isn't necessarily always a bad thing. In this case, Pink Floyd sounds louder and more energized on Obscured By Clouds, and as such it kind of shows that all Pink Floyd did when they recorded this Dark Side Of The Moon was take Obscured's tracks and gussy them up just a bit, with just enough changes to make it sound "revolutionary."
I love this album. Love it. The record contains many excellent tracks, and there's really nothing on it that sucks donkey poop, despite the fact that 'Absolutely Curtains' contains the dissonant chants from the Magupa tribe (Papua New Guinea) in the background near the end of the song. No, there's no dead weight anywhere on this album. Even the soundtrack-ish instrumental soundscapes are more than listenable. The moody instrumental 'Madmen' sounds like John Lennon's Plastic One Band album with some overdubbed Rick Wright organ, while the ethereal, ominous title track brims with mystery. The first Floyd recording to feature the newfangled VCS 3 synthesizer, 'Obscured By Clouds' is easily one of the best things the band had ever done. A very cool track, to be sure.
There's also a bit of gritty blues rock to be found in spots, as songs like the barnstormin' 'The Gold's In The...' or the bleak foreboding of 'Childhood's End' rock harder than the majority of Pink Floyd songs. The latter song basically sounds like 'Time' but without the clock sound effects, although I must say that 'Childhood's End' is perceptibly less pompous than its more famous counterpart, which is a good thing. Gilmour's vocals are great too - he's developing an effective "rock 'n roll" voice, with a lot of depth and grit. The absolute best, though, is 'Wot's...Uh The Deal,' which kind of has a country-like sound, with some nice harmonies and melody. Good guitars too. Rick Wright's 'Stay' is a mere 70's porno guitar lick away from becoming unbearably cheesy, but it's got a great chorus, so all is well. Once again, the song tells the story of a drunken hookup at a nightclub (gee, I wonder where we've heard this story before?), and how he can't remember her name when he wakes up sober in the morning. Charming.
However, it should be emphasized that this is a pretty minor criticism. The album is full of great songs, and even the instrumental mood pieces manage to be interesting. plus it sounds a lot like Dark Side. I've seen too many web reviewers downplay its excellence, so I'm gonna say this one more time. Wow.
RATING: 10+
PLAY THESE: TIME, MONEY, US AND THEM
SKIP THESE: none
You know, I sometimes dread reviewing wildly successful, era-defining albums like Dark Side Of The Moon. Don't get me wrong - I love the album, but what could I possibly add to the discussion that hasn't been said a million times before? Everyone has heard this record a gazillion times, and it has has been analyzed and over-analyzed to the point of, well, pointlessness. Still, being the opinionated bastard that I am, I will forge ahead and review Dark Side Of The Moon. Besides, Roger Waters has been bugging me for quite some time to review it, and I promised him I'd put in a good word for him, so I better keep my end of the bargain....
We all know the story of Dark Side Of The Moon. The unprecedented 714 consecutive weeks on the Billboard Top 200 album charts. The accolades from fans and musicians alike. But what most people don't know is that it isn't all that great. OK, just joking, it is fantastic - undoubtedly one of the top ten albums in rock history, and Pink Floyd's crowning achievement as a band. It is a concept album in every sense of the word, as Roger Waters' lyrics feature universal themes such as greed, madness, death, travel, and war. The sequencing is brilliant, the sound effects (the "money" sounds, the "heartbeat" drum sound, the synths, the random voices, etc...) add to the album's mystique, and the repeated musical patterns unify all of the tracks into a single entity. The album is a triumph of both engineering and production, and thirty-plus years later it is still a benchmark for recorded sound. Not only that, but Dark Side Of The Moon is filled to the brim with great songs that succeed outside of the context of the record, giving the post-Syd version of Pink Floyd its first taste of commercial success. The music is good, the musicianship sharp, it's presented in an interesting way, and the lyrics seem to be actually saying something. And while it isn't clear what exactly Roger Waters is saying, the ambiguity actually works to the benefit of the music, adding an element of mystery to this landmark musical document. The words simply reflect Roger's life experiences: Syd's mental illness, the death of his father in World War Two, his disgust with the greed and corruption in the music business, and his fascination (and fear) of death.
The record begins with 'Speak To Me,' a unifying musical montage of sound effects found in various songs on the album, which quickly segues into 'Breathe,' a drugged-up, slowed-down track somewhat reminiscent of 'Echoes.' The atmosphere is heavy and haunting, but Gilmour's vocals are light and airy - a great track. The song quickly morphs into the instrumental 'On The Run,' which features some very interesting sounds generated by the VCS3 synthesizer. Random notes are fed into the synth and sped up, a warbling sound is produced by a wah-wah pedal, a bomb goes off at the end - and the effect is startling, and it conjures up frightening images of being chased down a dark alley somewhere. This track boasts what is quite possibly the most ingenious use of a synthesizer I have ever heard, and I never get tired of hearing it.
After that we get 'Time,' which has clocks chiming and alarms ringing in its intro section. This "hard rock" song laments the perception of time passing more quickly as we age, and it's a true classic in every sense of the word. David Gilmour's vocals are both abrasive and soothing, and his guitar solo is probably the best he ever put down on tape. The backing vocals are heavenly too. The song segues back into Rick Wright singing the 'Breathe' refrain, which in turn leads to the overrated 'The Great Gig In The Sky,' which is one of the weaker moments on the album. The chord progression is amazing, and the crazy voices are cool, but I have very little tolerance for the kind of improvised, pointless screeching that guest vocalist Clare Torry contributes to this track. Some say it's a brilliant piece about death, I say it's annoying, but I suppose that over time I've gotten used to it and will no longer skip the track when it comes on.
The second half of Dark Side begins with its most famous track, 'Money,' with its distinctive coin and cash-register sound effects. The only Pink Floyd single to hit the Top 20 in the USA (it wasn't released as a single in the UK), this is probably the group's most overplayed track, but I've never grown tired of it. The song uses the very unusual 7/8 time signature, although it does go into the more traditional 4/4 meter during Gilmour's guitar solo, which seems to give the track the illusion that it is speeding up slightly. The bass riff is one of the most famous in rock history, the anti-record company lyrics are witty, the sax solo is perfect (the instrument would feature prominently on future Floyd recordings), and it is quite simply a brilliant song.
Next, things slow down a bit for 'Us And Them,' a jazzy, piano-based ballad that seems to be influenced by the death of Waters' father in combat during the Second World War. It is easily one of the most powerful anti-war songs ever created: the words are poignant, and the dynamics are impressive.. Good sax solo too. Next up is 'Any Colour You Like,' an instrumental piece that is for all intents and purposes a reprise of 'Breathe,' albeit one that sounds a bit faster and funkier than the original. The VSC 3 synth bits sound a bit dated to modern ears, but overall it does an effective job of unifying the album, and its a short track (three minutes), so all is well. This leads into the majestic 'Brain Damage,' a Roger Waters-sung track about Syd Barrett's descent into madness that features the distinctive "I'll see you on the dark side of the moon" chorus. When Roger sings, "and if the band you're in starts playing different tunes," it's difficult not to picture a whacked out Syd launching into a completely different song while his old bandmates struggle to keep up. The song immediately segues into 'Eclipse,' a transcendent song that U2 later nicked on its hit single 'Walk On' (e.g. 'all that you touch/ all that you see/ all that you taste/ all that you feel"). At the end, we hear another heartbeat, and if you listen closely, you might hear the faint strains of - believe it or not - The Beatles' 'Ticket To Ride.'
All in all, this is a classic album, one that any self-respecting rock fan must own. There are a couple of relatively weak moments ('The Great Gig In The Sky' and 'Any Colour You Like), but even these have their strengths, and don't bring down the quality of the album in any way. No matter how many times classic rock has overplayed these songs, they'll always be great, and anybody who wants to understand why Pink Floyd is so revered in the rock community needs to listen attentively to Dark Side Of The Moon. Sure, it's all dressed up with sound effects and miscellaneous studio trickery, but even without the embellishments the songs stand up on their own. The FX are just the icing on the cake. And the cake is very tasty indeed. Ten-plus.
RATING: 10
PLAY THESE: SHINE ON YOU CRAY DIAMOND (PTS. 1-9), WISH YOU WERE HERE, WELCOME TO THE MACHINE
SKIP THESE: none
Brilliant. That's all I can really say, as I sit hear listening to Wish You Were Here, an album that in some ways is superior to the more-celebrated Dark Side Of The Moon. OK, I still think that Dark Side is a smidge better overall, but Wish You Were Here is slightly better in some respects. It's a darker, denser record, full of hooks and a couple of those lengthy compositions that Pink Floyd are famous for. It also sounds even more confident, although in some respects this is also a bad thing, as some of the bloated pretentiousness of their later work is starting to take root here. Not a lot, but just enough to be noticeable. Other than that, though, Wish You Were Here is the portrait of a band at the peak of their powers. These guys were seriously on a roll - this is some great music, and one hell of a listen.
Pink Floyd was on top of the world in 1975. The memory of Syd Barrett, however, and his impact on the group, lingered on. The album is essentially a tribute to poor old Syd, who actually showed up unannounced at the studio while the band was doing the final mix-down for the album. It was the first time the group had laid eyes on him in about five years. Apparently nobody recognized him at first, because he had gained a lot of weight, and had shaved off his eyebrows. Syd told them that he had taken up eating pork chops as a hobby, and then proceeded to jump up and down whilst brushing his teeth. He then offered to "put down some guitar" overdubs on the new songs, a request which was politely dismissed by the band. It was very odd behavior, but a fitting ending to an album dedicated to someone who had inspired the record. It was the last time the members of Pink Floyd would ever lay eyes on their former leader. The epic 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' specifically refers to Syd's descent into insanity, comparing his brilliance in the early days ("when you were young, you shone like the sun") to his sad decline at the end ("now there's a look in your eyes, like black holes in the sky). It talks about his delusions, his martyrdom, and implores him to break out of his prison, and "shine."
'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' is fantastic, and even though some people might have trouble sitting though the two thirteen-minute movements ('Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-4, and Parts 5-9)' that bookend the album. It starts off slightly jazzy with some synths, but Gilmour's guitar slowly starts to take over, and the solos are among his best. Then Roger's vocals kick in, and it's just...bliss. Next up is Waters' anti-music business diatribe 'Welcome To The Machine,' which sounds dark and gloomy, and is completely cynical beyond belief. Up next is 'Have A Cigar,' a middle-fingered salute to the suits that is another one of those Floyd-type rockers in the vein of 'The Nile Song.' It's better than that track though, although guest Roy Harper sang on it because Gilmour thought that Waters' lyrics were too stupid. The guy sounds like Gilmour though, so it doesn't really matter what David thought.
The mood gets more wistful with 'Wish You Were Here,' a powerful ballad with some great Gilmour acoustic guitar soloing that reveals the band's continued love of Syd, despite all of the problems in the past and present. The group had just hit it big, but I'm sure that back when they were kids, and dreamed about stardom, they had pictured Syd being along for the ride. The "we're just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl" line is brilliant, and Gilmour sings this one for all its worth. Then we get a bunch of white noise, which leads into Parts 5-9 of 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond,' which gets all funky with some wicked Gilmour soloing, and some more singing, then more synth soloing. And - voila! - it's the end of the album. And what an album it is! It's only really got five songs on it, so in some ways it's a throwback to their earlier prog-like, experimental albums, but it's all good. It's not the best thing they ever did, but it's so good that any negative comments are a waste of breath. Ten out of ten.
RATING: 9
PLAY THESE: PIGS ON THE WING (PARTS 1 & 2), DOGS, SHEEP
SKIP THESE: none
I've been putting off writing reviews for a while now. Work got really busy, and I pulled a muscle in my back, and then I caught the flu - pretty crappy stretch there. However, for the last week I haven't had any excuses, but I had trouble getting the motivation to write, and then...I just got lazy. So here goes an attempt to start producing more reviews every week....
Wow, it's hard to really know how to approach this album. Representing a distinct change in sound from 1975's Wish You Were Here, the 1977 follow-up Animals is the first of three Roger Waters-dominated Pink Floyd albums. Indeed, Roger wrote almost all of the songs all on his own (except 'Dogs,' which was a collaboration with David Gilmour), and he handles all of the vocals for the first time on a Floyd album. Which is a shame, really, since Gilmour has the far better voice of the two (Waters is still pretty good though). Also, Rick Wright's keyboards are buried in the mix, as the album is dominated by Waters' bass and Gilmour's amazing guitar work. Quite loud and aggressive by typically mellow Pink Floyd standards too, I might add. And the saxophone and female backing voices that feature so prominently on Wish You Were Here and Dark Side of the Moon are conspicuous by their absence.
The record is actually a concept album. Releasing a concept album wasn't the hippest of ideas back in punk-dominated 1977, but it still works like a hot damn. There are only 5 tracks on the album, three of which are over ten minutes long. The album is book ended by 'Pigs On The Wing (Parts 1 & 2),' which is the latest installment in a long line of fantastic Waters folk ballads. It's the type of song that is so catchy that it gets imbedded in your brain for weeks on end. Also on the platter are three songs with title suggested by common barnyard animals: 'Dogs,' 'Pigs' and 'Sheep.' In Waters' bleak worldview, dogs are the materialistic corporate whores whose sole purpose in life is accumulate wealth. In other words, the "yuppies." Pigs, meanwhile, are the self-righteous moralists, the modern day Pharisees who sneeringly judge others at a higher standard than themselves. Lastly, 'Sheep,' are the masses of faceless people who unquestioningly carry out the will of the dogs and the pigs. It's pretty nihilistic stuff, to say the least (although at times pompous Waters comes across as being a bit of a pig himself).
The best track is probably the seventeen-minute-long 'Dogs,' which is has several distinct - and rather good - musical sections (I can't believe that I actually enjoy a seventeen minute song this much!). It's a very bleak sounding track, but I mean that in only the best possible way - i.e. it is the sound of impending doom, and it is an extremely gripping piece of music. It's got folk-like acoustic parts, semi-aggressive rock bits, druggy synthesizer parts, and a whole shipload full over the best-ever David Gilmour solos. And isn't it cool how Dave makes his guitar notes morph into the sound of dogs barking? I think he did it to make it sound like, uh, the title of like, uh, the song: 'Dogs.' That pretty brilliant, dude. Bass the bong, bro....
Next up is 'Pigs (Three Different Ones),' which is almost as good as 'Dogs,' which is to say that it is still more than excellent. It sounds cool the way Roger's voice is run through the vocoder - he sounds truly nasty and bitter. Again, the track doesn't feel as long as its ten minute length would suggest, and Gilmour's soaring, melodic guitar lines are a treat. Nice pig sounds too. After that comes 'Sheep,' which is slightly weaker but still great. No sheep can be heard "baahing," but it is the ultimate diatribe against the submissive, weak tendencies that we humans all seem to share.
All in all, this is an impressive album. It didn't sell as well as Wish You Were Here, but I would say this had more to do with the lack of a radio-friendly single than anything to do with the quality of music. This is Pink Floyd's one true "rock" album, but still boasts enough prog-like elements and experimental overtones to sound completely unique. This album is tragically underrated. I'm giving it a nine though, as it would have benefited from more David Gilmour singing (and a bit less Roger Waters pontification).
RATING: 9
PLAY THESE: ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL (PART 1), ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL (PART 2), GOODBYE BLUE SKY, HEY YOU, COMFORTABLY NUMB, RUN LIKE HELL
SKIP THESE: none (but only because each of tracks are essential to the storyline, even though some tracks are musically weak)
No apologies for taking my sweet ass time on writing this review, because I've been listening to The Wall a lot over the past six weeks, trying my best to absorb this music as best I could. It's a very dense album. There's too much to take in at once, so you have to keep going back to it to keep in fresh in your mind. So is it good? Of course it is. However, it does have a slightly 1980's production thing going on, and some of the songs aren't quite up to typical Pink Floyd snuff. Plus, the over-the-top cynicism in the lyrics is a bit too much once you take the time to study the words. And the second disc is pretty patchy in spots. But in spite of all this, The Wall is one heck of an album, an almost rite of passage for stoners and prog-geeks alike that is probably the last great "concept album" (and double album) ever made. The album flows nicely, with subtle musical interludes that tie everything together, and Gilmour's guitar playing is at its best here.
So here's the story: the plot centre on Pink, a sort of dislikable protagonist who has experienced a series of unspeakable tragedies from childhood to the present day: the death of his father in World War Two, being raised by a domineering, protective mother, being beaten down by his teachers, who attempt to conform him to societal expectations through a variety of abusive means. Poor Roger, err, I mean Pink. Pink responds to this by starting to build a protective wall between himself and the rest of society, and retreats into a near-fantasy world. Pink nearly completes building the wall, but decides at the last minute to put the building on hold and become a rock star. At this point, Pink gets married, but soon afterward discovers his wife had cheated on him, which he responds to by resuming work on his "wall." Pink goes insane under the strain of it all, and resorts to getting whacked on heroin in order to make it through the tour. While under the influence he begins hallucinating that his concert is actually a Nazi rally, and that he is a seedy fascist dictator who feels compelled to "reeducate" fans in the arena who don't meet a certain standard. Inexplicably, Pink's conscience intervenes and puts himself on trial, the final outcome of which states that Pink must tear down his evil wall. It should also be noted that it appears that Pink's ego trip closely mirrors that of Roger Waters, who by 1979 was in complete control of the group. He wrote eighty percent of the music on this album, sang most of the songs, and even got keyboardist Rick Wright fired during the making of this album, only to re-hire him as an employee during the ensuing tour. Unbelievable. What a bastard.
The first disc is great. It's really hard to know where to begin, but luckily many of these songs are staples of classic rock radio, so most of you will undoubtedly know many of the tracks - even if you don't like Pink Floyd all that much. For me, I love the 'Another Brick In The Wall" trilogy, although I still think that Part II is the best of the three versions. The songs is catchy, Gilmour's playing is unbelievable, and the children's choir makes the song's message all the more urgent ("we don't need no education, we don't need no thought control"). 'In The Flesh' sounds huge and bombastic, but it's still awesome, and 'Mother' now sounds better since I stopped listening to Rock 101 a few years ago. The song is great - just overplayed. Best of all, though, is 'Goodbye Blue Sky,' with its dense harmonies, interesting chord progression, and soothing acoustic arpeggios (and subtle, moody keyboards) making it a timeless classic. I'm not much of a fan of the generic, pedestrian rocker 'Young Lust,' as it sounds like a watered down version of Supertramp to me, but it must have some sort of quality if people still like it after all these years. It is catchy, I'll give it that though.
Side two, however, is not nearly as consistent. This disc is dominated by a series of crappy "show tune"-like tracks that are quite frankly some of the more irritating songs I've ever heard. Waters vocals are terrible on these songs, although I must admit that his singing is quite effective of some of the more conventional-sounding rock songs. Still, there are great tracks to be found. The moody 'Hey You,' with its sleek, spacey, and soulful Gilmour guitar bits, as well as the instrumental, dual guitar solo-wielding 'Run Like Hell,' which sounds kind of 80's but is still good. The best track, of course, is 'Comfortably Numb,' a made-for-arena power ballad with what is perhaps the greatest David Gilmour guitar solo ever recorded.
But apart from a handful of great songs, nothing else really stands out on the second disc. As previously stated, there are too many Gilbert & Sullivan songs, and many of the best musical ideas are wasted on brief musical segue ways ('Is There Anybody Out There'). Yes, it sounds good (Bob Ezrin did a masterful job of tying all of the tracks together with assorted production tricks), but there is an overall sense that some of this is at its core very pompous, soulless music. Not all of it, of course, but enough of it to make it obvious that the band was sliding a little bit. The slick production and ambitious concept behind The Wall didn't make it obvious at first, but this is actually the sound of a great band becoming drunk on its own success and losing its way, producing more commercialized music in order to gain even further money and fame. Unfortunately, the final product is a bit more generic than some Pink Floyd fans would like to admit, although the first disc does stand up to any album they ever made.
A
COLLECTION OF GREAT DANCE SONGS (1981)
RATING: 6
PLAY THESE: ONE OF THESE DAYS, WISH YOU WERE HERE, ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL (PART 2)
SKIP THESE: MONEY
A Christmas shopping season stop-gap compilation, A Collection Of Great Dance Songs is a fairly underwhelming "best of" Pink Floyd album, to say the least. Containing six of Pink Floyd's most popular tracks from the 1970's, the collection only scratches the surface of the band's genius, and undermines its own credibility by the inclusion of re-worked versions of these classic songs. The most notable example is the re-recorded version of 'Money,' which was re-cut after Pink Floyd's former record label refused to allow the original recording to be included on the compilation. Rumour has it that Roger Waters does not appear on the new version, and that he was very much against its inclusion on the album. Regardless, it's an inferior version, as the tempo is slightly faster (the groove is sacrificed for speed) and the production is a bit too 1980's for my liking. In order to conserve space on the album the band also splices together highlights from the two versions of 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond,' which works OK, and even edits out some of the introductory section from 'Wish You Were Here.' They even combined elements from the album and single versions of 'Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2).' As far as I can tell, the only two songs that haven't undergone extensive editing are 'Sheep' and 'One Of These Days.' All told, the album is more than listenable, but if A Collection Of Great Dance Songs proves anything it is that Pink Floyd's material is not suitable for single disc compilations, and that old and new fans alike would be better served by seeking out the original albums instead.
RATING: 4
PLAY THESE: YOUR POSSIBLE PASTS, THE HERO'S RETURN
SKIP THESE: most of 'em
The final Roger Waters-era Pink Floyd album, The Final Cut is not an easy record to like, much less listen to. Essentially, it is a Waters solo album as opposed to Pink Floyd album, as Roger writes all of the songs and sings lead on all but one of the tracks (and yes, he uses that stupid put-on Gilbert & Sullivan voice again). Yes, it's all about Roger here. David Gilmour's inspiring lead guitar runs are practically non-existent, there are practically no Mason drum parts, and keyboardist Rick Wright doesn't even make an appearance for the first (and only) time on a Pink Floyd album (he was fired during the recording of The Wall, and hired back as a touring keyboardist). Even album sleeve proclaims The Final Cut as a "Requiem for the Post War Dream by Roger Waters, performed by Pink Floyd," which demonstrates that Waters was making absolutely no attempt to disguise his power grab. And in case you didn't notice already, it is yet another concept album...but we'll talk more about that later on.....
Musically speaking, the album consists of a dozen crappy "show tune"-ish compositions, similar in style to some of the dirges that watered down (no pun intended) the second disc of The Wall. In fact, rumour has it that many of the songs on The Final Cut were actually rejects from The Wall, as Gilmour and Mason deemed them to be unsuitable for release. However, Waters was in such firm control of Pink Floyd by the early 1980's that he vetoed the group's collective decision, and went ahead and put them on the album anyway. Gilmour has gone on the record stating that, "I've said it hundreds of times, ad nauseam I've said it—it's the balance between the words and the music I think is a very important thing and that's what I think we lost very much on The Final Cut." In my opinion, Gilmour hit the nail on the head and identified the basic problem with the album. Sure, some of the lyrics are interesting, but there are few standout melodies, the guitar/piano parts are clichéd and unmemorable, and almost every track is boring.
With all of the emphasis on Roger's lyrics, one would naturally assume that the storyline would be strong, but sadly, it isn't. In fact, things get downright messy at times - it's hard to tell what the whole thing is about. Sadly, the main thing that really stands out is Roger's increasing bitterness and cynicism. Apart from that, some of the tracks seem to be a direct attack on the worldviews and politics of Margaret Thatcher, Leonid Brezhnev, and Ronald Reagan, focusing especially on the events surrounding the Falklands War. There also seem to be some references to Waters' father, who died on a battlefield in Italy during World War Two. There is also another character in a parallel storyline who appears to be a bitter World War II veteran turned school teacher, who takes out his frustrations on his pupils (is he the same sadistic teacher in The Wall?). Lastly, there is also a third overlapping storyline that features a nihilistic, depressed character (Pink from The Wall?) who offers to show the world "what's behind the wall" in the title track near the end of the album. Unfortunately, this turns out to be nuclear annihilation. Nice.
There are precious few moments of inspiration, so I'll take the time to list them here. 'Your Possible Pasts' is one of the few tracks that actually features a full-band performance, with lots of Gilmour guitar and Mason drumming, and even Roger sings the song with guts and conviction. In short, it rocks (for a change). The 'Hero's Return' is a Wall-like track with a powerful, attention-grabbing intro that unfortunately loses its momentum once the guitars and drums drop out around half way through the track, but it's still a keeper. 'The Fletcher Memorial Home' is one of the few "show tune" songs that leave a lasting impression, while the title track brims with passion and purpose (again, these are examples of the few tracks that features a generous serving of Gilmour guitar).
Nevertheless, the majority of the tracks kind of drift on by without leaving any sort of an impression. True, only a few are outright embarrassments (the cringe worthy Gilmour-sung rocker 'Not Now John' sounds like a bad parody of 'The Nile Song'), but there is little of value to grab on to. All in all, The Final Cut is a disappointing end to the Roger Waters era of Pink Floyd, and one that I wouldn't recommend to the casual fan.
RATING: 6
PLAY THESE: SEE EMILY PLAY, ONE OF THESE DAYS, BRAIN DAMAGE/ ECLIPSE
SKIP THESE: EMBRYO
Another Pink Floyd compilation, Works is a scattershot collection the bands pre-1973 output that literally screams "pointless!" After all, there appears to be little or no criteria for the song selection, as the compilation consists of everything from obscure album tracks ('Fearless,' 'Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered in a Cave....,' 'Free Four') to previously unreleased demos (the dreadfully boring 1970 recording 'Embryo'). Heck, there's even a couple of Syd Barrett-era hit singles ('See Emily Play' and 'Arnold Layne') and mid 1970's FM radio staples ('One Of These Days,' 'Brain Damage/Eclipse') thrown in for good measure. Sure, most of the songs are still great, but why anyone would lump these seemingly unrelated tracks together on a single CD is anyone's guess. When pared down to essential, this album isn't recommendable to anyone. Why? Serious Pink Floyd fans will likely already own all of tracks except 'Embryo,' and most casual fans won't want to hear esoteric experimentation like 'Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered in a Cave.' I'll say it again. Pointless.
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