OBSCURED BY CLOUDS

Recorded in just a couple of week-long sessions at Chateau d'Herouville (France) in February and March 1972 - shortly after already debuting their new masterpiece Dark Side Of The Moon in January! But this was one the band's sidelines - film scores. They could knock these off in their sleep, drawing on vast reserves of studio experimentation, left-overs and ideas. And there is no comparison to Dark Side, as the sound here bears greatest resemblance to Meddle, its studio predecessor. It is a charming album, many ideas remained as unfulfilled instrumental passages and the production is much more rugged than the polished Dark Side that followed. Musically, it is a mish-mash of styles, from heavy rock to pastoral, but it is never short of entertaining. Personal favourite is the warped Free Four with its jaunty beat and bitter lyrics. Highly recommended.