MORE (OST)

The first of two soundtracks released by Pink Floyd, this film-score was made for a movie called, well, More. The film (which is highly unlikely that anyone has ever seen), tells a story of heroin addiction. The whole movie takes place on the island of Ibiza (which the name for the track 'Ibiza Bar' came from). Although I've never seen the movie, I have heard the soundtrack for it. This album is the most recent purchase to my PF discography.

The reason behind this being one of my last to add to my collection is due to my hesitation behind the reception of it overall. So I admit I saved it for last. I'm sure that many others have to, maybe even for very last, but I thought that getting this underrated gem before I got all the others would benefit me more in the long run. Therefore I picked up the album for eleven dollars and brought it home. I was quick to do a full listen-through, and I came out with an opinion equally as fast. Now here I am, presenting my thoughts to you.

I have stated before that Obscured by Clouds (1972) is my favorite Pink Floyd album, and I make it very clear in my review of it. But Obscured by Clouds was only a half of the puzzle. More, which came out three years before and predated OBC by two albums, is most definitely my least favorite of the two. But after listening, this album is probably the most evolved of the 60's Pink Floyd albums. Although maybe not as SUCCESSFULLY influential, like OBC (which influenced PF's Dark Side heyday), but More most definitely reinforced and solidified their sound after A Saucerful of Secrets (1968). I must say that both albums (OBC and More) have large similarities. This might be due to both films that they scored being directed by Barbet Schroeder, and them both being sort of art flicks. This would lead to high amounts of similar-ness due to the certain sounds these films have. But anyway, enough comparison, onto the album.

The album starts out with the dark and floaty 'Cirrus Minor', with sounds of birds and some light guitar. The riffs from this song sounds sort of like something you'd see from ASFOS, reminiscent to maybe 'Remember a Day'. This overall affect is actually quite nice, a high pick from the album and one of the best album openings by the band. But that quietness doesn't last for long until 'The Nile Song' comes in to blow all of that away. Crunching riffs and a yelling Gilmour, coming in with the heaviest Pink Floyd song in history. It is actually a cool and interesting listen, and features some awesome heavy metal guitar and excellent drumming on the part of Mason. 'Crying Song' slows the album back down with an ominous lullaby type song. It features some key changes that I'd hear on maybe Dark Side, and is actually a neat casual listen. 'Green is the Colour' and 'Cymbaline' are two slow acoustic songs that I really enjoy, especially the latter. 'Green is the Colour' actually has a more lighthearted feel that is taken almost straight from Atom Heart Mother, except this time the lyrics really make me feel warm on the inside. Also, I give great kudos to Wright for the keyboarding; mighty fine. 'Cymbaline' is the second of them, and this time has some good steady drumming from Mason and a much darker tone. If I were to compare the two, think of 'Green is the Colour' as a walk in the fields, and 'Cymbaline' as sitting in a rocker inside by the window during a rainy day. Both are quite exquisite, and are a mighty fine listen for both. 'Ibiza Bar' is sort of like a 'The Nile Song' reprise in a way, using very similar rhythm guitar riffs except it doesn't variate as much. Also, it is not nearly as heavy as the latter, but the recording sounds a lot better. A really cool listen, especially if you wanted to hear a clearer version of that iconic 'The Nile Song' riff. Unfortunately, that is the last of my real highlights. The rest of the album is songs that you'd probably only enjoy if you were actually watching the film, and aren't really that good upon listening to them plainly. So that has given it the rating from me at a 3.5/5. A nice little album full of really neat ditties, and are really nice to listen to. But if you were thinking of getting this as an early or maybe even introductory purchase, you could very well regret it. I would say listen to the rest of their albums first (especially the necessary ones), and you will come to greatly appreciate this.

Go give it a listen.