MEDDLE

Despite not being their best work (look to WYWH or DSotM for that), 'Meddle' remains my favourite Pink Floyd album to this day... had I not heard it round at a mate's place back in 1972 when I was still in high school, I may never have got into the Floyd in quite the same way. [Many thanks Nick Garthwaite, wherever you are.] So as a life long fan/fanatic my views may be somewhat biased, or even warped!

The album is topped and tailed by two magnificent tone poems, 'One of These Days' and 'Echoes' - the latter filling the whole of side two of the LP, and effectively being the rock equivalent of a symphony in four movements. In between we have two pleasant romantic songs in 'A Pillow of Winds', and the cocktail hour number 'San Tropez'. A different matter though is the splendid track 'Fearless' which, like 'Free Four' from 'Obscured By Clouds', contains themes that Roger Waters would expand on later, in particular on DSotM, The Wall, and The Final Cut.

Ending side one we have the throwaway track 'Seamus' - I personally feel that had it not been included on 'Relics' earlier in the year, that 'Biding My Time' possibly could have take its place... once again it is a rare romantic song from the Floydian Canon that fits in with the overall warm fireside glow of this album.

#1 on my all time list of favourite albums since 1972!