MEDDLE

If there's any Pink Floyd album that spells COOL, it's Meddle. This record is one step closer to perfection, and I view it as a sort of summary of it's predeccessors. It has the psychedelic drive of 'Piper...', the diversity in style of 'Saucer...', the [thankfully] brief experimentation of 'Ummagumma', and the maturity and format of 'AHM'. Meddle also shows a warmer, more unified band, working together instead of individually. The only thing that lets it down is it's artwork (although even that is quite COOL...)

There's a variety of styles, beginning importantly with some straight space rock. 'One of These Days' really rocks, and has a timeless quality to it that makes it seem futuristic even today. They even slip in a snippet of the Doctor Who theme tune for good measure! (If that's not COOL then I don't know what is). This is followed by the suitably calmer songs 'A Pillow of Winds' and 'Fearless' which employ plenty of acoustic and slide guitar to their advantage. By this point, it is clear that Pink Floyd have improved their compositional skills (and we haven't reached Echoes yet). 'San Tropez' is very COOL; with witty lyrics and a jazzy piano solo from Wright which is a bit of a treat. 'Seamus' is of course avant-garde: the lead singer is a dog. But it's generally forgivable, given the album space it takes up.

Echoes is by far the COOLEST part of the album (or should I say, coolest half of the album?). Who ever had the idea to "abandon the orchestra and work together" was a genius. This "underwater epic" is the best and most fitting way to end an era in the band's career. The intro is chilling, the verses thoughtful, and the chorus agressive, but nothing quite compares to the 7:00 entrance of the Pink Floyd "Mega-Jam" (If only it had an official title). This workout is cosmic, groovy, and totally improvsed. And all of it is achieved with a 'wet', 'splashy' feel that really puts the 'Blue' in 'Blues'. Following this, is another moment of underwater exploration; deep, chillingly atmospheric, and just the right length to provoke an eerie tension before re-surfacing for the verse reprise which triumphantly brings the song and album to a close.

Meddle is good. It's very COOL and it's even closer to 'the special one' than 'AHM' was. I've never listened to it underwater, but that's bound to be even better...