OBSCURED BY CLOUDS

My opinion regarding the limitations of soundtrack albums is documented in my review of the Pink Floyd album "More". That nothwithstanding, "Obscured by Clouds" is neither Pink Floyd's shining moment nor its worst failure. There is a substantial amount of good music on this recording which generally has been unjustifiably maligned. What the project suffers from mostly is a general lack of cohesiveness of the entire package, but taken individually, the pieces on this recording contain many fine moments. Play by Gilmour and Wright are excellent. Waters, Gilmour and Wright all contribute to songwriting on this project and the individual efforts as well as the collaborative ones of the band as a whole (with Mason) are, for the most part, solid. But, as solid as it is, none of it is really spectacular. It's a pleasant listen and comes out of by beat up pile of vinyl about once or twice per year for a change of pace. It rates about 3.5 out of 5 stars.