BROKEN CHINA

This is the last concept album from a Pink Floyd member, and sadly the last from Rick Wright. It has a mathematical structure. Divided into 4 sections of 4 tracks each with at least one non- instrumental, like it was planeed to be a double vinyl.

What appears clearly is that the floydian element is not present in all the tracks. Some of the instrumentals are a sort of dark Krautrock, but all the album is dark and experimental. This is the first great merit of this album. Being experimenal for an over-60 artist who was obscured in his band by the ego of Waters and sometimes Gilmour, is source of regret for what he could have done with just a bit more temper.

Tracks like "Runaway", with its unusual rhythm, or also the opener "Breaking Water" that sounds like early Tangerine Dream or "Unfair Ground with dissonances in the style of Amon Duul II atlernate with more ambient moments, like "Satellite" or the psychedelic "Black Cloud".

The songs are dark too, but the melodies are more floydian and the two songs featuring the voice of Sinhead o'Connor are highlights. Rick sings Breakthrough on a Gilmour's DVD, and the song is great even sung by him.

Forget the quite and sunny athmosphere of Wet Dream. This album is closer to the studio disc of Ummagumma or to the best parts of Identity. It represents the eclectic side of Richard Wright and I'm sure that fans of Krautrock or Eclectic prog will be more intrigued by this album than the usual Pink Floyd fans.

For those reasons this is an excellent addition to ANY prog rock collection, not only for Floyd's fans. It deserves 4+ stars.