MEDDLE

Having heard this album for the first time years after "Dark Side," "Wish You Were Here," "Animals" and "The Wall" is it any wonder that I found it laughable in its simplicity and "derivativeness"?! It is really difficult to try to listen to this from a perspective that might exclude any knowledge of what came after--but I want to! I want to try to appreciate this for the step in the band's evolution towards the masterpieces that were to come next. But I can't. the bass line, the organ play, the effected vocal "samples" and, yes, even the slide guitar work of the first song, "One of These Days" (5:57) are so far from the polish and "maturity" that was to come. 2. "A Pillow of Winds" (5:13) is closer to AMERICA, The OZARK MOUNTAIN DAREDEVILS, and THE ALLMAN BROTHERS than "Dark Side of the Moon." (8.25/10) 3. "Fearless" (6:08) (8/10) is also nearer to a CROSBY, STILLS, & NASH Southern Rock acoustic ballad than anything PINK FLOYD that came after. 4. "San Tropez" (3:43) (8.25/10) sounds like it's straight off of a HARRY NILSSON album--like "Me & My Arrow" from "The Point" and 5. "Seamus" (2:16) (3/5) is almost impossible to take seriously--Does it have anything to do or compare with the music the band did later? Perhaps they just needed some lighter times after all they had been through with Syd Barrett. And the side-long epic of Side Two, "Echoes" (23:31) (8.5/10) is drawn out so much longer than it needed to be. Three minutes of plucking "echoes" before we get to the singing! Now, I know that the melody, chord progression, singing style and cadences here came before the two "Breathe"s and "Time," but, pleeeez! Can't they be more original? In fact, this song, for me, is just a warm up for the big stuff later--like a freshman basketball or football game when compared to the college or professional games that would come later. Obviously, these boys had a lot of growing to do before they got to DSotM! 3.5 stars rated up for the fact that so much of this stuff made it possible for the later stuff.