APPLES AND ORANGES

I love those early Floyd oldies. That's right. This is just one of those exceptional cases where I would use the word "love", although I'm allergic to it. Both tracks on here are just downright awesome, and I don't mind it if I am actually alone on this one in the whole universe.

'Apples and Oranges' is really catchy and schizophrenic. The band combines that British nature loving with ideas suitable for a love song, a parody on the Zep's 'Stairway to Heaven' (oh, wait a second, 'Stairway to Heaven' didn't even come out yet), a moderate imitation of Hendrix's guitar style, and just psychedelia in general. But it is not this hodge-podge of the ideas per se that got me into this song; it's the crazy music itself that I personally found very charming. I wouldn't add or subtract anything from it. If Syd was still alive, I would tell him that I really liked this song even if he probably didn't like it, but I would do so only if he wanted to talk to me, which he probably wouldn't.

On 'Paintbox' Richard Wright seems to be a bit concerned with everyday social drinking and dependence in relationship of a lowlife person. These lyrics with that lounge-jazzy piano bring this song a kind of an urban feel. How "hippie" is that. But something doesn't seem right: Richard's voice is on reverb. Actually, if feels right to me. I like the idea of a vocal reverb resounding through the empty streets of a big city, since this is what my imagination gave me. Even though Rick said that he is a terrible singer, I really disagree with him on that one. Overall, the song is very dark and atmospheric, i.e. very ambient, and I love ambient when it works. If Rick was still alive, I would tell him that I really liked this song even if he probably didn't like it, but I would do so only if he wanted to talk to me, which he probably wouldn't.

1. 'Apples and Oranges' - ****

2. 'Paintbox' - *****

Stamp: "I like it."