MEDDLE

No beating about the bush - Echoes is damn near the best piece of music ever created by anyone at any time .... even all these years later it holds a power that few others can get close to. The psychedelic instrumental section, especially the pounding 'marching' theme [my head has built up a story to this that is quite independant of the lyrics, though they do seem to gel somehow] never fails to send shivers down the spine. This is also my preferred version of this song - everything about it is perfect. Simpler, but barely less powerful, is the Echorec endowed One Of These Days with Nick Mason's barely discernable vocal. Anything else really is a bonus. The remaining tracks are in a freeer style with lots of jangly acoustic guitars, bluesy licks, chanting football crowd and singing dog - in themselves pleasant enough but nothing outstanding, at least in a Prog sense. They are, however, a perfect foil for the two major tracks. Overall - masterpiece.