WET DREAM

For the Floydheads out there, this record represents a major departure from the trippy material of the earlier Floyd and the caustic and biting Waters' crafted material of the mid 70s into the 80s. This record, which is modestly underrated, represents a nice snapshot of Richard Wright, whose contributions to Pink Floyd over time have, in contrast, been grossly underrated. Wright, whose keyboard stylings have never been flashy or even technically brilliant, nevertheless, so long as the man at the creative controls allows, consistently has been a master of texture and atmosphere. It is quite clear, when listening to this record, that this is a man who was searching for a voice. Having been beaten down for too long, Wright's voice and the lyrical ideas tell of a large degree of weariness and melancholy. The voice is sad, tentative and shy, much like that of a person whose sense of self worth has been dealt a serious blow by habitual and repetitive abuse by others. While the lyrical performance is a bit underinspiring, the mood is clear. The music, like the best of his material with Floyd, is brooding and pensive. Mel Collins, formerly of King Crimson and Camel, lends a major hand in setting a bluesy/soft jazz tone on this record and his play is superb. Snowy White supplies a few very good moments on guitar. The rhythm section is good but not extraordinary. Wright's play on the keys is tasteful and restrained . For those looking for psychedelic or space rock, or even a profound musical statement, it won't be found here. Despite this, Wet Dream is an exceedlingly listenable record of material that could probably be best characterized as a soft jazz fusion. Much of the music is slower in tempo but excellently executed. If you are looking for long drawn out overindulgent organ or synthesizer material, you won't find it here it. What you will find is a lot of calming and mellow keyboarding and some excellent session work. Overall, the material is well written and arranged.