MORE (OST)

A highly under-rated and neglected PINK FLOYD album. This is good experimental stuff. If you are a FLOYD fan, this album belongs in your collection. Although musically experimental, Floyd is starting to settle down and one can see how Waters' leadership is beginning to coalesce after the highly ambitious, yet disjointed "A Saucerful of Secrets".

"More" can be divided into its two parts: 1) Original songs with vocals; and 2) Instrumental, soundtrack pieces. Surprisingly enough, especially for a soundtrack album, it's in the 'original song compositions' and not the instrumentals that FLOYD acheive new heights.

PINK FLOYD are masters at starting their albums off with a signature track/sound. 'Astronomy Domine', 'Speak To Me', 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond', 'Pigs on the Wing', 'Signs of Life' and 'Cluster One' are all classic FLOYD intros that set the mood for the album in their own way. 'Cirrus Minor' exemplifies that tradition with its atmospheric-setting tropical bird sounds, acoustic guitar intro and haunting Gilmour vocals. Don't miss Rick Wright's wonderful keyboard outro here.

'Cirrus Minor', 'The Nile Song', 'Green Is The Colour' and 'Cymbaline' are all FLOYD classics. These are the reasons you should own this album. 'Green' and 'Cymbaline' became band staples whilst they toured in the early 70's prior to their "DSOTM" success, and were often stretched into long 10+ minute improvisational pieces. FLOYD showcased the 'Azimuth Coordinator' technology during 'Cymbaline' as they manipulated and projected quad sound effects (usually footsteps) towards speakers located in the four corners of the arena.

'Green Is The Colour' shows what Gilmour could do when allowed to write his own music. Rick Wright's work on the keyboards compliment Gilmour's voice and guitar really nicely on this little tune. It is here that 'The softer side of the Pink Floyd Sound' is born. (For more info see Wright/Gilmour's later collaboration and vocal harmonies on 'Echoes' and 'Us & Them'.)

'Ibiza Bar' is a little known song that along with 'The Nile Song' show some of the earliest elements of an almost 'proto-heavy metal' sound similar to that found in GENESIS' 'The Knife'. Amazing that these FLOYD songs were written in 1969!

As for the instrumental work, some are good, and some are quite inadequate. 'More Blues', 'Main Theme' and 'Dramatic Theme' are all typical instrumental FLOYD. However, 'Up the Khyber', 'Party Sequence' and especially 'Quicksilver' are forgettable at best, and are easily seen as the soundtrack filler that they really are. 'Quicksilver' is quite possibly the worst piece of FLOYD music in existence. Yes, even worse than 'Dogs of War' (haha)

Overall, an experimental album, and the first of their big three 'soundtrack' albums. If you only own "Dark Side" and "The Wall", then skip this offering. If you are more adventurous, and enjoy more risky FLOYD, give this one a try. 3/5 stars