MEDDLE

Probably the first "proper" Pink Floyd album. There are still the occasional psychedelic tinged "rock 'n rollers" and almost folksy tunes ("Fearless,", "San Tropez") that don't exactly fit in with the "Wish You Were Here" variety, but much like "Atom Heart Mother" before, the spotlight on this album shines on the opener and closer.

"One Of These Days" sounds like a demo that the band just noodled around with that could've easily feel at home on "Dark Side", I kid you not. It's one long build up, the demonic quote, and then just a good ol fashioned jam to close it out. I personally think it encapsulates the quintessential Pink Floyd sound that would be known worldwide for years to come.

I don't want to go so far as to say the middle of the album is very "meh", but like "Atom Heart Mother", these just sound like songs the bad HAD to make in order to be commercially viable, since we're still in the middle of their movie soundtrack period. They're not bad songs at all (I personally like "A Pillow Of Winds" and "San Tropez"), but you just wouldn't recognize the band as Pink Floyd. That is, until you hear Gilmore singing.

Clearly the star of the show is "Echoes", once again, a quintessential masterpiece, highlighting the best the band has ever offered, electronic soundscapes, ambient noises, wonderful vocals and kickass jams and guitar solos. It really reminds me of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", a track they'd record 4 years later.

That's the interesting thing about his album to me. "Meddle" and "Obscured by Clouds" (though not their greatest effort) are albums that solidified this band's identity, written only a year apart, and a year after "Clouds" came "Dark Side Of The Moon", one of the all time classics, and even though compositionally "Clouds" is trumped by "Dark Side", the potential can be heard on "Clouds", and especially here on "Echoes".

I wonder if people ever predicted such a future for this band when Meddle came out. Would've been an interesting story to tell at the local bar, mind you.