MEDDLE

The wind, then a hypnotic bass ride that rumbles on one channel, then another bass turn on the other, keyboards that pass like blades, drums and electric guitar and here's the epochal beginning of the first song of Meddle ("One Of These Days"), which uses keyboards in a futuristic way , then picks up rhythm, with a very nice progression, until the final rush after the short spoken section (Mason). Vote 8+.

The second song is quite different as arrangement (largely acoustic, guitar without drums) and as a mood: it is a restless folk with a good melody but that does not develop and finally tends to be monotonous. Rating 7+.

The third, Fearless, with that guitar riff that repeats, alternates folk acoustic verses, very relaxed, similar in mood to the previous piece, with stage choirs, which give a sense of particular estrangement, but still well toned to the music. Vote 7.5.

Then comes the turn of Saint Tropez, a retro jazzy, swing, like McCartney's songs, cute, perhaps too long, could be the soundtrack to one of Woody Allen's films. Rating 7+.

Seamus is a funny, almost western song with dogs acting as laced coyotes. Rating 6.5.

The first side, after the promising start, beautiful and innovative, leans on a modest retro acoustic folk- jazz. Average: 7,35-

The suite "Echoes (23:27)" fills side B. It's more rock than Atom Heart Mother, in fact is completely played by the band, without strings or brasses. In my opinion after a very good beginning, grit, it become too lazy and repetitive in the instrumental part. Then, comes a desert landscape, we hear wind and howling coyotes, very suggestive moment, almost soundtrack of a film, echoes and sound of birds of prey screeching n the distance. Then, come back the vocals (wright) and the rhythm. with guitar and drums and then finish the song lazily. Very good suite for some atmospheres, but not a masterpiece. Rating 8+.

Meddle has the same structure as Atom Heart Mother (suite occupying one front, easy listening songs on the other), only that the facades are reversed and in general the quality of the suite is slightly lower, while that of the songs significantly lower. It's a more than discreet but decidedly non-innovative album (apart One Of These Days), which repeats a formula filling it with more traditional folk and rock content, with modest results in the case of folk songs.

Rating 7,5/8. Three Stars.