A series of essays I did when at Massey in 2008 - The Music of Pink Floyd - got a C+ average.
A Perspective on Pink Floyd
Essay Three - A.
By Thane Zander
Before
looking into the history of this supergroup, it is important to
categorise Pink Floyd. With Pink Floyd, one needs to highlight the
make up of the group, the influences musically and lyrically, and the
climate of the world during their lifetimes. It is easy to start
with a bold brush, but much harder to actually pinhole the exact
truth of what they are and what they have been through. Even harder
is actually stating a definitive genre Pink Floyd fits in.
From
the before the start, experimentalist group The Abdabs gave birth to
a certain sound, a unique sound, that would carry into the Syd
Barrett era. This sound was experimental as one would expect from a
bunch of young lads. The actual make up of this band is the key to
where it would go, primarily Roger Waters, Rick Wright and Nick
Mason, the nucleus of the band through to 1985 and Waters departure.
The fact the band known as The Pink Floyd Sound would emerge to
create mayhem on the London Club scene is widely reported and with
the inclusion of Syd, they found a songwriter that would take them in
more than one direction. Though largely a sound experimental group
(Interstellar Overdrive and Astronomy Domine) it was Syd’s quirky
pop tunes that actually gave The Pink Floyd Sound impetus in their
new career. Those pop singles today are not avid collectors with
modern day Floyd fans, but the enduring quality of the two longer
pieces indicates where most fans place the music.
The
genre to this point, and also on the follow up Saucerful of Secrets
(where they dropped the “Sound” from the bands name), had been
catchy pop songs coupled with power experimentalist rock ballads.
(“Set the Control for the Heart of the Sun” and “A Saucerful of
Secrets") clearly showed that even without Syd, the band could
play longish songs and still sound experimental in the process. It
also clearly evident that even without Syd, they had enough
songwriting firepower to continue on. Most bands that lose their key
songwriter would fold, but it showed then that there was more to the
soon to be supergroup than met the eye. This could be verified by
the fact that the then management of the group left and stuck with
Syd on his departure seeing him as the future, making way for Steve
O’Rourke, who would stay with Pink Floyd through to his death in
2000.(Wikipedia)
The
group’s decision to follow a whim and record a soundtrack for a
film (More) paid dividends in that they showed a burgeoning ability
to write to more than one genre. This would count for much when the
analysis of their latter years unfolds. With Waters writing both
Rock and Folk songs, and the start of a smoothness in their playing,
The Pink Floyd were about to hit their straps and start into a new
genre, Progressive Rock. The album More was closely followed up by
the double album Ummagumma. There are both studio tracks and live
tracks to be sampled. The Live tracks are largely reworks of
favourites from the first two albums, and amount to a good dose of
what it was like to see Pink Floyd live in the late 1960’s. But of
more interest, especially to Pink Floyd aficionados, is the studio
set, often derided as utter rubbish or sheer brilliance.
On
the studio version of Ummagumma is an indication that Pink Floyd were
headed in a new direction and largely uncharted waters for the time
by any group. A wide arrangement of sound of all varieties explodes
from the record and gives the listener either a headache, or an
indication that a record such as The Dark Side of the Moon was
possible. This experimentation continued through the early 1970’s
with Atom Heart Mother (I still claim it as an important piece though
David Gilmour and Roger Waters beg to differ)(Wikipedia) Musically
Atom Heart Mother (the title track) is ethereal and shows a promise
to be kept in the much acclaimed Echoes. Some deride the use of
horns but as can be seen later in Dark Side of the Moon (saxophone)
and other monumental tracks in the future, horns do work in Pink
Floyd material. There is also a new facet to the Floyd sound in the
use of backing singers, which would become integral in almost all
later Pink Floyd works.
It is also important to remember that three other songs off this
album also produced similar results later in their careers as
musicians, If (Acoustic Guitar – Wish You Were Here), Summer of 68
(Piano -The Great Gig in the Sky), and Fat Old Sun (Gilmour’s song
– loosely reworked in Comfortably Numb). All in all Atom Heart
Mother, though not a favourite of many fans, still is important
enough to include as a watershed album for where Pink Floyd were
going.
This
was reinforced with the ground breaking Meddle. One of these Days is
still one of my all time favourite Pink Floyd songs, a driving beat,
soaring keyboards, angry lead guitar and a very strong driving beat
from the rhythm section of Bass and Drums. It is a follow on from
The Nile Song, the anger and drive born out of the past. It also
heralded to the world that a new force was in place, and its name was
Progressive Rock. But the album also plays to the whimsical, and the
folk feel pervades, as well as Water’s humour (Seamus), which would
surface, too, in later albums although in a differing vein. Of
course the real highlight on this album is Echoes, a clear indication
that a break through album was imminent. Like a lot of previously
lengthy Pink Floyd tracks, this offers a lot. It also shows the
group was really mastering their instruments and playing with
consummate ease, even if still prone to experimentalism. That would
never stop, more so as Waters wrestled the writing reins from the
others. Even at this early stage, the power of his persona over the
rest, creativity wise, was daunting.
I
think what really helped the group up to this stage was their
constant live shows and presenting new songs long before they were
placed on an album, choosing what worked and what didn’t as they
saw fit. That coupled with the ability to write and record a new
album every year through to Dark Side of the Moon meant they were
honing their craft quite quickly. I have seen in research material
that other bands of this time were starting to mimic what Pink Floyd
(Yes, Genesis) were offering but having listened to both bands I can
safely say that Pink Floyd were beyond the both of them, musically
and in the quality of songs they wrote.
Then
there was another foray into writing a soundtrack for a film (La
Vallee). This is the only album of Pink Floyd I don’t have, and I
missed it when sourcing research material. There is material
(Wikipedia) to suggest that the album was another foray into
practised sound. I don’t see anywhere to say what the sound was
like, or the effects, or for that matter the overall outcome of the
soundtrack. It was during the scoring of this movie that Pink Floyd
was also working on their soon to be popular opus, The Dark Side of
the Moon.
The
Dark Side of the Moon - one could linger here. From the opening bar
on this record, to the closing, one is drawn in and as a washing
machine would, spin around and spat out feeling a lot better than
when you first started. It’s widely known this album is one of the
all time greatest albums of all time, and let’s say the progressive
rock market is somewhat small. You can almost be assured that at
least one of your friends has a copy, be it vinyl or CD (or both in a
lot of cases). BUT! Let’s not forget, that Dark Side was born out
of a number of factors. The previous albums, education and the
willingness to try new things, or rehash old ones. Yes there are no
forerunners to this album, song wise, but there is plenty to indicate
that this album just had to happen. One of the key points is the
groups own collaboration, their willingness to work together to try
and improve the material to a state that it would make a good song.
I
think at this point, the dynamics of Pink Floyd shifted a little,
too. The money they were making from the album made them very
wealthy, which would also both be augmented from reissues of their
earlier works and with the coming albums. They had not only tapped
the genre of Progressive Rock (probably invented it actually), but
they were also spilling over into the Rock categories as more radio
stations played Money and other songs from the album. I think this
might have had an adverse effect on the group, which would surface
later on, especially with Animals.
For
the first time in their career, they wouldn’t put out an album in a
year. Wish You Were Here was released two years after Dark Side of
the Moon, but it was also a watershed album in that it explored Syd
Barrett. A fitting tribute too made even more fitting by his arrival
during recording,(Schaffer and Mason) much to bemusement of the
members of the band (yes some still say Syd’s Band). This album is
not a Dark Side of the Moon and returns the band to longish songs
that had become their forte. Shine on You Crazy Diamond benefits
from its predecessors (Echoes, A Saucerful of Secrets, and Atom Heart
Mother) and then some. The whole suite is a great tribute to a band
that has become very familiar with their craft, and is totally
different to Dark Side of the Moon. And it had to be different, to
be Pink Floyd material.
Welcome
to the Machine is a song that could almost fit in The Wall, but the
other two songs, too, make their mark. Wish You Were Here is now an
acoustic favourite, from budding guitarists to professional ones. To
offer up the fare on this record Pink Floyd must have been well and
truly on song. I’m not a huge fan of the album, but I do recognise
that it deserves to be in the top five albums from the Floyd
catalogue.
Then
along comes another album (once again two years between releases)
that starts the Roger Waters takeover of the creative element of the
band. Animals is purely driven from one man’s perspective, and the
band has to go along with it. Before you wonder, I rate Animals as
my second most favourite album from the catalogue. And I’m a huge
Waters fan. But having read a lot of material on the group, it’s
widely known that this is when the cracks started to appear. Though
it’s not recorded, but widely supposed, Rick was starting to drop
off the radar as far as input to the writing and recording process,
David and Roger weren’t talking (made even more evident with The
Final Cut) and the whole parcel that is Animals was a Waters driven
project.
Sure
the band played on this album, and played probably the best they ever
had (or ever would?), but the emphasis in the groups’ dynamics had
changed. Was it the wealth they were now accumulating off the
previous two albums, was it recording contract schedules, or was it
plain and simple that members of the band had pretty much had enough
of each other? It’s clear all the members of the group were
committed to record, and as Roger seemed to be the only one providing
creativity, it came down to him to produce the bands footprint for
the ensuing years. This came at a cost, and from my own assertion on
the Sysyphus essay, Rick was needed to tighten the songs and offered
arrangements that the group might be able to use.
This
became evident when The Wall was released. A lot of good songs, but
no lengthy pieces, very little keyboards, and mostly no Rick. It was
clear the dynamics of the group were changing, and for the worse.
The Wall tours were few and one almost gets the impression when
listening to the group members that The Wall was a tiring episode and
one that failed to reignite the groups’ ability to play well with
each other. It was clear there would be defections, and when The
Final Cut came along, Rick was gone, and Dave and Nick pandered to
Roger’s whim and produced as studio musicians to Rogers’s
directions. This was down to Dave saying contractual obligations
meant they had to do the record (Wikipedia), and then finally drop
the axe and split the group. But it didn’t quite work that way.
Roger went his own way, David went his own way, Nick drove his cars,
and Rick sunned it up in the Mediterranean.
Despite
Rogers protestations, David, Nick, and Rick reformed the group,
produced an album (The Momentary Lapse of Reason) and toured as Pink
Floyd. Of course Roger sued and failed, but Pink Floyd went on to
record another album (The Division Bell). Although some songs on
both albums have a Floyd feel, they generally underwhelm me and I
think Roger’s fans might have had it right, He’s Pink.
Where
does Pink Floyd sit in the history of rock? Well to start with, they
were pop artists (Top of the Pops) with “Arnold Layne” and “See
Emily Play”. However, this pop stardom was short-lived (Syd’s
departure). Then they were Space Rockers (Interstellar Overdrive,
Astronomy Domine, to name a few), then they were Progressive Rockers
(Meddle onwards) until they rediscovered radio playable music again
(The Wall) By this stage they were and are solid rock stars.
They wrote primarily to appease themselves, to compliment their
ranges of style and panache, and they did it as a team, which a lot
of rock bands fail to achieve. Let’s not forget, up till Rick’s
death, the band members had been in the music business for forty
years, a feat only matched by The Rolling Stones, for longevity and
continued creativity (although the group failed to put out any new
material after The Division Bell.).
A
mark of how popular Pink Floyd is the numerous groups out there doing
tribute shows across the world. Plus add to that, album sales are
still strong and steady. I’ve just turned fifty and have been
along for the ride since 1975, yet there is a cleaner where I stay
who is only nineteen and she is a total Pink Floyd fan. Yes, they
reach across the ages, and will do for years to come.
Where
else did Pink Floyd make a mark? Simple answer really, their sound
and lighting experimentations and subsequent innovative set ups for
their live concerts. They were the forerunner of stadium Rock shows
with all the lights, sound, and dry ice, and many bands today work
off the Pink Floyd module.
Finally the line ups of the various formations of Pink Floyd. To
start with, there was Roger, Nick and Rick (and Bob Klose) as the
Abdabs, then they invited Syd Barrett in as guitarist and songwriter,
forming the group The Pink Floyd Sound (widely known to have come
from artists on Syd’s blues albums). It’s widely known about
Syd’s problems with drugs, so the group became a fivesome with the
introduction of David Gilmour to cover Syd’s guitar and vocals
during the live shows. The “Sound" was dropped off the groups
name and The Pink Floyd sailed on, once again as a four piece, this
time Syd was gone and David was a full time member. At a stage in
the late 1960’s and early 1970’s “The” was dropped.
This line up stood firm through ten years of solid creativity and
work (tours) until Pink Floyd decided (well Roger decided really)
that Rick wasn’t required anymore, so the new threesome (Roger,
David and Nick) completed The Wall and The Final Cut together, before
the final culling happened when Roger went solo and the last
incarnation of the group reformed as Pink Floyd again, this time with
Rick and no Roger. There are a lot of people out there that
supported Roger when he filed suit against his former band members.
But that’s water under the bridge now. I’m not a great fan of
either of the last two albums; they lack certain panache only Roger
could have given.
It’s
fair to say now what does and doesn’t work for me. Nothing out of
the Floyd catalogue disappoints me greatly. I love all their music,
feel at home with the lyrics as if they were written for me (a reason
for their success – availability) and just love everything they
have done as a group. The books written about them give gorgeous
insight, and the internet is just flooded with Pink Floyd material
(30,200,000 hits on Google) that is so hard to keep up with. In
August this year as a tribute, I created eight videos, three from the
Pink Floyd catalogue, and five from Roger Waters’s solo material.
My legacy to a great group that will never reform and will remain a
big part of the music scene for years to come. Each surviving member
is lighting a candle for Rick, but also lighting the way for their
retiring futures.
And that hanging question – the genre, the true genre they fit
into. Yes they were psychedelic rock, yes they were pop rock and
folk, yes they were Space rock, and yes they were Progressive rock
(or even alternative). But I think for me, the original name of the
group all those years ago, The Pink Floyd Sound, stands testament to
where they actually fit in. They stand alone outside all genres as
the Pink Floyd sound, a unique and never to be matched
accomplishment.
Bibliography
Mason
N. Inside Out
Schaffer
N. Saucerful of Secrets – The Pink Floyd Odyssey
Wikipedia
– Pink Floyd retrieved 19th October 2008 from
************************************************************
Animals
Music by Pink Floyd
Lyrics by Roger Waters
An essay by Thane Zander, 17th
September 2008
Introduction
Animals
– an album by Pink Floyd released in 1977. The album reached No. 2
in the UK Album Chart and No.3 in the US charts despite this period
being both the Disco and Punk Eras. The album has gone quadruple
platinum and rates well in the Pink Floyd catalogue.(Wikipedia)
The album was recorded at Pink Floyds Britannia Row Recording Studios
in 1976. It was a departure from previous works in that it became a
lyrical masterpiece, and less structure from the musical innovation
Pink Floyd had been known for.
My
own personal history with Animals is quite revealing. I first bought
the album in 1978, and was at that stage a firm Dark Side of the Moon
and Wish You Were Here fan, and Animals didn’t provide me with the
flare Pink Floyd had until that stage. I gave Animals to my brother
after a few listens not overly happy with its content. I was 20
years old then and impressionable. I next crossed horns with Animals
in 1998 when I decided to fully stock my CD collection of Pink Floyd
music and albums. And on first playing I suddenly got what the album
was about. A more mature me had become a huge Roger Waters fan, and
Animals was where he first took control of the creativity for the
band.
My
own position with Animals is this. The album is tight. The songs
rock, the lyrics are superb, and the package is alluring. There are
many areas where the album just glows, and these are where the band
really gels as a group of musicians striving to keep it together (as
the fall out from The Wall will testify) It’s physically the last
album Pink Floyd make sounding like they all have their heart in the
project at hand, and having to deal with Roger must have been a hard
task.
The
whole album is a miasma of thought and thinking, and makes the
listener want to be involved in the music, albeit lyric based. After
several listens, and the aid of a Lyric sheet from the internet, I
managed to fully understand what Roger was going on about. On the
Roger Waters BBS I would argue night and day the merits of the album,
usually on deaf ears. But allies were around and we continue to this
day to enjoy Rogers first true Opus.
Now
for the individual tracks and the breakdown of each from my own
viewpoint. Each song will be approached on its merits, the lyrics,
the music, the solos, and the direction the songs take with each
other.
Pigs
on the Wing Part One
An unusual song to start the album off with, but when coupled with
its’ closing partner, it all makes sense. In the reference
material (Schaffer and Mason) there is an explanation that these two
pieces were in fact Roger’s lost love and were treated as love
songs. The problem is for me is accepting that the starting Part One
is a love song. It has elements in it that hint to it, but
personally I think this is a great segue in to the material that
follows, a sort of airy piece that just floats an introduction. I’ve
never read Animal Farm, but I know of it. The choice of Roger to use
Pigs as an opening gambit is somewhat obscure, except to say his
depiction is probably akin to the fat cats of business that stuffed
up his and the Floyd’s royalties (well documented) and he has an
aversion to them. I doubt that makes for a good love song. The use
of just an acoustic guitar to open with is sublime, adds tenderness
to the album that wasn’t often to be seen in early Floyd.
Dogs
Roger’s words, Dave’s dulcet voice and classic Floyd guitar,
Nick’s competent drums, and the barest of Rick’s contribution.
Ok this song reeks of paranoia and anxiety. “Fly Down South and
hide your head in the sand” but it also speaks about fear “You
gotta keep one eye looking over your shoulder”, the classes “You
gotta be able to pick out the easy meat”. It’s more than that
too; it’s an angst ridden song, yet without the anger pouring out
in the music and vocals. I like Dogs immensely, at one time the song
really echoed how I felt and I was able to understand what it was all
about. The length has been mentioned by some commentators, did it
need to be that long? Yes it did (and does). The insanity of the
situation calls for a long dirge, with the echoing dogs and keyboards
in the middle of the song adding lustre to the piece. Lyrically it’s
a very tight well driven song. There is enough in the lyrics to
catch all kinds of listeners. I think Roger enjoyed doing the writing
for this album, as he obviously had a lot of ideas running around in
his mind at the time.
The last section of the song is more upbeat and bouncier, even if the
lyrics are still a little comprehensive and depressive. The lines
that start with “Who” at the very end set up a nice segue into
Pigs (Three Different Ones). In conclusion of Dogs, it’s purely an
angst ridden rock song, but very well handled as an acoustic
interlude in places.
Pigs
(Three Different Ones)
“Big
man, Pig Man” Yes what a way to start another very good song.
This one’s Rogers political tirade, his shout to the bureaucracy of
the day. “Charade you are” Yes we all ask that at times about
our politicians and leaders and community do gooders. Yet Roger gets
his teeth into this. Rick gets to open the song with a melodic
keyboard sequence, and David keeps the electric guitar (lead) pulsing
throughout (with a fairly unusual sound to it). Roger takes charge
of the song with his vocals, really wringing out the angst in the
song, the vitriol fair oozing out. “Charade you are” Yes it
drips contempt. This is one where the lower class kicks back and
says ‘what about me’ which is rather strange coming from a middle
class college trained member of society. Had Pink Floyd sunk that
far down the music ladder, to be lesser cousins to the likes of
Jethro Tull, Deep purple, and Led Zeppelin?
Like
most of the album, Pigs (TDO) is a relaxing walk through the mind of
Roger Waters, coupled with the expert musicianship of his fellow band
mates.
Sheep
OK!
The 23rd Psalm. On the Roger Waters Bulletin Board
(alluded to earlier) there was one poster who utterly loved Animals
BUT couldn’t stand to listen to Sheep. Yes he was a devout
Christian, and wouldn’t have anything to do with the song. I know
of two others since that have the same aversion. From my own
viewpoint I see it differently. I think Roger was exorcising some
demons, from whatever walk of life he was partaking of. The song is
a deep look into the psyche of a troubled man (not mentioned anywhere
in any resource material) but with what came next with Roger (The
Wall) maybe he was a troubled man indeed. It’s fair to say when
Roger gets his teeth into something he gives it his all, despite
criticisms, and Sheep certainly does that. I was interested to note
that the reading of the reworked Psalm was done by Nick Mason (Mason
– Inside Out). There is not a lot not to like about this song.
Once again Roger gets the best out of his band mates and a very tight
piece ensues.
Pigs
on the Wing Part Two
Out
take. We came in…….
Conclusion
Animals
is a very eclectic album musically speaking. The lyrics are a
continuum from one song to the next, as you’d expect from a concept
album. Since being reawakened to Animals I have grown to love the
music and songs and to this date still assert that it is their most
musically tight album of all time. The lyrics help to enhance that
thought, and it is as I see it, the first true Roger Waters album,
meaning he wrote all of the lyrics and had most of the song ideas
done already. He stretches all his skills to deliver a really tight
package.
Bibliography
Mason
N. Inside Out
Schaffer
N. Saucerful of Secrets – The Pink Floyd Odyssey
Wikipedia
– Animals retrieved 7th September 2008 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animals_(album)
***********************************************************
Sysyphus
Parts I - IV
Composed
by Richard Wright
Performed
by Richard Wright and Pink Floyd
From
the 1st side of LP One of the Two LP set of
Ummagumma.
What
is Sysyphus? On the album Ummagumma it is an avante garde suite of
songs that have no lyrics, and derive all their energy from Richard
(Rick) Wrights various instruments, and extends to 13.28 minutes.
Wright plays Farfisa Organ, Melletron, Piano, Bass guitar, Timpani
and Percussion on this suite of musical pieces.
There
is a assertion that the name Sysyphus derives from the Greek God of a
similar name, Sisyphus and the pieces mirror the Sisyphean challenge.
This is the purpose of this challenge. Sisyphus was the son of King
Aeolus of Thessaly and Anarete, and the founder of and first king of
Ephra (Corinth). Sisyphus repeatedly broke the laws of hospitality
by killing travellers and guests. He seduced his niece, took his
brothers throne and betrayed Zeus secrets. Zeus then asked Hades to
chain Sisyphus to Tartarus. Anyway, to cut a long story short,
Sisyphus was doomed to the Sisyphean Challenge whereby he was ordered
to roll a rock uphill until he reached the summit, but nearing the
top, the rock always rolled back down to the bottom again. He was
bound to go back down and continue to try and achieve that task. Of
course, he couldn’t meet that task but kept trying. He was doomed
to repeating the task and to this day this challenge is likened to an
act of continued persistence or the sea rising and falling everyday,
the mundane, but persistent. (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
excerpts intonate that the Sysyphus of Rick Wright is a close
correlation to the challenge, with the pieces ebbing and flowing
accordingly. “Part I consists of featuring a tympani and a
Melletron chords resembling an orchestra” which when I played this
for the first time in eons is exactly the way I felt. “a piano
solo that dissolves into a raucous dissonant performance as Sisyphus
struggles uphill” which makes sense to that part of the song, it’s
almost manic in nature, very un-Rick Wright.
My music knowledge is very limited despite that fact I love music of
all genre. I know what “sounds” good and what “feels” good.
I know I have bitten off a huge chunk of lack of knowledge to tackle
these pieces as far as the music goes. But I feel Echoes is too long
to do a decent attempt of a review, and the others (Shine of you
Crazy Diamond Pts 1 – 9, Interstellar Overdrive, Saucerful of
Secrets, etc) I find very eclectic and I’m not willing to use them.
Sysyphus sounds very different, and I feel worthy of a review.
Besides I have challenged myself to deal with a song that has no
vocals and that’s way out of my depth.
Before starting, one should note that this is a sole Rick Wright
suite of pieces. Apart from accompanying drums and percussion (I
assume Nick) the rest of the pieces are devoid of Bass, Lead Guitar,
and vocals, though there are recorded sound bites in some of the
pieces, no doubt also done by Rick. The reference material for this
review is solely Wikipedia, as searches on the internet failed to
reveal any essays or other writings and Mason and Schaffer didn’t
deal with Sysyphus. So the review is largely personal
interpretation.
Sysyphus Part I
This piece as the intro features Rick on Farfisa Organ playing a very
dramatic piece with low notes, accompanied by what sounds like a
Kettle Drum (Nick maybe) and cymbals. The music, if aligned to the
Sisyphean Challenge, dictates a struggle, and reflects the start of
the challenge (Sisyph8us being chained in Hades). This is a short
piece (at 1.08 minutes) and conjures images in the mind as to how and
what is happening to the rest of the pieces. I like the piece, very
orchestral in timbre, and very Pink Floyd in texture, especially
their earlier stuff and just goes to show how much influence Rick had
in the group then.
Sysyphus Part II
This piece opens with a very classical sounding piano. The playing
is superb, the keys fair zinging with Rick’s elegance. I was
surprised by this level of playing, as I hadn’t heard anything
quite like it in the Pink Floyd catalogue till this time. I’m a
great lover of classical piano (avid Concert listener) and Rick
fairly took me on an opus ride with such skill and poise. But as the
piece builds to a crescendo, timpani is heard, and coupled together
the piece dives headlong into a manic state, possibly as intimated in
Wikipedia, the rolling of the rock uphill (piano) and then the
disarray as the rock tumbles back down (the manic phase). The
timpani could quite well serve to personify Sisyphus as he deals with
the rock and it’s foibles.
The manic piano has almost Jazz like qualities, a sound reminiscent
from the Jazz records I have. There is also another sound, a deeper
one, which could be the Melletron, though I suspect it’s more like
a heavy bass tone on the lower piano registers. Nonetheless, the
sound is chaotic. I did, however, read somewhere that the actual
sounds created are with someone belting the piano strings with a
solid object, creating an orgasmic interlude to the piece. What it
does do however is emphasise that struggle Sisyphus is having with
his challenge and no matter how hard he tries, he’s doomed not to
succeed.
This song runs for a shortish 3.30 minutes, but is nonetheless one of
the better constructed songs so far. It’s a strong follow on from
Part 1 and leaves one gasping for more, especially the classical
nature to start with and the jazz infusion towards the end.
Sysyphus Part III
This song is also a short one and runs for 1.49 minutes. It’s a
jazz fusion sound throughout, something Pink Floyd were renowned for
and something that may solely attributable to Rick and his ability to
arrange such material. Maybe there needs to be a deeper significance
to Pink Floyds later work accorded to Rick, such is his input.
I suspect the main instruments in play with this piece are the
Farfisa Organ (the driving sound), the Melletron (Sound Affects),
cymbals and snare drum. I can’t discern any other instruments and
feel that this is the main catalogue for this piece.
How it relates to the Sisyphean challenge. I guess the sounds echo
the running down of the hill of Sisyphus and he then manhandling the
boulder to begin the challenge again. The music is hectic, almost
manic, and very different to what I have endured so far. It’s a
section that serves to echo the pieces that have gone before leading
up to the finale.
Sysyphus Part IV
This song (piece) is the longest of the four tracks at 6.59 minutes.
It’s the last of the four pieces. Once again, this track too starts
with a classical sound. The Farfisa is making what sounds like a
violin sound, leading into the rest of the song. There is also a
woodwind sound, floating in the background. The woodwind sound may
be lower register keys on the Farfisa, the violin upper register.
The song then fades away, and the manic organ takes over, perhaps the
sign that Sisyphus has tried rolling the boulder again and one again
fails. Once again Kettle Drum and cymbals enter the fray, also in a
very classical way for a short interlude, then back to the organ and
a very Pink Floyd sound (Rick’s sound). Sound affects (Melletron)
also enter the piece and the jazz fusion affect takes over as
Sisyphus tackles the boulder once again. The whole affect is
desperate and calls for a lasting ear to continue listening.
Then the piano intro from Part 1 resurfaces, as well as the kettle
drum and a reprise is formed. The sound is very space aged and could
have been used in any science fiction movie. The song then dies out
to the crescendo of Kettle drum and cymbals and the experience that
is the Sisyphus Challenge completes.
In conclusion, the four pieces are Rick Wright stretching himself and
giving birth to the seeds that would follow in later albums. He
derives sound and sense and drives his works as a master of his
craft. The key here is that he not only uses the odd on or two
instruments to get his sound, he’s willing to stretch out a bit and
go further for the sake of the group, even though this was
essentially a solo piece. The music is a delight to the ear, and
should be ready listening to any Pink Floyd fan, and maybe even any
jazz or classical lover.
Overall I was wholly satisfied I had refound this piece. It really
does drive home the point that Rick Wright was a master at his craft,
and an integral part of the Band that was Pink Floyd.
Bibliography
This review is dedicated to the memory of Richard (Rick)
Wright.
*******************************************************
The Final Cut
A Requiem for the Post War Dream
Written by Roger Waters
Performed by Pink Floyd
Reviewed by Thane Zander
This
album was released on March 1983 (UK) and 2 April 1983 (US). The
record made it to Number 1 on the UK charts, and Number 6 on the US
Chart. (Wikipedia)
The
cover (the first time for a Pink Floyd album was not a Hipgnosis
cover) was designed by Roger Waters and on the front depicts military
medals ( 1939-1945 Star, Africa Star, Defence Medal, and
Distinguished Flying Cross) whilst the back depicts a man stabbed in
the back holding a film canister. (Wikipedia)
Already
there is a theme occurring. Roger Waters. He not only wrote the
album lyrics, but most of the music, and of course he designed the
album covers. It’s widely argued that this was Roger’s first
solo album as there was very little input from the remainder of Pink
Floyd. David had four solos and singing credit on Not Now John and
Nick was replaced on Two Suns in the Sunset. It’s well publicised
that Rick had been fired during The Wall and made no appearance on
The Final Cut. Still this album is credited as a Pink Floyd album,
and scored accordingly in the Box Office. But its reign on the
charts was short lived as a lot of die hard Pink Floyd fans bypassed
even buying the album based on poor reviews.
This
is not a Pink Floyd album. It is a Roger Waters album that uses some
of the parts to achieve an aim. Water’s had wrested full control
from the rest of the band and they pampered to his whims and fancies,
just to get an album out for release as a Pink Floyd one (recording
contractual agreement with EMI) – (David Gilmour interview and
Wikipedia) The album continues on from where The Wall left off. The
bulk of the creativity is Roger Waters, and the result is a very
Roger Water’s feeling album, albeit more laid back than the full on
Wall concept. During the recording of the album, (July – December
1982 – Wikipedia) Roger initially wanted to rework songs from The
Wall movie and stage show to make this album the third The Wall LP,
however during this recording phase, his interest shifted to what
would become a strong anti war album in every sense of the word.
A
Requiem for the Post War Dream. This became the focus for
Roger, coinciding with Maggie Thatchers war with Argentina in 1982.
The springboard was set, and what followed is what I call my
favourite Pink Floyd album of them all. As addressed in other
papers, I am an avid Roger Waters fan, for a number of reasons. He
uses segue sound affects well, and he writes brilliant lyrics (none
so more profound as The Gunners Dream.). His mastery of musical
concepts as well makes for interesting sounds and songs. The onus on
the listener on this album is not directed at haunting guitar solos
or expansive keyboard sound affects, but the need to delve deep into
the real heart of the songs, the lyrics.
This
album was also their first album to utilise holophonics (a three
dimensional sound reproduction system) and when listened to on
headphones or a good sound surround system, this album is stunning.
Sure it could have had more input from David and others, but what is
laid down serves me nicely. The sound affects are given life through
this sound reproduction method, and the music has an aural quality
that would serve Roger well in his soon to be solo career.
During
the making of the album, there were three producers credited with
producing the album, Roger himself, Michael Kamen, and James Guthrie.
Other band members who played on the album were (on keyboards)
Michael Kamen and Andy Brown, (on drums) Nick Mason and Andy Newmark,
(on Saxophone) Raphael Ravenscroft and Ray Cooper (on percussion). A
line up that, of course, included Roger Waters and David Gilmour.
(From Wikipedia) There are three perceived concepts to this album.
The state of world affairs at the time of writing the album.
The second is the mental plight of a WWII veteran, and
The story of a depressed man.
Most
avid listeners to the album, and reader of the lyrics, will probably
identify with this contention. I think personally, there is just one
voice through the whole album, that covers a miasma of issues in all
three areas suggested, but yes they do exist. The album has
consistent flow. Musically and lyrically, and seems to be a story of
a moment in time, recorded history, recorded perceptions, and
recorded hopes and dreams (The Gunners Dream an example).
This
album contains one song that epitomises my faith in Roger Waters.
The Gunners Dream (TGD) is an anthem in itself, and I rate as my all
time favourite Pink Floyd track. So much do I like it I use (to this
day) the title as my internet logon name on most of the sites I visit
or take part in. It is also the only song in a vast ocean of sound
and song that I know I can sing Acapella. I am so enamoured with it,
I made a video for YouTube as my first attempt at creating video
sound bytes of Roger Waters’s songs. And not actually picking
worse songs than TDG, but maybe equal favourite from the album is Two
Suns in the Sunset, an apocalyptic disassociation from Pink Floyd.
I
am now going to go through each song and rate it on its merit. The
logical sequence to follow is first to last, and with that in mind,
we strike a very religious outpouring from Roger, most unusual.
The
Post War Dream
“Tell
me true, tell me why, was Jesus crucified” – Yes very unusual.
Roger doing a bit of soul searching (the only other song coming to
mind with a religious bent is Sheep) and starting an album off with
this reference. And then “is it for this why Daddy died”, more
soul searching. Then the rest of the song breaks into the requiem,
Maggie, the state of the country, the hopes and dreams of past
soldiers shattered by another war? Then ending on more imploration
for Maggie. It’s fair to say with this song Roger wasn’t happy
with the Falklands War and Maggie Thatcher in particular.
The
start sound bytes are interesting to say the least, perhaps a sense
of fear and trepidation “announced plans to build a nuclear fallout
shelter at Peterborough in Cambridgeshire….” One knows this is in
Roger’s backyard and means a lot in the sense of the album,
especially the last songs impact.
Musically
the sound is wonderful. As mentioned, the holophonics gives the
sound a real ethereal quality and is crisp and clear. The actual
impact of the separate musical elements in this and by and large all
the songs is minimal, the words carrying the weight of the songs.
Possible
Pasts
This
song is pure requiem. The reference to cattle trucks and poppies
entwined hit at the soul of the Holocaust and its role in shaping
modern society. It’s also a rather strong action song against the
role religion plays in moulding past societies, and the outcasts it
creates. But the killer line is the opener “they flutter behind
you your possible pasts”. The “what if” of society, if the
choices had indeed made for nought. It also asks the question of
modern conflict, have we learnt to think of diplomacy before war, and
is war necessary? Who really knows? I guess this song holds water
in today’s society, and probably in societies to come, what
relevance does history provide in determining if we fight or not.
Personally, I listen to this song, and I listen to George Bush in
2005, and still the troops are there. I guess that’s the same
question Roger Waters is asking through Possible Pasts of Maggie
Thatcher.
The
musical content of this song too mirror The Post War Dream, more
accompaniment for Rogers chilling vocals. There is a lengthy solo
from David’s guitar, some keyboard elements, and strong drumming
from Nick. But overall the music is just a backdrop for great lyrics
and the sultry voice of a burgeoning Roger Waters.
The
closing line “of our possible pasts lie in tatters and rags”
suggests Roger thinks the mistakes of the past have been replicated
and will be done so again (he was probably right, his thoughts echo
mine, though 20 years later).
One
of the Few
A
quirky wee piece. The lines read as if the Teacher from The Wall
jumps out at you, especially the one word line “Teach!” But
there is also a more sinister intonation, “make them laugh, make
them cry, make them lie down and die” a clear picture of a military
dictator emerges.
Musically
the song starts with a ticking clock (Time reprise perhaps) and a
plaintiff guitar plea from David, then Roger’s questioning and
sneering voice takes over. But as a short, it lacks in any great
musical endeavour, only what is required to give the piece its own
notoriety, the lyrics.
The
Hero’s Return
Once
again, Roger implores Jesus, this time the plea far stronger than in
The Post War Dream. “Jesus, Jesus, what’s it all about?” And
once again a vivid picture of the Teacher from the Wall – “trying
to clout these little ingrates into shape”. A clear segment of
writing that epitomises Rogers’ own lack of beliefs in both role
models. Which is strange coming from someone that appeared to relish
the society he grew up in.
This
line is apocalyptical – “When I was their age all the lights went
out”. This tends to perhaps say that his upbringing may not have
been as rosy as it’s made out in both Schaffers and Masons books,
but then I suppose when you look at Animals and The Wall, Roger does
reveal a lot about himself. Or is he the consummate liar (all good
writers are good liars). Maybe we shouldn’t read too much into
Rogers lyrics, instead focus on the musical feast he’s about to
serve up.
The
track starts with what sounds like an axe splitting the air and
segues into David doing a stilted solo lead in to Rogers’s angry
voice. He really grunts out the lyrics, over the backing music, and
more hints of The Teacher echo around the speakers as he implores his
subjects.
He
changes to dream mode for the “sweetheart, sweetheart, are you fast
asleep? Good.” segment of the song. There’s a dreamy quality to
the singing and music that really builds this song up before it leads
into the cataclysm that is The Gunners Dream.
This song also anchors The Post War Dream in that it asks questions
of the past in relation to the future. It’s also regarded in some
circles that this Requiem is for Roger’s father, yet in the Hero’s
Return we find a hint that it is in fact an airman that is The Gunner
and that this album, though a requiem to all those lost in the war,
features a second world war airman (Dresden at angels one five).
The
Gunners Dream
I
suppose the best way to understand this song is to know the lyrics,
and understand the fear the writer has for society, and for himself
and his family. I have known this song by heart since I first got
the album, and classify it as the best song Roger ever wrote. There
are some that will argue with that, but as a Roger Waters fan, you
cannot simply ignore The Gunners Dream, or you do so at your peril.
What first drew me in to the song? The haunting sound of someone
sailing through the air after ejecting from a downed aircraft and the
accompanying piano (which I believe is in G). The sound of air
rushing past as he deploys his parachute, and then the soft
enveloping sound of Roger’s voice and words. I suppose the best
way to describe Roger’s voice in this song is commanding,
demanding, and reprimanding, as well as a bit of screaming.
I’ve sung this song Acapella at karaoke’s and know full well how
Roger’s voice suits this song. There are high notes, low notes,
mood notes, and just plain angsty notes and all join together with
some very good lyrics to be a total package. The words are the key.
When people hear this song, they oft times pass it off. But when you
hear the song and read the lyrics, as he (Roger) said in a song much
later, “it all makes perfect sense!”
I’d like to fully dissect this song but I’d never get the other
songs completed. I suppose the best way to depict how I see this
song is via a video I constructed for YouTube.
Musically, this songs two strong points are the piano throughout, and
the saxophone solo. I love both instruments and was well pleased
when they appeared together in such a strong song. Apart from that,
I think the musical score echoes the passiveness of the song. In
summary, The Gunners Dream is a song of loss, lost opportunities, and
loss of innocence. I guess the strongest lyrics that make the most
impression on me is “And everyone has recourse to the law, and no
one kills the children anymore” But there is so much more to like,
it’d take too long to do it. Suffice to say, and bearing in mind
repetition, this song utterly rocks my boat.
Paranoid
Eyes
This
is a continuation of The Gunners Dream, but the emphasis shifts from
the past to the nearly present. It’s a continuation of some of
the song lyrics in TGD, but it adds more by introducing a
conversational mood to the song. I do love this song too, but for
different reasons than the previous. Once again the piano plays a
quintessential part in the songs mood, but this time Roger’s voice
is more businesslike than the previous pieces so far. “Button your
lip, and don’t let the shield slip” starts the song off in a very
determined manner, and the song sets out to tell us how things have
changed (paranoia does that). Early into the piece, an organ is
introduced and both piano and organ drive the song. There is an
acoustic guitar interlude (David I’d guess).
Get
Your Filthy Hands off My Desert
The
first thing to note with this song is the Jet fighter sound byte. I
had a surround sound stereo (an early one) and used to put the track
start on the stereo when we had visitors, complete with explosion
(bomb – Wikipedia) and it would scare the devil out of folks,
including neighbours (who got used to it.) The actual song is a
protest march, a declaration of reality for 1982 or thereabouts
before. There is an unusual sound in the music though, sounds like a
cello or similar being played giving the song a waltz feel to it.
Once again, not a great song, but a means to and end.
The
Fletcher Memorial Home
This
song feeds off the offerings from the previous. It’s a rant
against tyrants, dictators, and anyone that behaves in a
condescending manner to the people that put them there. There is
speculation that this song’s title is a memorial to Roger’s own
father, giving added weight to the fact that a man killed because of
a tyrant has the last laugh by having them in his own home.
The
only musical note I can add is that once again the piano takes a
strong part, and towards the end, David’s third solo transpires. I
think once again, the music is by and large a backdrop for Rogers
vocals (which one could surmise makes this a very non Pink Floyd
album).
Southampton
Dock
This
song is another acoustic guitar driven piece with a follow up of
piano again. One wonders why Roger’s best songs are piano pieces
(Nobody Home – The Wall, The Gunners Dream - The Final Cut). This
song is supposed to be a love song, in that someone is waving the
boys away again and missing her man. It’s plainly about the troops
leaving Southampton for the Falklands, revisiting WWII again, a war
dear to Roger’s heart. It almost makes it as THE anti war song of
his writing career, such is the sense of loss that it derives.
Musically
it is, as is most of the album, missing the musicality of Pink Floyd,
but in this song I sense too much would have been a killer and the
words alone act out the passion play.
The
Final Cut
The
title song, and what a song! How about the start (and now widely
quoted) “through the fish eyed lens of tear stained eyes”.
Marvellous. I always take the time to absorb those words. The song
is angst. All things that modern life has enshrouded it in to avoid
contact with each other. The shotgun blast in the middle and the
maniacal laughter of supposedly the shooter, just echo the insanity
of modern society, and I think more directed to American society
The
music features piano again, with a few moments to break the song up a
bit, but by and large Roger’s words and voice steal the show on
this one.
Not
Now John
OK,
I hate this song. Just as much as I hate Money on Dark Side of the
Moon. They are songs designed to sell as singles. To make matters
worse, on The Final Cut, this is a token Pink Floyd song, to give
David a credit, and to hopefully sell the song and the record. Most
albums have them, songs that just don’t fit. I’m glad David got
a credit for this, but that to me was just a little pampering by
Roger to fill the quota. I won’t dare listen to it for this essay,
it disappoints me that much, especially when considering the song
that follows.
Two
Suns in the Sunset
This
simply is Graeme Roger Waters last hurrah to the group known as Pink
Floyd. It’s plain and simply a last farewell to fans and band
members as he moved on and left a parting shot. “Two suns in the
sunset” to me mean there are two equal forces sharing the same
space and one has to move on or the whole explodes. Having axed
Rick, and unable to get rid of David or Nick, I think during the
making of this album his mind was made up. The first verse
highlights the good times past, the rest counts down the future, and
then the end “we are all equal in the end” meaning that as he was
ready to move he was prepared to let Pink Floyd go it’s own way.
This may not be the case, but that’s how the song stands to me.
It’s apocalyptic, inviting The Pro’s and Con’s of Hitchhiking
onto the set, in a similar vein as The Tide is Turning on Radio
K.A.O.S leads onto Amused to Death.
In
conclusion, The Final Cut is an album that caters to taste. The
greatest taste is obviously a love of Roger Waters works. The album
most definitely is not a Pink Floyd album, and it could be argued the
last true Pink Floyd album was Wish You Were Here. There is a lot of
anger with Roger Waters out there for stuffing up a perfectly good
band, but record sales for the last three albums were still well up
there.
One
has to have an acquired taste, but no one should ever stop listening
to an album that has one of the classic songs of all time and from
any genre. The Gunners Dream is superb.
Bibliography
Mason
N. Inside Out
Schaffer
N. Saucerful of Secrets – The Pink Floyd Odyssey
The
David Gilmour quote – I forgot to save the url of this read, and I
can’t find it again.
Dedicated to the memory of Richard Wright – RIP.
********************************************************************
The Soundtrack to the Movie More
Music and Lyrics by The Pink Floyd
Essay by Thane Zander, August
2008
Introduction
In
researching this album, I had flashbacks to the day I actually
originally purchased the album. In the early to mid nineties my
collection of my favourite band consisted of a few well known Floyd
classics, but that was it. So I made a determined effort to buy
their entire catalogue.
I
made a good start, by replacing Animals (which I gave to my brother
after buying thinking it was rubbish), Saucerful of Secrets, Meddle,
and More. Regrettably I loaned More out to my brother in law as soon
as I got it without one listen, and he promptly lost it. In 1999, I
joined the Roger Waters BBS online and in the course of two years
learnt a heck of a lot about the Floyd, the individuals, and the
albums. I don’t recall once More being mentioned.
Skip
forward to 2008, and the Massey course on Pink Floyd. In the past
weeks I have been able to source all my missing albums through the
Massey Distance Learning Library, and the Palmerston North Library.
Books I have read include Schnaffers’ A Saucerful of Secrets –
The Pink Floyd Odyssey, and Nick Masons’ Inside Out. Albums that I
have immersed myself in have been Piper at the Gates of Dawn, More,
Ummagumma, Atom Heart Mother, Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The
Division Bell
Why
More? I could have easily subjected myself to the first two albums
and the Syd angle, but that’s been done to death. Ummagumma, AHM,
or Meddle might have been more interesting, but there was something
enticing about the simplicity of More. Both Schnaffer and Mason
gloss over the album and workings at the time, so information is
scant on the album as such. I think too it would have been more
beneficial to see the movie to gauge what Pink Floyd had to deal with
in writing the music/lyrics. (A little aside, on Saucerful of
Secrets the band name is Pink Floyd, on the album More the band name
is Pink Floyd, however on the Movie Credits {courtesy of the opening
movie clip on YouTube} the band is called by their old name The Pink
Floyd)
More is about discovery for the Floyd. I liken it this way, Piper at
the Gates of Dawn was the party (Syd), Saucerful of Secrets the
hangover, and More the new morning with a slight pain killer to ease
the day. It’s really the first time Pink Floyd had away from
London and their fan base, and dabbled in an area most thought they
wouldn’t do. Their reason for doing the movie is not explained by
anyone, except one must assume they were following their roots and
diversifying as they went. I think too it gave them the opportunity
to shake the Syd mantle by getting them to start flexing their
dynamic muscle, i.e. stronger song writing skills.
Argument
Ok,
first and foremost, I’m not a musician. I can’t read music, I
have a little grasp of melodies and harmonies, and I can’t play any
musical instrument except maybe a blues harp or drums (badly). I am
however a keen listener to music and can tell what works and what
doesn’t, for my ear. I’m also a writer and poet, so the lyrics
to me are very important. If lyrics are weak, the song is weak,
unless it’s a killer song, music wise (instrumental). My intention
in this section is to break down the album into its parts and deal
with what does and doesn’t work for me.
There
are three categories of song on this album, Heavy Rock, Folk rock,
and Instrumentals.
The
Heavy Rock songs are The Nile Song and Ibiza Bar. Both songs
surprised me when I first heard the album as I didn’t (until that
stage) realise Pink Floyd had it in them. Sure, One of these Days,
Money and Run Like Hell, to name a few, may be considered heavy rock
standards, but all are well and truly dwarfed by these two songs,
especially The Nile Song.
It
seems to me there must have been a lot of angst in the band at that
point of their career, for them (actually Waters) to write such a
grunty song, so it serves a wonderful purpose in reminding us that
even then, Pink Floyd were a little ahead of the likes of Led
Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Slade, and Queen.
Ibiza
Bar sounds like a rerun of the Nile Song (courtesy of internet blogs)
and shares a lot of the same guitar riffs and chord progressions. It
doesn’t have the punch of The Nile Song, but works as well as it.
The real surprise for me is the strong voice of David in the Nile
Song. I’m not sure that he uses the same force ever again in the
various Pink Floyd line-ups.
The
Folk songs are exactly that and don’t really rock my boat so to
speak. I suppose they were dictated to by the movie (insomuch as The
Nile Song and Ibiza Bar). Cirrus Minor,, Crying Song, and Green is
the Colour (all Waters) are soft folk songs and largely
unspectacular.
One
song I feel could have been a hit at the time was Cymbaline. Catchy
tune, catchy lyrics and well played by the band. Take for instance
these atypical Waters lyrics:
Apprehension
creeping
Like a tube-train up your spine
A
clear indication of where Roger was going with his song writing. I
see these lyrics and I’m transported ahead four years to the
wonderful writing on The Dark Side of the Moon.
The Instrumentals. Ok this is where Pink Floyd started flexing their
experimentalism muscle. Sure A Saucerful of Secrets, Astronomy
Domine, Set The Controls for the Heart of the Sun, and Interstellar
Overdrive had proved they could do it, but a lot of that material was
largely improv around the central theme. In More, each band member
was allowed to create something to the greater whole, obviously tied
into the theme on the movie at that point. During my studies, I was
acutely made aware as to how much impetus and skill Nick Mason gave
to his job as drummer. I managed to see on YouTube a segment from
the Pompeii tapes several times Nick Highlighted. But when I got to
More, there on track four Up The Khyber, was Nick and Rick stretching
their skills and making somewhat of a fist of what they were doing.
There
is not a lot wrong with any of the songs or music per se, but one has
to remember Pink Floyd music is measured against the highly popular
albums on the repertoire and that leaves More near the bottom of the
composition chart. Sadly it is left languishing when in fact it
should be counted as a productive album.
Conclusion
The album is both a delight and a let down. A delight in that I like
the songs by and large, especially The Nile Song, (and Dave’s
Spanish Piece with flamenco guitar) and the direction the Pink Floyd
are taking on their soon to be long journey. It’s more pleasant to
the ear than some of the later stuff, but I’m sure it would be even
better a listen seeing the film and the soundtrack in one sitting.
There is enough material on the internet to see some snippets (I saw
the opening credits- Cirrus Minor - and Cymbaline on YouTube) and I’m
sure there are plenty of others around.
It should be noted that all early Pink Floyd music is a progression.
They really didn’t come onto the music scene until Dark Side, but
up till then there was enough material to suggest Dark Side would
happen. More is a part of that progression, an ends to a means. It
allowed Pink Floyd to try another genre (Film scores) and allowed
them to tailor their music to what they felt worked. I think that
overall the songwriting skills were reflective of that time in their
development, poor poetry, equally bad lyrics, except on one song, but
you’d expect that from a group that was finding its way after Syd.
