A SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS

Following Barrett's firing from the band, Pink Floyd released A Saucerful of Secrets in June of 1968. ASoS contains some small Syd Barrett contributions. Most notable among these is the song which closes the album, "Jugband Blues". It is a bizarre acoustic piece filled with odd sound effects. The closing is comparable to the swirling oddness in the final minute of "Strawberry Fields Forever".

"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" has a mantra-like atmosphere and is rumored to be the only Pink Floyd song to feature all five members of the band. Nick Mason once again demonstrates his ability to craft unique textures with his tom-focused style. This song is one of many that would achieve new heights in live recordings.

The other five songs on this album are something of a mixed bag. "Let There Be More Light" opens with one of Roger Waters's most distinct basslines. It has a churning, tumbling quality to it, complemented by Richard Wright's murky organ and Nick Mason's deft drumming. Unfortunately, the band are unable to keep this up during the body of the song. Neither the verses nor the chorus are particularly noteworthy.

Richard Wright's two compositions?"Remember a Day" and "See-Saw"?are enjoyable slices of psychedelic pop, with "Remember a Day" being the stronger of the two.

"Corporal Clegg" is notable for being one of only four songs to feature Nick Mason on vocals (alongside Waters and Wright). It's a jagged, disjointed song. Between the three vocalists, the kazoo solo, and unnatural melody, it is more notable as an oddity than a highlight in Pink Floyd's oeuvre.

ASoS's title track is my go-to example for Pink Floyd songs which are outshined by their live versions. This studio version is muddy, unfocused, and needlessly chaotic. Gilmour's guitar and Waters's bass are almost inaudible in this version, and Wright's many keyboard effects feel tedious and grating by the song's end. The choral arrangement in the final movement feels particularly anemic and wasted on Wright's gorgeous organ chords.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2021/03/01/deep-dive-pink-floyd/