A SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS

A transtitional album, 'Saucerful...' is here, there, and everywhere. But whilst it is fequently ignored by Floyd fans for it's lack of cohesion (even in terms of who was in the band), it does mark a significant point in the band's career, and as a result, is more diverse than it first appears.

Most people, including the band themselves, will overlook it, especially in terms of categorisation, as it doesn't really fit into the "Barrett phase" or the "post-Barrett experimental phase". Except it does. There may only be ONE Barrett tune, but one counts. It's a good one as well, carrying forward the emotion of his own departure. And then there's the title track, which is experimental enough to be on 'Ummagumma' or 'Atom Heart Mother'. I don't enjoy it too much but it sits nicely inbetween the other, shorter tracks and sets the tone for future Floyd. And there's other stuff as well. TWO Wright compositions (a rarity) which both capture the strength of Barrett's whimsical lyrics, without being too whimsical themselves. And of course, the only live survivor, 'Set the Controls for the Heart of th Sun', which most people will agree is a good song, or at minimum, a good opportunity for psychedelic noodling on stage. On top of this, there are a further two Waters efforts: the album's opener, which is pretty strong if you give it the chance to be, and the light-hearted 'Corporal Clegg',the guilty pleasure that you'll hate to love.

I find this album to be surprisingly fresh (not at all like it's cover artwork). There aren't really any other ones like it in the Floyd catalogue. And I will agree that it lacks in amazingness pretty much all over, but what it doesn't deliver in terms of wow factor, it makes up for with charm. The thing is, the band probably didn't realise just how warm this little gem is, given their internal affairs at the time. The five-piece works, it just requires a little more effort from the listener.