ATOM HEART MOTHER

With all Pink Floyd's work one must remember that it's all relative when deciding whether you like the album.... Atom Heart Mother, in comparison with Floyd's other work, to be frank, does not arouse the ears as much as the likes of Wish You Were Here or Animals or Dark Side of The Moon, but these three albums are widely recognised as some of the most inspiring, inventive pieces of music ever recorded....so Atom Heart Mother, when listened to, without expectations is actually a FANTASTIC RECORD....

I also must emphasise that if you are casual listener this is not the best place to start. I have compiled a small list of where to start with your Floyd collection at the bottom of this review.

Ok, the review, song by song:

(1) ATOM HEART MOTHER (23:51) (Mason, Gilmour, Waters, Wright, Geesin) [Father's shout/Breast milky/Mother fore/Funky dung/Mind your throats please /Remergence] One of their epics indeed. This colossal atmospheric trip mainly consists of Ron Geesin's horns, and fantastic classical/rock fusion texture which never lets it guard down, despite being a whole side long. The one thing about this song, and probably with most of the album, is that the song is fantastic for background music, but also for when you just want to lie down and focus completely on what your listening to. Each section satisfies by doing something significantly different from the last, and the best parts are returned to appropriately. Compared to a song like 'Money' or 'Have a cigar', this is vastly different, but still seems to fit snugly in place in Pink Floyd's catalogue without feeling like a unnecessary exploration. [9.5/10]

(2) IF (4:24) (Waters) Probably the weakest track, but is definitely a nice relaxing start to second half of the album, in comparison to the majesticaly chaotic title track. Roger Waters sings here, and the instrumentation consists mainly of broken chords played by Waters on acoustic guitar, while Gilmour plays electric. [7.5/10] (3) SUMMER '68 (5:26) (Wright) This was Richard Wright's last solo effort which is suprising due to the fact that this is a very strong track, continuing the laidback feel of 'If' and adding a little psychedelia. The piano on this track is some of Wright's strongest, and is consistently throughout. Starting with a soothing, modest melody which continues into the first verse, it then gains perkiness from the first chorus and stays strong through the more acoustic guitar- dominated sections, and then through the brass sections. [9/10]

(4) FAT OLD SUN (5:17) (Gilmour) IMO, this is a Floyd classic, and is easily the best out of the three solo compositions. Again, the corresponding member has sung his own song, and I would have to say that Gilmour has always had the best voice from Pink Floyd, some of his strongest vocal performances being on great tracks like 'Time' and 'Dogs'. This is essentialy a soft blues rock song, and carries itself with a slow-paced country feel which ends with a nice signature (yet more bluesy) electric guitar solo from Gilmour, with his vocals still noticeable in the background, which is a nice touch. [10/10]

(5) ALAN'S PSYCHEDELIC BREAKFAST (12:56) (Waters, Mason, Gilmour, Wright) [Rise and shine/Sunny side up/Morning glory] I read somewhere in a review that you should consider the album to end at Fat Old Sun. On the contrary, I look forward to this song, and and is a wonderfully crafted song that goes through three motions, divided by sounds of people making breakfast and what sounds like to me people being asked what they like to eat for breakfast.... no, no, wait...it works a lot better than it sounds. The three instrumental sections consist of 'Rise and shine', a melodic keys-dominated passage ending with some organ, 'Sunny side up', consisting of some equally delightful acoustic guitarwork from Gilmour, and the final, and best section 'Morning Glory', being a satisfying group effort, which ends the album with the dripping of a tap. [9.5/10]

Reccomended order in which to buy your Floyd albums:

First: 'Dark Side Of The Moon', 'The Wall' (the more accesible albums, which don't lose their initial effect) Then: 'Animals', 'Wish You Were Here' (the best albums, but probably more appreciated once your more into Pink Floyd) Then: 'Meddle', 'Atom Heart Mother' (great albums, but not neccesarily for the casual listener) Then: 'Piper At The Gates Of Dawn', 'A Saucerful Of Secrets' (by now, you'll probably want to venture into their earlier psychedelic days) Then: 'Ummagumma', 'More', 'Obscured By Clouds' (not for everyone, but still very intriguing stuff, and neccessities for the hardcore fan) Then: 'The Final Cut', 'A Momentary Lapse Of Reason', 'The Division Bell'. (Their later efforts, not as inspiring as their 70's work but you gotta catch 'em all)