MEDDLE

Meddle is something of a flawed masterpiece. Its highs are so incredibly good it's baffling, but it has lows. You want to like it more then you actually do. Meddle is the transition album of the Pink Floyd catalogue, still retaining some of the psycadelia (One Of These Days, Echoes) while having a truly prog feel to the finished product.

The First Song on the record, One Of These Days, is an instrumental (except for one line "One of these days I'm going to cut you to pieces, done in a voice that sounds something like a stoned cookie monster), is one of Floyd's greatest. It rocks, rolls, and tumbles till a wind effect transitions into A Pillow of Winds. This is a nice relaxed acoustic piece. Not bad really, but it is nothing compared to One Of These Days. Fearless the third song on the album, is a forgotten gem of the early 70's. Another acoustic piece of work, but is not as laid back and performed better. From there the last quarter of side A has 2 short songs. There is the alright jazzy piece San Tropez, and the throwaway blues song Seamus. Seamus is what's keeping meddle from the 5 from me. Now, the side long suite echoes comes on. Echoes is a masterpiece. No song is quite like it. There are general parts, the opening beeps and boops, fist vocal section, a funky jam like part, some screams and spaced out stuff in the middle, second vocal, and wind effect fade out. Maybe Floyd's best track (has to compete with Time and Sheep for me).

Meddle is an album you are better off having. Its flaws are very noticeable, but its strengths carry the album well.