A SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS

This is one of Pink Floyd's more experimental albums- while there is a definite similarity to their later work, this is very different, and may come as a surprise to fans of the Floyd's legendary 73-79 heyday. At this time, the band was just starting to deal with Barrett's departure, and searching for an identity in his wake. As a result of this, experimentation is rampant, and the album seems to mine deep into psychedelia while passing up the acid-soaked whimsy and silliness that characterized the Barrett era.

The album starts with a Waters creation- Let there Be More Light, an excellent space-rock song with a heavy sci-fi feel to it-very cosmic indeed. After that is a Wright song, Remember a Day- this song is marvelous, a nostalgic, sad song about the joyous, carefree times of youth, and how they can feel so distant- this song is very emotional, with great lyrics backed up by great instrumentation- an almost perfect song. Then comes the best song, and an old favorite of mine- Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun. The second that bassline hits my ears, I am taken into a spacy trance- the Chinese poetry lyrics fit the music oddly well, creating a mystical feel. Another astounding song. Then is Corporal Clegg, Waters' first dealing with the subject of war, and much, MUCH less morose than his later confrontations with the subject- the song has a distinctly non-serious, possibly even silly feel- not bad, but not one of the better songs. After this is the centerpiece, the 12-minute title track, a crazy, experimental epic- however, I think it's a tad overrated- a nice song, but it seems a bit overlong to me. Following this madness is another Wright song, See-Saw- another sad, nostalgic song, though not on the same level as Remember a Day. And then, Syd's farewell- Jugband Blues. It continues the tradition f Barrett's weird songwriting, though instead of abject silliness, we now see a song as schizophrenic as Barrett himself- cheery, random instrumentation, coupled with sad, depressed lyrics. I have given glowing praise to the album throughout, but I cannot bring myself to call this an essential masterpiece- mainly because this may be too experimental for many listeners, and it does not give a good idea of what the Floyd was all about- start with any of the 73-79 albums, and after those, go after Piper, and then this. However, A Saucerful of Secrets is an excellent addition to anybody's Floyd collection, thus a four star rating- recommended to fans of experimentation, weirdness, Pink Floyd, and even krautrock fans may get a kick out of this.