MEDDLE

With the winds introducing the chaotic intro of "One Of These Days" we are led to one of the most wonderful FLOYDIAN journeys through four tracks of full brilliance and two other underrated ones that aren't bad but clearly weaker.

Meddle is the kind of album that has to be listened with an open mind. "San Tropez" and "Seamus" aren't among the best songs on PF's catalogue, but they also don't ruin the album at the point of making it be less than a masterpiece, though they do seem out of place here. In my opinion, the other four are so impressive that i really don't care for the pop side of "San Tropez" and the joke done on "Seamus" - this one being taken too seriously as another reviewer has pointed. I have learned to enjoy those two songs, they sure break the dreamy atmosphere which is the album's main characteristic, but they also give more variety in terms of musical content to the album. "San Tropez" can be a delightful song if you follow the rhythm of Waters' words and forget that this is just a pop number. It IS a poppy song, but it is at least well done. "Seamus" is just the band having some fun. This song adds nothing to the album, but it also doesn't ruin it. What really matters here are the other four ones, "One Of These Days" is one of the best intros ever made, it has a double bass work done by Dave and Roger and a scary modified vocal line by Nick Mason saying "one of these days i'm going to cut into little pieces!" leading to the rocking second part of the track. I love the "shwah!" done by Rick's synths through the song, which adds a lot to the chaotic feel. After this great number we have "A Pillow Of Winds", which is very different from the album's opening. It is actually one of the FLOYD's more mellow and moving works, and it has a hypnotizing feel that's built through the Dave's amazing guitar chords and sweet vocals, especially at the short instrumental section at the middle. I'll describe the exact image that comes to my mind when i listen to this song: i feel like i am in a forest in the middle ages, and a cloudy sky cover all the land. It works much better than BLACKMORE'S NIGHT music in my opinion. "Fearless" is not so good as the previous two songs, and also brings the hypnotizing feeling. It's still very dreamy but i don't like the "You'll Never Walk Alone" anthem too much. The last one is the mighty "Echoes". PING! Welcome to the ocean and let its waves lead you through PINK FLOYD's most trippy song ever done. The opening notes by Dave and Rick show that this is something really special...! This epic contains both wonderful music and lyrics. It originally had a space theme, but then the FLOYD decided to make an oceanic one. The embryo lyrics mentioning something that would be a "planets' dance" were also quite good, but these new ones of the released song are simply amazing. It also features the funky part done on the Atom Heart Mother suite, and when its second part arrives with the return of the "pings" and the guitar notes borning from Dave's fingers leading to that short semi-chaotic and touching at the same time guitar work (definitely the album's climax) you'll feel that those were some of the best moments your ears ever had the honor to be pleased of. After more awesome lines "...and call to you across the sky" and the windy ending, you sure will realise that even a pop song and a joke one can't drop an album containing an epic of this level from its pedestal.

Would the album be better without "San Tropez" and "Seamuz"? Even though i said before that those two songs don't bother me anymore and i am discovering a new pleasure on hearing them, i still have to admit that without those two the album would maintain its dreamy feel from begining to end, and would sure be worthy of being on my "6-star FLOYD albums" special category, which has as "members" Wish You Were Here and Dark Side of the Moon. But Meddle can be considered a masterpiece and does deserve the 5 star ranting due to the level it lets me reach. I feel mesmerized by this album, and it touches me deeply emotionally, so i consider this a very special album for me.