ATOM HEART MOTHER

Ah, Atom Heart Mother. In my opinion, Pink Floyd's first GREAT album. From the cover that has nothing to do with the title, to the title that has nothing to do with the songs (except for being the name of the title track), to the songs that have nothing to do with the cover, the album is nothing short of a brilliant forray into early progressive rock.

The opening track, Atom Heart Mother, with it's six subsequent parts, is one of the most unique songs ever recorded, be it on vinyl, tape, CD, 8-track, you name it. There is simply no other song like it. It twists and turns and bobs and weaves and you never know where it's going to go next; back to the orchestra or into a full blown rock track? One of Pink Floyd's best EVER.

Much like on Ummagumma, each member of the band wrote their own song (except for Nick Mason, but I don't think a 5-minute drum solo would have fit on this album). Side 2 starts off with Roger Water's If, similar in tune to Ummagumma's Grandchester Meadows, yet only in the acoustic section. Other wise the song is a total twist from Grandchester Meadows: where Grandchester was about a boy's seemingly lost childhood, If is about a man's loss of love, or eventual loss of love.

Then it's Rick Wright's Summer '69, with some amazing drumming from Nick Mason, and is porbably the best of Rick Wright's compositions with Pink Floyd.

Dave Gilmour follows up with the billiant Fat Old Sun, with beautiful guitar work and a solo that some find 'uninspiring'. However the solo has beauty to it, and is one of the best in Gilmour's repetoire.

The album ends with the 3-part Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast, which features some brilliant music tied together with the sounds of a Pink Floyd roadie making breakfast!

After this, it's all gravy for Floyd fans. They wouldn't make a truly lackluster album untill 1987's "A Momentary Lapse of Reason", but with this album started the golden age in Pink Floyd's career.