MEDDLE

The famous warm-up for The Dark Side of the Moon, Meddle is an album of varied styles and noises. Though most of the album wouldn't typically be classified as 'space rock', there are a couple of spacey tunes to be heard on this album. The rest are cheery or moody guitar peices that show just how versatile David Gilmour can be with his acoustic guitar.

Off to a fast start, the album kicks off with the thriving One of These Days, a double-bass jam session where everyone is trying to do their best and succeed amazingly. The pulsating bass lines turn into a furios mish mash of electric guitar, bass, keyboards and drums after Nick Mason utters those oh-so legendary words "ONE OF THESE DAYS I'M GOING TO CUT YOU INTO LITTLE PIECES!!" Probably one of the hardest Floyd songs ever recorded.

The mood changes with A Pillow of Winds. A much slower song than the previous, setting the tone for the rest of the album. It almost 'softens the sound', if you will.

Next is the catchy, never performed live, Fearless. With it's adicitve guitar riff and lyrics about standing up against the impossible, it becomes a mellow reflaction on many facts of life.

Up next is the cheery, upbeat San Tropez, Roger Waters's song about remembering his day of lying on the beach and not having a care in the world. It's a nice break from the somewhat somber tone of the album, yet seems somewhat out of place.

Even moe out of place seems Seamus, a song about a dog. David Gilmour singing about his dog Seamus while a dog (assumingly named Seamus) barks in the background. You may remember this song from "Live at Pompeii" under a different name: Mademoiselle Nobbs. Re-recorded for this album, it was the butt of jokes for many critics of the band flagrant use of a dog...

Finally, there is the unforgettable Echoes. The second of Floyd's side-long tracks, it embodied everything space rock was designed to do: somewhat abstract lyrics, smooth, long melodies, sound effects, and almost celestial vocals thanks to the combination of David Gilmour and Rick Wright. The 23-minute epic would be the ground work for what would become The Dark Side of the Moon. However, the band would have one more album to go before they started that masterpeice...