ATOM HEART MOTHER

Okay, this is one of my favorite albums by Pink Floyd, and I'm still not 100% sure why. It just stuck to me, in a way. But I will try my best to review it. Okay, the albums that Pink Floyd made before this one were Piper at the Gates of Dawn(1967), A Saucerful of Secrets(1968), More(1969), and Ummagumma (1969). All were highly acid-based rock, and definitely prominent, great songs, but something seemed off. Maybe it's because the previous albums sounded more like garageband acid rock, and not professional recordings. Then 1970 came, and Pink Floyd released Atom Heart Mother. Wow! This album sounded like a big shock after the last four albums, particularly in sound quality and the tightness and seriousness of the writing. I believe that it is not Dark Side of the Moon that Pink Floyd became a force to be reckoned with, but it was this album, three years earlier, that Pink Floyd made that fateful transition. The album, due to professional studio equipment, sounded truly good and smooth, the collaborations seemed to be right on for the first time, and the songs seemed deeper and more serious, while still retaining their psychedelic quality. This album seemed more classically-based, as opposed to rough acid-rock. The way they wrote the album is very cool as well. They have a very long composition that they all work together on, before each doing their own solo track(Waters, Wright, Gilmour), and then coming together for one final long composition. Note: If you want to hear some of Pink Floyd's louder and rocking music such as that on Animals or The Wall, I might think twice about this one. Atom Heart Mother, like 1971's Meddle, is very mellow, almost classical, rock.' Now, I will review the album song-by-song.

1. Atom Heart Mother(Father's Shout, Breast Milky, Mother Fore, Funky Dung, Mind Your Throats Please, Remergence) 5/5 Okay, I personally think this is one of the best compositions that Pink Floyd has ever written, but it's an aquired taste. Many people think it sounds strange or scattered(my mother feels uncomfortable when she hears it), but I'll tell you my feelings about it. I don't think it's scattered, i just think it's different. When you start the album, you slowly hear a few almost unconcievable notes, before you hear an orchestra building up in the background, and eventually you hear very experimental trumpets playing, and this is one of the parts that annoys people I know who have listened to it. Then Floyd kicks in with their playing, and this is the main theme for Father's Shout. It took me a few listens, but now I rock to this theme. Then the weird trumpets kick in again, then the main theme, then it cools off into Breast Milky, with some inspired keyboarding by Rick Wright. I love this part because it is a mellow transition off Father's Shout and it flows really well. Then after about two minutes of this, with occasional jams from Mason and Gilmour, with Waters' bass line in the background the whole time, a very spooky female voice starts singing as we go into Mother Fore. This never fails to shiver my spine. Then it's really mellow keyboarding, and we get into Funky Dung, which is the most rocking part of the composition, with lots of material by all four members. Then we reach Mind Your Throats Please, and we can see why. Several people are chanting unrecognizable phrases. This is also a particularly unsettling part of the suite. Then that tapers down, in a very quiet way, and Remergence is basically Father's Shout all over again, and we end with a very climactic sound. Great composition, definitely a great piece of prog rock, but not for fans of accessable Floyd.

2. If Such a beautiful mellow song. Sung and played by Roger Waters, this is a simple and quiet song. Very pastoral. Very much like A Pillow of Winds in Meddle.

3. Summer '68 Rick Wright songs are rare, and this may be the best. Mellow, but not slow, Wright does a great job singing and plays a beautiful, dramatic piano, and the middle of the song has a very dramatic classical feel to it.

4. Fat Old Sun Pure psychedelia, direct from David Gilmour. Gilmour obviously has fun with this one, and I believe that's what this album is. Nice, quiet song, especially after listening to what Gilmour usually does(such as the solo he does on "Dogs"-don't get me wrong, this is one of the greatest pieces of music ever).

5. Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast(Rise and Shine, Sunny Side Up, Morning Glory) Most avant-garde and classical piece on the album, I believe. It features the sounds of a man cooking breakfast and his thoughts about the matter. Lots of very good piano, hardly any rock elements whatsoever. Except for the breakfast sounds, this could easily be a piano concerto from over a hundred and fifty years ago. Took me a while to get used to this one, but I love it now, just like the others.

I personally feel this is a masterpiece of progressive rock, not just because of the music quality, but also because of the historical significance of Pink Floyd's transition. If you are just learning about Pink Floyd, you should try Dark Side of the Moon or Wish You Were Here first. But if you are venturing into the more obscure and experimental side, I believe Atom Heart Mother is the best first choice.