MEDDLE

"Meddle" is not quite a masterpiece of Progressive rock music. But is as close to a masterpiece as you can get without actually getting the 5 star rating, if for no other reason than 'Echoes'. When 'One of These Days' and 'Fearless' are added, well it just makes this album even more essential. The one mistep on the album, 'Seamus' brings this album down from its pedestal.

'One of These Days' is as dark as 'Fearless' is uplifting (and not just for Liverpool fans). Both these songs are absolute gems in their own right. 'A Pillow of Winds' is only decent, and 'San Tropez' is slightly too poppy and upbeat, but not a complete waste. Even 'Seamus' has some comedic moments in it and thankfully doesn't last long.

But the real reason you own this FLOYDIAN marvel is found on Side Two. Whether you envision 'Echoes' as the underwater exploration that it is, or the space-rock number it originally was meant to be, both settings work real well with this album. With musical allusions to Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" or Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" prepared to be transported to another world.

Like when Pavlov rang his little bell, and his subject dogs started salivating; so do we, when we hear that short, sharp, single reverberating sound...

'PING!'