MEDDLE

At last, Floyd got it right. Not all the tracks are 5 star; indeed Seamus is pretty throwaway, despite some excellent dog noises. However, what remains and the overall feel of the album elevate it into the hallowed ranks of genius. One of These Days is a frenetic, bass guitar led instrumental with a short, mindlessly violent vocal insert. Pillow of Winds, Fearless and San Tropez are much more gentle, soothing songs. But it is Echoes that leaves the lasting memory: a full side of music, flawlessly constucted and played with great keyboard and guitar solos. It creates a sense of the underwater, starting with pinging of a sonar, later dying away into synthesised waves, seagulls and ship noises before a gently building reemergence through the bass and keyboards. The short vocal sections are well done and the lyrics are great. This track was Floyd's finest moment ever, by far. Worth buying the album for this one track alone.