MORE(1968)
The Floyd's approach and sound linked itself to movie soundtracks succinctly and they made a flurry of tracks for films over a period of 3-4 years. However a combination of not very good films and lack of director/band communication resulted in a couple of albums being decidedly patchy, but nevertheless interesting in Pink Floyd's musical progression.
More was a film directed by Barbet Schroeder aimed at depicting the hedonism taking place in Ibiza at the time (so ignore all the Ministry Of Sound kiddies telling you they found it first!). The film was an interesting but shambolic mess and did little to help the Floyd's cause. However in retrospect it can be seen as an exercise in the Floyd's continuing path of finding it's own identity.
The most obvious (and forgotten) facet of this album is that it is the first complete album post Barrett. The next is the unmistakeable stamp that Gilmour stamps over this album. His contribution is easily heard and recognisable, laying a blueprint for the future Floyd sound that became so successful.
CRYING SONG and (especially) CYMBALINE are a perfect example of Gilmours simple yet effective arrangement of music. Remarkably Cymbaline is a Roger Waters track that is dominated by Gilmour.
THE NILE SONG and IBIZA BAR (it's companion piece) are two the heaviest tracks the Floyd have ever put down. They are standard rock numbers but they really stand out amongst the Floyd's general output at this time.
CIRRUS MINOR is a lazy drifting piece of hippiedom, that still sounds fresh today.
MAIN THEME has the same hypnotic space rock (yuk) feel of SET THE CONTROLS and can be seen as a precursor to a sound that Hawkwind readily adopted in the 70's.
To review. It is obviously not one of the better Floyd albums, yet it points to what is to come via instrumental passages, motifs and tempo and as such still merits a listen (or in my case a great space on my CD shelf).