Quote:
Originally Posted by jackhammer
ATOM HEART MOTHER (1970)
Before any analysis of the music is commented on, kudos to the Floyd and creative consultant Storm Thorgesen/Hipgnosis for creating a simple yet iconic album cover. Talk about distancing yourselves from the music....curiously it was'nt just the cover art that provided this. ATOM HEART MOTHER is one of the most ambitious, yet undeniable failures in Pink Floyd's back catalogue.
The attempt to marry orchestral/choral work to the Floyd's undenieably ambitious musical leanings was a deeply flawed undertaking. The title track is a 20 minute plus extended piece that includes a few snippets of classic Floyd but nevertheless falls short of the sound that both the Floyd and co-writer (a rare credit for an external writer) Ron Geesin were searching for. The rythmn section (Bass and Guitars) were recorded in one take due to the protracted nature of the Orchestral recordings and a terrible lapse in tempo is evident early on in the track. Even listening back after a long hiatus, it is difficult to find any significant points to recommend this track.
The latter half is more tolerable with contributions from both Wright (SUMMER 68) and Gilmour (FAT OLD SUN). however it is Roger Waters' IF that provides a tiny glimpse into the Floyd that was to come. This acoustic/folk tinged track was an indication both musically and lyrically to what Waters was striving for within Pink Floyd.
ALAN'S PSYCHEDELIC BREAKFAST end's the album is to be truthful an awful track, and one of my least favourite Floyd tracks. Featuring many interludes of engineer Alan Parsons providing a running commentary on his breakfast running over a fairly standard piece of rock/physcedelia that was so prevalent in the late 60'/early 70's.
In summation. A missed opportunity for the Floyd but it still somehow pushed an undisputed masterpiece kicking and screaming from it's tired and flabby body....
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Nice to see this thread getting a lotta love! I am a super huge Floyd fan, my favorite period being '68-'72. Right after Syd;Right before Dark Side.
However I must disagree with the review of Atom Heart Mother. This entire album is a masterpiece! Especially the title track. Even Stanley Kubrick thought so. He wanted to use it as the theme to A Clockwork Orange, but since he wanted to cut it up and only use pieces of it, Roger Waters said No.
Not sure if that was good thing though, cuz it might have given the Floyd better exposure but then we wouldn't have Wendy Carlos' haunting electronica, now would we?
The guitar solo in Fat Old Sun is just a harbinger of what was to come from David Gilmour. He hadn't really broken out the epic solos until this one.
Summer '68 is Ricks finest achievement, aside from the "ping" that we all know became "Echoes".
If is another foreshadowing of the lyricist that Roger Waters was becoming. More introspective than previous songs
As for Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast, what a beautiful pastoral feeling to this song, especially the first two parts. I dare you to listen to this song and not get the feeling that it's a lazy Sunday morning, newspaper out, bacon sizzling, coffee, toast, eggs, Marmalade(i like marmalade). It's a very relaxing song.
Atom Heart Mother happens to be my favorite PF album. It took a few listens to grow on me. It was the last Floyd album I got into. I can see why people aren't as psyched about AHM as they are about DSOTM.
AHM and Ummagumma are kind of "Rites of Passage" with Floyd nuts cuz I guess if you really like and can get into these albums then you really are a true Floyd fan!
Definitley NOT a "missed opportunity" for the Floyd, nor a "failure" as our reviewer put it. More like a springboard for Darkside.