Few things can be said about this their masterpiece (albeit ever so slightly above "Foxtrot" and "Nursery cryme") that hasn't already been said. Even the lesser tracks "I know what I like" and "More fool me" have their place as cute little breathers between the masterworks. "Firth of fifth" is, hands down, one of the greatest and most beautiful and profound songs ever etched on plastic. If there ever was one song to play for that renowned alien creature in order to teach about the artsy corners of our musical heritage on Earth, then it would be this one. Everything about it is just heaven on a disc; the tinkling piano touching all the right notes to cause katharsis from the getgo, the majestic vocals delivered by archangel Gabriel, the most tear-inducing flute known to man, and the likewise soaring guitar solo delivered by mr. Hackett (putting whatever Gilmour ever has done to shame) sending the already sublime song to an otherworldly climax. If you don't get shivers from this, then you have no heart and no soul and you probably hate music.
Obviously the centerpiece of the album, although "Dancing with the moonlit knight" hardly falls behind, opening it all on the highest note possible with its medieval fugue-like melody grabbing you by the collar instantly. Hackett gets a chance to shine once again on "After the ordeal" preceding the finale, the lengthy "Cinema show", that ends it all on an equally high note, sporting a dexterious yet melodic synth solo over a tricky signature. And the quirky and somewhat underrated "Battle of Epping Forest" where Gabriel packs all sorts of imagery in order to put forth a complicated story, is just pure fun.
Alongside "Close to the edge" and "Thick as a brick", prog - and music - just doesn't get better than this!
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