How do
you review an album that everyone will already have an opinion on? Some will
love it, and some will respect it, and a few will loathe it. As a colossal Pink
Floyd fan I am clearly in the former camp, but such is my love of the group,
that I want to move those in the other groups into the first one. My best
advice would be for you to listen to it again, without distractions and
prejudices, and just see what you think.
This
album is seminal, not only for its astounding record sales, but for its use of
technology in the studio, and Storm Thorgerson's legendary artwork. The cover
was put unanimously chosen by the band from a collection of seven designs
Thorgerson's Hipgnosis company put together, with the group loving its
simplicity. Having the back gatefold of the sleeve mirroring the front made for
one of the great album packages ever. The recording, at Abbey Road studios, was
overseen by Alan Parsons, and made use of every bit of kit the group could get
their hands on from analogue synthesisers to tape loops via recorded clocks and
rototoms. In terms of sales, it spent a record 741 consecutive weeks in the US
Billboard Charts, and it is the eighth best selling album of all time in the
UK.
Speak to
Me is an instrumental with some screaming. Ok, that doesn't sound great, but it
flows beautifully into Breathe (In the Air), which is delicate, spacey, and
features some stunningly lilting slide guitar. It works as it dissolves so
perfectly into On the Run, which has a pulsing, driving snare and keyboard
combination. The vocal samples, collected from workers at the Abbey Road studio
where it was recorded, add an element of diversity and creativity to the piece,
and reappear throughout the album. Time features some of the best lyrics on the
album, which manage to be profound without seeming to try too hard. The
drumming, so beautifully arranged in stereo, and probably sounding even better
in the quadrophonic arrangement the band were such a fan of, adds a space to
the piece that the double-tracked voices of Gilmour and Wright cut straight
through. "Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way" is also
one of the finest observations ever recorded. From there, the jaw-dropping vocal
performance of Claire Torry on The great Gig in the Sky takes over, over
Wright's melancholic piano playing. Whilst she was initially embarrassed at her
improvised performance, the band loved it, and it captures the mood of the
piece in a way that words could not. Money was a hit single, something the
group have never been known for, and its unusual time signature of initially
7/4 before a 4/4 guitar solo breaks out, certainly puts the listener on edge.
Dick Parry's saxophone solo is an absolute belter too, and vies with one of
Gilmour's most impassioned soloes ever. Us and Them plays on themes still
pertinent in today's society, and is one of the most traditional pop songs on
the album. It slows thing down nicely with a suitably reflective air, and the
combination of organ, piano and sax works a treat. Any Colour You Like is a
great instrumental, bringing back the beat from Breathe, and leads up to Brain
Damage perfectly. This is the first song by the group that really captured the
band's struggles under their former leader Syd Barrett as he descended into his
mental breakdown. Eclipse rounds things off with a repeated melody and vocal
line that changes slightly each time, and the effect of lightening the sound as
it reaches its final crescendo. Waters voice, with Gilmour and Wright
harmonising, is at its finest hear, with their work taking the harshness off
his sound.
This
album is so much more than the sum of its substantial parts. As an overall work
of art, it is utterly sublime, featuring an array of diverse yet knitted
together soundscapes. I was worried that listening to this album repeatedly,
having not heard it in its entirety for a while, would drive me away from it -
it had the opposite effect. I notice new elements on each repeated listen, and
different rhythms or sounds that would draw me in. It's not my favourite Pink
Floyd album, and it doesn't have one piece that just utterly grabs me, but as a
whole it is mesmerising.
Chloe's
album rating: 7
Chloe's
favourite track: 4. Time
Olly's
album rating: 10
Olly's
favourite track: 5. The Great Gig in the Sky
Ok, so
next week we have 894. Slipknot by Slipknot. Different.
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