Kevin's Watch

Looks like we are on a similar page with the early releases Sgt, the main difference being that I like some of Syd's quirky, whimsical numbers more than you.

I do wholeheartedly agree though that Arnold Layne and See Emily Play would have made for a better debut album, had they been included.

More Singles.

Apples and Oranges - rather forgettable. Sounds pleasant enough. If you want better Syd Barrett get his solo work.

Null Rating : 5 out of 10.

Paint Box - I am a Rick Wright fan. So this may color my perception. But I really like this one. Love the "I open the door to an empty room"

Null Rating : 7 out of 10.

It Would Be So Nice - it could be better. Trying too hard to be Syd here. I do like the ending.

Null Rating : 5 out of 10.

Julia Dream - trying even harder. I've always been conflicted on this song. I like bits of it.

Null Rating : 4 out of 10.

StevieG wrote:Looks like we are on a similar page with the early releases Sgt, the main difference being that I like some of Syd's quirky, whimsical numbers more than you.

I do wholeheartedly agree though that Arnold Layne and See Emily Play would have made for a better debut album, had they been included.

I love Syd's solo stuff. Hit or miss with his Floyd stuff. I think he was being pushed to write radio friendly tunes.

I haven't been able to get into Barrett's solo stuff much, although I haven't listened to it for a while. I will have another go at it.

A Saucerful of Secrets



Released: June 1968

StevieG rating: 5.1/10

This is the beginning of the transition from Syd's Pink Floyd - to no man's land for a while. Syd Barrett's behaviour became more and more erratic during the recording of this album, and he only contributed one song to the album. He did write two others - Scream Thy Last Scream and Vegetable Man, but they were cut from the album. I recently heard both these songs for the first time, and yeah, they're not great.

In general, I think this is quite a weak album. They really didn't have much material without Syd, and so tried to come up with new songs without him, without much success.

Let there be more Light

Written by: Roger Waters
SG rating: 4/10

It has a promising start, and a promising middle, and a guitar solo by David Gilmour! But I don't really like it.

Remember a Day

Written by: Richard Wright
SG rating: 4/10

Another gentle song from Richard Wright. It's just a bit boring.

Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

Written by: Roger Waters
SG rating: 6/10

This is also another slow burner, but I like the feel of this one. According to research, this could have been one song that Syd Barrett had some guitar input into, making it one of the only songs to have all 5 members involved. It has an eerie feel about it. Apparently it was played in a much extended form in the live shows.

Corporal Clegg

Written by: Roger Waters
SG rating: 7/10

This is a guilty pleasure. It features a kazoo, which should be bad and probably is, but I do like listening to this song! It is also a wartime song, which sounds familiar now that we know a lot more about the future Pink Floyd.

A Saucerful of Secrets

Written by: Waters, Gilmour, Wright, Mason
SG rating: 4.5/10

This is a lengthy song in 4 parts, 3 of which are shit (IMO). But the final part is awesome, and other versions (including the Ummagumma live one and the Live in Pompeii one - which is way better) are an improvement on the recorded version.

Part 1 builds up... to nothing. Part 2 has an interminable drum loop that just annoys me, and Richard Wright pounding his fists on the piano. It's supposed to be the "battle" sequence of the song. Part 3 introduces part 4, so it's tolerable, and part 4 is awesome.

The chord progressions in the final section are really cool.

Bm A E F# D G E A F#
Bm G F# Em D F#
B

Stick that in your pipe and smoke it!

As far as rating this song: part 1 - 3/10, part 2 - 2/10, part 3 - 5/10, part 4 - 8/10. Average 4.5

See Saw

Written by: Richard Wright
SG rating: 3/10

Another (another) gentle song from Richard Wright. This one is really really boring. Probably the most boring yet.

Jugband Blues

Written by: Syd Barrett
SG rating: 7/10

Having Syd only contributing one song to this album is reflective of his departure. It is such a breath of fresh air though, to hear his voice and musical style on this song. Farewell Syd, he made a major contribution to the band. It appears that his lyrics on this final song reflect his "absence".

It's awfully considerate of you to think of me here
And I'm most obliged to you for making it clear that I'm not here...

...and I'm wondering who could be writing this song...

... and what exactly is a dream
and what exactly is a joke?

The next couple of albums are going to be tough going, as the post-Barrett Floyd find their feet.

Edited to add the cover image back in...

So, they released one more non-album single before sticking to albums for a while.

Point me at the Sky



Released: December 1968
Written by: Waters, Gilmour

StevieG rating: 5/10

Roger Waters called this song a "notable failure". I thinks it's a reasonable song. The opening contains a pleasant melody. It doesn't sound like Pink Floyd to me. It may have been an attempt to create a commercially successful song.

The most interesting this about this song to me is the lyric:

And if you survive 'til 2005...

which I'm sure felt like a lifetime away in 1968.

Well, they all did... just!

Edited to add the cover image back in...

A Saucerful of Secrets

Let There Be More Light - the lyrics aren't there yet, but the music is pointing strongly in the direction they will be heading. Not a strong opener. I would have chosen Remember a Day.

Null Rating - 4 out of 10.

Remember a Day - firstly, some great drumming by Norman Smith. One of Rick Wright's better songs. Musically strong, lyrics contribute to the dream like state of the song.

Null Rating - 6 out of 10.

Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun - Roger Waters played this the first time we saw him live. And Stevie is correct that it is the only song that all five played on. Strong musically. Roger lifted the lyrics from Chinese poetry. A nice moody, atmospheric song.

Null Rating - 7 out of 10.

Corporal Clegg - the bright, cheerful music hiding a rather depressing set of lyrics. Roger's first song about his father. The "Mrs. Clegg, you must be proud of him" stanza points at Roger's gift as a writer. It sticks with you. I wish they had not done the kazoos. This song is an underappreciated part of their growth.

Null Rating - 7 out of 10.

A Saucerful of Secrets - I'll divide it up as well. This leads to Atom Heart Mother and Echoes which lands us in Dark Side and WYWH.

I : Something Else - the orchestra tuning up. Unecessary.
II : Syncopated Pandemonium - musique concrete. Not a fan.
III: Storm Signal - more build up. Not a proper separate entity.
IV : Celestial Voices - the best part of the song. Just skip to this part.

Null Ratings : I - 2 out of 10. II - 2 out of 10. III - 0 out of 10. IV - 8 out if 10.
Total Song Rating : 3 out of 10.

See Saw - not a strong Rick song. The lyrics are barely there. The music is too busy and I don't like the odd time signature Rick is sing in. I agree with Roger, boring.

Null Rating - 2 out if 10.

Jugband Blues - the perfect ending for Syd to leave the band with. Incredibly sad lyrics. The Salvation Army Band echoes Syd's fracturing perfectly. The final two lines are perfect.

Null Rating - 9 out of 10.

Album Rating - 5.4 out of 10.

The album was released the year of my birth.

Single

Point Me at the Sky - this should have been on the album. The lyrics could have been touched up a bit. The music is of its era. But a medium rocker would have easily replaced See Saw.

[/b]Null Rating - 6 out of 10.

Before the Saucer fly's off to pastures new

Green is the Colour..............................L U C I F E R S A M...................................Astronomy Domine

Luke - I would love to see Mason live.
He is doing a lot of the catalog that both
Gilmour and Waters left behind.

More



Released: June 1969

StevieG rating: 3.8/10

This is a soundtrack album to the movie More which I haven't seen, but it seems an appropriate movie for Pink Floyd to make a soundtrack, being about drugs and heroin addiction.

I feel I might be being a little harsh on this album review, since I haven't seen the film, and some of the music in context might fit. I also thought I would rate this album way lower than what I actually did because when I first heard it (back in the day) I wasn't impressed. However there are a few songs that have since caught my attention.

Roger Waters is emerging as the principal songwriter from here. And there are some sounds that reflect their future work. The album starts reasonably well, but deteriorates pretty rapidly.

Many of the songs feature a fade-out, where the song doesn't actually end but just fades out to nothing. From what I read, this technique started in the 50s and continued for decades. I don't like it as a musical technique, but if I like the song it doesn't worry as much as when I don't like the song. If I don't like the song, the fade-out infuriates me!


Cirrus Minor

Written by: Roger Waters
SG rating: 6/10

This dreamy song introduces some of the Pink Floyd staples, like nature / bird noises, acoustic guitar and improved lyrics. It opens with a minute of nature / bird sounds, which is a bit much, but it's ok, and moves into a trippy lyrical melody. It's then followed by a Saucerful of Secrets style of organ with nice chord progressions. Not bad.


The Nile Song

Written by: Roger Waters
SG rating: 5/10

I remember quite liking this song when I first heard it. It has modulating chords, where it just keeps progressing up - was great fun to play on guitar. But since then, I find it a little raucous and annoying. Still, it's interesting, and probably one of the heaviest songs the Floyd have in their repertoire.


Crying Song

Written by: Roger Waters
SG rating: 6/10

It takes a while to get going, but the melody is really interesting. I really like the way it goes. Nice little guitar solo at the end too - Gilmour apparently sings on most, if not all, of the songs on this album, and his guitar influence is starting to take hold. I'm not a fan of the old 'fade out' as far as songs go. It might be this era, but it feels like they just don't know how to end the song, or are just lazy.


Up the Khyber

Written by: Mason, Wright
SG rating: 3/10

Yeah. Jazz improv, or whatever it is. Keyboard noodling, I think I'll call it. Not much of a song.


Green is the Colour

Written by: Roger Waters
SG rating: 7/10

I would officially call this a "hidden gem". Seagull sounds, which becomes a regular part of their songs in the future. It has a pleasant melody and another dreamy feel, and a great piano solo in the studio version. Friggin fade out is annoying but not a deal-breaker...


Cymbaline

Written by: Roger Waters
SG rating: 5/10

Apparently this one was played live quite a bit. It's ok, but I'm not the biggest fan. The old fade-out comes into play again.


Party Sequence

Written by: Waters, Wright, Gilmour, Mason
SG rating: 3/10

It doesn't really hold my attention, and then it just fades out... Maybe it's significant in the context of the film, but apart from that, skip.


Main Theme

Written by: Waters, Wright, Gilmour, Mason
SG rating: 3/10

5 and a half minutes wasted, IMO. It goes nowhere and then just fades.


Ibiza Bar

Written by: Waters, Wright, Gilmour, Mason
SG rating: 5/10

The Nile Song - lite. It sounds so similar to the Nile Song that I almost always skip it. And it fades out...


More Blues

Written by: Waters, Wright, Gilmour, Mason
SG rating: 2/10

Guitar noodling. Boring and pointless. Once again, maybe it works in the context of the film.


Quicksilver

Written by: Waters, Wright, Gilmour, Mason
SG rating: 1/10

As a song, it's a complete waste of time. I think it's supposed to depict a nightmare. It certainly is one to listen to.


A Spanish Piece

Written by: David Gilmour
SG rating: 1/10

This song annoys me no end. I'd be happy never to hear it again.


Dramatic Theme

Written by: Waters, Wright, Gilmour, Mason
SG rating: 3/10

The bass line reminds me of future Floyd. That's probably the best thing about the song.

I'll review tonight or tomorrow.
But a couple of questions. Will.you be reviewing Relics, Zabriskie Point,
The Commitee and Works? At least the songs not found on other albums?
If you do Zabriskie there was an extended release that has some great songs on it. Red Queen Theme is a must

I'd be happy to do those releases in the order that they were released. To my shame, I haven't heard of some of those - so I'll look them up and see if I can do them in order. The beauty of the likes of Spotify means I can listen to previously unheard songs. Were some of these released on the Early Years compilation?

I'd only do the ones that aren't on other albums - in the case of Relics, I think there's only one or two on there that I'd do (from memory).

Got out late last two nights. Reviews later.

Relics has Biding My Time.

Works has Embryo.

Zabriskie originally had three - Heart Beat, Pig Meat. Crumbling Land. Come in Number 51, Your Time is Up. [The last being another reworking of Careful With That Axe Eugene] the 1997 rerelease adds four songs. You'll want to find this version.

The Committee can found on YouTube. I'd like to hear your opinion on it.

There are rare tracks to be tracked down as well.

All of Floyd played on Roger Water's song
Give Birth to a Smile from his soundtrack for the Body. The first version of Breathe is also on there.

Marianne Faithful recorded Roger's Incarceration of a Flower Child. A song Roger is said to have written in 1968 but never recorded with Floyd.

Ok, rough order of events as follows:

1. Ummagumma - November 1969
2. The Committee - 1969?

3. Zabriskie Point: - March 1970
3 a. Heart Beat, Pig Meat
3 b. Crumbling Land
3 c. Come in Number 51, Your Time is Up
3 d. Country Song (Red Queen Theme)
3 e. Unknown Song (that's what I can find anyway)
3 f. Love Scene v6
3 g. Love Scene v4

4. Embryo - from Works, May 1970
5. Atom Heart Mother - October 1970
6. Biding My Time - from Relics, May 1971
7. Meddle - October 1971

And then the rest

We can slot in the rarities etc at some stage too.

More

I've not seen this movie. I also dislike fade-outs.

Cirrus Minor : Pleasant song. Had not realised how long the bird intro was. Seems Roger borrowed the moonlight line from a Chinese poem. I like the outro a lot here.

Null Rating : 6 out of 10

Nile Song - metal Floyd! Love the heavy sound. Big guitars, big drums. Dave almost screaming. A side of Floyd we don't see often.

Null Rating - 7 out of 10

Crying Song - another pleasant song with a few touches to please the hardcore Floyd fan. We get the first mention of a stone in Roger's lyrics. An all too brief Dave solo. David laughing at around 2:15, right before the We Roll line. Wonder what that was about? Lol.

Null Rating - 6 out of 10.

Up the Khyber - well the title is Cockney slang. And we live off of Kiber road here. This is something Rick was into, the jazz. I find it uninteresting and not much of a song.

Null Rating - 2 out of 10.

Green is the Colour - first a correction. Stevie the link you provide is not the correct version of the song. This is it.
https://youtu.be/DySNnz5N9WA
I love what the song became more than what we hear here. The lyrics are amazing, good work Roger "Envy is the bond between the hopeful and the damned" I love Rick's piano. But Nick's then wife Lindy adds a penny whistle throughout. They were wise to ditch it later.

Null Rating - 7 out of 10.

Cymbaline : great song. Love the fact that when Dave sings
"Will the final couplet rhyme", it doesn't. Heard a Floyd cover band do this. It was excellent live. Floyd definitely finding there footing here.

Null Rating - 7 out of 10

Party Sequence: I agree this is not a song.

Null Rating - 1 out of 10.

Main Theme - Roger loves that gong. It just doesnt go anywhere.

Null Rating - 2 out of 10.

Ibaza Bar - frustrating. The lyrics are excellent but hard to pick up because the vocals are buried in the mix. Gilmour did this later on too with the Narrow Way. I like that they reused the music from the Nile Song, linking the album a bit thematically.

Null Rating : 7 out of 10.

More Blues : speaking of frustrating. It's not given enough time to develop. Always felt like a piece of a larger work. And we found out recently it was.
https://youtu.be/1aQqS6YkTpQ

Null Rating : 6 out 10

Quicksilver - goes nowhere. Ugly piece of "music"

Null Rating - 1 out of 10.

Dramatic Theme : cannibalizing Saucerful.

Null Rating - 3 out of 10.

Album Rating - 4.5 out of 10.

That extended "More Blues" is a vast improvement on the original. The drumming doesn't start and stop, and there's keyboard too. Much better.

Ummagumma



Released: November 1969

StevieG rating: 4.9/10

To further break it up:

Live Album (Record 1) - 6/10
Studio solo Album (Record 2) - 4.5/10


Deep breath! Ok, here we go with their 4th studio album. I think it was quite clever of them to do a double album, one of which was pretty much a live recording of some of their set list back in the day. I suspect that this is because they didn't have much material, but I could be wrong.

The second part of the album is divided in to 4 solo works from each of the members. It's an interesting concept, with some very interesting results. Apparently there have been a few different versions of the album cover and inner sleeves. One has the Gigi album cover on it (see the next link).

Record 1

Astronomy Domine

Written by: Syd Barrett
StevieG rating: 6/10

This live version of the original from Piper is fine - it doesn't change much from the studio version, except of course there is no Syd Barrett. Apart from that, it shows their prowess in a live set.


Careful with that Axe Eugene

Written by: Waters, Gilmour, Wright, Mason
StevieG rating: 6/10

I realise I didn't review the studio version, but this is similar. It is eerie, creepy, terrifying, violent. This version has an extended build up followed by a blood-curdling scream and a long build-down. It's not a song I listen to regularly, but its impact is undeniable.


Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

Written by: Roger Waters
StevieG rating: 6/10

An extended version of the studio original. No change in rating for me.


Saucerful of Secrets

Written by: Waters, Gilmour, Wright, Mason
StevieG rating: 4.8/10

The only difference with this is that part 4 is even more awesome, and lives up to its potential, IMO. The rest is excruciating still.

Part 1 - 3/10
Part 2 - 2/10
Part 3 - 5/10
Part 4 - 9/10 (given it an extra point because of the drumming and singing)

Record 2

Sysyphus

Written by: Richard Wright
StevieG rating: 3.5/10

This is Richard Wright's contribution, which I see as a lost opportunity. It starts with a grand build-up in Part 1, and segues beautifully into an excellent classical style piece for Part 2. But as part 2 continues, it becomes more and more discordant, and eventually deteriorates into a nasty mess. I suppose it might be trying to represent the story of Sisyphus the Greek god... Part 3 is shockingly bad, and Part 4 starts in the same vein. The positive part about Part 4 is the tying together of Part 1 - it ends with the same grand melody. Unfortunately the middle part is really bad. I think if Part 2 had have built into something less messed up, it could have been a much better song.

Part 1 - 6/10
Part 2 - 4/10 for the start part only
Part 3 - 1/10
Part 4 - 3/10 for the end

Total: 3.5/10


Grandchester Meadows

Written by: Roger Waters
StevieG rating: 6/10

There are those birds again! However the song gives a good visual impression of Grandchester Meadows, assuming this is the place that the song is about. I like the goose flying across the water, and the annoying fly at the end which is swatted and transitions into the next track. These dreamy tracks are getting a little old, but considering some of the other songs on this album, it's not too bad.


Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict

Written by: Roger Waters
StevieG rating: 5/10

Hilarious name. This song has a high entertainment value, and is quite clever in its delivery. It starts with nature noises and you think "here we go again" another dreamy track. But no! Take a long drag, hold and slowly exhale and I reckon this song would blow your mind! Finish it off with a crazy sounding Scottish dude (I only now realise that is Roger, it's so obvious now that I hear it again).


The Narrow Way

Written by: David Gilmour
StevieG rating: 5.5/10

Written in 3 parts, it has some pleasant guitar work. Part 1 isn't too bad. It has a few sound effect that I think Gilmour probably thought he should add to it to make it sound suitably Floydian. They don't add any value to it IMO. Part 2 is pretty much a repeating riff that starts ok but gets boring and annoying after a while. Part 3 has a shaky start, but then when Gilmour starts singing, it transforms this part and elevates it to one of the best on this album. Gilmour was pretty inexperienced in songwriting and lyric writing. Part 3 shows a lot of promise. I think I read somewhere that he said he just "bullshitted" his way through this song.

Part 1 - 5/10
Part 2 - 3/10
Part 3 - 8/10

Total: 5.3/10


The Grand Vizier's Garden Party

Written by: Nick Mason
StevieG rating: 2.5/10

Three parts written by Nick Mason. Part 1 has some ok sounding flute with a nice drum roll at the end. Part 2 is the longest part, and it's frankly a waste of time - just a bunch of sound effects. By the time part 3 comes along you're really keen for the torture to end, and thankfully it's over relatively quickly after that. Some more flutes to finish things off. I suppose it's ok as a final part, but you've been battered so badly up to this point, anything is a reprieve.

Part 1 - Entrance: 4/10
Part 2 - Entertainment: 0/10
Part 3 - Exit: 4/10

Total: 2.7/10

Ummagumma

Record One

Astronomy Domine - great opener. Firstly it rocks, secondly being a Syd composition they tribute their founder. Everyone sounds in top form. I dont hear Dave straying too far from Syd's guitar work.

Null Rating : 7 of 10.

Careful With That Axe, Eugene - this song has a long history.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Careful ... xe,_Eugene
I can't imagine it was easy for Roger to do live. When I'm in the mood for it; I find it to be properly moody and atmospheric. It works quite well in the Pompeii film.an important part if their history.

Null Rating : 6 out of 10.

Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun - Not much difference as Stevie noted. Same rating as well.

Null Rating : 7 out of 10.

Saucerful of Secrets - I agree with you. Including the ending being a notch better. Too bad they muck about getting there.

Null Rating : I - 2 out of 10. II - 2 out of 20. III - 0. IV - 9 out of 10.
Total Rating : 3.25 out of 10.

I need to listen to the second side again. So I'll review it tomorrow.

I'm having a bit of trouble finding the Committee stuff - I found this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYKpT6Z5Yqk which is parts 1, 2 and 8 apparently.

Null, do you have any links or is this the right one?

Ummagumma - Record Two

Sysyphus
Part 1 - a build up and nothing more. Would fit on More.
Part 2 - starts like a hotel piano player noodling, ends with the piano falling down the elevator shaft. So from dull to awful.
Part 3 - and it gets worse. Discordant piano and varispeed effects.
Part 4 - three minutes of dull mellotron then more discordance.

Null Rating : I - 1 of 10. II - 1 of 10. III - 1 of 10. IV - 1 of 10.
Song Rating : 1 out of 10.

Grandchester Meadows - I like the lyrics but it is dragged down by the damned birds and stupid fly. If there were a version without...

Null Rating : 4 out of 10.

Several, etc - I'm not high and the joke wears thin.

Null Rating : 1 out of 10.

The Narrow Way
Part One - there is some pleasant guitar work here sabotaged by a needless cluttering of unpleasant guitar effects.
Part Two - pointless. Both as a bridge between one and three and as a stand alone.
Part Three - a hidden gem. Only slightly marred by Gilmour mixing his vocals too low. He plays everything on the track and does well. I wish he'd dust this off for modern play.

Null Rating : I - 1 of 10. II - I of 10. III - 7 of 10.
Song Rating ; 3 out of 10.

The Grand Vizear's Garden Party
Entrance : Nick's then wife Lindy on flute. It's not a song though.
Entertainment : somehow it makes the drum solo worse.
Exit : at 42 seconds it's too long.

Null Rating : I - 0. II - 0. III - 0.
Song Rating - 0 out of 10.