Pink Floyd
Atom Heart Mother - Harvest 1970
Tracks: 1 Atom Heart Mother Suite / 2. If / 3. Summer '68 / 4 . Fat Old Sun / 5. Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast
Comments:
With Pink Floyd's 1970 album "Atom Heart Mother" you sense a group that has not quite found a direction after the loss of songwriter Syd Barrett, who had to left the group in 1968. As songwriters, there are signs that both Gilmour, Waters and Wright are growing as songwriters, but it is especially in the instrumental area that "Atom Heart Mother" shows signs of what would come later of great albums.
The long 23-minutes title track suite, is in many ways akin to the long tracks on "Dark Side of the Moon" and "Wish You Were Here". The composition is almost symphonically built up around a very strong horn which is presented early, and which along the way is touched upon several times. And in its full extents is repeated towards the end. There are many different parts, some of which are subdued and melodic, while others are more harsh and noisy. The whole group is credited as writers of the track, just like the somewhat trippy final track "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast", which is also an extended track with a running time of 13 minutes.
Waters, Gilmour and Wright deliver one song each as solo-writers. Personally I find Wright's "Summer 68" the most interesting. This is almost classic Pink Floyd of the psychedelic period with Barrett. Also Gilmour's near folkish "Fat Old Sun" is quite solid, while Waters’ "If" is somewhat dull.
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