A Saucerful of Secrets

Nick Mason says A Saucerful of Secrets is his favorite album; a cross fade from Syd to David and the birth of the collective Pink Floyd we're about to explore. I don't disagree.

Critics say it's not as good as their first album, they call it mediocre. They are wrong.

If you thought Pink Floyd was Syd Barrett, then this won't sound the way you want it to sound. If you wanted a magic folk fairytale, you'll be unhappy. But, if you want a highly refined and balanced album of psychedelic rock, not too silly not too dark and depressing, made by a group of kids trying to figure out how to work together in the midst of falling apart, it's pretty awesome.

Some of them thought they should stick to the 3 minute make us a little money pop song format, some said slow build rock symphony skip a few decades to post-rock soundscape-ville was the way to go, some said build it like a house, some said let it happen the way it wants to happen, all of them contributed and the whole process is captured in this album. It is obviously Beatles aware but intentionally different. I'd compare it to Iron Butterfly without the William Morris celebrity slush fund.

Yes, it's a heavily produced album, but it sure doesn't sound that way. It sounds performed. They live inside that kaleidoscopic echo chamber. Wright does most of the lead vocals, but he is in no way the "frontman." This isn't music for the sake of words, or sing some nonsense in between the guitar doodles, it's 4.5 guys interacting to form an experience much larger than themselves. This is the sound of "a band" with it's own personality, and any individual part is just a way to tap into that collective consciousness.

Nicky said it best, it's the actual birth of Pink Floyd from the primordial ooze.

Congratulations! It's a Pink!

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