My Review
This is my personal review over the Pink Floyd and solo releases.
Every release can get a maximum of five stars (*****).
1. Arnold Layne / Candy And A Currant Bun
****
A nice single, I like it. The B-side is even better, I think.
2. Tonite Let's All Make Love In London (Mini Promo Soundtrack)
*
Best song: Interstellar Overdrive
It's a nice gimmick, but the version of Interstellar Overdrive isn't as
good as on Piper.
3. See Emily Play / Scarecrow
***
I don't think Emily is as bad as the Floyds said. I like it very much.
4. The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
****
Best song: Flaming
A great album. It includes some of Syd's best songs like "Flaming" or
"Bike". A must've for all Pink Floyd fans. Some people might say the Floyds
never were as great as in the early days. I disagree, but they were definitely
great then. Paul McCartney later said the album was a "knock-out".
The cover is neither a group decision nor done by Hipgnosis, so I won't
comment on it.
5. Apples And Oranges / Paintbox
**
The song was ruined by the production, but it's really no bad tune.
6. It Would Be So Nice / Julia Dream
*
Pretty kitschy, both of them.
7. A Saucerful Of Secrets
***
Best song: Corporal Clegg
A nice follow up to PatGoD. Less musical, but nevertheless a fine work.
"Remember A Day" (an outtake from the Piper-sessions) and "Corporal Clegg"
are great songs, and so are "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun"
and "Let There Be More Light". "Jugband Blues" is a very sad song. The
title track sometimes gets a bit noisy, but the last part 'Celestial Voices"
is beautiful.
The cover design is okay. Hipgsosis in it's early days. Storm did a
great job with the booklet to the digitally remasteres CD.
8. Point Me At The Sky / Careful With That Axe, Eugene
****
I like this song and I have no idea why it failed. It's similar to "Lucy
In The Sky With Diamonds" From The Beatles, and I like this tune, too.
Actually, I was surprised how good it is.
9. More
**
Best song: Main Theme
It's difficult to say something to More. It was the last studio album
I bought and I feel it lacks a bit of a mood which all other albums have.
The "Main Theme" and the "More Blues" are nice tunes.
The cover is fine. A shot from the film in psychedelic colours.
10. Ummagumma
**
Best song: The Narrow Way
Very experimental. I know people who love it and I know people who hate
it. Ummagumma isn't my favourite album, though "The Narrow Way" and "Ganchester
Meadows" are good music.
The live album is better. The version of "Astronomy Domine" is better
than the Piper version. It is sad that Interstellar Overdrive didn't make
it on the album.
The cover idea is nice, but I don't like covers with pictures of the
group.
11. Music From The Body
*
Best song: Give Birth To A Smile
Our Song is funny, but nothing you could stand for
a longer time. Give Birth To A Smile is the only useful song on The Body.
12. Zabriskie Point
**
Actually the Floyd songs on this are quite good. I like Crumbling Land.
The unused tracks like Rain In The Country or The Violence Sequence are
beautiful, too. But some of the other songs on the soundtrack are rubbish.
(Jerry Garcia's Love Sequence is a knock out)
13. The Madcap Laughs
***
Best song: Here I Go
Pretty weired, but not too bad (the first half of
the CD). Syd isn't very together, but the songs are really nice. For fans
only.
The cover is good. It shows Syd's state of mind.
14. Atom Heart Mother
**
Best song: If
Another album très avant-garde. Personally, don't think the title
track is their best work, but it isn't a bad track either. I like the electronic
guitar in "If". "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast" doesn't come out right.
Nick Mason: "It was a fantastic idea, because of the rush it didn't work
properly".
The cow on the front is great. Hipgnosis are beginning to show what
they can do. This makes AHM one of the greatest covers.
15. Barrett
***
Best song: Gigolo Aunt
Very similar to Madcap. Syd's early "Effervescing
Elephant" is cool.
Syd's self drawn cover is really cool. Syd's a genius!
16. Relics
***
Best song: Arnold Layne
It's a good compilation of early songs with Syd on guitar. You only get
some tunes here, like Biding My Time.
Nick's cover drawing or Storms sculpture are great.
17. Meddle
*****
Best song: Echoes
I love Meddle. I think not DSotM is the beginning of their great years
but Meddle is. Meddle has a great mood (holidays!!!) and "Echoes" is one
of the best tunes of all times. "One Of These Days" and "Fearless" a some
really good songs, but "Echoes" beats them all. The lyrics are not so depressing
as the lyrics to come and the music is beautiful. Rick's eerie pings at
the beginning lead to some of Dave's best guitar work and Nick is in top
form. Roger plays some good bass, too. Seamus was kinda experimental and
the group . Dave: "I guess it wasn'r really as funny to anybody as it was
to us".
Okay, the cover didn't work out, we all agree on that one. Funny idea,
though.
18. Obscured By Clouds
***
Best song: Free Four
Another soundtrack shows a different side of Pink Floyd. It is better
than More and has some good songs, but Meddle or DSotM are better.
The cover isn't too interesting.
19. Live At Pompeii
****
Their first film with Pink Floyd playing in an old amphitheatre and "rather
Top Of The Popsy shots" walking around the Vesuvius as well as the Floyd
in the studio recording DSotM. Echoes is great, but the version on "Set
the Controls..." is stunning. I also like the guitar part Gilmour is playing
over Brain Damage.
20. Dark Side Of The Moon
*****
Best song: Brain Damage
What can I say? It's dark Side Of The Moon. The success speaks for itself.
DSotM is definitively the best Floyd album, in music and words. "Breathe",
"Time", "Us And Them" and "Brain Damage" are wonderful. When listening
to "Time" you can feel the time running away and in "Money" you can nearly
see the money pressing on you.
The cover is fantastic, too.
21. A Nice Pair
It's simply a re-release of PatGoD and ASoS, so look there.
The cover idea is neat, although none of the little covers are good enough
to stand on their own.
22. Masters Of Rock
Best song: Candy And A Currant Bun
Some early Piper songs and singles. It Would Be So Nice is on it, which
you cannot get elswhere except for the over priced Shine On Box Set. Not
on CD.
23. Wish You Were Here
*****
Best song: Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Another great album. The title track is nice, the concept is good. I
love it.
The cover is unusual for Hipgnosis, I think, but not bad, though. The
whole artwork fits the album perfectly
24. Animals
*** 1/2
Best song: Sheep
A very hard album. Roger dominates the band more than ever before. It's
not very musical, but every time I listen to it I think it's better. Did
you hear the bridge between the two parts of "Pigs On The Wing" from the
8-track tape? Beautiful!
The cover is wonderful. Perhaps the best of all, at least before TDB
was released.
25. David Gilmour
*
Best song: Short And Sweet
Except for Short And Sweet this LP isn't what you
might expect from a Floyd solo. It's nice to listen to, though. The really
good tunes have been released on The Wall
26. Wet Dream
*
Best song: Holiday
It's like David Gilmour's solo LP. Not very difficult
to listen to. It has a clear (summer-) holiday mood.
27. Another Brick In The Wall Part 2 / One Of My Turns
They're both not my favourites of The Wall, but ABitW Pt. 2 did it.
28. The Wall
****
Best song: Comfortably Numb
The Wall has a great concept, but lacks some music. Only some tracks
are musically good, like "Hey You" or "Comfortably Numb". Gilmour had input
in most of the musically good tunes. I love it, though, cause I experienced
similar periods in my life and it was my first record ever.
The cover is cool. I like simple covers.
29. A Collection Of Great Dance Songs
Best song: Shine On You Crazy Diamond
It's simply a best of album. I don't know if anyone could dance to it.
The cover is okay. A little kitschy perhaps.
30. The Film
**** 1/2
I included this RoIO, because the film (the video) was the first thig I
saw or heard of Pink Floyf and I loved it. It's a shame that they cut out
"Hey You", but "When The Tigers Broke Free" and "What Shall We Do Now?",
which are missing on the album, are as beautiful. And with the new DVD
we don't have that problem any more.
The cover (of the RoIO and the old Video the the screamer behind the bricks)
is better than the album's cover.
31. When The Tigers Broke Free / Bring The Boys Back Home
My first Floyd song to hear (in the movie). I like it.
32. Works
***
Best song: Brain Damage
Works is a good sampler of early Floyd tracks. The songs fit together.
And it includes the peviously unreleased "Embryo".
The cover isn't very nice. Pretty bad job.
33. Fictitious Sports
*
Best song: I Was Wrong
It's not such a good album, I think. And it has no
Floyd feeling.
34. The Final Cut
*
Best song: Two Suns In The Sunset
The worst Pink Floyd album, do doubt. It's more a Waters solo album.
Rick doesn't play on it, and every song sounds equal. Why didn't thy put
When The Tigers Broke Free on it, this could have saved the record.
The cover is bad, too.
35. About Face
**
Best song: Until We Sleep
Better than the first one. Until We Sleep and Let's
Get Metaphysical are cool, the rest is okay.
And I said I don't like the band on the cover. I
don't understand why Dave put himself on it. Even Roger didn't do this.
The pictures with the Telecaster are cool, though
36. Zee - Identity
I don't know the album, thus I can't commend on it...
37. The Pros And Cons Of Hitch Hiking
*
Best song:The Pros And Cons Of Hitch Hiking
Roger's first real solo work was written the
same time that "The Wall" was written, but it was declined by the group
and the bad parts didn't get ironed out. Most of the songs sound very similar,
except for the title track and the ballad "Every Strangers Eye". It's the
lyrics which are important to Roger, not the music.
The cover is okay for a non-Hipgnosis work, but I
don't like the boeard of censors over the hitch hiker's behind :-)
38. Profiles
I don't know the album, thus I can't commend on it...
39. When The Wind Blows
**
Best song: The Brazilian (Genesis)
Best Waters song: Folded Flags
I don't know the film, but the music is quite nice.
Roger begins with his ideas to Radio K.A.O.S. Notice the line "This band
is my band" in "Towers Of Faith".
40. Kadio K.A.O.S.
****
Best song: The Tide Is Turning
A much better work than the last two records of Waters.
The storyline is a bit obscure, but the music is getting better. "Who Needs
Information", "Home" and "The Tide Is Turning" are beautiful songs. It's
my favourite solo album of any Floyd member.
Let's say the cover fits the story.
41. A Momentary Lapse Of Reason
**
Best song: Sorrow
The first post-Waters album is more like a Gilmour solo album than a
Floyd album. "Learning To Fly" and "Sorrow" are good songs, but the rest
is not what you could expect from a Floyd LP. "The Dogs Of War" and "A
New Machine Part 1 & 2" are IMO the worst Floyd tunes ever.
The cover is good. Storm Thorgerson had a good time when doing it.
42. The Delicate Sound Of Thunder
*
Best song: Time
Sounds a bit spacy. P*u*l*s*e is better.
The cobver is really cool. Better than any covber since Animals.
43. Opel
**
Best song: Swan Lee (Silas lang)
It's a shame that Dave doesn't release the Bob Dylan
Blues. But it's great to have some of Syd's rare peviously unreleased work.
I don't like the cover.
44. The Wall Live In Berlin
*
Best song: What Shall We Do Now? (Empty Spaces)
A bad album. Simply a bad album. The film isn't much
better. The people Waters asked to play didn't let a mood come in. Cyndi
Lauper simply sucks! Everyone who has seen the film will understend.
45. La Carrera Panamericana
*
Best song: Big Theme
Good music. I'm not a fan of motor sports, so it doesn't touch me very
much. I like the new music, though.
46. Amused To Death
****
Best song: It's A Miracle
It's a good follow up to Radio K.A.O.S.
The cover is better than the first four of Roger's
covers.
47. The Division Bell
****
This is a Pink Floyd album. Much better than AMLoR and a fine back to
basics album. I like the post Waters Floyd and this album has some really
outstanding tracks like "Cluster One", "Poles Apart", "Coming Back To Live"
and "High Hopes". I love the guitar solo in "High Hopes".
The cover design is terrific. Storm at his best. The film to "High Hopes"
is wonderful as well. Does anybody have it in full screen?
48. p*u*l*s*e
*****
Some tunes are better than the album versions (Sorrow, Take It Back
(on the video)).
The cover is just perfect, the LED is great.
49. Broken China
Best song: Night Of A Thousand Furry Toys
It's a very depressing album. I like it. It sounds
a bit like "Wearing The Inside Out".
The cover is a good idea, it fits the album and looks
fine.
50. Is There Anybody Out There? - The Wall Live '80-'81
well, we'll see...