Pink Floyd Album: “More”

Based on what I have read, Pink Floyd did this album because they wanted to start making movie scores. Released in 1969, this soundtrack to the counterculture melodrama More (directed by Barbet Schroeder) really is a very nice listen. From the pastoral serenity of the opening track, through the thunderous Nile Song and Ibiza Bar, and into the spacey and experimental instrumental passages, this is a great album that indicates (somewhat) the direction that Pink Floyd would take as they entered the 1970s. I guess it is worth mentioning that Pink Floyd would take the experimental approach of More to an even greater extent on the follow up Ummagumma (1969).

The instrumental pieces are balanced by the vocal pieces on this, the Floyd's third album, and although some have commented that Dave's vocals sound "feeble" I actually think he sounds great (even on Green is the Colour). Dave's spacey guitar playing is also right on track and he uses a great mix of electric and acoustic textures. With respect to the instrumental tracks there are some pieces that reflect Rick Wright's interest in avant-garde composers (like Stockhausen) especially Up the Khyber, which features a "tribal" drum part by Nick Mason (who co-wrote the piece), some atonal playing on the organ and piano, and electronic effects. Other interesting pieces include the completely "out there" track Quicksilver, which is the most experimental and at 7 minutes the longest track on the whole album, along with the short piece Party Sequence, which features some great percussion parts. At the other end of the spectrum is the softer piece Green is the Colour, which features acoustic guitar, acoustic piano, along with a very soft bass part by Roger and a tiny bit of organ by Rick. Another piece in the acoustic vein is the Spanish Piece, which features some excellent flamenco-ish acoustic guitar playing by Dave.

The Floyd even take on the blues with More Blues, although it is the blues as only Pink Floyd could play it - very psychedelic and spacey. The fact that Nick Mason does not play his drum kit all the way through, but rather in "fits and starts" also gives the piece a vaguely experimental feel.

Unfortunately, albums like More, along with all of their pre-Dark Side of the Moon (1973) output and even Animals (1977) tend to fall through the cracks. This really is too bad given that the 1967-1972 timeframe was a very creative period in their career. Not to diminish the significant achievement of Dark Side of the Moon however, which brought progressive rock to an even wider audience and was an extremely significant work, it is just that I love Pink Floyd's late 1960's/early 1970s material. As such More is highly recommended along with Atom Heart Mother (1970), Meddle (1971); and Obscured by Clouds (1972). Although from 1977, Animals is also very highly recommended too.

This is sometimes my second favourite Floyd album, after Meddle. (Other times it comes in fourth, behind Meddle and the first two.)

It contains more beautiful songs, probably, than any other Floyd album; the Cirrus Minor, Cymbeline, Crying Song and others. And the drum-and-keyboard jams between Wright and Mason are brilliant, some of the best stuff Wright ever did. (He used to be one of the best things about Pink Floyd's sound, in the early years; then he either got lazy or he lost his confidence, and contributed less and less of interest. Back then he was a brilliant player, and composer.)

The heavy-metal stomps are also great songs (though the track order is unfortunate. The Nile Song always breaks the mood after Cirrus Minor, in a rather unwelcome way; I'd program my CD to hear it later on, myself.)

This is an album that shows what originally made Pink Floyd great; they were experimenters, interested in doing new things, and creating new sounds. Not everything on More succeeds, but it's one of their most _interesting_ and therefore entertaining albums.

So different from the pompous, musically complacent (and uninteresting) dinosaurs they became in their final "pity-me!-It's-awful-being-rich" phase.

THIS is essential Floyd. The Wall, say, is not.

Cheers!

Laon

The first thing you have to remember is that this IS a film soundtrack and not a normal album release for the Floyd. What's more, they did a good job with it. I don't think I've ever heard movie music that was this cool. You can't be a fan of early Floyd and not own this piece of their work. It can be both atmospheric ("Main Theme") and rocking ("The Nile Song" - Voi Vod did a tremendous cover version of this one)as well as beautiful( Cymbaline", Green Is The Colour")and dark and forboding("Cirrus Minor"-and my parakeets love the bird sounds in the background).Not quite as essential as "Piper", "Saucer", and "Ummagumma", but buy this one next.

This is part of that "other" Pink Floyd you buy, after The Wall, Wish You Were Here, and Dark Side of The Moon. Until Darkside broke Floyd in 1973, they were a cult band, and still deciding their sound.

More is one of three soundtracks they did for Europian art films during their gestation period. (The other two are Obscured by Clouds and Zabrisie point) This is filled with psych organ experments, some jazz, and Floyd's best hard rock, "The Nile Song." If Pink Floyd had remained an art band with a small following, this would have been one of their staples.

I like the loose, uncertian expermentalism of 1967-72 Pink Floyd. The sounds were smaller, but the scope of their work was larger: more styles versus more streemlined.

Obviously, with Dark Side of The Moon, Rodger Waters wanted to get the band into American private jets and arenas as opposed to driving around England in a tour truck with Henry Cow and Soft Machine. Smart artsitic and career move. Who can really blame him, especially when Floyd's music remained solid after Dark Side.

But being a cult digger, I'll throw in with the young underground Floyd. More is ample reason why.

For most Pink Floyd fans this is probably a relatively obscure release (along with the aptly named "Obscured by Clouds"). The French loved this band in the late 60s and it's probably fortunate for everyone since soundtrack projects like this helped sustain them in the post Syd, post hit singles formative years. Plus it allowed them creative freedom to develop and mature their craft as songwriters and musicians.

"More" may sound dated, especially Rick Wright's keyboards (this is the pre-synth era so he was limited to piano, Hammond, and Farfisa) and the material is split roughly 50/50 between vocal songs and instrumental music. The pastoral and laid back feel of the vocal pieces give the album a warm, hazy glow while the instrumental music has an exotic flair. It all combines to create a relatively relaxed and inviting vibe with a definite late-60s post-psychedelic aftertaste.

Not everyone will enjoy this album, but it captures one of my favorite periods in Pink Floyd's history. Two thumbs up.