Floyd's Obscured By Clouds

[Trane]

But, I am one of the few people that find Dark Side to be one of the most dull albums in existence.

nothing personal, I can't help but thinking that this is purely 100% posturing

My favourite solo album by David Gilmour

Imo, the best solo album by all of those solo albums that were recorded by the members of the band.

Well, I think Wet dreams and Amused to Death at least equal it

And next to those three, I'd add Fictitious Sports (though not really a Mason solo album per se) and Music From The Body

[Interstellar]

"Bridges Burning" is a great recording to pull out when demonstrating mid-range/vocal prowess of a good stereo system. It's amazing what a single quality up-close mic can do whether it's now the 70's or even the 50's.

Yes, and I love the way Wright and Gilmour's voices alternate and finally blend together in this song. As Waters himself later remarked, the combination of these two voices really had an impact on the Floyd sound around DTSOM.

[Svetonio]

nothing personal, I can't help but thinking that this is purely 100% posturing



(...)

To these ears, The Dark Side of the Moon was / is, as a commercial pseudo-psych album as well, a worst album by Pink Floyd.

[Trane]

Yes, and I love the way Wright and Gilmour's voices alternate and finally blend together in this song. As Waters himself later remarked, the combination of these two voices really had an impact on the Floyd sound around DTSOM.

as can be plainly heard on Echoes (Waters doesn't touch the track in terms of vocals)

[Trane]

To these ears, The Dark Side of the Moon was / is, as a commercial pseudo-psych album as well, a worst album by Pink Floyd.

Well, it was certainly not intended that way.

Back then , it was not only quite groundbreaking , but a technological feat about as big as Tangerine Dream's Zeit or Phaedra were, in terms of using the studio as an instrument.
If they knew they were onto something big, they had no idea how much this would be sooooo huge ...

I suspect that many have grown sick of it because of radio/media over-exposure, but it still remains quite a fait d'armes, that 95 of artistes would've love to reach even its toe' height.


So at the risk of repeating myself, downplaying DSOTM's role and success is as much posturing as Johnny Rotten wearing a "I Hate Floyd" T-shirt.

[Interstellar]

as can be plainly heard on Echoes (Waters doesn't touch the track in terms of vocals)

Yes, that special combination fully started with Echoes and was one of the high points of DSOTM imho. OBC has its share of it.
I've always thought they could have gone further with it, but Rick Wright's presence started to vanish on later albums. Oh well.

[Svetonio]

(...)

Back then , it was not only quite groundbreaking , but a technological feat about as big as Tangerine Dream's Zeit or Phaedra were, in terms of using the studio as an instrument.
(...)

At the time when The Dark Side of the Moon was released, the "proggers" i.e. the guys who were already owned the copies of a number of the masterpieces of progressive music from In the Court of the Crimson King via Tago Mago to Close to the Edge, weren't flattered by TDSotM as you probably think, because they heard that those studio effects and that pseudo-psych music was in favour of commercialism - what certainly wasn't a popular thing among "proggers" back then - and that TDSotM was made as *psych for everyone*.

[grego]

For me, this is one of Floyd's most boring albums.

Indeed it is. Their prior soundtrack, More, for me is a classic album, one of the best they released. Obscured is a transitional thing, obviously, a bridge between Meddle and Dark Side, both great albums. And OBC has the fate very typical of transitional albums.. Perhaps they were in a hurry, recording this, or, developing themes, that were wrong for the soundtrack, they left them for another album. Whilst short and more plain stuff they offered for a movie.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

These soundtracks were kinda where the band was allowed the time to learn to be Floyd again; not just a shell of the Syd era band, but to move ahead.

along the same lines, I especially love the live at Concertgebouw 'The Man, The Journey' concept style assembly

[StevegSr]

Why this album is so underrated?

Because it's not that good?

[Trane]

At the time when The Dark Side of the Moon was released, the "proggers" i.e. the guys who were already owned the copies of a number of the masterpieces of progressive music from In the Court of the Crimson King via Tago Mago to Close to the Edge, weren't flattered by TDSotM as you probably think, because they heard that those studio effects and that pseudo-psych music was in favour of commercialism - what certainly wasn't a popular thing among "proggers" back then - and that TDSotM was made as *psych for everyone*.

Well, you could be representative of then-Yugoslavia typical 70's proghead, but AFAIAC, I bought the album in the autumn 74 in Canada (only my second album after COTC), but everyone spoke into Yes, Gen, KC and ELP spoke very highly of DSOTM. I mean this was a reference for many of us.

Indeed it is. Their prior soundtrack, More, for me is a classic album, one of the best they released. Obscured is a transitional thing, obviously, a bridge between Meddle and Dark Side, both great albums. And OBC has the fate very typical of transitional albums.. Perhaps they were in a hurry, recording this, or, developing themes, that were wrong for the soundtrack, they left them for another album. Whilst short and more plain stuff they offered for a movie.

transitional, I guess... but not an obvious link between Meddle and DSOTM... sonically, it doesn't have anything to do with either albums. AAMOF, like I said before, OBC reminds me more of DG's debut solo album, in terms of sonics.

[happytheman]

OBC reminds me more of DG's debut solo album, in terms of sonics.

Agree.. a lot of similarities for sure.. both great albums

[Svetonio]

Well, you could be representative of then-Yugoslavia typical 70's proghead, but AFAIAC, I bought the album in the autumn 74 in Canada (...)

I heard for the first time TDSotM in late 1975. The album was regurarly printed under-licence in ex-Yugoslavia too, but actually the album I heard in Bruxelles, as I bought my copy in a small record shop in Waterloo. And as I have previously heard a decent quantity of prog albums, I was really disappointed, especially because the rock press were picked up the album in the heavens back then, due to studio effects.
As a fan of David Gilmour & Pink Floyd, I can say that in the "proggers" circles back then ( btw there always were only small circles of "proggers", so the stories about the armies of "proggers" are myth* ) there was a sort of "shame" to say that you are a fan of TSDotM; due to commercial nature of TSDotM, that album actually was promptly rejected by the "proggers" as a non worthy Pink Floyd's album, but accepted by much wider rock audience, radio stations, etc.

*Prog bands were in position to earn money in the 70s because their albums (and concert tickets) were purchased by the wide rock audience in general, so you could have seen, for example, Kiss' Destroyer next to King Crimson's Red in some kid's collection. As I already said, there always was a relatively small number of real prog-heads circles who listened only prog and "related", and they were always searching for more and more weird prog. On other side, the songs from TDSotM you could heard everywhere back then.

[Kcrimso]

As a fan of David Gilmour & Pink Floyd, I can say that in the "proggers" circles back then ( btw there always were only small circles of "proggers", so the stories about the armies of "proggers" are myth* ) there was a sort of "shame" to say that you are a fan of TSDotM; due to commercial nature of TSDotM, that album actually was promptly rejected by the "proggers" as a worthy Pink Floyd's album, but accepted by much wider rock audience, radio stations, etc.

Those "proggers" sound like asshats.

[bill g]

I've always enjoyed 'Obscured', a good summer afternoon album. I don't care much for 'Free Four' or 'The Gold It's In The...', but the rest I really like. 'Mudmen' and 'Burning Bridges' are probably my favorites, and I've always had a soft spot for 'Stay'. Having said that, I do like 'A Pillow Of Winds' better than anything on OBC, and overall I think I've gotten more mileage out of 'Meddle'. But I certainly like the album a lot more than anything any of them have ever done post 'Animals' (with the exception of 'On An Island' which has become a very meaningful and personal album for me). The first two instrumentals on OBC are quite cool too, again I still prefer 'One of these Days', but still cool.

[Paulrus]

I've always enjoyed 'Obscured', a good summer afternoon album.

It IS a summery kind of album. I always felt that Gilmour's rockers were pandering to the sort of rock audience found in LA during the 70's. Very much "Hey, let's hop into my Chevy van and smoke a joint" crowd pleasers, which to me was a big shift from the very British sounding folk and psych rock that had come before. That shift carried over to Dark Side, which helped it sell a bazillion units, but which also alienated a chunk of Floyd's old "underground" audience.

[Trane]

As a fan of David Gilmour & Pink Floyd, I can say that in the "proggers" circles back then ( btw there always were only small circles of "proggers", so the stories about the armies of "proggers" are myth* ) there was a sort of "shame" to say that you are a fan of TSDotM; due to commercial nature of TSDotM, that album actually was promptly rejected by the "proggers" as a non worthy Pink Floyd's album, but accepted by much wider rock audience, radio stations, etc.

Again, if I know of very few bands releasing albums without the actual intention of selling as many as possible, Floyd was not aware ahead of time of the future success of DSOTM... It sounds nowadays (and even in the late 70's) like a sure-fire hit, but it was definitely a gamble as well. They could've lost big if DSOTM hadn't sold that much. Remember that Floyd systematically reinvented themselves and their sonics at every album, and there isn't a single 79's album that is not totally unique in its own right (as opposed to Genesis which only did variations of themselves from Tresspass to Selling England)

So DSOTM was grabbed by the medias and made into something huge - and much bigger than Floyd had ever expected - but it's definitely not a sell-out

[JJ88]

The shift towards a somewhat more polished sound arguably started on this soundtrack, yes.

My favourite psychedelic album by anyone is probably Piper At The Gates Of Dawn...still love DSOTM, WYWH, The Wall and all the others.

[JJ88]

(as opposed to Genesis which only did variations of themselves from Tresspass to Selling England)

Don't hear this at all. There is consistent artistic growth on these albums- I hear little evidence on Trespass that Genesis would be capable of 'Supper's Ready' only 2 years later!

To be honest I think the same is true of most of the prog bands during the 1970s.

[Trane]

Quote Originally Posted by Trane View Post

(as opposed to Genesis which only did variations of themselves from Tresspass to Selling England)

Don't hear this at all. There is consistent artistic growth on these albums- I hear little evidence on Trespass that Genesis would be capable of 'Supper's Ready' only 2 years later!

To be honest I think the same is true of most of the prog bands during the 1970s.

Oh yes, Genesis worked upon improving its "formula" with every new album, and they did a fine job! But basically, they just built upon what was already built and improved on it (like Yes, Crimson or ELP did as well). If you're a casual Genesis fan, you might have a problem situating on which realy-70's album Time Table, Stagnation or Can Utility might be.


Floyd, however almost started from scratch at every new album. I mean they just lay totally new sonic foundations with every new album... And there is no way you can get confused with 70's Floyd albums. I mean Dogs simply cannot belong on Meddle or Time be in AHM. Fat Old Sun would sound so awkward on WYWH, etc...

That's where Floyd's utter genius was: reinventing themselves from scratch with every new album.... Even if some tend to think of TFC as The Wall pt2, it's totally false. outside a weak fatherhood/war link, the two concept are vastly different, as Floyd returned to a piano and organ sound after the totally synth-overloaded Wall album.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

Those "proggers" sound like asshats.

[no.nine]

Indeed it is. Their prior soundtrack, More, for me is a classic album, one of the best they released.

I'm not sure I'd rate More as a classic album, but I'd certainly rate it as a BETTER album than Obscured. My problem with More is that it feels too "bitty" - there are lots of ideas here which are gone before I can start really getting into them. But to be fair, I don't know how they work in context of the film, so I'm guessing they just did what was necessary for the film. Although if those tracks were indeed edited for the movie, then I wish the longer versions had been released, even if it meant fewer actual tracks.

However, More has stayed in my collection because, despite my reservations, the music presented here remains interesting to me. Which is not something I can say about Obscured.

[grego]

I've always enjoyed 'Obscured', a good summer afternoon album. I don't care much for 'Free Four' or 'The Gold It's In The...', but the rest I really like. 'Mudmen' and 'Burning Bridges' are probably my favorites, and I've always had a soft spot for 'Stay'. .

Stay is good, and Wots..Uh the Deal is nice one too.

[grego]

I'm not sure I'd rate More as a classic album, but I'd certainly rate it as a BETTER album than Obscured. My problem with More is that it feels too "bitty" - there are lots of ideas here which are gone before I can start really getting into them. But to be fair, I don't know how they work in context of the film, so I'm guessing they just did what was necessary for the film. Although if those tracks were indeed edited for the movie, then I wish the longer versions had been released, even if it meant fewer actual tracks.

However, More has stayed in my collection because, despite my reservations, the music presented here remains interesting to me. Which is not something I can say about Obscured.

Well I agree that More is patchy, but this makes it a special kind of album, adventurous, and very charming. And the material is good, even the abstract, meditative 'Quicksilver' fits nicely within the album, and the songs are bright, well remembered from the first listen.

[HeadingSouth]

nothing personal, I can't help but thinking that this is purely 100% posturing

Sorry, but that is not the case. Just because lot's of people like it, it doesn't mean that there are not others who genuinely dislike it. Pink Floyd were never the most skilled players in the world, but at least they tried. This album to me has very little actual Musical Composition that is any good, nor does it have great playing/Improvisation. It's a very vocal-oriented album, but without much interesting music behind it. I'd say three tracks are okay and the rest is very boring.