Josiah Reynolds's Album Reviews
Read enough about any Pink Floyd album released after their classic underground debut but prior to the release of their massively mainstream The Dark Side of the Moon, and you'll inevitably find people reciting the same nonsense along the lines of: "Pink Floyd were still trying to find their way after the loss of band leader Syd Barrett" - as if the band's diverse experimentation and contentment to make music for music's sake without the need for deep statements and huge production was a bad thing...
I say "Nay." to early Floyd dismissal. Nay, I shout the word at the top of my lungs (naaaay!), for pre-Dark Side Pink Floyd is my favourite era of the band, and their film soundtrack LP More is a big reason why. Few albums make me feel the way More does, whether that was Pink Floyd's grand aspiration or not (I doubt that kind of thought and consideration went into this).
More features an eclectic mixture of songs and trippy instrumentals: 'Green is the Colour' is a soothing ballad and 'Crying Song' is in a similar vein, whereas 'The Nile Song' and 'Ibiza Bar' are famously hard-rocking shouters that prove the band could blast away as convincingly as many of their contemporaries when they wanted to. 'Cirrus Minor' is an eery piece of low-fi psych and is easily one of the band's most under-appreciated songs, and arguably the album's best known track 'Cymbaline' is a truly stunning piece that is certainly another highlight on not just More but Pink Floyd's early years as a whole.
The rest is a diverse set of mostly understated, soft instrumentals - the kind of stuff I "imagine" would be the ideal backdrop for taking certain substances to, but is still very enjoyable (albeit certainly not music for everyone) while sober. They're melodic pieces intended to have different themes to fit different scenes, and they're all really enjoyable in their own ways ('A Spanish Piece' is a masterpiece).
More isn't an album that's going to appeal to many listeners - Pink Floyd diehards and non-fans alike - but it's always been a favourite of mine for when you just want to drift away from reality for a bit - its remarkable, one-of-a-kind atmosphere feels built for it, even if unintentionally.
-9/10
I say "Nay." to early Floyd dismissal. Nay, I shout the word at the top of my lungs (naaaay!), for pre-Dark Side Pink Floyd is my favourite era of the band, and their film soundtrack LP More is a big reason why. Few albums make me feel the way More does, whether that was Pink Floyd's grand aspiration or not (I doubt that kind of thought and consideration went into this).
More features an eclectic mixture of songs and trippy instrumentals: 'Green is the Colour' is a soothing ballad and 'Crying Song' is in a similar vein, whereas 'The Nile Song' and 'Ibiza Bar' are famously hard-rocking shouters that prove the band could blast away as convincingly as many of their contemporaries when they wanted to. 'Cirrus Minor' is an eery piece of low-fi psych and is easily one of the band's most under-appreciated songs, and arguably the album's best known track 'Cymbaline' is a truly stunning piece that is certainly another highlight on not just More but Pink Floyd's early years as a whole.
The rest is a diverse set of mostly understated, soft instrumentals - the kind of stuff I "imagine" would be the ideal backdrop for taking certain substances to, but is still very enjoyable (albeit certainly not music for everyone) while sober. They're melodic pieces intended to have different themes to fit different scenes, and they're all really enjoyable in their own ways ('A Spanish Piece' is a masterpiece).
More isn't an album that's going to appeal to many listeners - Pink Floyd diehards and non-fans alike - but it's always been a favourite of mine for when you just want to drift away from reality for a bit - its remarkable, one-of-a-kind atmosphere feels built for it, even if unintentionally.
-9/10
Was this review helpful?