Atom Heart Mother - Pink Floyd

Its a difficult album to review this one. If you're reading this deciding whether its a good first Pink Floyd album, put simply, it isnt. This isnt the Floyd to be found on Wish You Were Here, Dark Side..., or The Wall. Go and snap up one of them if you're a first-timer. Which then leaves the rest of us. I got this album quite early on in my collection, mainly because of the artwork, and at first I was utterly bemused. I brought Pink Floyd albums to hear lyrics that make me think, and some of the most awesome guitar work, not to listen to horns and choirs chanting! I stuck with it though and found the next 3 tracks to be enjoyable, if pretty average rock ...  Read the complete review

There was a time in the early 1970's when having some form of orchestral fusion with rock music was de riguer for those in the newly tagged 'progressive' movement. Unfortunately few if any of these bands pulled these experiments off with anything that didnt sound overblown and turgid. Whilst "Atom Heart Mother" is one of the prime culprits of this I do hold a certain affection for it. The obiqiuous title track takes up the first half of the album and as a piece of occasional background music it is ok. The sinious slide leads of Gilmour are of particular note, but for anyone willing to seek out bootleg live material of the time where the band played ...  Read the complete review

Produced during Pink Floyd’s most experimental period, the transition between their original psychedelic sound and the more restrained and concise sound of ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ and beyond, ‘Atom Heart Mother’ is certainly a very interesting item in the band’s discography. And that’s not just because of the huge cow on the cover. The title ‘suite’ of Atom Heart Mother is a 24 minute piece combining the instrumental skills of the band with orchestration. Now a common occurrence, even outside of prog with bands such as Metallica and even Kiss teaming up with local symphonies for a classical treatment of their hits, Pink Floyd were (arguably) the first to ...  Read the complete review

This long forgotten album is barely worthy of mention on the same page as the extraordinary body of work that followed it. It was experimental in nature, although I'm sure there was no cry of "Eureka" upon its completion. The irritatingly long title piece meanders here and there without ever stopping in one place long enough to attract, never mind maintain, the listeners interest. Indeed, it was later described by Roger Waters (in a 1984 radio 1 interview) as "rubbish". Of the remaining tracks, only the slight Waters ballad "If" has aged with any dignity thanks to some skilful lyrical imagery. "Summer '68", by Richard ...  Read the complete review