PINK FLOYD: A Saucerful Of Secrets (PROGRESSIVE ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

With this second opus, Pink Floyd abandons its psychedelic and slightly crazy wanderings of "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" to impose the style which will be his until "The Dark Side Of The Moon" and which probably constitutes the most creative and the most interesting period of this mythical group.

Exit Syd Barrett, hello David Gilmour. The characteristic and strong vocals of the first one has given way to more neutral vocal parts, almost blurred, so much so that the voices of Gilmour, Waters and Wright end up merging and resembling each other. Syd Barrett, who had largely left his mark on "The Piper", composing the majority of the tracks, began to show signs of instability that led the band to replace him with David Gilmour. His quasi absence in the composition of the titles of "A Saucerful Of Secrets" (only one to his credit) explains very probably the radical change of musical horizon of this album. Horizons rather, because the musical landscapes which are proposed to us are far from being homogeneous.

The first three tracks are part of the same family. "Let There Be More Light", "Remember A Day" and "Set The Control For The Heart Of The Sun" unfold haunting melodies where the sounds of the instruments slide and stretch, creating an ethereal and cosmic atmosphere... linger. Nick Mason's drums are omnipresent, but with the discretion that characterizes this drummer. We are a little in a state of gravity. The atmosphere changes with "Corporal Clegg", where voices and instruments are distorted with pleasure, the soloist instrument being ... a screaming kazoo. The piece ends in cacophony on a fake light-hearted tone.

New change of atmosphere with "A Saucerful Of Secrets", an experimental piece, cut in three parts: the first one where the instruments make think of laughter and cries of malicious goblins, or malevolent, the second one which winds its loops of guitar on a sustained rhythmic, sometimes punctuated with chords of guitar and piano seeming to be placed at random. The whole ends with a majestic and melodious tune. This track can be found on the live version of "Ummagumma" where the humming of the voices, more accentuated, reinforces the impression of grandeur that emerges from the finale.

"See-Saw" is a melancholic song ornamented with baroque orchestrations, voluntarily exaggerated choirs and a touch of xylophone. Atypical and very beautiful. Finally, "Jugband Blues" is the only survival of the Barrett era. This song has the typical atmosphere that characterizes "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn", with this disillusioned vocals on deceptively cheerful tunes, party tunes that would turn into a nightmare, leaving a vague feeling of despair and unfulfillment. The text seems to indicate that Syd Barrett is taking a very lucid look at his condition and his relationship with the band. It's hard to listen to this track without shuddering.

In the end, "A Saucerful Of Secrets" is not really what one could call a euphoric album. Halfway between psychedelia and progressive, it opens the way to the major works to come in the following years. Pink Floyd reaffirms its taste for the offbeat use of unusual sounds (few bands have dared to make a kazoo the solo instrument of one of their songs). A great record. - Official website

PINK FLOYD

A SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS

EMI

PROGRESSIVE ROCK