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RSS Feed UAWIL #306: Pink Floyd - Meddle
Did the true predecessor to Dark Side of the Moon portend the epicness and decades of worldwide sales that define Pink Floyd's 70s era? Maybe not all of it but Meddle shows the band starting to grasp how to work together with all the budding technology while the side B prog rock masterpiece Echoes put them on a different ethereal plane
When Pink Floyd released Dark Side of the Moon in 1973, their world (and the world) changed forever. The album would go on to sell tens of millions of copies worldwide and make Floyd one of the biggest acts of all time. But did anyone see it coming? They were known for their psychedelic music and performances thanks to cutting edge light shows. But did previous efforts portend the superstardom that started with Dark Side and crescendoed with The Wall?
The predecessor to Dark Side was Meddle (the film soundtrack Obscured By Clouds came out between the two but Meddle is a Floyd album by Floyd for Floyd) and featured a variety of styles and textures - some would become inherent staples in their music, some were one offs that were never played live. But the 20+ minute epic that was the B side of the record, Echoes, showed that the boys could blend all their talents and experimental sounds to produce an epic that would define prog rock and the band's signature sound.
The opener One of These Days, a group write, is a driving, ominous track that not only features some killer slide from Gilmour but creates a dark mood that would be prevalent in Floyd (especially Waters) compositions down the road. Waters and Gilmour venture into acoustic and lilting ballads with A Pillow of Winds and Fearless but have a bit of a laugh with the south of France inspired San Tropez and the barking of Steve Marriott's dog on Seamus (considered by some as the worst song in the Floyd catalog). But the awe-inspiring Echoes really stands the test of time as one of the true masterpieces in the Pink Floyd arsenal.
We interviewed Gary Kemp and Guy Platt of Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets on Ep 96 about what playing Echoes with Nick meant to them. We also review their live show from 2022 on episode 100 (and from Royal Albert Hall on Ep 75). That was our true introduction to pre-Dark Side Pink Floyd and we're so glad we found it - we hope you enjoy our take on Meddle at 55!
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