meddle

These meddling kids found themselves through the mysterious machinations and expansive experimental excursions of this meditative classic. Recorded over several months while Pink Floyd was on tour at several studios around London, including Associated Independent Recording, Morgan Sound, and Abbey Road; 'Meddle' coalesced into the most solid Pink Floyd album since the departure of Syd Barrett. The early experimental "Nothings" became "Son of Nothings" and then "Return of the Son of Nothings"; which was the working title of the new album. They played around in the studio with household items, sound effects, and extended jams during long overnight sessions to produce a layered brilliance. In the US, the album only reached seventy; but it was a top ten hit in Europe, peaking at number three in the UK.

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'One of These Days' builds slowly around Roger Waters' ostinato bass motif into the most rocking moment of the album. Nick Mason did the voice as a falsetto, which was recorded at double speed, then slowed down. The single never charted.

'Fearless' was the b-side of the single. It includes field recordings of the Liverpool F.C. Kop choir singing 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.

"Fearlessly the idiot faced the crowd

Smiling.

Merciless the magistrate turns 'round

Frowning.

And who's the fool who wears the crown?

Go down,

In your own way

And every day is the right day

And as you rise above the fear-lines in his brow

You look down, hearing the sound of the faces in the crowd."

'A Pillow of Winds' is intimate, dreamy, and delicate.

"The cloud of eiderdown draws around me

softening the sound

sleepy time when I lie with my love by my side

and she's breathing low, and the candle dies"

The twenty-three minute opus of 'Echoes' takes up the entire second side of the album. Richard Wright produced a submarine ping sound with an effect on his piano that they were not able to duplicate; so they built the track around the demo using the multi-track capabilities of AIR studios. David Gilmour's guitar sound came about by accidentally plugged his instrument into his wah-wah pedal back to front.

"Overhead the albatross

Hangs motionless upon the air

And deep beneath the rolling waves

In labyrinths of coral caves

An echo of a distant time

Comes willowing across the sand

And everything is green and submarine. "

'Meddle' 
full album:




Side one
1. "One of These Days"   Waters, Gilmour, Wright, Mason 5:57
2. "A Pillow of Winds"   Gilmour, Waters    vocals: Gilmour 5:10
3. "Fearless" (including "You'll Never Walk Alone") Gilmour, Waters (including Rodgers, Hammerstein II)   vocals:  Gilmour 6:08
4. "San Tropez"   Waters   vocals:  Waters 3:43
5. "Seamus"   Gilmour, Wright, Waters, Mason   vocals:  Gilmour 2:16

Side two
1. "Echoes"   Wright, Gilmour, Waters, Mason   vocals:  Wright, Gilmour 23:32