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List Price: $12.98 | | Label: EMI Europe Generic
Salesrank: 154994
Released: January 1, 2008 |
| Our Price: $8.60 |
| Used Price: $8.60 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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A Saucerful of Secrets Track Listing:
1. Let There Be More Light
2. Remember a Day
3. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
4. Corporal Clegg
5. Saucerful of Secrets
6. See-Saw
7. Jugband Blues
Editorial Review:
A Saucerful of Secrets is an uneven album that could glibly be called Pink Floyd's sophomore jinx, though it's a bit more complicated than that. The problems behind the band's second outing can be summed up in two words: Syd Barrett. Or rather, the absence thereof. The creative force behind Floyd's first distinctively baroque collection is credited with just one track here ("Jugband Blues") and the occasion marked the beginning of his decades-long withdrawal from public life, battles with mental illness, and burgeoning cult legend. What's left is essentially the first album by the "classic" Floyd lineup, though they're understandably a long way from their focused 1970s prime (as witnessed by the 11-minute title track); the dense sound and effects collages that are mere seasoning on later Floyd records are too often the whole point here. Roger Waters barely hints at his later glories on "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun," a would-be stellar journey that's ultimately rather pedestrian. An album that seems alternately driven by a genuine experimental spirit one moment and creative panic the next. --Jerry McCulley
A Saucerful of Secrets Reviews:
a saucerfull of hippie skeletons 
2009-11-20 - I like the music(ZAK) on this albumn, especially the title song. And since the hollow droning of the gong or synth or whatever represents what these "Tracks" represent a time of empty hollow metal disks full of hieana awful() that we now countradict in owr paranoia of pro-war Ex "hip" 50+ fat junk food beer and lawn goons who "fuzz the duck" then no matter how good this muzako the representation is in total vain to owr current binocular watch thy neighbor he is a terrorist regime by the same folks who were so "anti" war in the "Nam" days. why is that war any more wrong than the current one? eh?(as the canadians say) Though I am a United statzian we are devided because of the fat cows sending thier sons over to a pointless and stupid excuse for a war on Iraq, not the true targed, like a bad archer, we "KEEP MISSING THE TARGET!" G-W_B!!! so Pink Floyd, like all "protestor musicians" is a Saucer full of(something else). I do like "Corperal Clegg" could easily be "Daniel" from "V"(mini series) and his family who was so "proud" of him.(NOT!)
LET US HAVE A NEW DIGITAL REMASTER WITH MISSING SYD TRACKS!!!
2009-10-27 - If "PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN" rates a digital remaster, then it's about time for a " A SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS", to get the same attention. And, please put the Syd tracks of "SCREAM YOUR LAST SCREAM", as well as, "VEGETABLE MAN" on it as bonus tracks. In fact, anything else you find in the vaults centered around Syd and this album please include. Hurry up, we're not getting any younger waiting for this flawed masterpiece to be sonically remastered in this century!
Pink Floyd's sophmore album is more consistent and confident than their debut 
2009-10-23 - Released in 1968, A SAUCER FULL OF SECRETS was Pink Floyd's second album, following up on their debut The Piper at the Gates of Dawn which appeared the year before. The band's lineup was in flux, as the original guitarist and songwriter Syd Barrett had gone mad and would soon be gone entirely, while David Gilmour came on to replace him. This substitution had a great impact on the band's sound. Barrett's songwriting veered between little ditties of childlike innocence and spaced-out paeans to the glory of the cosmos. As his role in the band was diminished, Pink Floyd lost that whimsical side and came to focus exclusively on complex psychedelia.
The opening track, "Let There Be More Light", displays in one swoop their new confidence, as Roger Water's vocals marveling at "Lucy in the sky" float over Gilmour's guitar virtuosity, which gets its own solo towards the end. "Remember a Day" and "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" follow in much the same vein. Curiously, though these songs have some action to them and, of course, you are free to play them as loud as you wish, they yet maintain a feeling of low dynamic and mystery to them.
"Corporal Clegg" is the only real bum track on the album, a portrait of an eccentric figure with lyrics and vocals that seem out of place, though the instrumental performances are fine. "A Saucerful of Secrets" is a lengthy jam (11 minutes long) anchored in Richard Wright's synthesizer, a sort of sequel to "Interstellar Overdrive" on PIPER. "See Saw" is nearly as pop as "Corporal Clegg", but manages to remain rooted in the band's new trippy style. The album closer "Jugband Blues" is a Barrett solo track, which is completely out of phase with the rest of the album but a surprisingly appropriate epilogue.
I think A SAUCER FULL OF SECRETS is even better than the band's first album, as I was never really passionate about those Barrett tunes on PIPER that were more overtly pop. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys psychedelia.
Good Album 
2009-05-27 - the Only reason I bout this CD was for Jugband Blues. Great song, rest of CD is pretty good too.
A Sign of Things to Come
2009-03-29 - In 1968, Pink Floyd was still getting its wings as it emerged into the revolutionary and experimental music scene of the late '60's. Their first album was mildly popular, but did not show their true potential, except for in a few songs like "Astronomy Domine" and "Interstellar Overdrive". But with ASoS, we are given the first good Pink Floyd album, a sign of the great LPs the band would create in the next decade or so.
The album kicks off with a throbbing baseline and organ solo into "Let There Be More Light", a Waters song dealing with the story of an astral traveler journeying through the universe. We also get the first glimpse of Gilmour's guitar work in his distorted solo. "Remember a Day", shows that Wright was also capable of writing decent lyrics. They evoke reminiscent thoughts of childhood, propelled by Barrett's slide guitar and Wright's piano and airy vocals. His other composition on the album, "See-Saw", is very similar, but with an overall darker tone, commenting on the depressing reality of growing up and leaving behind one's childhood. "Corporal Clegg" is the first of many songs penned by Waters dealing with the war, but is far more comical, humorously observing the poor treatment of disabled veterans after WWII; it also features a kazoo, which can grate on the nerves after a while, but gives the song a marching, military air. The closing track and Syd's sole composition, "Jugband Blues", is probably the most mature song he ever wrote, dealing with the his feelings on being distanced from the band. It provides a relaxing, yet melancholy end to the album.
Now for the two standout tracks. The first, my personal favorite, is "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun". Written by Waters, who based his lyrics on lines from Chinese poetry, it is a very spacey and exotic track, with the organ and guitar merging quite beautifully. It was far better live, but the studio version is pretty good anyway. The other piece that truly demonstrates the band's musical capability is the title track. To sum it up in only a few words, it is 12-minutes of chaos, with hectic piano and slide guitar, propelled by a repetitive drum line.
Though not nearly their best album, it is certainly the first of their early albums that I, as a HUGE Pink Floyd fan, would recommend listening to. It's a good transition piece before listening to the really avant-garde "Ummagumma". If you're only going to buy a few songs from this CD, I would recommend "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" and "A Saucerful of Secrets", and maybe "Let There Be More Light". But if you've got the money, I would say just buy the whole album, for it is well worth it.
