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List Price: $17.98 | | Label: Capitol
Salesrank: 1828
Released: September 3, 1996 |
| Our Price: $7.48 |
| Used Price: $6.99 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Obscured by Clouds Track Listing:
1. Obscured by Clouds - Pink Floyd, Waters, Roger
2. When You're In - Pink Floyd, Gilmour, David
3. Burning Bridges - Pink Floyd, Wright, Richard [1]
4. The Gold It's in The... - Pink Floyd, Gilmour, David
5. Wot's...Uh the Deal - Pink Floyd, Gilmour, David
6. Mudmen - Pink Floyd, Wright, Richard [1]
7. Childhood's End - Pink Floyd, Gilmour, David
8. Free Four - Pink Floyd, Waters, Roger
9. Stay - Pink Floyd, Wright, Richard [1]
10. Absolutely Curtains - Pink Floyd, Wright, Richard [1]
Editorial Review:
Commissioned as the soundtrack for Barbet Schroeder's 1972 film The Valley, Obscured By Clouds actually holds up rather well on its own terms. The title track is a trippy, cinematic instrumental that features some searing guitar work from David Gilmour, but full-fledged songs like "Free Four" (which sounds like a morbid inversion of Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky"), and the folksy "Wot's...Uh the Deal" are the real highlights of the set. Essentially a transitional work, Obscured By Clouds has long been dwarfed by Dark Side of the Moon, the album which came immediately after it. In fact, the funky "Childhood's End" and the ethereal "Burning Bridges" could well be dry runs for the Dark Side tracks "Time" and "Breathe," respectively. In all, it's a priceless snapshot of a band on the verge of immortality. --Dan Epstein
Obscured by Clouds Reviews:
there best 
2008-10-07 - This cd is truelly this band's best, I wish they had migrated to Africa's BushBush after this, the world would have been a better Place.
Bridges burning, mudman, the gold its in the, wots the deal, absolutely curtains all songs are among my favorites as they out shine the ugly Side of the moon album and the atrocious animals and the wall/
Denise Whitlock, aged 11
there best
2008-10-07 - This cd is truelly this band's best, I wish they had migrated to Africa's BushBush after this, the world would have been a better Place.
Bridges burning, mudman, the gold its in the, wots the deal, absolutely curtains all songs are among my favorites as they out shine the ugly Side of the moon album and the atrocious animals and the wall/
Ignace Denner, aged 10
there best
2008-10-07 - This cd is truelly this band's best, I wish they had migrated to Africa's BushBush after this, the world would have been a better Place.
Bridges burning, mudman, the gold its in the, wots the deal, absolutely curtains all songs are among my favorites as they out shine the ugly Side of the moon album and the atrocious animals and the wall/
Ignace Denner, aged 10
Amazing Soundtrack Album From Pink Floyd
2008-09-20 - The music contained on this album was made for the French movie La Vallée. I haven't seen the movie but all I know, is that the ten songs that make up this LP are fantastic! It was recorded in March, 1972 at the Château d'Herouville and it finally came out in June of the same year. The line-up featured is the classic one: Roger Waters on vocals/bass, David Gilmour on guitar, Rick Wright on keyboards/vocals, and Nick Mason on drums.
I still remember when I decided to buy the first Pink Floyd album, it was in early 1999. I went to the music store and as I was glancing at all the albums that they had on the shelf, I just couldn't decide which one to pick. Eventually I chose "Obscured By Clouds" mostly for it's cover! It really caught my attention with those strange colored circles against that bluish background...It turned out to be very enjoyable!
There are four instrumentals included and the first song, the title track, is one. It's an atmospheric piece thanks to Wright's usage of an early synthesizer, his newly acquired VCS 3 that makes a thick sound. Mason keeps a steady drum beat while Gilmour throws some moody slide guitar fills until the fade out. Quickly, the second number (also an instrumental) comes in and it's called "When You're In". It's the shortest song on the album clocking in at two minutes and a half. A pair of catchy hard rock riffs are repeated throughout until it slowly begins to fade out.
Now it's time for "Burning Bridges", the first song to feature vocals. It goes in a prog-rock direction with inventive chord progressions plus a melodic slide guitar solo from Gilmour. The album takes a quick turn in "The Gold It's In The..." as it is a pure hard rock number! One of the very few songs they done in this style. It's one of my favorites! As expected, killer rhythm and lead guitar is showcased and the verses and chorus are catchy as well.
"Wot's...Uh The Deal?" is one of the few popular songs off this record. Definitely, an album highlight that seems to go in a folk direction. Wright's piano sounds very good here. For the verses, a descending chord progression is employed, but the chorus stands out too while Gilmour manages to squeeze a cool solo that uses his trademark slide playing. The third instrumental "Mudmen" follows and it's a reprise of "Burning Bridges", therefore it follows the same chord structure. The difference is in the sound of the instruments, notably the keyboards. The soloing from Gilmour has a much more prominent sound too, as opposed to the earlier version.
An hypnotic hammond organ wall of sound introduces the next song "Childhood's End". However, it quickly changes and the main body of the songs turns out to be a mid-tempo funky number that happens to be a favorite of mine! "Free Four" is another folky song that managed to gain some radio airplay back in the day. The melodies and the singing are quite catchy but the arrangement also makes room for Gilmour to play some killer lead guitar parts. After it's fade out comes the Wright-sung ballad "Stay". One of the most overlooked songs from their catalog! The dominant instrument is the piano, but I liked Gilmour's guitar sound here, filtered through a wah wah pedal. The final song "Absolutely Curtains" is the longest cut almost reaching the six minute mark and without a doubt, the most unusual on the album. It also starts with an hypnotic hammond organ sound that gradually gives way to the final section: a tribal chant! Quite an experiment to say the least!
This is a highly recommended album if you like rock with an experimental edge and prog-rock. It also includes some touches of hard rock and folk as well. Well worth checking out!
Thanks for taking the time to read!
Later...
Not bad at all but not great either! 
2008-09-20 - This album has some good moments and a lot of smooth numbers with David Gilmours voice and trademark guitar in the background. However, for me it's not a great Pink Floyd record. In my opinion the best of the pyscadelic Floyd was on Syd's albums. He had something unique and his vocals and guitar work were ground breaking. When Pink Floyd continued on without him they were searching for a while although I DO like the Meddle album, It's the best 60's Floyd album without Syd Barrett. Of course after A Saucerful Of Secrets, Pink Floyd revolutionized head music forever with Dark Side Of The Moon. Not only was it a masterpiece, but it is one of the best selling and popular albums of all time! And it was a group effort! Pink Floyd really found themselves with a little help from Alan Parsons. Than came Wish You Were Here (my personal favorite), Animals, and The Wall. Now the way Syd lead the band in the beginning, Roger Waters took over and lead them throughout the mid 70's and early 80's. Who would have thought he was even capable of such song writing and compositions? And with David Gilmours smooth vocals and lead guitar work, they were a band for the ages. But A Saucerful Of Secrets was still in their experimental period. It is very interesting to hear this album in comparison with what was to come. You can hear the potential that was just about to be reached. A Saucerful Of Secrets has much more of a60's sound and feel to it and more laid back. It did not take chances with it's sound the way they would do with Dark Side. You wonder how did they ever come up with such an album in 1972? They were sitting in a gold mind in their heads with those ideas and musical concepts. Rarely does it all come together the way it did with that album and the albums that came after. They all sell right up there with The Beatles best selling albums and as the best catalogue albums in history!
