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Album Review: Like medieval alchemists, Pink Floyd's work on Obscured By Clouds refines the sometimes raw elements of their earlier efforts to produce an album that is fully polished. Although Obscured By Clouds is eclipsed in the minds of many Pink Floyd fans by mega-popular works like Dark Side of the Moon and the Wall—and even some of the later, lesser Pink Floyd works like "The Final Cut" and "Division Bell"—that does not mean Obscured By Clouds' de facto low position in the hierarchy of Pink Floyd albums is deserved. Indeed, this is a very, very good album. Ironically, the album was originally done as a soundtrack for what is now a very obscure movie. But this is no typical movie soundtrack from the wacky days of the hippie era—it's full of distinct, well written and well played songs. The album opens with two songs—the title track and a song called "When You're In"—that are both spacey, grinding
bits of instrumental psychedelia that have one foot in the drugged-out days of "Saucerful of Secrets" and the other in the more thoughtful works of "Meddle." The songs "Burning Bridges" and "Mudmen" both have a more laid-back feel, with typically excellent spacey Floydian singing, guitar work, keyboards, and lyrics. "The Gold It's in the..." turns up the heat with more energetic singing and guitar playing. "Wot's... uh the Deal," one of the most memorable songs on the album, is a melodic, aching song about... um, well, we're not sure, but it sounds very cool. That's sort of the pattern for the album—there's no need to try too hard to figure it all out; just listen and enjoy.
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