Meddle

What would they do in concert?

Roger played bass on "Raving and Drooling," but when it became "Sheep" in 1977 (with that extra galloping part at the end), Snowy White took over. He played bass on "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" too. But Roger always played bass on "Dogs"/"You Gotta Be Crazy" and "One of These Days."

cool fact about the track some floyd members had a friend with a dog that would howl when it heard blues music so one day after experimenting with some drugs the group decided to have a blues session with the dogs seamus wailing in the background it was just an experiment but turnsout it made the album cut

botley,my friend go write that book!!! you're a fine author!

Wow. Sorry to dig up this old thread. As I am stuck in all weekend sick (I think it might be mono) I am content to search old posts on APFFN.

Anyway, I really love this interpretation of Meddle. Great job Botley. I especially love your thoughts on Echoes. This is the way I've always thought of the song as well. I sometimes also imagine the beginning of the song as the beginning of life for just an individual. Inside the womb, a mysterious place, and then something stirs and climbs towards the light (the actual birth). But I think the ideas of human evolution make much more sense.

This being the case I wonder why Echoes wasn't the first song on the album. Having said that I seem to remember reading an interview somewhere where one of the band members said they felt it should have been the first song. Anyone know?

Thats what old threads are for .Hats of to Botley too. This is one of my fave Floyd albums and I 've never seen this thread.

This one confirms yet again that Botley is, indeed, a genius.

From the posts I have read, I really like his analysis on music. He knows a lot of technical things that are always very enlightening to all of us but his analysis comes down to the emotion the music creates in the end (like for example in the narration that started this thread).

I have known some musicians that constantly worry about techniques. In particular, I knew one guitar player who analysed every concert he saw on a purely technical level. I have always thought that he missed on the emotion created and missing this is completely missing the point. I once went to see his band playing live and I remember that the songs consisted of very difficult riffs played at srange tempos. When I tried to look at how the songs were constructed I noticed that they were just those riffs linked together without any "emotional" direction/purpose. I have never gone back to see him perform live.

I don't personally know you, Botley, but I have the feeling that you are not one of those. Your personal rendition of the feelings created in you by Meddle is a wonderful example of what music (or any art for that matter) should do: create emotions/images that have personal meaning for the listener.

Nice piece of writing!

Very well said Watered. Thats part of what make the Floyd so special to me, the emotion behind the music and the connection that can be made with it on such a personal level. And that I believe as you stated is what the purpose of all music/art should be.

Thanks again everyone! I love music, it's a central part of my existence — NOT just some background noise to fill the silence. Whenever I hear it or play it, everything in my life relates together. Glad to see some of that comes through in my writing.

As far as I know, the band wanted "Echoes" to be the A-Side of the LP at one point. However, the choice was made to end the album on a more dramatic note, so the other "choons" were put in front.

That says alot right there. And i feel the same way about music. When I listen too it becomes a part of me Life would be so empty without it.

Dude!! That's SOO how I see it ^_^

I'm just going to bump this again so it can go above all the moved threads.

Awesome interpretation Botley! Thanks for the read! Meddle is a great album, my 3rd favourite from the Floyd behind WYWH and Animals. Although I think tracks like OFTD and Echoes are even better live.

Glad I found this thread again! I cross-posted the original piece (after a little copy-editing) to my Imblogrio, along with a bit more explanation of where I was coming from at the time.

Crikey, it still kind of blows me away that I wrote this.