The Unknown Classic - MORE!

DISCLAIMER:

This is merely my opinion. Feel free to bash/compliment. I don't mind.

Wanky introduction:

Another essay by me - this time, however, I'm not bemoaning the poor quality of overrated PF albums, but championing a record that is so frequently glossed over in the PF catalogue.
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So yeah, MORE. A long-forgotten soundtrack album for a French film that's probably really artsy and pretentious. This is another seemingly directionless LP, but, seemingly, it's the only pre-1971 PF album not to have shades of Syd (PATGOD was basically a Barrett solo record, ASOS was Syd influenced, UmmaGumma had a Barrett song performed live, there are some Syd influences on the second side of AHM).

The opening Cirrus Minor sounds like something that should be played at a funeral. Very quiet and subdued, and incredibly depressed. The first PF song to feature a sample of birds tweeting, and thusly one of the first PF songs to feature proper sound effects. Nile Song is a brainless cock rocker - but it's thoroughly enjoyable. Crying Song features the first lyrical reference to 'the stone', and is thoroughly enigmatic with its happy vocal set to dour lyrics. Green Is The Colour is a beautiful acoustic ditty, and quite possibly the first of its kind. Cymbaline is a tough cookie - what is it? Is it a song about a nightmare? Is it a bleak rock song? Whatever it is, it is an extremely powerful statement, and an early classic for the post-Syd Floyd. Ibiza Bar is similar to Nile Song in arrangement, but is less blundery, and more concise - less heavy handed instrumentation, too.

So, what about the instrumental side? Well, this is where MORE just resorts to flailing about in the dark - trying to sound atmospheric and evil. Up The Khyber is a decidedly pointless little instrument mess. Party Sequence is one minute of bongo playing. More Blues is exactly that - just some bluesy noodling. Quicksilver is absolutely appalling. It's 7 minutes long, and in that time manages to neither accomplish nor add anything of worth whatsoever. Spanish Piece is funny, but really it's only worth listening to Gilmour (?) do his Spaniard impression once.

Dramatic Theme, on the other hand, is an exquisite piece of guitar noodling - and Main Theme is absolutely glorious, sounding like A Saucerful Of Secrets meeting Echoes in a crack lounge. Now, there's a classic PF instrumental you don't hear every day.


So, the final verdict: A brilliant, yet flawed soundtrack album. The soundtrack element may lead people to class this as a non-essential record, but MORE has to be heard - if only just to hear the sounds of a young Floyd firing randomly on the musical shooting range. Some shots miss, but when PF hit the target...they REALLY hit the target.

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I'd always thought Clive was a bit odd, but when I found him hanging from a noose from the ceiling, I stopped talking to him....

I'm Satan, and you're a fool because you're buggering up your turntable.