| Ummagumma (studio album) |
| 1- Sysyphus part 1 Running Time: 1:08 2- Sysyphus part 2 Running Time: 3:30 3- Sysyphus part 3 Running Time: 1:49 4- Sysyphus part 4 Running Time: 6:59 All of the above written by: Wright Rating: ** Comments: Sysyphus sounds like the majority was recorded while Wright was improvising it. It starts out strong, with heavy drums and piano sounds, then into part 2 it starts to sound as if someone were just hitting random keys on the piano. Part 3 sounds like random sound effects, for nearly two minutes, and part 4 is all of the above combined, ending with the heavy drums and piano. This is the second worst instrumental that Floyd has ever recorded, the worst being the last group of tracks on this same album. Despite all of this, the song is not completely terrible, and the patient listener is rewarded when the next few tracks come on. (no lyrics) |
| 5- Grantchester Meadows Written by: Waters Running Time: 7:26 Rating: *** Comments: While not a very good song, this track does sound good relative to the previous tracks. It's a soft, slow song with easy lyrics, and lots of out-door sound effects including birds chirping and flies buzzing. Probably the most relaxing of any Floyd song. Lyrics: icy wind of night be gone, this is not your domain in the sky a bird was heard to cry misty morning whisperings and gentle stirring sounds belied a deathly silence that lay all around hear the lark and harken to the barking of the dog fox gone to ground see the splashing of the kingfisher flashing to the water and a river of green is sliding unseen beneath the trees laughing as it passes through the endless summer making for the sea in the lazy water meadow, i lay me down all around me golden sunflakes settle on the ground basking in the sunshine of a bygone afternoon bringing sounds of yesterday into this city room hear the lark and harken to the barking of the dog fox gone to ground see the splashing of the kingfisher flashing to the water and a river of green is sliding unseen beneath the trees laughing as it passes through the endless summer making for the sea in the hazy water meadow, i lay me down all around me golden sunflakes covering the ground basking in the sunshine of a bygone afternoon bringing sounds of yesterday into my city room hear the lark and harken to the barking of the dog fox gone to ground see the splashing of the kingfisher flashing to the water a river of green is sliding unseen beneath the trees laughing as it passes through the endless summer making for the sea |
| 6- Several Species Of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together In A Cave And Grooving With A Pict Written by: Waters Running Time: 4:59 Rating: **** Comments: This is a one-of-a-kind. This innovative song is a combination of dozens of animal-like sound effects, most of them probably coming from Roger Waters's own mouth. After it gets into an awesome rhythym, you hear a heavily accented voice shouting incoherently, and the animal sounds die down. This song is a classic, and one of the best reasons to go ahead and buy this otherwise mediocre album. You'll never find another song like this one. (no lyrics) Words: aye an' a bit of mackeral settler rack and ruin...ran it doon by the haim 'ma place well i slapped me and i slapped it doon in the side and i cried, cried, cried. the fear a fallen down taken never back the raze...and then i cried mary, get out wi' ye claymore out mi pocket a' ran doon, doon, doon the middin stain picking the fiery horde that was fallen around ma feet. "never" i cried, "never shall ye take me alive, ye rotten hound of the burny crew." well i snatched fer the blade a my claymore cut and thrust and i fell doon before him round his feet. aye. "a roar" he cried frae the bottom of his heart that i would nay fall but as dead, dead as 'a can by his feet. and the wind cried mary... (thank you) |
| 7- The Narrow Way part 1 Running Time: 3:27 8- The Narrow Way part 2 Running Time: 2:53 9- The Narrow Way part 3 Running Time: 5:57 All of the above written by: Gilmour Rating: ***** Comments: This is the best song on the album, and actually one of the best songs in the early Floyd era altogether. Part 1 is nice and easy acoustic guitar strumming with some background sound. The transition to part 2 is sudden, and in contrast to the easy melody of part 1, part 2 is strong and hard. Finally, the lyrics come in on part 3 and this is what makes the song great. The lyrics are simple yet they have meaning. The melody is nice, and it's reinforced with the awesome guitar-playing of David Gilmour. It's simple and beautiful. Lyrics: following the path as it leads towards the darkness in the north weary strangers, faces show their sympathy they've seen that hope before but if you want to stay for a little bit rest your aching limbs for a little bit before you the night is beckoning and you know you can't delay you hear the night birds calling you but you can't catch the words they say and you must, you realize, be on your way mystery swelling, creatures crawling hear the roar get louder in your ears you know the folly was your own but the force behind can't conquer all your fears but if you want to stay for a little bit rest your aching limbs for a little bit before you the night is beckoning and you know you can't delay you hear the night birds calling you but you can't catch the words they say and you must, you realize, be on your way throw your thoughts back many years to the time when love was life with every morning perhaps a day will come when the match for me the curlers past warning but if you want to stay for a little bit rest your aching limbs for a little bit before you the night is beckoning and you know you can't delay you hear the night birds calling you but you can't catch the words they say and you must, you realize, be on your way |
| 10- The Grand Vizier's Garden Party part 1 (entrance) Running Time: 1:00 11- The Grand Vizier's Garden Party part 2 (entertainment) Running Time: 7:06 12- The Grand Vizier's Garden Party part 3 (exit) Running Time: 0:38 All of the above written by: Mason Rating: ** Comments: This is the worst instrumental ever done by Pink Floyd. It's not unbelievably bad, but compared to everything else they've done, it's awful. It's one of the only songs ever written entirely by Nick Mason. Mason is an excellent drummer, and his talent for playing is well showcased here, but not his talent for writing. Parts 1 and 3 are a simple melody taking you in and leading you out of the song, while the bulk of it lies in Part 2, which seems to be just a sampling of a few different percussion instruments. Like "Sysyphus", it was being made up as it was being recorded. But, despite its crappiness in comparison to the works of Waters and Gilmour on this album, it's not awful, and patient listeners need not skip it over. (no lyrics) |
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| Released: 1969 by Harvest Records Running Time: 46:52 Ranking: #13 out of 14 studio albums Album Highlight: The Narrow Way part 3 Album Weak Point: The Grand Vizier's Entertainment Part part 2 (entertainment) Average Song Rating: *** Comments: The major flaw in this album is the arrangement of the songs. The album begins and ends with its weakest tracks, with the decent and good songs stuffed in the middle. This album would be listened to much more frequently if it opened with Waters's unique tracks, and closed with Gilmour's excellent three-part song. Instead, the worst songs open the album, and bring it to a close. Rick Wright is capable of so much better work, and Nick Mason, who showcases his excellent drumming skills, also exploits his terrible writing skills. Both of their songs were admittedly improvised. |
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