Product Description

The last in Pink Floyd's series of 1970s film-inspired works, OBSCURED BY CLOUDS, like much of the band's music, has a cinematic feel. In retrospect, however, the album sounds like a warm-up for--or even a collection of high-quality outtakes from--Floyd's next and greatest record, DARK SIDE OF THE MOON. The opening title track is the sort of proto-ambient music that Pink Floyd helped pioneer and, with its spooky slide guitar, sounds uncannily like some of Eno's work with U2.After another instrumental, the album takes a more traditional, song-based turn and the next seven tunes cover a dizzyingly diverse array of styles.
There is stomping, Grand Funk Railroad-style hard rock and gentle ballads like "Stay" and "Burning Bridges" (which recalls Hendrix's "Little Wing"). "Childhood's End", a funky psychedelic number, sounds likea work-in-progress version of DARK SIDE's "Time". David Gilmour, especially, is in top form on OBSCURED. Whether creating Robert Fripp-esque soundscapes or blistering Clapton-style blues solos, Gilmour always plays for the song, effortlessly walking the thin line between guitar hero and ensemble musician. Throughout, the band weaves a beautiful, yet decidedly un-flashy, tapestry of sound that makes for a subtle, varied, and ultimately essential Pink Floyd album.

Track Listing

1. Obscured By Clouds
2. When You're In
3. Burning Bridges
4. Gold It's In The...
5. Wot's... Uh The Deal
6. Mudmen
7. Childhood's End
8. Free Four
9. Stay
10. Absolutely Curtains

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2090 in Music
• Released on: 1996-02-26
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack

Customer Reviews

Obscured by Success
You know, Pink Floyd really could have filled any ambition musically. In many ways, its sad that such talent became hijacked by the twin demons of the 'space-rock' tag and Waters' megalomanic breakdown that shattered the band in the late 70's. The evidence for a wider talent is no more clearly heard than in this collection of songs, obscured by the shadows of the huge Meddle and DSOTM albums.
As others have noted, the album picks up where side 1 of Meddle left off, with melodic, catchy, bucolic songs covering a range of styles but underpinned by top notch musicianship, particularly from Gilmour. There are so many strands of this album which are now woven into the patchwork of popular music in this century, from Ryan Adams to Chemical Brothers.

Whilst not following a 'theme' which became their byword after the gigantic (and career killing??) success of DSOTM, this collection stands up on its own merits and deserves a wider audience than just Floyd completists. Please give it a listen.

A True Floyd Album
This Album is taken from the soundtrack to the film "La Vallee" but it really is an album in its own right. What it does gain from the film is the story that is told through the music, and you don't need to have seen the film to get that from the music.
I can understand why this album has not had the acclaim and success of other Pink Floyd albums but it really does contain some of their best instumental pieces. Standout tracks are "Mudmen", a fully instrumental piece that is very atmospheric. "Stay", the best song lyrically on the album.

I have only given this album 4 stars because it is not one of the best of Pink Floyds albums, but saying that it would be tough to produce an absolute masterpiece every time and this album is well worth getting. You don't need to be a fan of Pink Floyd to enjoy this very moving, relaxing and beautiful piece of music. I would strongly recommend it.

an overlooked classic
Rarely performed live, and overshadowed by the release a few months later of "Dark Side Of The Moon", it contains some of the finest music they ever released. The first three songs are tense, powerful coiled instrumentals that they rarely explored, and "Free Four" is perhaps the most overlooked/under-rated song The Floyd ever released, being a requiem of a middle-aged man reminiscing from an imaginary future, topped off with some of the finest guitar work Gilmour was ever to make.