More [Import, Original recording remastered, Soundtrack]

This album is packed with diversity!!! As if the haunting church organs of Cirrus minor, proto-metal/ punk of Nile Song and in the second side Ibiza Bar, the best acoustic ballad Green is the colour and the gorgeous Cymbaline (the da da doo doo hum would make you hit the road for the countryside) and the mood builder Crying song in the middle weren't enough, the second side offers sonic bliss in the form of Quicksilver.

Floyd never get credit for their importance. More's ample proof they still have the playful nature in the post-Barrett era. Ibiza bar has to be one of Roger's finest lyrics.

PS: See the movie too

After the departure of Syd Barrett, but before the ascendency of lyrical giant Roger Waters and guitar giant David Gilmour, More shows the true talents of Pink Floyd's most underrated musicians: Rick Wright and Nick Mason (keyboards and drums respectively). In my opinion, it was these two who helped to maintain the continuity of the Pink Floyd style during this transitional period, and it's a real shame they were overshadowed later on in the band's career. The chaotic, jazzlike piece "Up the Khyber" says it all...although there is a little bass in it as well, both Mr. Wright and Mr. Mason truly shine.

Rick Wright fans will appreciate the prominence of his Farfisa organ in songs such as "Cirrus Minor", "Main Theme", and "Quicksilver"; this will also give you somewhat of an idea what he was like in concert during this time period.

Nick Mason fans should enjoy the more elaborate, improvisational, sometimes Eastern drumming style he shows in songs like "Party Sequence" (foreshadowing of the intro of "Time", perhaps?), "Main Theme", and "Up the Khyber", very much in contrast to his more laid-back style in later albums.

Another interesting feature of this album is the strangely "hard" songs for Pink Floyd, "The Nile Song" and "Ibiza Bar". Although completely different from anything else in the Pink Floyd catalogue (except maybe a vocal resemblance to Momentary Lapse's "Dogs of War"), they are very enjoyable. Another style you rarely hear, but is important to the Pink Floyd sound, is the blues: "More Blues" is an interesting piece, although I wish the drums wouldn't start and stop the way they do.

In general, I would characterise "More" as a fascinating picture of the band's late 60's style. Although some complain that there are "too many" songs, I don't find that a problem at all, and I definitely recommend completing your collection and picking up More as soon as possible. Although a soundtrack, it stands alone very well, and you will not be disappointed. All in all, I give this album four stars...maybe it isn't one of the Pink Floyd *masterpieces*, but give the underrated More its fair chance--especially those of you who would like a "Rick and Nick" album.

English art rockers Pink Floyd's third album Soundtrack From the Film More, was released in July of 1969. More was Floyd's second film score. Their first was for a movie called The Committee in 1968, which was not ever released. Then, French film director Barbet Schroder(whom would go on to direct Single White Female, Reversal of Fortune, Barfly and La Vallee, which was another movie Pink Floyd would do the film score for and release as the Obscured by Clouds album(see review)) approached the band to do the film score for his film More. More was a story of love and betrayal set on the then hippie island of Ibiza. The band went to Pye Studios in London to record the score to the film and emerged with 13 tracks(half with vocals and half instrumental) in a week. Five of the tracks were written by bass player/vocalist Roger Waters, and are all excellent songs. All of those tracks had guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour on lead vocals. The somber but beautiful Cirrus Minor opens the album. Next was The Nile Song, which was the closest that Pink Floyd got to performing heavy metal. The light and somewhat breezy Crying Song follows and is good as well. Drummer Nick Mason and keyboardist Rick Wright's aggressive and powerful drums-and-piano workout Up the Khyber follows. The next Waters penned track was the superb Green Is The Colour, which would be in Pink Floyd's set list throughout 1969 and 1970. The exquisite Cymbaline follows and is one of my all-time favorite Floyd songs, that song was also a staple of their live shows during their 1969, 1970, and 1971 tours. The brief but superb percussion piece Party Sequence ends the first half. Most of the second half is instrumentals. It starts with the trippy space-rock of Main Theme, which musically predates the sounds on Shine on You Crazy Diamond by six years. Ibiza Bar, which is basically the sister rocker to The Nile Song, is the only song with vocals on this half but is very good. The equally-brief blues riff of More Blues is next and Floyd would play a variation of this live in their shows in 1971 and once on their 1977 tour. The wild sounds of Quicksilver follows and features just Rick's keyboard work at its best. Gilmour plays a mighty classical guitar with the classic A Spanish Piece. The album concludes with Dramatic Theme, another great instrumental with great Gilmour guitar work. This album was justly unlooked when released although it did hit the British Top 10. Then, after the success of Dark Side, Harvest/Capitol reissued this album in the summer of 1973. However, I didn't discover this album until January 9, 1988(two weeks before my 12th birthday) when I got it on cassette but the remastered CD, released in 1996, buries it. Doug Sax and James Guthrie did a great job with the remastering on this album. This album has aged well over 35 years. Highly recommended!