Reportedly, Pink Floyd themselves don't think very highly of their 1970 album, "Atom Heart Mother," aka "The Cow Album," with the band members on record having especially dismissed the 24-minute instrumental title suite, as well as the 13-minute instrumental-with-sound effects finale, "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast," as "absolute rubbish." Which leads me to one conclusion: artists are WAY too hard on themselves. The reality is, Pink Floyd have *nothing* to be ashamed of for this fine disc. I've always loved "Atom Heart Mother," and it still remains one of my personal favorite Floyd albums. By this time, Pink Floyd had gotten even more experimental with their music, and, having been influenced at the time by the "symphonic rock" leanings of such contemporaries as The Who, The Kinks and Deep Purple, the Floyd decided to take a crack at it themselves, and came up with their instrumental magnum opus, "Atom Heart Mother," co-written with avant-garde composer Ron Geesin, who had previously worked with bassist Roger Waters on the film soundtrack to "The Body." The main section of this big classical/rock hybrid sounds like music for a western movie (which guitarist David Gilmour says was the original idea), decorated throughout with odd string & brass flourishes, occasional changes in tempo, and haunting choir voices (courtesy of the John Aldiss Choir). There's also an excellent funky little Floyd jam right smack in the middle ("Funky Dung"), and another section for experimental sounds & effects ("Mind Your Throats Please"). Does it all hold together? To MY ears, definitely. I think the music is very captivating, with the band delivering a top-notch performance (including some very strong guitar & keyboard work from Gilmour and Richard Wright, respectively), and Geesin's grand orchestrations and choir parts only enriching this daring work even further. The "Atom Heart Mother" suite may not be for everybody, but I think it's very powerful stuff. And, if nothing else, it's outstanding "practice" for the band's next epic piece, "Echoes," destined for release on the Floyd's next album, "Meddle."The mid-section of the album's sandwich is comprised of three songs: Waters' beautiful "If," truly one of his best--and most personal--songs, Wright's golden contribution, "Summer '68," and Gilmour's acoustic sparkler, "Fat Old Sun." Finally, there's "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast," a three-part instrumental that's interspersed with the sounds of a guy eating breakfast and muttering to himself ("Marmalade, I like marmalade..."). One part piano, one part acoustic guitar, and one part rock piece, combined with sound effects so crisp and clear you can practically *smell* Alan's bacon & eggs on the grill, this track is just as bold as the epic title cut. It's arguably my favorite piece on the album, if only because it's so endearingly weird.As far as I'm concerned, Waters, Gilmour, Wright, and drummer Nick Mason shouldn't have a cow anymore about this album: "Atom Heart Mother" is a great Pink Floyd classic.
