Review Summary: A Fun Process of Self-Discovery
The entire band hates this album, calling it a low point artistically, and Gilmour even being quoted as saying that they were "scraping the bottom of the barrel" at this point. Yet, as one should be able to discover on first listen, despite that it's actually quite a good one, and definitely worth a listen. This was their first #1 album on the UK charts, and it still holds up mostly with quite a few great songs, and some bad ones. This album suffers from a lack of focus and it goes a bit all over the place musically but despite that, it was their first good album after Syd Barrett exited the group's lineup.
The title track is a 24-minute long suite that goes through a range of emotions featuring a full orchestra and chorus, and the band themselves play in such unity, with each section of the song sounding like a symphony of sweetness to the ears. The different segments are all able to come together as a whole even with the differences in mood, making for one of their greatest tracks. With its range of dynamics, it hints at the phenomenal theatrics that would take over their music soon. "If" is a track that's very critically acclaimed and held in high regard by fans, and I agree with it. It's a beautiful light song with elements of pastoral folk, a jazzy drumbeat, and beautiful piano work by Rick that perfectly compliment Roger's classical guitar and bass work. The lyrics are the first Pink Floyd song to explore themes of succumbing to madness ("If I go insane, please don't put your wires in my brain") and are very much influenced by the band's experience with Barrett.
"Summer '68" is perhaps the most easily accessible song and one of Rick's best-written pieces, with an outstanding chorus, lovely and catchy keyboard work in the main melody, and bombastic trumpet solo breaks from the orchestra that also performed for the title track. All of this effort and impressive composition is quite funny when you take into account the lyrics are about a bad experience with a groupie. Rick had a pretty wild sense of humor, and I'm all for it, one of their best moments!
The rest of the record is, unfortunately, where things take a turn for the worst. "Fat Old Sun" is too similar to "If" which is extremely noticeable on a five track album and features some of David Gilmour's worst lyrics that are just plain nonsensical, as cheesy as a bad 80's rom-com in fact and the only good part is his guitar solo, which is amazing and should have been held for something greater. The other bad song is the final one which is "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast". This is another long epic, but unlike the album's title track, it falls flat on its face. This song has amazing keyboard work and it could've been something amazing, but instead, they decided to drag it out into a long "song" that's basically just ASMR before ASMR existed, it's a horrendous assemblage of random sounds that never effectively add up to a whole or go anywhere. I mean, I suppose if you can stand the sounds of breakfast food crackling on the stove, a man stuffing his face obnoxiously and grossly, and cupboards slamming while the guitar drones in the background, there might be something there for you.
Overall though, this is when Pink Floyd started on the right track of making a name for themselves, finding their forte and sound after they had staggered a bit with Syd's leaving. No one was the set leader in the group yet still, and it was more of an everyone project again, but with the moments sprinkled throughout of short splashing into the waters of brilliance make this album an intriguing one that is worth a listen if you are a fan of the band.
Track By Track:
1. Atom Heart Mother Suite: ★★★★★
2. If: ★★★★
3. Summer '68: ★★★★
4. Fat Old Sun: ★★
5. Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast: 💣
