Review Summary: A touching album that lays the blueprint for things to come.
Not many people talk about this album or even acknowledge it due to the fact its sandwiched between two even better albums with more importance to rock history and to the band, obscured by better albums in a way. It's really a shame it gets overlooked. Initially, it received a mixed reaction critically as many found it lacking compared to the album that came before it, but nowadays it is seen as a bridging point. Now, it is worth noting that
Obscured by Clouds is another soundtrack record, similar to
More, but despite that it holds up much better as a cohesive whole than the aforementioned one, and was recorded at the same time as Dark Side!
This album is easily one of their strongest despite it being done as a soundtrack to a film, it features some of their greatest songs and a lot of the songs on it sound like much of what came after on albums like
Wish You Were Here and
The Dark Side of the Moon. If anything, this album feels like Roger and the others laying a blueprint for what was to come that they'd build off of and continue to perfect throughout the rest of the 70s.
"Childhood's End" is one of Gilmour's greatest lyrical works and, for example, has the same concept and idea of reflecting on youth that's present in many songs after this one was made with a similar music style to "Have a Cigar". The bassline is phenomenal and groovy with Roger letting it all out as David Gilmour's heavy-hitting riff swings at full force. "Free Four" has similar lyrical themes to "Time" and is quite a brilliant composition by Waters, the highlight of this track would definitely be Nick Mason's drumming which is exceptional here, giving the song its identity and unique flavor, and allowing everyone to drive along with their roles.
Now, while those two are the main standouts, The rest of the album is all quite great, with the title track and "When You're In..." being some of Pink Floyd's heaviest songs, "The Gold It's In The..." being another exemplary song with amazing instrumental work, "Wot's... Uh the deal?" and "Burning Bridges" each having an elegant instrumental that's nothing short of pretty and exploring themes of isolation and longing for human connection, something Roger would continue to explore later on in their career. "Stay" is decent enough but struggles to hold its own against everything else. So far, this album flows quite well despite lacking an overarching theme. For an end to the "everyone era" (which, is basically when they didn't have one person taking a strong role as the band leader, or being in charge of the musical direction entirely) it is quite a magnificent way to go out. After this record, Roger would start to increasingly take more control over the band's sound and lyrics.
We also need to take into account some flaws the record has, the only downsides to this album being "Mudmen" which is too similar to "Burning Bridges" and sounds like a clone added to pad out runtime, and the atrocious "Absolutely Curtains" being a sorry attempt for an atmospheric track by the band that never adds up to a whole and struggles to find itself, feeling yet again much like mere filler.
Overall, this album is very strong and one I feel very much deserves more credit than it gets. Sure, its no
Wish You Were Here or
Animals, but it feels like the blueprint of which those spawned from. It is one of their strongest and most enjoyable releases, and a perfect bridge between two eras.
1. Obscured by Clouds: ★★★★
2. When You're In...: ★★★
3. Burning Bridges: ★★★★
4. The Gold Its In The...: ★★★★★
5. Wot's Uh The Deal: ★★★★★
6. Mudmen: ★★
7. Childhood's End: ★★★★★ 🎖️
8. Free Four: ★★★★★
9. Stay: ★★★
10. Absolutely Curtains: ★★
