Pink Floyd
Meddle: Classic Album Under Review DVD
Review by Gary Hill
I have always been a big fan of the Meddle album. As this documentary says, the disc is often sort of forgotten. That's a shame because the closing epic "Echoes" and the opening "One of These Days" alone make it well worth owning and spinning. So, taking a close look at the album is definitely appreciated. I actually learned something I didn't know about the album, too. That's how they created the cover graphic. I always thought it was a microscopic photo, but that's not true at all.
About half of this video is devoted to the lead up to the disc. I suppose that's needed to really understand where the album came from in the history and development of Pink Floyd. Doing that with a disc that lands later in their catalog, though, would be a real distraction. For this one, it's an interesting part of the journey.
The video delves into details of each track, with short snippets played. All through the video we get various music experts talking about the material covered. As a Yes fanatic, the fact that Peter Banks is one of those guys, is a big plus. The video also includes some great short live clips and more. There is a short discussion about the origins of psychedelia and another on the origins of progressive rock.
I suppose that one complaint would be no actual interview segments with the guys in the band, but there are text quotes, probably from other sources. Also, it should be noted that the video makes it sound like Meddle was the album that directly preceded Dark Side of the Moon. That's not true, as Obscured by Clouds came between those two discs. Still, all in all, I really enjoyed this documentary. If you are a fan of the album, you really should check it out. Perhaps it's even more important for fans of the later era of Pink Floyd who have overlooked the earlier stuff.
This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) in Music Street Journal: 2020 Volume 3. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2020.
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