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Rating: The year 1969 closes for Pink Floyd with two highly experimental albums behind them, More, the soundtrack of the film of the same name, and Ummagumma, a double album, predominantly psychedelic and highly experimental, in which several instrumental pieces develop.
Following these, Pink Floyd embarked on a long tour that kept them busy for months. This tour proved devastating for the group; nonetheless, when not engaged on stage, the band recorded music, and from this collective work, conditioned by fatigue, emerged an album different from the previous ones.
Still considered a milestone, even though Pink Floyd consider it garbage, Atom Heart Mother is the first album in which an orchestra appears: the title suite, lasting 23 minutes, is an imposing orchestral work and the piece, entirely instrumental, is considered a musical masterpiece even if too pompous and pretentious. After 23 minutes of highly progressive and psychedelic music, one can breathe with If, a piece with very poetic lyrics where the voice of Roger Waters, bassist and singer of the band, is very sweet. It is followed by two beautiful songs of 4-5 minutes each, Summer '68 and Fat Old Sun. The album closes with the instrumental Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast, a piece divided into three parts, in which Pink Floyd illustrate a psychedelic recipe through rather evocative sounds and voices.
The album cover is unique, created by the graphic studio Hipgnosis, featuring a cow in a field, Andy Warhol style, which gives the impression of looking at you intently. The cow from Atom Heart Mother has become an icon in rock, but unfortunately, she could not enjoy any copyright royalties.
Tracklist and Videos
01 Atom Heart Mother: a) Father’s Shout / b) Breast Milky / c) Mother Fore / d) Funky Dung / e) Mind Your Throats Please / f) Remergence (23:44)
05 Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast: a) Rise and Shine / b) Sunny Side Up / c) Morning Glory (13:00)
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Other reviews
By Ummagumma72
"'Atom Heart Mother', written by Waters, is simply majestic; 24 minutes of orchestra and apocalyptic choirs envelop you in total trance."
"It’s a work executed to step somewhat out of their purely experimental style ... while still preserving their imprint."
By FLOYDMAN
Atom Heart Mother is an extremely varied album, capable of moving from the orgasmic explosion of sounds mixing brass and electric guitars to bare and raw acoustic guitar.
The album is structured on two long suites, placed at the beginning and the end, around which the other short and sweet compositions revolve.
By Viva Lì
Atom Heart Mother is more definable as a 'musical work at the limits of lyricism' rather than pop music or, worse yet, sophisticated psychedelia.
Waters' bass and David Gilmour's guitar are, as always, a guarantee of genius and perfection.
By DaveJonGilmour
For me, perhaps, this is the most coherent work of Pink Floyd, and the most choral.
Brass and choirs make an impact, Quadraphonic, and I’m scattered in the room.
By Sharkste
If humanity possessed a video of the Big Bang and music had to be introduced for a documentary, I would use the finale of Atom Heart Mother.
Pink Floyd was the greatest band that ever existed is not enough. Because even just defining them as a 'band' is reductive in proportion to what they were.
