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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Let There Be More Light |
| 2. Remember A Day |
| 3. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun |
| 4. Corporal Clegg |
| 5. A Saucerful Of Secrets |
| 6. See Saw |
| 7. Jugband Blues |
Product Description
Review
Recorded over the end of 1967 and early 1968, A Saucerful Of Secrets is transitional record that marked Syd Barrett's final recordings with Pink Floyd and the birth of their 'space rock' direction. It was also the recorded debut of new boy David Gilmour, finding his feet only on the incredible yet somewhat buried solo at the end of "Let There Be More Light".
A Saucerful Of Secrets is not without filler, catching the band regrouping after Barrett's departure – Rick Wright's "See Saw" had the working title of 'The Most Boring Song I've Ever Heard Bar Two', while Roger Waters' "Corporal Clegg", his first oblique rumination on the loss of his father in the Second World War, is fairly unremarkable. Yet when the record hits, it does so extremely well – the frantic, bass driven raga-like "Let There Be More Light" and the final recording the group made with Barrett, "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun" develop the cosmic territory marked out by "Astronomy Domine" and "Interstellar Overdrive" from their first album. "Set The Controls" was as relevant to the underground of 1968 as their earlier material had been the previous year.
Although Barrett plays on three of the tracks, it is "Jugband Blues", recorded in November 1967 that is the most chilling. A song about loss and alienation, its sequencing as the last track really underlines his departure. The Salvation Army Band of North London's improvisation in the middle is cut abruptly short – just like Barrett's period within the group – and then, like a postcard from an outer space colony, he returns for the thirty-second coda, culminating in the lines 'And what exactly is a dream? And what exactly is a joke?' Although the group was moving forward, it was an early demonstration of just how much his spirit would inform them for the rest of their career. --Daryl Easlea
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Space rock meets psychedelia,
By Brian O'Hanrahanrahan "Fintan" (Malvern, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Saucerful of Secrets (Audio CD)
With Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd's original frontsman) becoming more and more unstable, Pink Floyd seemed on the verge of collapse. After all, he had penned all their singles and all but one song from their debut album, 'The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn'. So, when he 'left' (read sacked) in April 1968, it wouldn't have been unreasonable to think that they wouldn't last long. How wrong they were.
'A Saucerful Of Secrets' did indeed reveal secrets; Roger Waters and Rick Wright could write songs! And great songs, too. Hypnotic beats and bizarre lyrics showcased in one heck of an album, which does feature one Barrett composition, 'Jugband Blues'. New guitarist David Gilmour doesn't contribute any material here, bar a little on the title-track, so you could argue that this is the most disjointed Pink Floyd album, as Barrett, Waters, Gilmour, Wright and Mason can all be heard; the only Pink Floyd album that can boast that. Let There Be More Light - space rock riff, weird lyrics, great song Remember A Day - brilliant. Probably the best song on here Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun - a mouthful and-a-half! But another great song Corporal Clegg - Decent song, not bad, not great A Saucerful Of Secrets - actually, this is the best song on here. Betters 'Interstellar Overdrive' as far as I'm concerned. See Saw - good song, perhaps best appreciated in a cloud of incense and blue smoke Jugband Blues - goodbye Syd. Very good song with haunting last line ('And what exactly is a joke?') Not so much for the casual listener as the Floydian. However, 'A Saucerful Of Secrets' delivers everything its cover promises.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
super,
By
This review is from: A Saucerful of Secrets (Audio CD)
In a way this is Roger Waters et al trying to be syd barrett, "corporal clegg" superficially with its themes of englishness fulfills this role, but bubbling just below the surface is roger waters bile, and "set the controls" sets the template for the meanderings of pink floyd for the rest of the 60's, cool curio of a album that will appeal to fans of syd as well as fans of the later floyd because this is the album were they began to find their own identity sans syd.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best Floyd albume.......?,
By Lars Kjxlen (Heggedal, Akershus Norway) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Saucerful of Secrets (Audio CD)
I must say that, this is one of the best Pink Floyd albums. If you like a little psychedelic touch, this is a " must have"!! I love most of Pink Floyd's work, but there is something special about this album. Maybe it is just the lack of commercial pressure, but there is a sense of peace over the whole creation. Roger Waters`s first song about his spite of the military in "Corporal Clegg" is one of my all time favourite songs performed by Floyd, or anyone else. "Set the controls for the heart of the sun" is a lovely song whit a wonderful melody, and appear both on "Echoes, the best of Pink Floyd" and "In the Flesh" Waters`s last solo album and his world tour. And the opening track "Let there be more light" has a marvellous psychedelic shape witch I love. If you are one of those who just think "Another brick..." is a nice song, and have heard "Whish you were here" in a rap version (crappy, I might add!) you will probably be disappointed, and should by on of the newer Floyd albums first, but for the rest of us this album belongs in the collection.
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