Atom Heart Mother

Pink Floyd | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B000002U9W
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (305 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,320 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #91 in Music > Classic Rock > Supergroups

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

In the grand, color-bending tradition of psychedelic experimentalism, Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother takes as its title an inscrutable phrase and under the title launches a similarly inscrutable--or at least dense--musical concatenation. The title suite features French-horn-led brass melodies riffed on by David Gilmour's guitar and the rhythm section, all of which veers into choral passages that recall György Ligeti's vocal works and then almost atonal pulses of keyboards that mask reams of audio snippets swirling underneath. And then there's some moody folk from Roger Waters, an almost Kinks-ish rambler from Richard Wright, then more moody folk (this time from Gilmour) on "Fat Old Sun," and, to close, the spirited melodic runaround of "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast." There's a range of emotion here, from doleful to crazed to humorous (especially the dramatized comments on macrobiotics in the closer). Atom Heart Mother was a spotlight ahead for Pink Floyd, showing the extensions of form the band would engage in so successfully on Dark Side of the Moon just a few short years later. --Andrew Bartlett

Product Description

Japanese remastered reissue of 1970 album packaged in a limited edition miniature gatefold LP sleeve. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

156 of 161 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark Side Of The Moo, September 26, 2003

By 

Alan Caylow (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Atom Heart Mother (Audio CD)

Reportedly, Pink Floyd themselves don't think very highly of their 1970 album, "Atom Heart Mother," aka "The Cow Album," with the band members on record having especially dismissed the 24-minute instrumental title suite, as well as the 13-minute instrumental-with-sound effects finale, "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast," as "absolute rubbish." Which leads me to one conclusion: artists are WAY too hard on themselves. The reality is, Pink Floyd have *nothing* to be ashamed of for this fine disc. I've always loved "Atom Heart Mother," and it still remains one of my personal favorite Floyd albums. By this time, Pink Floyd had gotten even more experimental with their music, and, having been influenced at the time by the "symphonic rock" leanings of such contemporaries as The Who, The Kinks and Deep Purple, the Floyd decided to take a crack at it themselves, and came up with their instrumental magnum opus, "Atom Heart Mother," co-written with avant-garde composer Ron Geesin, who had previously worked with bassist Roger Waters on the film soundtrack to "The Body." The main section of this big classical/rock hybrid sounds like music for a western movie (which guitarist David Gilmour says was the original idea), decorated throughout with odd string & brass flourishes, occasional changes in tempo, and haunting choir voices (courtesy of the John Aldiss Choir). There's also an excellent funky little Floyd jam right smack in the middle ("Funky Dung"), and another section for experimental sounds & effects ("Mind Your Throats Please"). Does it all hold together? To MY ears, definitely. I think the music is very captivating, with the band delivering a top-notch performance (including some very strong guitar & keyboard work from Gilmour and Richard Wright, respectively), and Geesin's grand orchestrations and choir parts only enriching this daring work even further. The "Atom Heart Mother" suite may not be for everybody, but I think it's very powerful stuff. And, if nothing else, it's outstanding "practice" for the band's next epic piece, "Echoes," destined for release on the Floyd's next album, "Meddle."The mid-section of the album's sandwich is comprised of three songs: Waters' beautiful "If," truly one of his best--and most personal--songs, Wright's golden contribution, "Summer '68," and Gilmour's acoustic sparkler, "Fat Old Sun." Finally, there's "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast," a three-part instrumental that's interspersed with the sounds of a guy eating breakfast and muttering to himself ("Marmalade, I like marmalade..."). One part piano, one part acoustic guitar, and one part rock piece, combined with sound effects so crisp and clear you can practically *smell* Alan's bacon & eggs on the grill, this track is just as bold as the epic title cut. It's arguably my favorite piece on the album, if only because it's so endearingly weird.As far as I'm concerned, Waters, Gilmour, Wright, and drummer Nick Mason shouldn't have a cow anymore about this album: "Atom Heart Mother" is a great Pink Floyd classic.

67 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have album, June 4, 2000

By 

Jeffrey Leach (Omaha, NE USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Atom Heart Mother (Audio CD)

I've been a Pink Floyd fan for years and track down all their obscure stuff just like every other fan. This album usually falls through the cracks when Pink Floyd's massive canon of work is reviewed. Too bad, because this album is truly groundbreaking.

Listen to such magic as Summer of 68, which uses some nice horn work. The title track is a sprawling opus mixing classical, rock and funk with great effect. My all-time favorite is Fat Old Sun, which just might be the best PF song ever. The guitar track in this song is quite simply mindblowing. Even better then Comfortably Numb, in my opinion. The album is rounded out by the acoustic beauty of If and the fun Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast, which has great percussion work by Nick Mason.

Any serious Floyd aficianado already has this album, but budding fans need to pick it up. Besides, you newbies have to give yourself a break from The Wall and Dark Side of the Moon, anyway!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ultimate psychedelic fantasy, June 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Atom Heart Mother (Audio CD)

While many consider Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall as the pinnacle of the Pink Floyd enigma, Atom Heart Mother was the album that, while retaining the wash of Sixties psychedelia, began to experiment with themes and concepts. The title track, intended originally as the theme for a western, is a massive undertaking of production and arrangement. Though it sounds sloppy by today's standards, for 1970 it was far ahead of its time. It moves through the various sections seamlessly, creating a mood of temporal dislocation. The cello parts are particularly fascinating-this is the only piece of music that has ever made me cry, it was just too beautiful to stand. Images of earthen pleasures and astral journeys to where stars have no names, this song represents an extraordinary talent for leaving the right spaces between the notes. "If", the second track, offers an almost pure and innocent look at the fear of oncoming madness ( a fear which would be later realized). The song is very laid back and touching. "Summer `68" is somewhat cheesy at times, though the trumpet sections are full of repentant anguish at succumbing to the pleasures of flesh (a groupie). Very bouncy, but still manages to be dark and Floydian. "Fat Old Sun" is my favorite of this album. Though badly recorded and mixed, the images of freedom in childhood, blissful endless summer where the twilight is eternal is about as mellow as you get. The guitar solo at the end is killer (listen to the bass line-its one of Water's best). "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast" is kind of silly, though the voice of Alan making breakfast on morning glory seeds is just perfect. The song is somewhat rushed, but the last segment, Morning Glory, is fantastic. Can't even describe the feeling it gives me. Although flawed at times, Atom Heart Mother still stands as one of the most innovative albums ever written. The ultimate psychedelic fantasy.