 | |
| Released | October 30, 1971 |
| Recorded | January 4 - September 11, 1971 |
| Studio | AIR, Abbey Road, and Morgan Studios |
| Label | Harvest |
| Length | 46:47 |
| Genres | Progressive rock |
| Producers | Pink Floyd |
  Released November 29, 1971 | |
| A-side | "One of These Days" |
| B-side | "Fearless" |
Meddle is the sixth studio album of Pink Floyd, released in October 1971 on Harvest Records. The album was produced in 1971 at various recording studios around London.
The band had devised musical experiments, due to its lack of direction. This eventually inspired the recording of the record's signature track, "Echoes". While Pink Floyd would later create albums with a clear concept, Meddle was entirely a group effort, with lyrical contributions from each member. It has also been considered as a landmark release in the band's discography, in between the Syd Barrett era of the 1960's and the Roger Waters era of the 1970's.
Meddle was successful both critically and commercially in the United Kingdom; However, lack of promotion lead to its failure in the United States.
Development[]
After finishing a tour to promote Atom Heart Mother, Pink Floyd began work on Meddle as early as January 1971, at Abbey Road Studios. At the time, the studio had limited recording facilities and equipment, which the band found insufficient due to increasing technical demands of the album. They recorded several outtakes of songs, only to then transfer them into 16-track tapes, and decided to moved into smaller studios in London, such as AIR Studios and Morgan Studios. The group had found recording in those two studios being more flexible, and easier. Recording engineers John Leckie and Peter Brown recorded the Abbey Road and AIR sessions, while Rob Brown and Roger Quested recorded the Morgan sessions. Pink Floyd completed the record in December 1971.
Album title and artwork[]
The album's title, Meddle, is a play on two words: medal and interfere. The album's artwork was designed by frequent collaborator Storm Thorgerson, and photographed by Bob Dowling. It represents an ear, underwater, collecting waves of sound (represented by ripples in the water). Thorgerson intially suggseted a close-up shot of a baboon's anus; This idea was later scrapped, however, as he was overruled by the band. Thorgerson has reprospectively expressed his dissatisfaction for the cover, claiming it to be his least favorite LP sleeve from Pink Floyd.
Legacy[]
Meddle has often been considered as a transitional record of Pink Floyd's discography, in between the Syd Barrett era of the 1960's, influenced by psychedelic music, and the Roger Waters era of the 1970's, charged by progressive rock elements. "Echoes" has notably received praise from several critics as one of the best tracks recorded by the band, as well as their most important, since it sodilified the group's status as a classic cult band and later on, as a mainstream rock act.
Releases and track listings[]
| UK release (October 30, 1971) runtime: 46:47 | |||||
23:17 |
No. | Song name | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "One of These Days" | Roger Waters • David Gilmour • Richard Wright • Nick Mason | instrumental, spoken word by Mason | 5:57 | |
| 2 | "A Pillow of Winds" | Waters • Gilmour | Gilmour | 5:13 | |
| 3 | "Fearless"(including "You'll Never Walk Alone") | Waters • Gilmour (including Richard Rogers, Oscar Hammerstein II) |
Gilmour | 6:08 | |
| 4 | "San Tropez" | Waters | Waters | 3:44 | |
| 5 | "Seamus" | Waters • Gilmour • Wright • Mason | Gilmour | 2:15 | |
23:30 | |||||
| 1 | "Echoes" | Waters • Gilmour • Wright • Mason | Gilmour • Wright | 23:30 | |
Musicians[]
Members of Pink Floyd are highlighted in bold. Session musicians are in regular text.
- Roger Waters - bass guitar, vocals, songwriting
- David Gilmour - guitars, haromnica, vocals, songwriting
- Richard Wright - organ, piano, vocals, songwriting
- Nick Mason - drums, percussion, songwriting
- Seamus the Dog - barking on "Seamus"
Production[]
- Pink Floyd - production
- John Leckie - engineering
- Peter Brown - engineering
- Rob Black - engineering
- Roger Quested - engineering
- Storm Thorgerson - album artwork design
- Bob Dowling - album packaging
- Tony May - album packaging