Richard Wright, Hammond organ, piano, Mellotron

Roger Waters, bass, vocals, acoustic guitar (2), tape, FX This lack of focus means Atom Heart Mother will largely be for cultists, but its unevenness means there's also a lot to cherish here.' (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG)ĭavid Gilmour, guitar, vocals, bass, drums That it lasts an entire side illustrates that Pink Floyd was getting better with the larger picture instead of the details, since the second side just winds up falling off the tracks, no matter how many good moments there are. So, there are interesting moments scattered throughout the record, and the work that initially seems so impenetrable winds up being Atom Heart Mother's strongest moment. 'Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast,' the 12-minute opus that ends the album, does the same thing, floating for several minutes before ending on a drawn-out jam that finally gets the piece moving. Of these, Waters begins developing the voice that made him the group's lead songwriter during their classic era with 'If,' while Wright has an appealingly mannered, very English psychedelic fantasia on 'Summer 68,' and Gilmour's 'Fat Old Sun' meanders quietly before ending with a guitar workout that leaves no impression. Then, on the second side, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, and Rick Wright have a song apiece, winding up with the group composition 'Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast' wrapping it up.

Still, it may be an acquired taste even for fans, especially since it kicks off with a side-long, 23-minute extended orchestral piece that may not seem to head anywhere, but is often intriguing, more in what it suggests than what it achieves. If anything, this is the most impenetrable album Pink Floyd released while on Harvest, which also makes it one of the most interesting of the era. 'Appearing after the sprawling, unfocused double-album set Ummagumma, Atom Heart Mother may boast more focus, even a concept, yet that doesn't mean it's more accessible. It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, England, and was the band's first album to reach number 1 in the UK, while it reached number 55 in the US, eventually going gold there. It was released by Harvest on 2 October 1970 in the UK, and by Capitol on 10 October 1970 in the US. Info for Atom Heart Mother (2011 Remastered Version)Ītom Heart Mother is the fifth studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd.

Atom heart mother cover photo