By Pink Floyd I have Piper At The Gates Of Dawn 1967, Saucer Full Of Secrets 1968, Ummagumma 1969, Atom Heart Mother 1970, Live 1970, Meddle 1971, Live at Pompeii 1972, Dark Side of the Moon 1973, Wish You Were Here 1975, Animals 1977, The Wall 1979, Delicate Sound of Thunder 1988, The Division Bell 1994, Pulse 1995. And Return to the Dark Side of the Moon a tribute lp (2006). Some as stand-alones, others as mp3.
Ummagumma, Atom Heart Mother & Meddle are perhaps my favourites. Their first two lps were trippy pop songs, radio stuff but in those next three they they became experimental, stretching the notion of what rock pop could be. The mp3 of Atom Heart contains the full tracks, the lp had some of edited down to fit the limits of vinyl. I loved the choral work on it. The band owed more to Booker T & the MJs than was recognized at the time. Electronic groups like Underworld owe a debt of gratitude to Meddle.
Dark Side was their return to more ‘tradition’ song form & length & it was a stunning success. The Wall hit the right rebellious notes but I wasn’t that big a fan. The many live releases are excellent but they seem intent on reproducing studio work than expanding & exploring it. If you are unfamiliar with Pink Floyd I suggest you crawl out of your cave lol.
Mixed in with the mp3 collections are: Procol Harum: Home 1970 – they leave their organ based sound to embark on blistering guitar work; King Crimson: Starless & Bible Black 1974 – this is true progrock with amazing freeform – almost jazz like sonic explorations. Then the US band Formerly Anthrax: Show Of Hands 1970 – I had this sweet lp & eventually replaced it with mp3 – organ based pop. They are not to be confused with the British group Show Of Hands. I have a ‘hits’ compilation by them – Backlog 87-91. A version of Traffic. A band I only found searching for Formerly Anthrax 🙂
Give Me A Little Sign
<>
a bluejay feather dances over snow
the first full moon of the new year
a silent wrap of smoke
forms the letters of a name
whose name mine yours
our hopes for the future
a dangling curtain moving at dawn
a pale handless shape
peers out into the fog
before the fire burns pure ashes
to scatter sooty on the snow
for the next fitful omen
<>
a bus pulls up at the right moment
an old friend alive
where you least expected to see them
the number nine keeps popping up
how many times before it has meaning
like that bluejay feather
it has to have a meaning
a good moment to do something
but I don’t know where to begin
play the lottery submit that manuscript
make that phone call I’ve been putting off
<>
should I act blindly
or bide my time for a better opportunity
a voice in an empty room
a phone call that goes unanswered
was that wrong number the right one
where are my lucky shoes
what do the stars have to say
<>
entrails of run over squirrel tell me
it isn’t wise to dash across a busy street
grounds in the bottom of my Tim’s cup
tell me it’s time
they cleaned that damn machine
that look in your eyes tells me
it’s time to drop my guard
<>
will our clothes piled on the floor
the fold of pants legs and t-shirts
twined accidentally in the dark
be a sign of more than pleasure to be had
is there a message
in the goosebumps on your back
in the fevered breath on my thigh
can I let a kiss be a kiss
not the next fitful omen
TOpoet 