Hacky, plunky, meandering ideas without much substance. Most songs are drum heavy with buried vocal tracks and not much else going for them. Feels very self indulgent - very Lindsay Buckingham self indulgent (impossible to ignore his fingerprints are all over this). Best unlauded song on this entirely too long collection is Honey Hi (I’ve always preferred McVie to Nicks). Song with the most unrealized potential is Angel which is missing a proper, memorable chorus. Best commercial single is Sara, not the eponymous Tusk. If this is truly on the list of 1,001 albums before I die, it’s “Not That Funny.” Listening to this album “Over & Over” would send me off “The Ledge” and “I Know I’m Not Wrong.”
I’ve floated all around contemporaries of Jethro Tull my entire life but never really gave them a shot, and now at last I hear what I’ve been missing. My loss entirely.
I like the way the legendary guitar solo in the title track sneaks up on you - as if Aqualung himself is creeping out of the hedges to ask for bus fare lol. But for my money, My God is the best track here. On an album that puts so much instrumental virtuosity on display at all stations, that FLUTE SOLO (am I really typing this?) slings absolute pure lightning! Upon first pass it requires an immediate rewind/crank the volume/stop whatever it is you are doing and just soak in it.
Thoughtful, meticulous, undeniable craft and musicianship on every track. It makes me wonder what needs to change in music today for a younger crowd to discover and appreciate something like this. The playing is so clean throughout. Songs have form and depth - it’s wonderful hearing an actual bridge.
I’ve seen some reviews labeling the album prog rock but I disagree. The album isn’t prog the same way 2112 isn’t prog - a few related tracks doesn’t make the album prog and only encourages strained, unintended associations. Don’t believe me? Skim through songmeanings.com for a laugh. But also don’t get me wrong - I adore prog rock. Still, I’m glad this was my first foray into Jethro Tull instead of TAAB. Given what I’ve read about that album as a parody of prog, I’m not sure I could give it a serious listen.
Apart from ‘Smoke On The Water’ I can’t say I know a single Deep Purple song. And I hate live albums, but this music drowns out the crowd so +1. It also really helps that there are no singalongs or clapalongs (Producers, take note).
Highway Star: Bad ass metal keyboards! Tasty guitar solos! Heavy guitar, heavy drums, heavy vocals - I never realized Purple was *this* metal. I am transformed.
Child In Time: Such musical drumming! I didn’t need to look up his bio to know there’s some jazz in his background. All hail Ian Paice!
Again with the keyboards! My face can only melt so much! CONTINUE MELTING IT.
I mean it as a compliment when I say there is something delightfully old school about these guys. Especially remarkable because in their heyday they were considered pioneers. Ah sunrise, sunset.
Holy s*** Ian Gillan! Somewhere in Sutton Coldfield, little Robbie Halford is getting ideas…
Smoke: Ah yes, here it is. A Voyager 3 should be launched to the Oort Cloud to do nothing more than play this riff over and over for all eternity.
The Mule: Ooooo nooooooo this album needs a big red label on the front WARNING: CONTAINS ABSURDLY EXCESSIVE DRUM SOLO. Sorry, Ian, you’re still a metal god - no need to over-do it, bro.
Strange Kind of Woman & Lazy: Hmmm. Back half of this album is less metal and more like an overblown jam session. The last few tracks are just passing around solos. Lazy could slip into an Allman Bros live album unnoticed.
Space Truckin: Now we’re talkin’! More, please! This is primordial stuff - roots of ELP and other prog rockers to follow, but stirred up with tight, clean riffs and cosmic metal sensibilities. Hell yeah, Ian G goes off again! OMG YES JON LORD PLEASE PUT MY FACE BACK WHEN YOU ARE DONE MELTING IT, SIR. Absolutely galactic keyboard work, here. I am so glad I stuck it out to this final track - totally worth the finale. HELL YEAH COMMANDER JON FIRE THE PHOTON LASERS!
Ha! Little metal icing on the cake with 4” to spare! Nice touch, just to remind everyone the Truck has returned them to earth’s orbit safe and sound. These dudes played their audience all the way out the door and left no survivors. Arigato, Osaka, goodnight. \m/ \m/
To be honest I feel let down. Knowing the circumstances of this album I had high expectations - sort of like Bowie’s “Black Star”.
The title track actually does a disservice to the rest of the songs. When you hear it for the first time, it creates anticipation for a particular sound and style and something unique. Then you get 8 more tracks of exactly the same sound and style and…it gets old fast. If I want tuneful croaking I already have a spot reserved for Tom Waits.
Mr Cohen’s artistry is universally known. I am sure I will cross paths with another of his albums and really connect but unfortunately, this ain’t it for me.
Best part of this album is R Crumb’s contribution (sorry, Janis).
…and now I, too, am a lifelong Nick Drake fan.
I am aware of Nick’s story and the majority opinion of the context of this album. But frankly, it’s easy and a little lazy to view Pink Moon through a lens of mental health. I think it’s an unfortunate association that detracts from a beautiful, perfectly rendered work of art which can also be described as delicate; not depressed, or sensitive rather than sad. These quiet songs allow the listener time and space for appreciation without distraction and without digging through layers of something that might have become overly produced, had Nick achieved some of the success he missed out on while living.
I’ve resisted the temptation of listening to Nick’s two earlier albums so I could appreciate Pink Moon on its own merits. Maybe once I’ve auditioned the other two I’ll feel differently about the tone and setting of these songs. Either way it’s been so nice to have all weekend with this album before being served my next selection.
What a treasure.
A landmark psychedelic rock album fronted by the indomitable Grace Slick! Let’s get into it…
Funny Cars: Starting strong with a surprise - a Bo Diddley toms beat, not psychedelic rock at all. Nice!
Somebody to Love: TIL this and White Rabbit both debuted on the same album. Talk about a 1-2 punch! Slick’s vocals are so power packed the question, “Don’t you want somebody to love?” is delivered rhetorically with her fists wrapped around your collar (“You better FIND somebody to love, Bub”).
Best Friend: Three tracks in and here’s the p-rock sound I was expecting. This could easily be Lennon/McCarthy - so much so if you told me Skip Spence was caught dumpster diving behind Apple Studios for castoff lyrics I wouldn’t be surprised.
Today: We continue the descent into psychedelia. How mellow is too mellow? Kids, we haven’t even left the thermosphere, yet. Plenty of time yet to sit and watch the paint dry.
Back To Me: Our ears finally get a break from tambourine and twang, but my pulse has yet to rise over 35 again. Somebody To Love seems so far away, now.
3/5: The Airplane read my mind and brought back tambourine and twang in spades. Thank goodness. I was so concerned.
DCBA: Subdued (?!) tambourine makes this more palatable, which leaves plenty of opportunity to focus on the trippy lyrics and not so subtle acid reference in the title. This is your captain speaking - we’ve reached cruising altitude.
How Do You Feel: Bored, actually. I’m not nearly stoned enough for this.
Embryonic Journey: How pretty! What a nice surprise! It’s not fancy or especially unique except it doesn’t belong here and it’s a really welcome break. Thanks, Jorma!
White Rabbit: I’m repeating myself, but it’s pretty impressive this showed up along with Somebody To Love. And if anyone had bet me to guess the song length I would have been off by a mile or so (2’30” so you don’t need to look it up). Feels like we got some sort of hyper shortened club mix, here.
Grace Slick, ladies and gentlemen. Height of her powers. Straight through the center of your skull.
Plastic Fantastic Lover: This song is a deep reflection on mankind’s inhumanity toward each other and the decline of—LOL, I can’t. I’ll bet the Johnson and Nixon crowds LOVED this.
In The Morning: Excuse me, Miss? Somebody dropped a blues walker into my p-rock album. I demand to speak to a manager.
JPP McStep: I’ve got to hand it to Airplane. They actually showcase a variety of styles and sounds on this album. If you don’t like a song, hit the skip button and try something else. It’s a nice mix.
Go To Her: The companion song to Somebody To Love. “There’s something in my bed / So help me lord I’m afraid.” BAH GAWD, THAT’S GRACE SLICK’S MUSIC…AND SHE’S GOT A STEEL CHAIR!
Come Back Baby: MOAR COWBELL. Hey, at least there’s no tambourine. What did I do that stop this is so annoying.
I guess psychedelic rock isn’t my thing, and I have to wonder if it will ever be anyone’s thing again. It was a very particular style for a particular time, and it feels like we’re a long way from 1967 in so many ways. Credit where credit is due these are good musicians who managed to cram a lot of good ideas on a single album that just happened to churn out two mega hits in their sophomore effort. Personally I’d rate it a 3 but in the larger context of all albums and other psychedelic rock bands, Surrealistic Pillow is above average and deserves better in spite of my personal taste. 3…75?
Meh.
It’s ok for what it is. Doesn’t really hold up though.
