Pink Floyd’s gem often ‘Obscured’

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Aug. 22, 2003 | 8:44 a.m.

Any classic rock listener will tell you that no CD collection is complete without Pink Floyd's three landmark 1970s albums: 1973's "Dark Side of the Moon," 1975's "Wish You Where Here" and 1979's "The Wall."

Dig a bit deeper into the Floyd's output and you'll come upon several other critically acclaimed records, including 1967 debut, "Piper at the Gates of Dawn," 1971's "Meddle" and 1977's "Animals."

That still won't bring you any closer to one of the most overlooked gems in the psychedelic British band's catalog, however. Though many diehard Pink Floyd fans swear by it, 1972's "Obscured by Clouds" remains generally ignored by the masses.

In a way, it's easy to understand why. The disc's 10 tracks were recorded over one week for the soundtrack to the little-known French film "The Valley" ("La Vallee"), saddling the resulting album with a "tossed-off" label for the three decades since its release.

One spin through "Obscured" should debunk that theory immediately. Though certainly not the most carefully constructed of Floyd's CDs, it features a trippy-yet-folky vibe throughout, giving it more continuity than one might expect.

The band showcased on "Obscured by Clouds" is the Floyd on the verge of its breakthrough, one year before "Dark Side of the Moon" propelled David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Richard Wright and Nick Mason to international superstardom.

The music most resembles some of the short, mellow tracks found on early 1970s records "Atom Heart Mother" and "Meddle." That sound would soon give way to the Waters-dominated conceptual excursions that would define Floyd's work until the bassist split in the mid-1980s.

Gilmour, who came on board in 1968 when one-time leader Syd Barrett's behavior started becoming erratic, seems truly comfortable with his role on "Obscured."

Gilmour's gentle vocals and lilting guitar lines have rarely shined brighter than on the serene "Burning Bridges" and "Wots ... Uh the Deal." And his scorching "Childhood's End" -- a should-be classic rock staple -- may rank as the Floyd's best unknown composition.

Wright also contributes extensively to the album's success, co-writing six tracks, taking lead vocals for lazy ballad "Stay" and spicing up several tunes with jazzy piano work.

"Obscured by Clouds" features four instrumental pieces, including its leadoff title track and closing number, "Absolutely Curtains."

Unlike so many film scores, however, this one won't make you yearn to see the accompanying images. It stands up perfectly well by itself, leaving listeners to create panoramas of their own in their imaginations.

Artist: Pink Floyd.

Title: "Obscured by Clouds."

Year of release: 1972 (Capitol).

Tracklisting: "Obscured by Clouds," "When You're in," "Burning Bridges," "The Gold It's in the ...," "Wots ... Uh the Deal," "Mudmen," "Childhood's End," "Free Four," "Stay," "Absolutely Curtains."