Pink Floyd -- Meddle

  This album is as if the Beatles continued in the Sgt Pepper/ Magical Mystery Tour direction with the spontaneity of the White Album, toss in some Kraut rock psychedelia and you've got yourself some Meddle.  The first three tracks all weave together in a clear circular direction -- smooth acoustic futuristic sound.  Fearless is the gem in this set, you can hear it's influential impact on bands like the Flaming Lips and Galaxie 500.  The simple but very cool guitar riff sets the atmosphere for what should have been thematic denouement ... but no dice ... lounge lizard track San Tropez was just plain awful, followed by bluesy Seamus, which I should have liked, but the damn dogs barking, over and over, totally ruined it of me.  The B-side is the 23 minute long Echoes, the song continues where Fearless left off, but these over the top extended rock-outs are way too much, I kept thinking, "Jesus, who cares, end it!"   You can't Meddle with it, this is a good album, they just needed to clarify their musical direction, somethings are better left on the cutting room floor.