During their tenure, Pink Floyd constantly evolved and went through transformations, with experimentation the only everlasting aspect of their musical approach. In their early days with Syd Barrett, they were a psychedelic-rock act, but once their leader departed, Pink Floyd were searching aimlessly for a new identity.
More, their first album without Barrett, was largely in a similar sonic vein, but they soon decided to head down a new direction. The bold Ummagumma was the first record by Pink Floyd in their new era, with David Gilmour adding his own unique stamp to the band compared with the previous release. The LP sounded like a new band, and the beginning of a fresh chapter was unlocked.
With their next project, Pink Floyd continued to mix things up, and fans came to expect the unexpected from the band. The main difference between Ummagumma and Atom Heart Mother was the lack of Norman Smith on the latter, with Pink Floyd dismissing their longtime collaborator as they tried to advance their sound.
As they took control of their identity, Pink Floyd became their own producers, which meant they had nobody to reign them in. They were still relatively new to their recording career and inexperienced, which allowed their experimental tendencies to get out of hand, with Gilmour describing one song as “the most thrown-together song”.
During a conversation with Louder Sound reflecting on Atom Heart Mother, drummer Nick Mason singled out the track ‘Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast which he described as “quite interesting”. He added of the instrumental song, which is split into three sections: “But in some ways, the sound effects are the most interesting part.”
However, his bandmate Gilmour was less positive about the creation and dismissively labelled ‘Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast’, stating: “It was the most thrown-together thing we’ve ever done.”
This sneering comment isn’t the first time Gilmour has spoken harshly about the LP. He previously told Mojo in 2001: “Atom Heart Mother was a good idea, but it was dreadful. I listened to that album recently: God, it’s shit, possibly our lowest point artistically. It sounds like we didn’t have any idea between us, but we became much more prolific after it.”
While Gilmour isn’t on speaking terms with his former colleague Roger Waters, they do agree about the execution of Atom Heart Mother. In the 1980s, during an interview with The Times, Waters commented: “Atom Heart Mother is a good case, I think, for being thrown into the dustbin and never listened to by anyone ever again”.
Meanwhile, Mark Blake’s book, The Inside Story of Pink Floyd, quotes Waters as saying of the LP, “a really awful and embarrassing record“.
‘Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast’ is a vital component of the record, and Gilmour’s comments about the track explain his problem with the album. Additionally, while it was a cobbled-together creation, it worked marvellously on this occasion, even if Pink Floyd got lucky.
