"Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast," the 12-minute opus that ends the album, does the same thing, floating for several minutes before ending on a drawn-out jam that finally gets the piece moving. Of these, Waters begins developing the voice that made him the group's lead songwriter during their classic era with "If," while Wright has an appealingly mannered, very English psychedelic fantasia on "Summer 68," and Gilmour's "Fat Old Sun" meanders quietly before ending with a guitar workout that leaves no impression. Then, on the second side, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, and Rick Wright have a song apiece, winding up with the group composition "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast" wrapping it up. Still, it may be an acquired taste even for fans, especially since it kicks off with a side-long, 23-minute extended orchestral piece that may not seem to head anywhere, but is often intriguing, more in what it suggests than what it achieves. If anything, this is the most impenetrable album Pink Floyd released while on Harvest, which also makes it one of the most interesting of the era. But, as a whole it’s awful schmaltzy and a little vapid.Appearing after the sprawling, unfocused double-album set Ummagumma, Atom Heart Mother may boast more focus, even a concept, yet that doesn't mean it's more accessible. And, there are sounds that draw pictures. As Impressionism, it’s occasionally effective, but on a very imitative level. It turns out to be an Impressionist orchestral sketch of (I think) a morning that includes some rock elements. The best that can be said for it is that it’s craftsman-like and that in spite of its many parts, it’s an entity. They use orchestral elements and a choir. Their last album, Ummagumma, while a bit drawn-out, had all their best elements.Ītom Heart Mother is a step headlong into the last century and a dissipation of their collective talents, which are considerable. Pink Floyd used sounds no one else thought of and could make them lyrical besides. Most other groups, when they thought in terms of electronics, thought only of painful feedback. And their music, if it wasn’t memorable, reached into the limits of their experimentation. Their use of a third, rear, sound source anticipated quadraphonics. Their work in the electronic capabilities of rock was more advanced than most people recognize. At one time, Pink Floyd was far-out, freaky even.
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