Meddle

For their sixth album, Pink Floyd kept experimenting with space and time, but with far greater confidence in their abilities than before. “One of These Days” is a rolling juggernaut of echoed bass, with organ and guitar hawkishly swooping about. In “Fearless” they play unvarnished folk rock; “Seamus” is straightforward blues with a howling dog solo. The opus “Echoes” is a stately 23-minute trip through what would become classic Floyd whisper-rock, taking in a greasy funk breakdown and wailing ghost noises.

Each Sunday, Pitchfork takes an in-depth look at a significant album from the past, and any record not in our archives is eligible. Today, we revisit Pink Floyd’s conflicted and brilliant album from 1971.