Song Review : 'Echoes' (Meddle) by Pink Floyd

Echoes Lyrics

Credit : www.pink-floyd-lyrics.com/www.azlyrics.com

Overhead the albatross 

Hangs motionless upon the air 

And deep beneath the rolling waves 

In labyrinths of coral caves 

An echo of a distant time 

Comes willowing across the sand 

And everything is green and submarine. 

And no one called us to the land 

And no one knows the where's or why's. 

Something stirs and something tries 

Starts to climb toward the light. 

Strangers passing in the street 

By chance two separate glances meet 

And I am you and what I see is me. 

And do I take you by the hand 

And lead you through the land 

And help me understand 

The best I can. 

And no one called us to the land 

And no one crosses there alive. 

No one speaks and no one tries 

No one flies around the sun.... 

Almost everyday you fall 

Upon my waking eyes, 

Inviting and inciting me 

To rise. 

And through the window in the wall 

Come streaming in on sunlight wings 

A million bright ambassadors of morning. 

And no one sings me lullabyes 

And no one makes me close my eyes 

So I throw the windows wide 

And call to you across the sky....

Meddle Album Cover

About The Song

Credit : Wikipedia

The composition uses many progressive and unconventional musical effects. The ping sound heard at the beginning of the song was created as the result of an experiment at the very beginning of the Meddle sessions. It was produced through amplifying a grand piano and sending the signal through a Leslie rotating speaker. Most of the song's musical passages are in the key of C-sharp minor. At seven minutes in, a funk progression in the tonic minor begins. David Gilmour used the slide for certain sound effects on the studio recording, and for the introduction in live performances from 1971-75. A throbbing wind-like sound is created by Roger Waters vibrating the strings of his bass guitar with a steel slide and feeding the signal through a Binson Echorec. The high-pitched electronic 'screams', resembling a distorted seagull song, were discovered by Gilmour when the cables were accidentally reversed to his wah pedal.

The "choral"-sounding segment at the end of the song was created by placing two tape recorders in opposite corners of a room;the main chord tapes of the song were then fed into one recorder and played back while at the same time recording. The other recorder was then also set to play what was being recorded; this created a delay between both recordings, heavily influencing the structure of the chords while at the same time giving it a very "wet" and "echoey" feel.Harmonic "whistles" can be heard produced by Richard Wright pulling certain drawbars in and out on the Hammond organ. Rooks were added to the music from a tape archive recording (as had been done for some of the band's earlier songs, including "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun"). The second half of the song where Gilmour plays muted notes on the guitar over Wright's slowly building organ solo was inspired by The Beach Boys song "Good Vibrations".This muted guitar riff is in 12/8 time, while most of the song is in 4/4. Also, the "whale call" section is in free time. The song concludes with an ascending (rising) Shepard-Risset glissando.

Echoes Video : Lyrics and the Song



Song Review

'Echoes',in a sentence,is one of the most 'grammatically correct' and innovative songs composed and written by Pink Floyd.The instrumentals are much too perfect to be reviewed.Yet,it is amusing to think how Gilmour came up with ideas to use reversed cables of his wah pedal to produce the distorted call of a seagull. The electric guitar,bass,piano and their collaboration with the surprising ideas from Gilmour makes the song a pure delight to the ears.
Personally,I like both versions,the original piece from Meddle and the Live At Pompeii version;though the Pompeii version is a bit more thrilling,owing to the special effects of the visuals and the mysticism in the environment so created. 
The classic idea of using a harmony in a song was a very nice move. Richard Wright's sweetly ringing,high pitched voice combined with David Gilmour's slightly deeper,yet sweet voice.
Nick Mason has contributed in the vocals as well but the Wright and Gilmour have a greater contribution,at least in the vocals part.Mason's drums are always perfect,no doubt wherever he is playing them.
Coming to the lyrics,they are absolutely beautiful. "And I am you and what I see is me" and the last part of the song, "Almost everyday you fall 

Upon my waking eyes......So I throw the windows wide 

And call to you across the sky...." are very well written and almost sound like poetry.If just read as a poem,the verses will retain inside the soul. The words itself are enough for penetration.The imagery they create proves the intellectual wealth of the words used.The song is a treasure and an unforgettable and beautiful creation by Pink Floyd.

Lyrics - 5/5

Melody - 5/5

Instrumentals - 5/5

The Voice Behind - 5/5

As A Song   -   {(20/20) * 100%} = 100%

Disclaimer - Unless watermarked,the photographs do not belong to me.