Echoes (Pink Floyd, 1971)

Is it prog? Isn't it prog? Is it a suite or maybe an extended song? Is it a psychedelic manifesto? How many useless questions! This is one of the most influential songs of the early '70s and therefore it belongs to the whole underground and experimental world of those fundamental years. You'll find traces of prog, psychedelia, electronic rock, ambient and even fusion in this 23 minute track taken from the album "Meddle". From the mysterious and mistic intro with its cavernous effects and that amazing guitar touch, through the choral mid section and until the final fading sounds "Echoes" is a puzzling, unforgettable trip. Mind, this doesn't mean the track is random or messy. On the contrary there's a perfect musical architecture, not so far from the classical concerto plot, with crescendo and calando movements, well distributed peaks, an intro and an outro.

 

Meddle's gatefold inside photograph. The icon of an era.

The mesmerizing nature of this track comes from a careful dosage of classical and modern features, acoustic and electronic sounds. The lyrics add some more mysteries, suggesting loneliness and suspense, spiritual awakening and a bright disclosure on intangible elements such as light, air and - of course - echoes.