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shinobi-81

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 11, 2012
341
1
This is not intended to be a best-vs-worst-discussion, but which albums by Pink Floyd do you consider to be the most overrated and underrated ones? Here are my two cents:

The Divison Bell is the album that got me to like Pink Floyd in the first place, and is one of my favorite PF albums. Not only because of its overall melodic purity, the masterpiece "High Hopes" or the spacy instrumental "Marooned", but also because it stands out (qualitywise) among most of the music that was released in the 90s - no wonder it sold to triple platinum within few years. Most of the negative criticism against The Division Bell (such as the D-grade from EW) appears to stem from the Gilmour/Waters controversy, applauded by people who have never even listened to the album themselves.

The Wall is a good album, but it's IMHO not as great as many of the critics have claimed. It's my least favorite album from PF, less ambient than the others and with too much filling material. There are some great songs on it, but the album as a whole has gotten far more praise than it deserves.
 
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lewis82

macrumors 68000
Aug 26, 2009
1,708
12
Totalitarian Republic of Northlandia
I totally agree on The Wall. The Dark Side of the Moon as well... it's good, there are excellent songs, but overall I prefer both Wish You Were Here (no weak song in this one, unlike TDSOTM which has Any Color You Like) and Animals.
 

hexonxonx

macrumors 601
Jul 4, 2007
4,610
1
Denver Colorado
My favorites:

1. The Division Bell. Every song on this album is perfect. It has everything to remind Floyd fans of the old as well as new as this album was new back in the day. I remember a week before it's release, the DJ on the radio saying just the same thing. It has everything to always remain a classic.

2. Wish You Were Here. I think it's a painful album to listen to due to the subject matter but every song is amazing.

3. Meddle. Echoes, Fearless and One of these Days are worth the album cost alone.

4. Animals. I love it just for the music alone.

5. The Final Cut. Critics claimed it was in reality a Waters album and not a Floyd album and in a sense, they are correct. Sadly, in the times I saw Floyd live, they never performed songs from this album. Waters did.

6. A Momentary Lapse of Reason. Dogs of war and Sorrow were always my favorite tracks.

I wore out my vinyl copies of these albums back in the day. I owned the Division Bell on cassette and later bought the CD.

Though I always liked the Wall, it was never one of my most favorites and I rarely listen to it and rarely watch the movie.
 

MacNut

macrumors Core
Jan 4, 2002
22,995
9,971
CT
It depends on what floyd you like best, are you more a fan of the Waters run years or the Gilmour years. Or do you want to go way back too the beginning with the Syd Barrett years.
 

Heilage

macrumors 68030
May 1, 2009
2,592
0
Overrated:
- Dark Side of the Moon. It just isn't doing much for me. It's not a bad album by any measure, but why that one is the one always mentioned is beyond me.

Underrated:
- The Final Cut, because it's a damn good listen.
- The Division Bell, because it has plenty of good songs and High Hopes is a masterpiece.

My favorites:
- Wish You Were Here
- The Wall
- The Final Cut
- The Division Bell
- (P.U.L.S.E)
 

Moccasin

macrumors 65816
Mar 21, 2011
1,005
220
Newcastle, UK
I rediscovered The Division Bell recently and would concur that it has been under-rated - probably for not being part of the Waters era. Wish You Were Here is probably my favourite album, although I don't necessarily agree with criticism of Dark Side of the Moon - I can understand though that the acclaim it gets possibly overlooks others.

The Wall is memorable only - in my view - for Comfortably Numb. That said, I bought the deluxe version on iTunes recently with the various demos etc. I haven't seen the film since studying it in an English lesson at school.

One last comment, Josh Stone's album The Darkness is worth a listen by Floyd Fans.
 

roadbloc

macrumors G3
Aug 24, 2009
8,784
215
UK
Wish You Are Here. Animals. Dark Side of The Moon. The Wall. The best ones.

Don't get the Division Bell, it's trash.
 

shinobi-81

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 11, 2012
341
1
Wish You Are Here. Animals. Dark Side of The Moon. The Wall. The best ones.

Don't get the Division Bell, it's trash.

I agree with you that "Wish You Were Here" and "Animals" are among the best ones. But do you care to elaborate why "The Division Bell" is "trash"? Just curious, since I'd never describe any of the PF albums as such.
 

charlesbronsen

macrumors 6502a
Oct 22, 2008
793
5
Toronto, Ont
Piper at the gates of Dawn is their best and most under rated IMO. Second would be Saucerful of Secrets then Animals. Pretty much sick of the rest of their stuff, and Division Bell...c'mon
 

Heilage

macrumors 68030
May 1, 2009
2,592
0
Piper at the gates of Dawn is their best and most under rated IMO. Second would be Saucerful of Secrets then Animals. Pretty much sick of the rest of their stuff, and Division Bell...c'mon

Too spaced. Doesn't really sound like anything.
 

Tomorrow

macrumors 604
Mar 2, 2008
7,160
1,364
Always a day away
Overrated: The Wall. Several great songs surrounded by several weak filler songs.
Underrated: The Division Bell and Animals. No weak links on either of those two.

Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here get all the accolades, and deservedly so. Every single cut from those two is fantastic.
 

roadbloc

macrumors G3
Aug 24, 2009
8,784
215
UK
I agree with you that "Wish You Were Here" and "Animals" are among the best ones. But do you care to elaborate why "The Division Bell" is "trash"? Just curious, since I'd never describe any of the PF albums as such.

Something about it I really didn't like. It didn't tickle my music bone one bit. I'm not at all keen on the Syd Barrett stuff either.
 

charlesbronsen

macrumors 6502a
Oct 22, 2008
793
5
Toronto, Ont
Obscured by Clouds is totally underrated.

One two free four!

wasn't that a soundtrack for some weird movie?

Another one I thought of was an Early Singles CD with Arnold Lane and See Emily Play, good stuff.

on a side note, did anyone ever listen to any of Syd Barrets solo work? I really enjoyed thta stuff as well
 

Happybunny

macrumors 68000
Sep 9, 2010
1,792
1,389
Most underrated Atom Heart Mother (loved this since it's first release)
overrated The Wall (mostly great but some filler tracks just tip it for me)
 

LorenK

macrumors 6502
Dec 26, 2007
391
153
Illinois
This is kind of interesting the love being given for Wish You Were Here. If I remember correctly, it was sorta panned when it came out, but it is my go-to album for the Floyd. For all the love lost between Gilmour and Waters, the guitar and vocals on this album, the build in the suite, make this their best album and underrated.

I love Dark Side of the Moon, but can't really listen to it anymore because it has been so overplayed, so I need an occasion to listen, but when I do am reminded how great it is.

Meddle is underrated but really is closure to the first chapter of Floyd and has them going out of that chapter with a bang.

Animals is underrated, but because it doesn't have the focus of WYWH, it doesn't get my vote for most underrated. Same with Division Bell, while strong, just not enough.

My vote for most overrated goes to that masterpiece of Watersian overkill, The Wall. This is Waters jumping the shark, as well as radio programmers. The worst part about it is that the album is generally strong, but it is overplayed and overdone, it is not Carmen or Madame Butterfly, despite Waters pretensions otherwise, so it gets my vote for most overrated, not the least by Waters himself.
 

macquariumguy

macrumors 6502a
Jan 7, 2002
857
361
Sarasota FL
The Wall is awesome as a movie, not quite so much as an album.

Wish You Were Here was their masterpiece. It didn't get any better than that.

Animals was probably the weakest of their modern era (starting with Meddle going forward).

For most underrated, I will say Momentary Lapse of Reason. Yeah, it's only 1/4th of Pink Floyd, but if you close your eyes and listen it's definitely Pink Floyd music and not bad at that. I like it better than The Division Bell.
 

jphalen

macrumors newbie
Mar 22, 2012
2
0
San Antonio, TX
It would be interesting to learn what each poster's age is and which era of Pink Floyd he/she began listening to. I began in the era led by Roger Waters. So perhaps for that reason I am partial to him. As for many Floyd fans, I consider him the true creative but hard-to-work-with genius behind the band. The musical creativity suffered greatly after his ouster. Have seen "Pink Floyd" led by David Gilmour live. Just saw Roger Waters' The Wall Live in Austin last week, which reinforced my beliefs. No comparison. None.

Over-rated: all David Gilmour era Floyd albums
Under-rated: all Syd Barret era Floyd albums
Favorite: Meddle followed by all other Roger Waters era albums
 

chordate68

macrumors regular
Oct 16, 2007
198
0
Los Angeles
I don't know how anyone can say Dark Side of the Moon is overrated. It was produced by Alan Parsons of all people! I always hear something new when I listen to it with a decent pair of headphones. That mainly goes for more progressive or psychedelic stuff.


I can't really say what's under/overrated, but I prefer the more progressive/psychedelic stuff.
 
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righteye

macrumors 6502
Aug 29, 2011
337
47
London
Underrated

Ummagumma; Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun & Careful with that Axe Eugine

Two amazing tracks that i will listen too until i die or go deaf!
 

Uofmtiger

macrumors 68020
Dec 11, 2010
2,300
1,026
Memphis
With so many in this thread saying that DSOTM is overrated, I am starting to think it is underrated. A great album and I think it is their best.:D
 
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