![]() ![]() Geesin's writing style is witty, erudite and, at times, gnostic. As I read through these sections I couldn't help but wish that Pink Floyd had contributed, but then, to be fair, this is Geesin's story and what an eccentric story it is. This means that details about the actual making of the track, before Geesin was invited to contribute, is a bit sketchy. Therefore everything comes from Geesin's point of view, which is really only part of the story. Geesin's recollections are thorough and detailed, but it is a pity that, apart from Mason's forward, there are no contributions from the other band-members, despite being invited to do so. The Flaming Cow gives you some background of Geesin's life and work, a chronological overview of how the collaboration came about, the making of the track and the aftermath. ![]() In the end there was some unhappiness about the way in which Geesin was credited, which is alluded to by Geesin in this book and also by Nick Mason, who has written a forward, mentioning how he had to contend with the notion that he and his colleagues may have behaved in ".a less than saintly way." In the years after the album was released the band ceased playing Atom Heart Mother and then both Water and Gilmour publicly disparaged the track, referring to it as an artistic low, which is a pity, because it is a unique work with qualities that become apparent the more you listen. Geesin was brought in by the band to help them finish and embellish an early bare-bones version and had him write and arrange new parts, which included brass and a choir. ![]() As Geesin, a Scottish musician and composer, points out, when we talk about Atom Heart Mother we talk about the track itself, which takes up all of the first side of the album it is named after. Since then I dug out my Early Years: 1965-72 (2016) box set, which contains many different live and early versions of Atom Heart Mother, some of which are referenced in The Flaming Cow. I hadn't listened to it for quite a while, but when I did something special happened, I heard it in a new way that resonated with me deeply. I replaced some of my second hand copies of their albums, including Atom Heart Mother (1970). I'm a big fan of Pink Floyd and recently I've been listening to them once again, getting my prog fix in a serious way. ![]()
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