SO OBSCURE! First Time Reaction to Pink Floyd - "Atom Heart Mother" 

Richard Wright, who passed away several years ago, was their keyboardist, and in many ways I think he was the heart and soul of Pink Floyd.

That cow is named "Lulubelle III" and was just a random cow the photographer happened across. The photo was not staged - it was just spontaneous.

"911 what's your emergency?" "I just listened to a Pink Floyd song...."

You have reached the center of the rabbit hole. Love your musical courage.

When I was 16, my music teacher played that piece in full length in class. I just sat there, my mind blown away. Until then I never knew music could be something like this. Atom Heart Mother was my passage into the rabbit hole of a whole new dimension of music...

This song is such a monument, who would dream writing such a masterpiece, at any time in modern history.

There's a song on this album called Fat Old Sun. It's completely written and recorded by David Gilmour, he played every instrument and still performs it with his band live on most of his solo tours

OMG!!! I'm soooooo happy someone finally reacted to this PF masterpiece!!! And I'm equally happy it was you Stacey!!! A true Floyd fangirl!!! AHM has been, and remains, one of my favorite Floyd songs. Terrific song for long-distance driving, or for chilling out after work or any stressful day. Keep them coming, and I'll keep watching.

The first song on side 2 is really ethereal, too. It takes me back to a past life. It's simply called, 'If'.

I might be the only one here able to say this: I was fortunate enough to see David Gilmour playing this piece live in a theatre in London, maybe in 2007, alongside Ron Geesin conducting a small orchestra and a choir, plus a Pink Floyd tribute band. It was the only time Gilmour played AHM live since the early 1970s, and there were only 1,000 people in the audience. If I had died that day, I would have died a very happy man.

I saw Floyd play this live at the Free Trade Hall. Manchester, back in 1970. I well remember when they started the second set (Side 2 of the Album) Nick Mason was on stage doing Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast, with huge bowl of Rice Krispies and 2 Pints of Milk ("Snap, crackle pop") and a hotplate cooking bacon in an enormous frying pan. The smell permeated all around the auditorium!! And Fat Old Sun, what a song. After which the played several of their earlier songs - Astronomy Domine, Careful With That Axe, Eugene, See Emily Play etc. A fantastic evening, never to be forgotten!

When Pink Floyd created the song 'Atom Heart Mother' a story was circulating in the press that a woman with a heart pacemaker had given birth to a child. A quite new technology at this time. Hence they decided to name the album and the song this way.

Yet another pink Floyd concert I had the privilege of seeing live back in 1972 ! At age 13…. It was performed with a full quire and orchestra 😁👌

This is truly deep into the Pink Floy soul. I love how Pink Floy build tension. E.g. using disharmonics. But also drums and melodies, change of themes, repeats. And then one or more fantastic releases.

This song has been performed by several symphony orchestras, it says a lot about the creativity and complexity of Pink Floyd. who don't care about making easily commercial music.

Nick Mason, the drummer, has included it to his setlist of his tour with his band 'Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets' in stripped down rock arrangement. By the way Nick is touring. The perfect chance to experience early Pink Floyd songs live.

So glad you reacted to this one Stacey - this has always been one of my favourite Pink Floyd albums (and Pink Floyd is my favourite band of all time - I've been listening to them for over 50 years now and their music never gets old). Kudos to you for doing this one as it's a tough listen even for many PF fans, but it's so incredibly rewarding once you get into it - Now you're a real fan :) )

The song 'Atom Heart Mother' was a collaboration with avantgarde musician Ronald Geesin, hence the unusual and orchestral instumentation

From the book ‘Their Mortal remains’ some background to the song ‘In October 1970, Pink Floyd welcomed the new decade with an album that bemused the critics and record company, but which became their biggost hit so far. The sounds on Atom Heart Mother were created by Pink Floyd, a choir, a brass ensemble, dripping taps, frying bacon and whistling kettles. And they were sold to the world with a photograph of a cow in a field. Throughout 1969, Pink Floyd performances such as The Massed Gadgets of Auximines at London's Royal Festival Hall had pushed the boundaries of what constituted a rock concert. The group brought a similar sense of adventure to the studio for Atom Heart Mother. The album's roots can be traced to a recording session in Rome in November 1969. Pink Floyd had been approached by the Italian film director Michelangelo Antonioni (of Blow-Up fame) to provide the soundtrack to his forthcoming counter-culture drama Zabriskie Point. But Antonioni was dissatisfied with most of the music they produced and the band returned home. Among the rejected pieces was a guitar figure, redolent of a cinematic Spaghetti-Western theme, which would become the starting point for Atom Heart Mother's side-long suite. This untitled 20-minute piece, with the working title 'Epic', was performed live before the group decided to add classical elements. At the time, Roger Waters and the Scottish-born composer and performer Ron Geesin were working on a parallel project. This was the soundtrack for a documentary film, The Body, for which they were creating music with conventional instruments and 'human noises' including breathing, talking and a beating heart. Atom Heart Mother would use a similar mix of conventional and unconventional sounds. Geesin's background in jazz and classical music made him an obvious choice to compose Pink Floyd's orchestral score. However, the recording session with the EMI Pops Orchestra, a group of seasoned, hard-bitten Abbey Road session musicians, was problematic. It was eventually decided that choral scholar John Alldis would take over to conduct both the brass and his own choir, which contributed the suite's celestial, wordless vocals. With its brass overture, solo cello, choral voices and special effects, including the sound of gunshots and whinnying horses, there was a cinematic quaity to Pink Floyd's new composition. The piece, still referred to as 'Epic' and, later, The Amazing Pudding', was performed live that year at the Bath Festival of Progressive Music. Its final title only came after Roger Waters spotted a headline in the london Evening Standard above a story about a woman fitted with a plutonium pacemaker.

Ok Stacey you have made my day again. This time one of my favorites and not just because at 16 this was the first Pink Floyd I ever heard. There is a constant buildup and release throughout this composition. I, like you, did not know what was going to happen, where this tune would go. It all culminated as that choir started the chanting section Trying to figure what they were chanting. It started building mystery and tension and then that voice rising out of the pulsing chant, I can't explain how that voice and the return to the original melody made me feel so free and blissful. Then we really go Pink Floyd and in the last sections you will hear sounds they will use in the next twenty years of their music. A virtuoso of coming joy for us fans. 1970 seems so long ago now but the impact remains unsullied by time. Thank you so much I am so pleased you found Pink Floyd and have allowed us to join you reliving our feelings listening to the greatest band ever to try to put the human experience into music. wow I am really rambling just like I was after hearing Atom Heart Mother. Thanks once again, fantastic job.

This is a Marmite album for fans, you either love it or hate it. It’s one of my favourites.

Yes, early Pink Floyd is pure psychedelia.

The late great Richard Wright heavily to the forefront here. RIP you genius!!!!!!

Funky Dung is one of the best instrumental pieces pink Floyd ever wrote.

Pink floyd is legit a muscle relaxer

This was their era when they were doing soundtracks for movies

One of the working titles of that piece of art was “A Soundtrack for a Non Existing Western” 😊

Als überzeugter Follower freue ich mich, dass Du Dich mit dieser unkonventionellen Musik auseinander setzt. Diese Musik darf man nicht nur hören. Man muss sie genießen. Am besten in absoluter Ruhe, gerne nach Sonnenuntergang, mit geschlossenen Augen, Handy auf lautlos und anwesende Freunde zum Schweigen verdammt. Dann - und erst dann - hört man dieses Stück nicht nur, sondern fühlt es auch!

no, your 1st instinct was correct: that was Richard on a Hammond organ. One of the first great Richard-David duets.

I’m officially announcing that Stacey is my favourite content creator I’m so happy that I clicked on her first floyd video

This was their most psychedelic moment!

This was the first PF album I bought. I had to listen to it two/three times to start to appreciate it. I remember thinking "Who are these guys?" I'm glad I stayed the course. Pink Floyd is my all time favorite band.

Nick Mason the Pink Floyd drummer has a band called Saucerful of Secrets and they tour playing all the early Pink Floyd stuff. Going to see them in Cardiff in June. Can't wait...

they, themselves, hate it. probably my fav. out of all.

This track should be included into every music students curriculum to demonstrate how music can convey so much power and emotion both mentally and physically. not only does your mind race and heart beat fluctuates but your head sways and your imagination takes you on a wild roller-coaster of a journey. Nobody demonstrates the true power and emotion of music better then Pink Floyd 😘😘

Ps: you’re very brave to take on this album, not knowing what to expect, Cos it’s not your average “music track”! Love & respect from Annie, in Cornwall, UK🙂🌸

This is a masterpiece of transitions blended with sharps, flats, and key changes that skillfully move the listener along a complex journey.

Didn't think you'd listen to such a track :D Last video I said: "Don't listen to Octavarium". Now I can confidently say: "Listen to Octavarium" The intro reminds you of Shine on you crazy diamond, the outro of welcome to the machine and one line of the lyrics are "careful with that axe eugene", another song of Pink Floyd. This is Dream Theaters masterpiece and it's definitely a journey and experience.

I love Piper, Saucerful and 'More' but the run of Ummagumma, Atom Heart Mother and Meddle is consistently my favorite Floyd. Enjoy it all but this is where its at imo.

This is going way back to 1970 when the band was still coming into its own with their musical style. By the way, David Gilmour just came out with a new album. He’s still going strong at 78 years old.

I love that you're diving in to the lesser known, often overlooked Pink Floyd albums. Every studio production is masterpiece in it's own right. They all warrant your attention. Obscured By Clouds is one of the best, and virtually ignored by the mainstream.

And ALL Pink Floyd albums are best listened to in entirety, uninterrupted, rather than isolated track at a time. Trust me. Which ever album, listen to it all in one sitting if at all possible. Floyd made Albums

I very rarely comment on RU-vid videos. I've been watching your videos for several months now and I've loved every minute of it. I was born in 1992 and grew up listening to my parent's music. Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Heart, Everything you're discovering now and more. I'm typing this before I've actually watched your reaction so there's a chance you didn't like this piece, but I just want to say that this is one of my favourite pieces of music ever made. It's an incredibly important piece of music for me personally and I can only hope it means as much to you as it does to me.

Stacey-I have been a fan of Floyd for 55 years now and never get tired of them. I have really enjoyed your reviews and critique-you really appreciate arguably the best ever prog rock band, and it's good to see the younger generations being captivated as I was all those years ago. I have a request.. Please Please Please review my all time favourite song from the Pulse concert.. US AND THEM.. Truly beautiful anti war song with incredible keyboards and saxophone. The track finishes and melts into an instrumental "Any Colour You Like" an often overlooked piece from DSOM album so if you could tag that on too I would be forever grateful. Keep up the good work! Dave - Southport UK.

Recommend "Dogs" from the Pink Floyd album Animals (studio version)

For me this Album /song is the Top of Symphonic ROCK!!

Being a deep Pink Floyd lover, this is one of my top three píeces of the band... I think is where they reach the top of the composition superpowers they had

PF is a very versatile band that has the imagination and talent to turn thought into very creative music. So creative it's reacted to 60 yrs or so later. Timeless!!!!!

Man, I haven't heard this song in ages. Thanks for making my brain dig thru the cobwebs. Besides the amazing strings, vocals and keyboards I was struck by how orchestral Nick Mason's drum style is! Of course it shows up in many of their later, more popular songs but in this setting he shows just how much he can affect the feeling and emotion of the music. It was great watching your honest reactions to this "song". I need to revisit AHM. Its been 40-50 years for me.

Thanks for that one Stacey, it’s always been one of my favourites since I first heard it in the mid seventies ❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧

Ah The guitar solo in this song incredible

Always loved this gem of an album. Great to fall asleep to. Animals and Meddle are less known albums that should be up there with “Dark side of the moon” and “The Wall”…..check out “ Echoes” live at Pompeii. Life changing.

In British military tradition, the Brass Band has a very specific meaning, often associated with loyalty, service and sacrifice to the Standard and Regent, and the ultimate price so many have paid. PF's album "The Final Cut" is a poigent testimony to these values.

Pink Floyd are honored to receive this reaction from you! 😃👍👏🙌🫶

This album shows that Pink Floyd was truly experimental from the beginning. This was 1970, 3 years before their masterpiece “Dark Side Of The Moon”

When I heard this in 1970, my head exploded, there was nothing like this before, or since. It does show the limitations of recording technology of the time, but Echoes was only a year later and shows significant development of multi-track recording. Still love the melodic quality of this, beautiful ❤

All those sounds in your head will never leave you

One of earliest memories of my childhood is me and my father listening this record of 1970. My parents still keep it in their home. I was such a lucky boy!!! Thank you Stacy. You are wonderful

This album was notable for many reasons. It was one of the first "Rock Band with Orchestra" albums, predated by a few months by Deep Purple's "Concerto for Group and Orchestra". The album sleeve, by Hipgnosis, was the first ever not to feature the band name and title or any track listings, there was only the famous cow on the cover and other cows on the back cover. It was the first album to have someone from outside the band recieve a songwriting credit, Scottish avant garde composer Ron Geesin who put together and arranged the Suite. Clare Torry eventually also got a songwriting credit for "The Great Gig in the Sky" a good few years after the release of "Dark Side...", but that's another story. The band have been highly dismissive of this album over the years, but it was their first No 1 album in the UK, as well as in other countries, so clearly many people, myself included, don't subscribe to that view. Obviously the Suite is the main reason people bought the album, Side 2 being more hit and miss with another of Roger's "pastoral" compositions "If" being the highlight, IMO, whereas "Alan's Psychelelic Breakfast" was more of a "filler". Your comment about it sounding like a movie score was interesting, as Stanley Kubrick approached the band wanting to use the music in his film "A Clockwork Orange". A request the band refused but the album cover does put in an appearance in a scene filmed in a record shop.

Thank you for reacting to a Pink Floyd song that rarely gets noticed

Richard wright on the keyboard, and Moog synthesizer, and David gilmour coming into their own in creating the Pink Floyd sound....

It is really fun watching you discover Pink Floyd. The band that I listen to every day and regard as the greatest rock band ever!! It’s one thing to listen to Time and Money and Run Like Hell and Mother. It’s quite another to take on Atom Heart Mother!!!! The experimental nature of this song is the backbone for so many songs and albums that came after. You’re a REAL fan now, Stacey!!! So much more out there. Keep going!!!

Thank you, Stacy, for reacting to Atom Heart. It's an too often overlooked, unknown, ignored album that I'd personally prefer listening to over their post '76 recordings. So many ideas, trying out new ideas whether they all worked well or not, and just joy in producing new music that was so unique.

The musical instrument you are wondering what it is is called Moog, it is the predecessor of the synthesizer and was widely used in the 60s and 70s. I'm happy to meet a young girl who likes the old Pink Floyd music. Bye from Italy👋

I think Rick Wright used two organs at this time. A Hammond tone-wheel type and an old Farfisa which he put through a tape echo - which gave it a somewhat otherworldly sound.

Master class Pink Floyd ! kiss from South of France .

An interesting choice, and really representative of their sound during the pre-Dark Side era. So many elements from this era would be distilled for later albums. Live versions without the orchestra/choir are also quite interesting, and evolved over time too. I particularly like Dave and Rick’s duet in place of the soprano voices for the live versions.

Yes, that is Richard Wright's organ playing, Good ear. Roger Waters on Bass. Nick Mason on drums. Roger Waters left after The Wall album. Session Bassist Gary Pratt took over on bass and is also on the "Pulse" tour. Pratt has worked with: Roxy Music, Gary Moore, Madonna, Peter Cetera, Michael Jackson, the Smiths, Robert Palmer, Echo & the Bunnymen, Tears for Fears, Icehouse, Bananarama, Iggy Pop, Tom Jones, Debbie Harry, Whitesnake, Coverdale•Page. The rest were all present for the "Pulse" tour you enjoy so much. This old PF and you are getting the jist of the bands evolution. You check out some of their live psychedelic free jams in the 60's when Syd Barret was the primary writer and singer. Syd had to be replaced early due extreme mental illness triggered by hallucinogenic drug use. Many of their songs speak to the downward spiral of their friend. The album Wish You Were Here is mostly about that. Syd Barret only performed on their first record: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" but was central to the Pink Floyd's experimental direction. Your reactions are excellent and correctly sense the artists emotion and intension, even when it is purposely left open to the listener's interpretation.

Wow Stacey, congratulations. You get to know PF from the first period, how they learned new sounds and explored their unique way of expression and mutual musical cooperation within the band. And the main driving force behind the ideas and colorful expression of this period was Syd. Here you can see where they came from, where they went you already know. Some songs from that time you can see live in movie Live in Pompeii.

Love the reaction. Atom Heart Mother (1970) is my favourite Pink Floyd album. Back in the day they were called THE PINK FLOYD. The definite article got dropped. Saw them a couple of times in the early 70s. A quick recommendation: Renaissance is the band Ocean Gypsy the song (or for a longer track from the same album, Song Of Scheherazade).

The early Floyd were really all about contradictions. The Barrett era was about whimsical pop tunes interspersed with long improvisational avant garde jams. The following era that peaked with Atom Heart Mother was all about laid back country-inspired acoustic songs interspersed with more avant garde explorations, which you heard in full force around 17 minutes in to AHM. The mega success era was all about the flowering of Waters deep philosophical explorations merged with the flowering of Gilmour and Wright's emotional musical compositions.

Stacey. I cannot believe you listened to the full 25m version. There's a shorter version 18m only. Still you went all the way. Nice.

This was the first Pink Floyd album i ever heard. Still my favorite. Summer 68 is also an amazing song.

in the many years that I have listened to this suite I always cry at the end - great reaction stacey

Pink Floyd's journey from their first album to, what is arguably the greatest album ever made, Dark Side of the Moon is pretty spectacular. If you listen to all their music, song by song, album by album, you can actually hear how they got there. You don't have to be a musician, it's pretty plainly audible in the music and Atom Heart Mother was one of those big leaps where you can hear very specific rhythms, chords, and progressions that are very similar between this song and some of the songs on Dark Side.

Try ONE OF THESE DAYS from the PULSE concert... amazing instrumental and animation and light show.. plus epic Gilmour solo on the steel lap guitar

First time I heard this I was like what the hell, barely got through it. Now I put it on from time to time and really enjoy AHM. I appreciate that you so open minded. Greetings from Poland

Great reaction Stacey!! I've watched this twice in a row...such an epic song! This was the perfect precursor to Echoes! Glad you enjoyed and were able to digest one of Floyd's deeper (but amazing) cuts... aren't they an amazing group?! Cheers!

"Shine on You Crazy Diamond" parts VI-IX is another cool experience you may enjoy. But, then again, I think you would enjoy anything PF ever did. May the Floyd be with you!

If you like that kind of long instrumentals, I recommend some Mike Oldfield. "Tubular bells" and "Ommadawn" are great pieces !

I'saw a classical musician reacting to this who said they went through almost all of, if not all of, the Musical keys throughout all the Movements. (A-G#)

This album went out in 1970 and you have to realize this was when everybody was on LSD. A majority of people listened to this on acid. After Pink Floyd grew from album to album to become the greatest band of all time!

That eerie and crrepy segment could easily fit in a Kubrick film and yes, this totally plays like a film score. The whole piece does a fantastic work transitioning from relaxing sections that slowly flow into dissonance, and when you start to feel at ease it makes a U-turn and leaves you in an unsettling and weird place. These guys never cease to amaze me and we hhe old geezers love that you love it. Keep at it, pretty girl.

I love that you reacted to this. It really is beautiful.

Rick Wright's "Summer '68" from the Atom Heart Mother album deserves more attention. It's a wonderful piece of music, and among the few post-Barrett era Floyd songs where Rick is on lead vocal. (Though his lyrics were no match for the brilliance Roger would so often display.)

Take a bow, Ron Geesin, who collaborated with Pink Floyd to create the awesome music of side one.

Very courageous. You have been a good companion to listen to this music again. But you should do the album version of Echoes, it is very different from the live version and personally a better listening experience.

The instrument you think isn’t an organ actually is. It’s a Hammond C3

Another great reaction. Congratulations on passing 50k subs.

Stacy..."Atom" was a follow up album of "Ummagumma" from 1969, which made a lot of listeners scratch their heads. "Atom" made those listeners believe they had a bad case of dandruff. The crowd I hung out with thought "they have come, you have to listen...naive, get on your knees". Seeing them live in the Congress auditorium in Chicago with another 2,700 believers convinced us that the "Prophet's from Space" have arrived.

I saw them play this with the full orchestra. Thanks for bringing it all back to me.

The cow‘s name is Lulubelle III.

Really love Pink Floyd I started listening to them when I was about 10 years old and I am 56 now and still listening to them they are my favorite group to listen to you need to react to one of these days at the Pulse concert and brain damage eclipse of the Dark Side of the Moon album you are doing a good job keep up the good work

Maybe the first true symphonic rock song it was a template for a long song structure that eventually led to the better put together ‘Echoes’. Often decried but Atom heart mother is a track that has gradually grown on me over 50 years so I think your reaction was pretty mature.

You should definitely react to the 'Animals' album, Stacey you are loved.

sSo many memories with this tune

Imagine how I felt as a 19-year-old listening to this for the first time. Still sounds best on vinyl.

Once you figure out that there are era's of the band, era's of who was responsible for the lyrics, the story, the harmonies, the entire Floyd vibe becomes more self explanatory. They experimented with psychedelics early in the whole 60's era, moving on to other things and it shows. They are masterful story tellers, they paint with sound. They experimented with the latest technology in sound production (instruments). Nick Mason, the bands drummer from day one drives the song along with his relentless drumming. Really early synthesizers are used along with tedious work of double tracking, multi-tracking, cutting and splicing actual audio tape together (a real art form as it involves reel to reel audio film tape). All techniques were employed. You can hear the audio cuts that are abrupt and uneasy. It's intentionally done. All of this experimentation is what taught Pink Floyd how to get the audience engaged. If you had never heard any PF before and this was your first time, you would either walk away and just not understand it, or you would immediately grasp their unusual blend of instrumentation. They would spend hours just playing notes or chords, find progressions that they liked and keep them, keep playing with them. You can't understand the Pink Floyd Sound in one sitting, it is just impossible. It's almost like you have to listen to their later stuff to understand their earlier work, a reversal situation. And you can tell when Syd was around and when his descent into darkness happened. Syd's departure is when David came in and it all comes full circle. You get it though Stacey!

AHM isn’t always an easy album to listen to, it was incredibly innovative when it was released and it still has the effect you felt, unnerving, unsettling, but such beauty too. Pink Floyd albums should always be listened to in their entirety, otherwise it’s like going to a symphony or Opera and only listening/watching to one section at a time, the whole thing is a journey. Just close your eyes and let it flow into you, be with the feelings, that’s what it’s “for”

Rescued at the end...this is a horrifying journey in parts where the soldier in the trench gets hit by an enemy shell, gets knocked senseless and comes back at the end (the horses and artillery callback to the beginning) - I love this album though...it's great!