Front and back image album covers of album Obscured by Clouds
Pink Floyd – Obscured by Clouds (1972)
Complete Album Review, Credits, Tracklist, Charts, Awards, Trivia & Legacy
Obscured by Clouds (1972) is Pink Floyd’s seventh studio album and their second full soundtrack project, written for the French film La Vallée by Barbet Schroeder. Often overshadowed by the monumental success of The Dark Side of the Moon (released just months later in 1973), this album captures the band on the brink of global superstardom.
Blending atmospheric instrumentals, melodic songwriting, and early thematic ideas that would soon define their classic era, Obscured by Clouds is an underrated gem in the Pink Floyd discography.
Album Overview
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Artist: Pink Floyd
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Album Title: Obscured by Clouds
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Release Date: 2 June 1972 (UK)
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Label: Harvest Records (UK), Capitol Records (US)
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Genre: Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Soundtrack
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Length: 40:55
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Produced by: Pink Floyd
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Recorded: February 1972
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Studio: Château d’Hérouville, France
Background & Recording
The band recorded the album in just two weeks at Château d’Hérouville while simultaneously developing early versions of what would become The Dark Side of the Moon.
Unlike their previous soundtrack (More), Obscured by Clouds feels more like a traditional Pink Floyd studio album rather than purely cinematic background music. Several musical themes hint at the more polished, conceptual direction they were about to embrace.
Tracklist
Side One
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Obscured by Clouds
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When You’re In
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Burning Bridges
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The Gold It’s in the…
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Wot’s… Uh the Deal?
Side Two
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Mudmen
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Childhood’s End
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Free Four
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Stay
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Absolutely Curtains
Track Highlights
🎸 Childhood’s End
Written by David Gilmour, this reflective and atmospheric track explores themes of mortality and the passage of time — subjects that would dominate The Dark Side of the Moon. It remains one of Gilmour’s strongest early songwriting contributions.
🔥 Free Four
One of the album’s most accessible tracks, featuring Roger Waters’ darkly ironic lyrics about death wrapped in an upbeat melody.
🌫 Mudmen
An instrumental piece built around expressive guitar lines and atmospheric textures, often compared to the ambient sections of “Echoes.”
🎹 Stay
A Richard Wright composition with soulful piano and emotional vocal delivery — one of his finest contributions.
Album Credits
Band Members
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David Gilmour – Guitar, vocals
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Roger Waters – Bass guitar, vocals
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Richard Wright – Keyboards, vocals
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Nick Mason – Drums, percussion
Production
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Produced by: Pink Floyd
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Engineer: John Leckie
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Film Director: Barbet Schroeder
Chart Performance & Commercial Success
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UK Albums Chart: #6
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US Billboard 200: #46
This was Pink Floyd’s highest-charting US album at the time of release, signaling their rapidly growing popularity before their worldwide breakthrough.
Awards & Recognition
While it did not receive major awards upon release, the album is recognized for:
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Being the last Pink Floyd album before The Dark Side of the Moon
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Showcasing early lyrical themes of time and mortality
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Demonstrating the band’s growing songwriting cohesion
Over time, it has gained appreciation among fans as a transitional classic.
Musical Style & Themes
Obscured by Clouds blends:
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Melodic progressive rock
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Atmospheric instrumentals
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Dark lyrical themes
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Folk-influenced songwriting
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Cinematic sound design
Lyrically, the album touches on:
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Life and death
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Isolation
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Materialism
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The passage of time
Many of these ideas would be refined on the band’s next album.
Fun Facts
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🎬 The album was written as a soundtrack for the French film La Vallée.
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🇫🇷 It was recorded in France while the band was touring.
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🎼 Early live performances of future Dark Side material were happening at the same time as these sessions.
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🎤 “Free Four” became one of the band’s first songs to receive noticeable US radio play.
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🎹 Richard Wright’s “Stay” is considered one of his most underrated compositions.
Did You Know? (Trivia & Goofs)
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Did you know “Childhood’s End” is the last Pink Floyd song solely written by David Gilmour until the 1980s?
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Did you know “Free Four” contains one of Roger Waters’ earliest openly dark lyrical themes about death?
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Goof: Some early pressings used the film title La Vallée more prominently in certain markets.
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Goof: The album is sometimes mistakenly considered a minor release, despite its strong chart performance.
Critical Reception & Legacy
At the time of release, critics gave mixed-to-positive reviews, often viewing it as a side project. However, in retrospect, Obscured by Clouds is seen as:
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A crucial stepping stone toward The Dark Side of the Moon
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A more focused and cohesive effort than some earlier experimental albums
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An underrated entry in Pink Floyd’s catalog
It represents the band tightening their songwriting while still maintaining atmospheric experimentation.
Final Verdict
⭐ Rating: 8/10
Obscured by Clouds may not have the conceptual depth of Pink Floyd’s later masterpieces, but it captures the band in transition — confident, evolving, and on the verge of redefining rock history.
