Description
Obscured by Clouds is the seventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released on 2 June 1972 by Harvest and Capitol Records. It is based on their soundtrack for the French film La Vallée, by Barbet Schroeder. It was recorded in two sessions in France, while they were in the midst of touring, and produced by the band members.
The album is shorter than some of their previous material and makes heavy use of the acoustic guitar. Lyrically, the songs centre around love, a common theme in the film the album was inspired by. The album’s only single was “Free Four”. Obscured by Clouds has been seen as a stopgap for the band, who had started work on their next album, The Dark Side of the Moon (1973). The album reached number six in the UK and number 46 in the US; retrospective opinions from both fans and critics have been mixed, with some critics noting the similarities to their later material.