Syd is also featured on slide guitar in Rick Wright's "Remember a Day", which was recorded during the "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" sessions, and he contributed some guitar work on a couple of other tracks, but most of the rest of "Saucerful" shows the new post-Syd Floyd trying to get by without him. Rather a tall order, one might think, since up to the time of his departure from the Floyd Syd had written most of their material. However, Rick Wright contributes a couple of songs here- the aforementioned "Remember A Day" and "See Saw"- which are nice, hazy songs (although their composer later said he thought them an embarrassment, and their lyrics do leave a lot to be desired). Roger Waters contributes three, including the standout "Let there Be More Light" with a blistering Dave Gilmour guitar solo at the end, "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" (which is OK but nothing special) and "Corporal Clegg", which is a pretty good novelty number featuring kazoos in the chorus!

The long instrumental suite that starts side 2, "A Saucerful of Secrets", is mostly dull or annoying noise to me (and is the main reason why this album gets only three stars), although the fine organ-led "requiem" at the end does partially redeem it. The live version on "Ummagumma" is far superior though!

Finally, I do really love the cover art- the first album cover by Hipgnosis I believe!

Very good
A Saucerful of Secrets is Pink Floyd's second album, and the first without Syd Barrett. While many reviewers dismiss it as a failed attempt to capture the style that Pink Floyd had while Syd Barrett was still in charge, I like the album.

The first track, "Let There Be More Light" reminds me of "Brain Damage" in the way that it switches from slow, gloomy passages to soaring, upbeat ones.

The next song, "Remember a Day" is one of the very few (under 5) songs written by Wright. It has a good keyboard part, and I like it.

"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" is a gloomy, muted song by Waters.

"Corporal Clegg" is upbeat, and sounds like something written by Barrett.

The next track, "A Saucerful of Secrets" is an instrumental. The song starts off with random drum beats/guitar screams and resolves into a melody with what sounds like a choir.

"See-Saw" is the only reason that I didn't give this album 5 stars. It can be best described as filler.

The last track, "Jugband Blues" is Syd Barrett's last song with Pink Floyd. It was originally recorded as a track for Piper at the Gates of Dawn, but was placed on here instead. It features a Salvation Army band, who were apparently told to "do whatever you want." I like it...

Overall, A Saucerful of Secrets is more than just a "sophomore jinx."

'The sorcerer's secrets' is a bad,bad album
I have never liked harry potter books but this music I got 'the sorcerer's secrets' is REALLY horrible. It sounds like someone has put a gallon of manure on the disks so muffled is the sounds and also REALLY (...) OREFUL, YES SO BAD.

I hope the sorcerer will repent and shut up cuz his secrets are VERY BAD AND UGLY SOUNDS.

YUK!

Great followup to Piper
To me, I always felt that A Saucerful of Secrets was more or less a gap between the Barrett-era Floyd and the more experimental Floyd albums that were to follow. As everyone knows, Syd Barrett was too far gone and was booted out of the band by the time of this album, although he did leave behind "Jugband Blues". His replacement was of course David Gilmour, and so the best-known lineup (that eventually gave us multi-million sellers like The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall) of Waters/Wrights/Gilmour/Mason was established here. The band more or less decided to continue exploring the more spacy, experimental side of psychedelia in the abscence of Barrett. For example, Waters giving us "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun". Here Wright gives us some truly wonderful spacy keyboards while Mason gives us some nice use of percussion (sounds like kettle drums here). "Corporal Clegg" could easily sound like a Barrett song, although I recognize David Gilmour's vocals (although I suspect some backing vocals were by Barrett). The use of kazoos in this song would have been perfect as a Barrett composition. Wright's "Remember a Day" was apparently from the Piper sessions from the previous year (1967) so unsurprisingly it would be Barrett doing guitar duty here, although of course it was Wright handling the vocals. The title track is a highly experimental unstructured piece, which is a really daring thing for a band to do. A lot of use of percussion, then at the end, mellow use of Hammond organ and cosmic voices. If you're familiar with a lot of early '70s progressive space rock and Krautrock acts of the time, you can see where many of those bands got their inspiration from. "See-Saw" is another Wright number and what's really interesting is he used the Mellotron, an instrument usually associated with the Moody Blues (and later Yes, Genesis, Tangerine Dream, etc.). This wasn't going to be the last time a Mellotron could be heard on a Floyd album, as some was used on Ummagumma, and Atom Heart Mother. And then of course the album closes with Barret's "Jugband Blues". Upon paying attention to the lyrics it was obvious he really lost it. This song is pretty bizarre, especially with the psychedelic noodling, before it ends again with just Barret singing and guitar. It's amazing how this band was like in an era before they became a household name with multi-platinum albums and selling out every stadium and arena. Truly a great, although not-so-easy to get in to psychedelic album.

a sad farewell to Syd Barret's last album with the band...
A Saucerful of Secrets, recorded in 1968. a year after their amazing 1967 debut "Piper at the Gates of Dawn". Syd Barret's last time with the original band.

"a saucerful of secrets" is easily one of the greatest Pink Floyd records ever. having some of the best guitar playing from David Gilmour... if you thought Comfortably Numb (which isn't even a very good guiter solo) was good, wait till you hear the title-track "a saucerful of secrets". 12 amazing minutes of the best guitar playing from Gilmour. "Let there be more light" starts out with a guitar and the drums. lyrics are wonderful with streaming echoes of the vocals from Syd Barret. maybe something deticated to The Beatles? they sing "Lucy in the sky!..". "Remember a day" starts out with a haunting piano, then busts out into some drums and vocals. "Set the controls for the heart of the sun" is probably one of my favourite Pink Floyd songs ever. also featured is a LIVE version on my personal favourite Pink Floyd album, "Ummagumma". "Corporal clegg" is one of the worser songs on the album. not bad at all, very experimental and unique. just doesn't compare to the others. "A Saucerful of secrets" is easily the best song on the album. once again i'll mention the amazing guitar solo. the best. the best i say! also featured a LIVE version on Ummagumma. "See saw" is also like "Corporal clegg" a bit. while this one is also interesting and experimental, it falls short from the others."Jugband Blues" is a PERFECT ending for the album and Syd Barret. very slow, melodic, and sad. one of the greatest.

so there you have it, A Saucerful of Secrets is easily one of the greatest Pink Floyd albums. this album should be getting the respect "Dark Side of the Moon" is.
A Saucerful of Secrets is an uneven album that could glibly be called Pink Floyd's sophomore jinx, though it's a bit more complicated than that. The problems behind the band's second outing can be summed up in two words: Syd Barrett. Or rather, the absence thereof. The creative force behind Floyd's first distinctively baroque collection is credited with just one track here ("Jugband Blues") and the occasion marked the beginning of his decades-long withdrawal from public life, battles with mental illness, and burgeoning cult legend. What's left is essentially the first album by the "classic" Floyd lineup, though they're understandably a long way from their focused 1970s prime (as witnessed by the 11-minute title track); the dense sound and effects collages that are mere seasoning on later Floyd records are too often the whole point here. Roger Waters barely hints at his later glories on "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun," a would-be stellar journey that's ultimately rather pedestrian. An album that seems alternately driven by a genuine experimental spirit one moment and creative panic the next. --Jerry McCulley