Fearless (Pink Floyd song)

"Fearless" is the third track on the 1971 album Meddle by Pink Floyd.[2][3] This song was one of several to be considered for the band's "best of" album, Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd.[4]

"Fearless"
Italian vinyl single
Single by Pink Floyd
from the album Meddle
A-side"One of These Days"
Released29 November 1971 (1971-11-29)[1]
RecordedJanuary–August 1971
StudioAIR, Abbey Road, Morgan studios in London
GenreFolk rock
Length6:08
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd singles chronology
"The Nile Song"
(1969)		 "Fearless"
(1971)		 "Free Four"
(1972)

Recording

The song's slow tempo and mellow acoustic sound bear similarities to some of the other tracks on the first side of the album. Roger Waters performed the acoustic guitar parts[5] using an open tuning in G major, taught to Waters by former member Syd Barrett.[6]

Near the beginning and at the end of the song, a field recording of fans in Liverpool's Kop singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" is superimposed over the music. This Rodgers and Hammerstein song became the anthem of Liverpool F.C. after Gerry & the Pacemakers had a number one hit with their recording.

B-side status

Although it was not released as a single in the UK and never played live, it was released as the "B-side" of the single "One of These Days" in 1971. Roger Waters briefly resurrected the song for a small number of shows in 2016, and the song was played by Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets on its tours in 2018 and 2019.[7][8]

Reception

In a review for the Meddle album, Jean-Charles Costa of Rolling Stone described "Fearless" as "a clever spoof" that "leads up to a classic crowd rendition of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "You'll Never Walk Alone."[9] Classic Rock Review described "Fearless" as "the best overall song on the album and talks about meeting challenges in the face of adversity."[10] They went on saying "Fearless" is "highlighted by Gilmour’s calm yet strong guitar strumming and the odd beat from drummer Nick Mason."[10]

Personnel

with:

References
  1. Glenn Povey (2007). Echoes: The Complete History of Pink Floyd. Mind Head Publishing. p. 344. ISBN 978-0-9554624-0-5.
  2. Strong, Martin C. (2004). The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 1177. ISBN 1-84195-551-5.
  3. Mabbett, Andy (1995). The Complete Guide to the Music of Pink Floyd. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-4301-X.
  4. Guthrie, James. "James Guthrie: Audio: Building A Compilation Album". Pink Floyd. Archived from the original on 2 June 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  5. Interview: Pink Floyd's Nick Mason, Engineer John Leckie Discuss the Making of 'Meddle'
  6. The Amazing Pudding archive, The Pink Floyd Fan Club.
  7. http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/roger-waters/2016/empire-polo-grounds-indio-ca-33fd64c9.html Set list detailing a 2016 performance of "Fearless"
  8. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/nick-mason/2018/the-half-moon-london-england-3bed3048.html
  9. Costa, Jean-Charles (6 January 1972). "Meddle". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  10. "Meddle by Pink Floyd | Classic Rock Review". 27 January 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
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