Why 'More' Is Often Called Pink Floyd’s Weakest Soundtrack — and Why 'Cymbaline' Breaks the Streak

Released in 1969, More was Pink Floyd’s first full film score, written for a Barbet Schroeder movie about heroin addiction. The album has a reputation as their least cohesive soundtrack — partly because half the tracks are brief, often aimless instrumental sketches (like “Main Theme” or “Seabirds”) that feel more like atmospheric placeholders than finished songs. Compared to Zabriskie Point (which had more focused outtakes) or Obscured by Clouds (which plays like a proper album), More can come across as scattered and undercooked.

The clear exception is “Cymbaline.” It’s the most developed song on the record, with a haunting, echo-laden vocal from Roger Waters and a slowly building arrangement that foreshadows the band’s darker, more introspective turn. Lyrically, it’s about the anxiety of being watched—a theme that would resurface on The Wall—and the live versions from the era are even more gripping. For a lot of fans, “Cymbaline” proves the band could have made a much stronger soundtrack if they’d focused more on actual songs instead of sound effects.