Oct. 14--New album: Metallic SpheresArtist: The Orb featuring David GilmourLabel: ColumbiaYear Of Release: 2010Label: Columbia/Sony RecordsGenre: Electronic / Ambient / Abstract / RockTotal Time: 48:54 MinFormat: FLACQuality: LosslessTotal Size: 117 Mb / 313 Mb1. Metallic Side (28:42)1-01a - Metallic Spheres1-01b - Hymns To The Sun (Written-By - Graham Nash)1-01c - Black Graham (Written-By - Marcia Mello)1-01d - Hiding In Plain View (Written-By - Tim Bran)1-01e - Classified2. Sphere Side (20:12)1-02a - Es Vedra1-02b - Hymns To The Sun (Reprise)1-02c - Olympic1-02d - Chicago Dub (Written-By - Graham Nash)1-02e - Bold Knife TrophyRating: 4 stars out of 5The Orb made its name in the 1990s as the go-to ambient group for ravers who wanted something to listen to as they exited the club when the sun was coming up. They crafted beats that gently pulsated amongst washes of keyboards and well-chosen spoken word samples that eased the pain of having to leave the party.The pairing of The Orb (producer/musician Youth and keyboardist Alex Patterson) with legendary Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour is a dream come true for fans of trippy, psychedelic music, as The Orb is viewed by many as distant cousins to Gilmour's former band. A series of 1990s bootleg remixes of Pink Floyd albums "Dark Side of the Moon," "Meddle," "Division Bell" and "Wish You Were Here" made their way to collectors, which only strengthened the connection of the bands in the minds of their fans.According to an article published in the Yorkshire Evening Post, the project blossomed from a charity single Gilmour was working on with Youth. The result is a 49-minute piece of exploratory early 1970s Floyd filtered through a 2010 electronica strainer.While The Orb has created mini-masterpieces of ambient bliss in the past ("Little Fluffy Clouds," "Ripples"), "Metallic Spheres" is by far the crown jewel in its vast catalog. Gilmour's bluesy interstellar contributions aside, the music crafted by Youth and Patterson is the most organic and soulful they've ever created.Gilmour's contributions to "Metallic Spheres" make one wish he'd been pulled into the fold years earlier. The Orb's output of yore worked best as background music, whereas "Metallic Spheres" commands the listener's attention. Sure, there is nothing new about musicians getting together for a spacey jam, but on that rare occasion when it's done right -- as it is here -- it's a true blessing for the ears."Metallic Spheres" works on many levels: The club rat can boogie to it, the prog-rock geek can theorize about what it means, and the guitar-nerd will spend hours trying to replicate Gilmour's lines. Note: If you insist on listening to this album on headphones, please invest in a decent pair of the ear-covering variety; those limp little ear buds aren't fit for grown-ups.Classic album: The WallArtist: Pink FloydLabel: ColumbiaRating: 3 stars out of 5Released in 1979, "The Wall" is probably the most overrated album in the band's catalog. For every classic song there is an overblown piece of filler that dilutes the overall power of the piece.Looking back on Pink Floyd's career, the band's best material came from the periods when it worked together as a team. This all-hands-on-deck approach produced classic albums, such as "Meddle," "Dark Side of the Moon" and "Division Bell." When Floyd's bassist/vocalist Roger Waters attempted to turn the band into his mouthpiece for "The Wall" and the abysmal "Final Cut," the Pink Floyd magic was stifled.Sold to the public as a concept album, "The Wall" does feature many classic songs, ("Comfortably Numb," "Hey You" and "Run Like Hell"), but it also features trite exercises ("Vera," "Bring the Boys Back Home," "Waiting for the Worms") that must have been included to either flesh out the story or make stoned college students think there was more here than there actually was.The album's big pop hit -- "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2" -- was crafted as a disco number, as various interviews with co-producer Bob Ezrin have attested to. Line up "Another Brick" with the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive"; the similarities are frightening.The story supposedly tells of a rock star named "Pink" who just can't handle being a worldwide success, to which Dr. Evil would say, "Boo-frickety-hoo." Anytime a successful musician starts to whine and complain about success, it's time for them to spend a month or two working on a farm or in a coal mine.Guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour kept things interesting musically, but Waters' insipid lyrics usually poured water on whatever musical spark may have been trying to catch light. Only fans of Waters' whiny musings on the pitfalls of fame will find "The Wall" anything more than a bloated album that should have been heavily edited.