Unlike "Piper at the Gates of Dawn", which was dominated by Barrett's compositions, "A Saucerful of Secrets" contains only one Barrett original: "Jugband Blues". AllMusic described that with "A Saucerful of Secrets", "the band begin to map out the dark and repetitive pulses that would characterize their next few records." Wright sings or shares lead vocals on four of the album's seven songs, and contributes vocals on the eleven-and-a-half-minute instrumental opus "A Saucerful of Secrets", making this the only Pink Floyd album where his vocal contributions outnumber those of the rest of the band.