Pink Floyd Just Made History One Last Time

[bannork]

As with many great bands, performers and artists, The Floyd have been through many changes.

I was lucky enough to grow up with Piper at the Gates of Dawn. what an incredible, eclectic array of sounds it was and still is. Syd at his most whimsical and creative.

Then they set the controls for the heart of the sun, psychedelic music, but also beautiful tunes such as below:

Then it all came together on Dark Side of the Moon,, I remember walking through a department store in Bristol and hearing it over the loudspeakers,I couldn't believe it, an underground band had gone mainstream! But of course it was the early 70s and the wholesale commercialization of rock had begun, sadly.

Roger took over and whilst the tunes were wonderful, the theme was alienation and depression, what had happened to the hippy sense of laughter and fun?

But all the time there was the magnificent guitar of Dave Gilmour, soaring, roaring and hurtling here and there: to this day I have yet to hear him play a bum note,

( does anyone have an example?)

I think there are 3 geniuses present in Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett with his esoteric tunes, Roger Waters with his memorable melodies and thoughtful lyrics, and Dave Gilmour with that wonderful guitar sound, evoking all kinds of emotions from sadness to anger.

Different artists with different flavours, the synergy over the years has produced something unique.

God bless the Floyd.

[iReason]

For what it is worth. They came from a time when everyone was before their time. Can anyone recall the 14 minute "Innagaddadevida" by Iron Butterfly? Different genre but same fortitude. Or closer to home Jethro Tull and "Broadsword".

Innagaddadevida was groundbreaking. I had front row side seats at the shed at Tanglewood in 1969...when the drummer played a solo for 20 minutes. The entire audience was entranced.

Went to see Cream (in NY), Iron Butterfly was the supporting act.

Who, in those days, went on second.

This was a plush theater and we had front row seats.

The velvet curtains opened and there were the massive Marshall stacks

We the stared at them for what seemed like an eternity and then, the curtains closed.

The announcment came that Cream was snowed in somewhere else.

Iron Butterfly would play a extended show.

After two songs of about 15 minutes each, it was time to bail.

And most of the house did.

P.S. For us, drum solos were always the cue to go take a leak.

I only ever stayed for three; John Bonham, Mitch Mitchell and Keith Moon.

Edited November 8, 2014 by iReason

[sunshine51]

Black Dog is probably the band's most underrated song. Rock on, Bonzo!

I think you mean the song Dogs by Pink Floyd.

Led Zeppelin did Black Dog.

[Loptr]

I always felt there was something lacking in Waters' efforts to reconcile with Gilmour. It just seemed that there was no real spark anymore between the two, although I believe Waters is sincere. Meanwhile, maybe the greatest concert of all:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sfsBeDgfz1Y

Waters is a creative genius and also mad as a box of frogs... He alienated himself from the rest of the band and was ostracized... Hard to mend those fences after so many years and Waters' efforts were too little, too late...

I enjoy Floyd's work before the Waters years, during and after... His creativity brought a dark undertone to their work and that lifted once he left the band...

[Johpa]

Innagaddadevida was groundbreaking. I had front row side seats at the shed at Tanglewood in 1969...when the drummer played a solo for 20 minutes. The entire audience was entranced.

Amazing what entertains teenagers and young adults stoned on pot. But Iron Butterfly's classic tune does not hold up so well over time. Better to listen to Ginger Baker play his drum solos.

[iReason]

Black Dog is probably the band's most underrated song. Rock on, Bonzo!

I think you mean the song Dogs by Pink Floyd.

Led Zeppelin did Black Dog.

Yes.

And John Bonham's nick name was Bonzo...

[Trouble]

For what it is worth. They came from a time when everyone was before their time. Can anyone recall the 14 minute "Innagaddadevida" by Iron Butterfly? Different genre but same fortitude. Or closer to home Jethro Tull and "Broadsword".

During my college days I saw Iron Butterfly perform in a small club in the San Fernando Valley (a suburb of Los Angeles) in about 1966/67 before they were known. They were just an unknown band playing at various small clubs. The psychedelic era. I can still remember the club with the backlights, etc.

[daveAustin]

Though some folks are baulking over this album -- rehashes / extras from DB etc -- there was never going to be an actual brand new album, Gilmour said as much after Division Bell.

All those great albums listed at the beginning of the article were, in a large part, written and created by Roger Waters. IMO Pink Floyd ended a couple of decades ago when he left the band.

The post Waters albums, were, again IMO of course, just hollow, a bit empty and boring attempts to keep the fame and cash flow alive.

He was a pig to work with. Indeed, a lot of the concepts were mainly from him back then but they were a unit and it just wouldn't have happened if they hadn't all come together at that moment. He cannot take too much credit. You all jam together to get a sound and ideas are nowt unless you get stuff down on tape. Look at Waters' material post-Floyd; Kaos etc, c'mon! And as much as I love the track On An Island, Gilmour is not the Floyd either and could not do it alone. But, IMO, Floyd as an entity were still Floyd long after Waters' departure in the 80s. They still had that sound to an extent and both A Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Division Bell were well worthy of that title and were contemporary. Did Earls Court in '94 and it was surreal!

Having said that, Waters was indeed genius, but Gilmour kind of gets short shrift from the old Floydies I think... over Barrett and Waters. IMO he is legendary; the sound of Floyd as we know it from the 70s wouldn't have reached it's heights without him and he's quite likely the finest, most conscientious virtuoso guitar player that ever lived. And Rick Wright was always so underrated in all of this. A huge amount of ideas and chance sounds came from him and he was apparently a fantastic bloke to work with and just to be around by all accounts. The consummate musician.

People will argue over who was who in the Floyd for years to come, but I think we can all agree that their sound was just unique and will never die. I was brought up on it in the 70s and it's certainly had an impact on my life... just to hear the intro chords from SYDiamond, any time, anywhere, and all is well with the world.

I would never (well, only when provoked) berate another’s music, but if people cannot appreciate Floyd after honestly sitting down and really listening, then all I can say is I feel very sorry for them.

Shine on

Comfortably Numb

Echoes

RIP, Rick

[freedom4life]

Irrelevancy has hit a new low...

[car720]

Can anyone recall the 14 minute "Innagaddadevida" by Iron Butterfly?

I prefer "Get Ready" by Rare Earth...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuIGo8W93KU

From a time when people made music. Imagine the same spirit with todays tech. The same guys cannot do it though, it has to be new ones. As much as we all want to we cannot deny the future.

[AlexRRR]

Grey power......proves people stay stuck forever in there youth, yes i liked them way back then bit there sound is tired and out dated....please retire.

[Ulysses G.]

Grey power......proves people stay stuck forever in there youth, yes i liked them way back then bit there sound is tired and out dated....please retire.

I stopped appreciating them as soon as I stopped doing large amounts of drugs and that was in the early 70s.

[starkey_rich]

I saw the division bell tour twice- at Earls Court and Versailles. Two completely different concerts, and both spectacular. The old Waters/ Gilmour argument will always come up, and this album isn't by any means new, just previously unreleased from the Gilmour era. Fwiw, I tend to agree with Gilmour that the content for Animals was getting a bit old, and I think the stuff they did with Gilmour had a lot of value, and of course- never forget Sid. Shine on you crazy diamond!

I too went to the Earls Court concert.

It does not seem like 20years ago.

What a night . I think it was the best concert I have been to and I've been to a few.

Still got the t-shirt.

[Ulysses G.]

For what it is worth. They came from a time when everyone was before their time. Can anyone recall the 14 minute "Innagaddadevida" by Iron Butterfly? Different genre but same fortitude. Or closer to home Jethro Tull and "Broadsword".

During my college days I saw Iron Butterfly perform in a small club in the San Fernando Valley (a suburb of Los Angeles) in about 1966/67 before they were known. They were just an unknown band playing at various small clubs. The psychedelic era. I can still remember the club with the backlights, etc.

I saw Iron Butterfly at a holistic health fair in San Francisco it the early 80s when they were totally irrelevant. They played "Innagaddadevida" over and over again all day long. It is the only decent song they ever had, but I still like it to this day.

[Mosha]

One tale the band told in an interview, was about Sid. They were rehearsing for a concert, and were playing Shine on you crazy diamond. As they finished they looked up. At the back was a figure just turning away to leave. One of them said "Was that Sid?"

[WitawatWatawit]

A short n sweet write up on Floyd's new album here in the NZ Herald...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11354939

Though this won't interest the honest, law-abiding folk on TV, I just checked the pirate hangout, and the album is aleady available for downloading. But you didn't hear that from me.

[deckard]

I saw the division bell tour twice- at Earls Court and Versailles. Two completely different concerts, and both spectacular. The old Waters/ Gilmour argument will always come up, and this album isn't by any means new, just previously unreleased from the Gilmour era. Fwiw, I tend to agree with Gilmour that the content for Animals was getting a bit old, and I think the stuff they did with Gilmour had a lot of value, and of course- never forget Sid. Shine on you crazy diamond!

I too went to the Earls Court concert.

It does not seem like 20years ago.

What a night . I think it was the best concert I have been to and I've been to a few.

Still got the t-shirt.

Totally agree . I have been to many Floyd concerts in the past but the Earls Court gig was the pinacle . Still get hairs standing up on my neck watching Gilmore's solo on Comfortably Numb , unforgetable.

[RigPig]

"Several species of small furry animals gathered in a cave and grooving with a Pict"

says it all........

[daveAustin]

Grey power......proves people stay stuck forever in there youth, yes i liked them way back then bit there sound is tired and out dated....please retire.

Never mind. Next.

[daveAustin]

One tale the band told in an interview, was about Sid. They were rehearsing for a concert, and were playing Shine on you crazy diamond. As they finished they looked up. At the back was a figure just turning away to leave. One of them said "Was that Sid?"

Indeed, I think they were just finishing getting Shine On down at Abbey Studios when he rolled up. Took a while for them to recognise him -- fat, bald etc. At one point he was apparently making out to brush his teeth while bouncing up and down and when they came out to speak to him, he offered his services to get back with the band. One of them was in tears when he left, could've been Rick. Just sad what drugs can do. I'm sure, if true, it didn't help with Waters lacing Syd's tea with acid all those years ago to get the creative genus out of the guy.

[Broeno]

Seen them between 68 and 71 in Paradiso Amsterdam. Right with my nose on them. Still get a warm feeling remembering these concerts. PINK FLOYD AND THEN A LONG TIME NOTHING ELSE.

[daveAustin]

I saw the division bell tour twice- at Earls Court and Versailles. Two completely different concerts, and both spectacular. The old Waters/ Gilmour argument will always come up, and this album isn't by any means new, just previously unreleased from the Gilmour era. Fwiw, I tend to agree with Gilmour that the content for Animals was getting a bit old, and I think the stuff they did with Gilmour had a lot of value, and of course- never forget Sid. Shine on you crazy diamond!

I too went to the Earls Court concert.

It does not seem like 20years ago.

What a night . I think it was the best concert I have been to and I've been to a few.

Still got the t-shirt.

Totally agree . I have been to many Floyd concerts in the past but the Earls Court gig was the pinacle . Still get hairs standing up on my neck watching Gilmore's solo on Comfortably Numb , unforgetable.

Yep. Sound, lights, everything was spot on. Earls Court is a special venue for Floyd. Managed to wangle VIP tickets the night before the concert... bearing in mind tickets had sold out 9 months before. Getting into the hospitality tent for complementary wine, beer, voulevants and hors d'oeuvres etc with the bigwigs was kind of interesting.

[jacksam]

Has Waters done anything (new) since Amused To Death? What an amazing album

[daveAustin]

Irrelevancy has hit a new low...

Why do people even bother commenting on a topic you couldn't care for? Just troll elsewhere, would you, I hear the fishing forum is a barrel of laughs.

[Cats4ever]

UmmaGumma....Rok On Floyd...Rock on...

Careful with that axe, Eugene.............................................

[daveAustin]

Grey power......proves people stay stuck forever in there youth, yes i liked them way back then bit there sound is tired and out dated....please retire.

What tripe. It does not prove that at all. While I agree some people get caught up with the nostalgia of it all, what I think it really proves is that some people can just appreciate quality sound. I enjoy music across all genres and eras -- classical to house, from the 18th century to today -- and don't care who makes something as long as it piques my interest. Music is very subjective, but I just think that few have even come close to creating what they have, taking that sound to the next level, much of which is still relevant today, and myriad bands who have been influenced by them would agree.

[ozsamurai]

You have to be in the right frame of mind to listen to the new album, fortunately I haven't been melancholy, depressed or suicidal lately. Good elevator music though... Seriously if it wasn't for the Floyd name, this would go nowhere. Yeah I know, opinions are like....

Oz

[catweazle]

Pink Floyd is and always will be my absolute favourite band. The fact that they are wrapping it up now is a grim reminder to the fact that we all are getting old. I still have fond memories of the good old days. I had the "walking hammer" logo painted on my wall in the party cellar and not a day would pass by without hearing a Pink Floyd song. Watched the movie The Wall as a young teenager and the last live concert I saw of them was the "Momentary Lapse of Reason" tour, getting goose bumps when Scott Page pumped out the solo to "Dogs of War" what actually inspired me to learn how to play the sax myself. Whenever I do a gig, "The Wall" is be part of the final set and I'd sing it myself, dreaming of the good old days back then, when not only love, honor, friendship and honesty truly meant something, but also music was coming straight from the heart and had a meaning; very different from today's superficial industrialised music scene. I gonna miss them a lot and thank the lord on my knees for the good timing, being a late baby boomer, spending the best time of my life when Pink Floyd was at their very top. Gonna need some "Emotional Rescue" right now, since my eyes start to water up, sorry...

Edited November 9, 2014 by catweazle

[catweazle]

Irrelevancy has hit a new low...

Why do people even bother commenting on a topic you couldn't care for? Just troll elsewhere, would you, I hear the fishing forum is a barrel of laughs.

Thanks Dave!!!!! Spot on!!!!

[sunshine51]

A short n sweet write up on Floyd's new album here in the NZ Herald...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11354939

Though this won't interest the honest, law-abiding folk on TV, I just checked the pirate hangout, and the album is aleady available for downloading. But you didn't hear that from me.

Hear what?

I just took off the Koss Noise CNXers after listening to Floyds Pulse CD at sound pressure level 90 & I

can't hear squat. You know the bit where Gilmour does his solo on Comfortably Numb about halfway

through the tune & his superb work on Shine On You Crazy Diamond? My volume slider always gets

shoved up just a tad bit below the"Fry the Altec Lansing's" limit point...and they'll take 300 watts RMS.

It's Sunday! Rockin Ranong....nice to live in the boonies....nobody to complain about the farang & his

music on the weekends...or anytime for that matter...

Lest we all forget Pink Floyd wasn't just Syd (not Sid) Barrett, David Gilmour & Roger Waters exclusively.

Richard Wight & Nick Mason also played a very important part in the band too. Without them there may

very well never have been a Pink Floyd. Matter of factly...Nick Mason is the only original member of the

band...still playing with Floyd since Floyd was invented. And his timekeeping is superb IMO.

Floyd is, to me anyway, a great example of teamwork. Every musician in the band is highly accomplished

but alone they cannot be Floyd. They can be Waters, Gilmour & perhaps Mason....but that's about it.

Together they can be the Floyd who, we who appreciate Floyd's music & have loved since whenever we

first heard them and thought....Wow...Got any more windowpane!? Or whatever we thought at that time.

Together these geezers are Floyd...Alone their individual stuff is great, without a doubt, but it ain't Floyd.

Simple as that.

Kinda like a good stew...take all those neat ingredients, cook it up just right and you have a kickass stew.

But alone it would taste rather unpleasant...save for the beer or wine one may add!

Of course the above words are just my opinion & I love Floyd...so there....hah!