Pink Floyd and solo Spin offs for Eric

[Dave the Necrobumper]

They are sizable and heavy. Millmeters is fine for that, thanks for the translation, saved me a bit of time doing it myself.

[jdc]

Think Eric has been absent from the forum for a week now, hopefully he is off doing something enjoyable.  I will slow down going forward as I need to spend a bit more time re-listening to some of the albums.

Two weekends ago: Moved into the new house.
This past weekend: More unpacking, cleaning, buy stuff for the house, and on and on

I haven't been listening to much music at home, but one thing I did discover when I got to Floyd's debut is that it's really bad music for cleaning and packing. I had to punt and move to podcasts and modern pop. This stuff requires an attentive listen, which nothing has gotten from me recently.

Working with a local dealer on procuring a couple of Cornwall IV speakers from the Klipsch Heritage line. I've never given myself any sort of big luxury, as I haven't really ever been able to afford it, but I'm getting a new home theater system installed in my modestly sized living room that includes the Cornwalls. Super psyched. I'm almost thinking maybe winter break is the best time to really dive into Floyd. Maybe start with Thanksgiving weekend. I feel like I have to immerse myself, and that's hard to do alongside my 9-to-5 and the housework. But soon enough, Floyd will be pumping out of these beautiful things:

Glad to see you back and very cool on the speakers, damn nice choice. 

[jdc]

A Momentary Lapse of Reason Pink Floyd 1987

My recollection was that this came out a few months after Water’s Radio KAOS.  I had moved from Chicago area to Chattanooga, TN with my parents and about to start Uni in Knoxville.  But I do remember being back to Chicagoland visiting friends and listening to the record when released though I didn’t buy it.  I was still under the impression that PF without Waters was going to be like an imitation PF but I thought the album not too bad.  I just re-read the chapter in Nick Mason’s book Inside Out of the era and they had a lot of reservations at the time as well.  Richard Wright was not officially in the band and couldn’t be given the lawsuits going on.  None of the other members were really prolific lyricists so they hired outside writers as well.  To round out the band, they also brought in another drummer to accompany Nick on the recording.  All this kind of talk at the time sort of reinforced my thought it wasn’t really a PF record.

This week is the first time I have listened to this end to end since it came out in 87 though I have listened to may tracks from it as I do often watch a few of David Gilmour’s live Bluray disks.  I have to say that Gilmour’s live Concert performances hold up the best for repeat viewing for me and really confirmed that he really was essential the sound of the band.  At some point may cover so of the various live concerts released as there are some gems in them.

There were two tracks that I really liked when the album came out and they still are my two favourite tracks after a re-listen.  These are remixed versions from 2019, seems a bit refreshed and not quite as flat as the original, which isn’t a bad recording.  Certainly not as dry or sterile sounding as Water’s Radio KAOS

Dogs of War

https://youtu.be/LVzZIO1JuxM

One Slip

https://youtu.be/Ii5GwHlducE

[jdc]

Both Waters and PF had started touring the US at this time. Now that I look at the release dates and tour schedules, I now remember when I first listened to A Momentary Lapse of Reason.  While I was living in Chattanooga and about to start Uni in Knoxville, I was determined to go to both the Roger Waters concert and PF concert back in Chicago with friends.  Waters was on 9 Sept and PF was between 25 to 28 Sept.  My Uni was on a 3 quarter session instead of 2 semesters and didn’t started in between those dates.  Looking at the calendar now, it must have been the 21st Sept when it started. 

I drove from Chattanooga to Chicago for the Water’s show to see with my friend while staying at my brothers.  Since AMLoR just came out, I listened to that over at my friends place a few times during the week I was there.  I would fly back a few weeks later on the Sat to catch the PF show Sat night, staying at my friend’s dad’s apt in the city before flying back to Knoxville on Sunday so I could make my Monday classes. 

Both shows were good, Water’s KAOS tour did a much better representation of the concept of the album as it could add songs not on the record as well as expand the narrative.  It mixed on PF material in-between the Radio KAOS songs as well as included Every Strangers Eye from Pros and Cons of Hitchhicking.  I specifically remember that song being included as I can remember wondering if he was lip syncing it as it would be quite demanding and it sounded maybe too good.  But he was still a lot younger than so possibly could have been able to sing it properly as well.

Between PF and Water’s live, I enjoyed the KAOS show more but then I realise I was biased back then.  Both had much larger bands to back them up then how they would have played when they were together as PF.  I never got to see PF on any other tours after that and just recently caught Water’s on his last tour over the summer.   

[jdc]

The totally amazing A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs (thanks again Oldkid) has finally got the the PF era with an episode around the formation and early years of PF.  Has a lot of good insights into Syd’s (sorry, Roger Barrett’s) writing influence/style. 


https://500songs.com/podcast/episode-157-see-emily-play-by-the-pink-floyd/#more-1427

[Dave the Necrobumper]

I look forward to listening to that episode. I am still back at episode 83, os it will be a while before I get to episode 157. It is such a great podcast.

[jdc]

Amused to Death Roger Waters 1992

An album inspired by Neil Postman’s book, Amusing Ourselves to Death; but also one that is somewhat stuck at the time it was made given it also inspired by the 1st gulf war; similar to the Falkland War influencing The Final Cut.  While Water’s may have been the main song writer for the 73-83 period, there is no doubt that the sounds of PF was the results of working within the band that could often push back as well as having a producer like Bob Ezrin who helped shape The Wall out of Water’s original rough demo’s to what it is today.  Amused to Death is what you get without having other band members and producers pushing back and challenging you to do something better.  This is probably one of the wordiest albums of all time with strange references at times in order to make it a concept.  Jeff Beck does contribute some nice guitar work but doesn’t have influence on the music, I think most of it was done when he came in. 

What God Wants Pt 3 (for the nice solo work)

https://youtu.be/K5Zo_rzaJow

Perfect Sense Pt1&2 live - sort of works for the crowd involvement but also shows where less would be more lyrically.   

https://youtu.be/R89pwyjLT5E

I was pretty familiar with this album back when it came out but it may have been 15 years since I listen to it (almost completely) and I just don’t find it holds up very well. 

[jdc]

The Division Bell Pink Floyd 1994

I don’t think I ever listened to this album from beginning to end before but knew a few of the songs due to watching a few of the David Gilmour solo  Blu-ray disks. Maybe it was just Water’s bias since he called it "Just rubbish ... nonsense from beginning to end."  Well, I guess he cared enough to listen to it..  Anyway.. he is completely wrong.. It won’t rank higher than and of the  73-83 era of PF for me, but likely near the top of any of the solo or PF albums from 1984 onwards. It is also more “Floydian” compared to A Momentary Lapse of Reason, less reliant on outside writers.  The music is mostly credited to Gilmour with Wright getting his first credits since Wish You Were Here, lyrics mostly come from Gilmour and his wife, Polly Samson.  Wright also takes lead vocals for the first time since Dark Side of the Moon. I think with AMLoR the members had a lot of insecurity to make an album without Waters, this one shows the clearly moved on… though never quite can forget.

Poles Apart - Lyrics by Polly.. While Syd was only briefly in the band, the legacy always stayed… he appears over and over from DSoTM, WYWH, The Wall and again here.  Actually, the song is about both Syd (verse 1) and Waters (verse 2). But you could apply both verse to both if you want to change how you read them.

https://youtu.be/DIIY6JhLbgw

Wearing the Inside Out (Music and Lyrics by Wright)

https://youtu.be/vGZNdT72FsU

[jdc]

On an Island David Gilmour 2006

David Gilmour’s 3rd solo album, the first in 22 years as well as 12 years since the last PF album. This one also largely with lyrics written my his wife Polly as was The Division Bell. Things are slowing down for all members now, I guess more content and little need to prove themselves.  I’ve listened to it a couple of times, while it has some similarities to a PF album at times, it is a lot more smooth, melodic overall which probably is a better fit to be a solo album.  Maybe Oldkid can pipe in with his favourite track as I didn’t find too much that excited me; it might take a few more listens but this my choice for now

Where We Start

https://youtu.be/tsXob3y5vwY

[jdc]

The Endless River Pink Floyd 2014

This would be the last album from PF (a single was released earlier this year in collaboration with a Ukrainian artist) and is mostly instrumental outtakes from The Division Bell.  Richard Wright had passed away in 2008 so this isn’t a new music as much is it is a lot of ambient, instrumental tracks that were left over from The Division Bell sessions spread over a double album.

The only track with lyrics is the last one that also is the stand out song for me on the album

"Louder than Words" is the only track with a lead vocal.[20] Samson wrote the lyrics after observing the band's interaction during the rehearsals for their 2005 Live 8 reunion, their first performance with Waters in over 24 years. She said: "What struck me was, they never spoke ... It’s not hostile, they just don’t speak. And then they step onto a stage and musically that communication is extraordinary."[21]

https://youtu.be/Ezc4HdLGxg4