bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Post by bellbottoms on Jan 12, 2020 15:35:38 GMT
While jk is composing his review, I'll just make a couple small remarks.
While I was already casually familiar with The Dark Side of the Moon, I never did sit down and spend time with it, until now. Side B has to be one of the most perfect album sides I've ever heard. It's very easy to get lost in it. Actually, in terms of the entire track list, everything from Time to Eclipse is breathtaking. Maybe it's just due to the mood I've been in lately but this album has stirred up some emotions for me. Currently loving it.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 12, 2020 16:39:36 GMT
Thanks for the Dark Side Of The Moon review, kds. Not being a big fan (a fan but not a huge one) post-Syd, I didn't realize that Roger Waters was the sole lyricist on so many of their albums. I also didn't know that Pink Floyd actually toured the Dark Side Of The Moon songs for a year before the album was released. That's wild! Was it the entire album, in sequence?
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Post by kds on Jan 12, 2020 18:37:00 GMT
Thanks for the Dark Side Of The Moon review, kds. Not being a big fan (a fan but not a huge one) post-Syd, I didn't realize that Roger Waters was the sole lyricist on so many of their albums. I also didn't know that Pink Floyd actually toured the Dark Side Of The Moon songs for a year before the album was released. That's wild! Was it the entire album, in sequence? Yes, the album was in sequence, but several of the songs' arrangements evolved prior to going into the studio. On the Run started as a bit of a bluesy jam. The Great Gig in the Sky, was a churchlike organ based instrumental with no vocals, and Eclipse was an instrumental.
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 12, 2020 18:58:02 GMT
Apologies, I've had less time than usual devoted to music lately and haven't been up on this thread. But having not listened to Dark Side in a long, long time, I fully plan to give it a solid spin and say something or other. It's certainly among the greats.
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Post by jk on Jan 12, 2020 23:05:17 GMT
Apologies, I've had less time than usual devoted to music lately and haven't been up on this thread. But having not listened to Dark Side in a long, long time, I fully plan to give it a solid spin and say something or other. It's certainly among the greats. I'm roughly in the same boat as the Cap'n on DS. Right now I can say that I wasn't a fan for a long time, maybe because the version we have on tape was recorded on a cheap cassette player perched on a harpsichord during a wild party--and it shows! Then I heard and bought WYWH and was sold on that and DS took a back seat for decades. Actually it was "leni" whose appreciative remarks about it made me think again. But I've yet to give it a serious listen (on YouTube). One of these days (oops, wrong album)...
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Post by kds on Jan 17, 2020 13:26:27 GMT
WISH YOU WERE HERE (1975)
How do you follow up a masterpiece? Pink Floyd were not so sure. Almost overnight, the success of Dark Side of the Moon turned them from an underground band to a major arena draw. No longer were they playing to audiences who attentively listened to every note. The sudden success was a difficult adjustment. The success also started to create some tension in the group, and there was an overall feeling of being "there, but not there." And that would provide the theme for Pink Floyd's next album.
Pink Floyd didn't release an album in 1974, the first year of their career that would not see a release. They spent the year touring. Much like with DSOTM, they played new material on the road. One of the pieces was a long lament dedicated with their former leader Syd Barrett, Shine On You Crazy Diamond. The song was about 25 minutes long with extensive instrumental sections. When the band went to the studio to record the track, they got an unexpected visit from an unrecognizable Barrett. The incident, which greatly troubled the current band, would go down in Floyd lore since it was pretty amazing that Syd would suddenly pop up when Floyd was recording their tribute to him.
Instead of a side long epic, Floyd opted to break up Shine On into two parts (it was listed as nine parts for US releases for publishing reasons) to book end the Wish You Were Here album. Personally, I think Shine On is Floyd's greatest achievement. Richard Wright opens Part 1 with an extended keyboard section, before being joined by a mournful Gilmour guitar melody. Roger and Nick join in and the song builds until Roger Waters delivers the first vocal just over eight minutes in, his finest lead vocal of his career (IMO). The lyrics never specifically mention Syd's name, but it's clearly about him. Dick Parry lends some tasteful saxophone after the second chorus.
Shine On bookends three shorter songs, each of which has become a staple on classic rock radio. First, the throbbing Welcome to the Machine, another song that lyrically mentions Syd, and the music industry. Have a Cigar is a somewhat funky song about the music industry, also referencing Floyd's early days, specifically with the line "which one's Pink," which was apparently asked of the young band on at least one occasion. The song features a guest lead vocal from Roy Harper, although Waters later said he regretted not singing it himself (he would handle vocals on tour).
The acoustic title track sums up the "there, not there" theme of the album, and has become the albums most enduring song, and one of the most beloved songs in Floyd's catalog. Featuring the sole lead vocal from Gilmour, it has a certain warmth that cuts through the cynical ice of the preceding two songs.
Shine On Part 2 slowly builds with a single bass line, eventually giving way to a wash of keyboards. Then, David Gilmour's slide solo (which happens to be my favorite moment in all of music) climaxes before settling down the Shine On riff, bringing in the last verse of vocals. The song ends with an extended instrumental workout before Wright takes the lead with a keyboard / piano based coda. Listen closely as the song fades, and you'll hear Wright play a brief melody from See Emily Play.
99% of the time when people ask me what my favorite album is, I saw Wish You Were Here. This lineup of Floyd would never sound this good or together again.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 17, 2020 13:46:34 GMT
When the band went to the studio to record the track, they got an unexpected visit from an unrecognizable Barrett. The incident, which greatly troubled the current band, would go down in Floyd lore since it was pretty amazing that Syd would suddenly pop up when Floyd was recording their tribute to him. This is a photo of Syd Barrett the day he attended a Wish You Were Here session on June 5, 1975:
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Post by kds on Jan 17, 2020 13:50:45 GMT
When the band went to the studio to record the track, they got an unexpected visit from an unrecognizable Barrett. The incident, which greatly troubled the current band, would go down in Floyd lore since it was pretty amazing that Syd would suddenly pop up when Floyd was recording their tribute to him. This is a photo of Syd Barrett the day he attended a Wish You Were Here session on June 5, 1975:
I didn't know any photos existed of that incident until I got a copy of Nick Mason's book. Apparently, he just sat around, brushing his teeth from time to time.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 17, 2020 14:04:38 GMT
This is a photo of Syd Barrett the day he attended a Wish You Were Here session on June 5, 1975:
I didn't know any photos existed of that incident until I got a copy of Nick Mason's book. Apparently, he just sat around, brushing his teeth from time to time. And sadly, that was the last time Syd ever spent time with the entire group again, and he passed away 31 years later in 2006.
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Post by kds on Jan 17, 2020 14:18:18 GMT
I didn't know any photos existed of that incident until I got a copy of Nick Mason's book. Apparently, he just sat around, brushing his teeth from time to time. And sadly, that was the last time Syd ever spent time with the entire group again, and he passed away 31 years later in 2006. And individually, I don't think Roger, David, Nick, or Rick ever saw Syd again after that day.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 17, 2020 14:30:57 GMT
And sadly, that was the last time Syd ever spent time with the entire group again, and he passed away 31 years later in 2006. And individually, I don't think Roger, David, Nick, or Rick ever saw Syd again after that day. David kept in touch with Syd's sister to check on Syd and make sure that Syd was receiving his royalties. Sadly, none of the members attended Syd's funeral.
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Post by kds on Jan 17, 2020 14:35:51 GMT
And individually, I don't think Roger, David, Nick, or Rick ever saw Syd again after that day. David kept in touch with Syd's sister to check on Syd and make sure that Syd was receiving his royalties. Sadly, none of the members attended Syd's funeral. You'd have thought they would've at least attended the funeral. I know David has placed some Syd era songs in his solo setlists (which judging by the amount of live material he's released since 2006, you'd think he was a more prolific tourer), sometimes even some Syd solo material.
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Post by jk on Jan 18, 2020 11:56:49 GMT
Agreed, kds, about the problem of how to follow something as massive and as career-changing as TDSOTM. Fleetwood Mac were the same post- Rumours. They gave us Tusk, which can easily vie (no pun intended) with its mega-selling predecessor. The same holds (in my view) for Wish You Were Here, the difference being that this follow-up falls into the category of albums about loss (a bit of an obsession of mine). I first heard the opening track late one night in 1975 in Amsterdam, before another hard day's work in the docks (if you didn't speak the lingo you had to take what work you could get). Once again, I agree with kds on the word "mournful" to describe Gilmour's four-note call to arms. There's no better word for it. A magical and memorable moment then. For me the album is consistently strong from start to finish, something I wouldn't say about Dark Side. And it's an honest, if very very sad album. Released as a 45, "Have A Cigar" by rights should have taken Roy Harper into the charts but didn't. I hope he reaped some of the financial benefits of the album's success... That's enough rambling from me. To be honest, I haven't listened to it in years. I must revisit it some time soon.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Post by bellbottoms on Jan 21, 2020 13:37:43 GMT
Wish You Were Here is really an incredible album from start to finish. It’s so well balanced there isn’t an moment on it that confounds or eludes me, it all makes sense. Besides how great all of the songs are, the thing that stands out the most is the guitar work. The guitars are really the star of this album. Yes, there are some fantastic vocals, sax and synths, but goddamn, every guitar note is perfect. It feels like they are guiding us through a journey.
Before this thread started, my limited knowledge of Pink Floyd was relegated to their most well known songs and hits, and if I had to pick a favourite before starting this thread, Wish You Were Here would have been it. And to the song’s credit, I think it still is (so far). Such a gorgeous and emotional song. But I’m looking forward to seeing if it can be beat.
It seems I’m a little bit fascinated by Pink Floyd’s evolution as a band, and I’m sure I’m not the first. It’s really cool to hear them follow up Dark Side with with what is really another masterpiece. When I compare Pink Floyd’s evolution and ascendance to that of other bands, it really feels as if their path is unique. Most bands seem to capture a lightning strike of inspiration that was with them for a short time, and then spend the rest of their careers chasing that same spark. Maybe they get close, but don't usually achieve the same height. That doesn’t seem to be happening here - it’s more gradual, and yet just as powerful as the proverbial lightning strike.
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Post by kds on Jan 21, 2020 18:11:57 GMT
The guitars are really the star of this album. Yes, there are some fantastic vocals, sax and synths, but goddamn, every guitar note is perfect. It feels like they are guiding us through a journey. I think that's really the case of all of Floyd's albums from Meddle onward, and the significance of David Gilmour's guitar as part of the Floyd signature sound would come into play later on in our story.
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