Ok, friends, the new album by PINK FLOYD The Endless River is finally here. Let me stay aside from all arguments of what kind of Pink Floyd is it without Waters? type. Im feeling equally discouraged towards discussions of what should be considered Pink Floyd proper: their early works (before The Dark Side of the Moon or the later, more commercial stuff... Im kinda fed up with that all. Instead, let me share with you my own story: in 1987, I acquired a real treasure -- a reel with Jean Michel Jarres Nuit A Shanghai (a friend of mine gave it to me for one night to copy). It was an incredible sonic adventure -- I was completely taken away by the masters sounds that seemed to come from the distant stars... But the album reached its last note, and there was silence. Eager to listen to some more, I looked at what was written on the box: Side B: Pink Floyd. Hmm... Until that moment, Id never heard their music (yes, I managed to live 15 years and not listen to Pink Floyd -- such things do happen ;). But I heard the name, and the next word that followed in my mind was rock. Back in my teenage years, I felt very skeptical towards loud and dirty guitars, long messy hair and screaming vocals preferring spacey synthesizer-based sounds, ideally without vocals at all. So, I hesitated unwilling to spoil a moment. But soon curiosity and eagerness for more won, and so I changed the reel to the other side and pressed play... And what did I hear? Splashes of ores, screeching boat, occasional samples and sound effects, guitar leaks that felt almost vocal... and all that on top of textured ambient keyboard pads. As of the actual vocals -- there were none! Wow, I thought, ok, THATs Pink Floyd, THATs what they call rock -- not bad at all!.. It was the first (instrumental) composition from the album Momentary Lapse of Reason, called Signs of Life. And up until this day I thank God that it happened the way it happened. One thing guaranteed: if it was, say, Money or Dirty Woman, it would probably turn me off from all things Pink Floyd for another several years or so. Back than, I was simply not ready. But instead, I was listening to these outwordly sounds in complete awe. This instrumental piece made me listen to the entire album with great interest. In turn, this album made me find out more about Pink Floyd and listen to their classic works. And in turn Pink Floyd served for me as a bridge between the world of synthetic music I was so fond of and the world of rock-n-roll. Up until now, they are my favorite rock band, in the whole variety of incarnations: the earlier psychedelic works fueled by late Syd Barrett, the Crazy Diamond, the later introspective space rock filled with brilliant philosophical observations and growing social awareness in the lyrics of Roger Waters, and the after Pink Floyd Pink Floyd, when Gilmour, Mason and Wright went on after Waters left the band. I love them all. But late Rick Wright was the one who initiated me, if you will. And up until this day I consider him the best keyboard player in the history of rock-n-roll. Not that he was most technical. Not that he knew how to dance on top of his piano. But he was one of the first ones to make the SOUND matter... This album is a tribute to late Rick Wright by the remaining band members -- David Gilmour and Nick Mason. Its based on the material recorded 20 years ago, as Pink Floyd was working on The Division Bell. Other than the song below, the album is instrumental. So, if you believe that all things Pink Floyd stopped existing in 1983 when Waters left the band (or even in 1973 when Dark Side of the Moon came out -- some believe that, you know) -- please dont listen to it! But if you, like me, think that Wrights richly textured keyboard layers were a vital ingredient and a distinctive characteristic of Pink Floyds sound from as early as Echoes and even Astronomy Domine -- youll enjoy it as much as I do. According to Gilmour and Mason, The Endless River is Rick Wrights swan song: a multi-instrumentalist, a keyboard wizard and a back- and lead- vocalist (btw, did you know that Wright sings lead vocals on Time and Us and Them, among others?). Rest in piece, maestro! Thank you! And you, the surviving ones! Thank you for your beautiful music!
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 00:33:54 +0000
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