Richard Wright

Week 19: Pink Floyd: at Pompeii MCMLXXII 2025 Edition

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I must confess that due to the band’s rich history, it is difficult to write a brief introduction to Pink Floyd. So strap yourselves in because this is going to be a long one before I finally get to the review.


When you think of Pink Floyd, you think of more than psychedelia and progressive rock, deep lyricism, and sonic innovation. You think of extravagant light shows, brilliant cover art, and far-out films. Despite the band being currently dormant, their music still resonates to the present day.


Pink Floyd’s journey begins in the swinging 60s(1965 to be precise)in London, with the original members consisting of the late Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, Roger Waters, and the late Richard Wright. The band’s sound was a product of the psychedelic experimental era, with Syd’s whimsical lyricism capturing the essence of the time. The perfect example of this influence was ‘Arnold Layne’ and ’See Emily Play. The band was already setting itself apart from anyone else, creating a deeply nostalgic sound of the 60s era.


Of course, as most bands will experience, they were faced with adversity when their chief songwriter, Syd Barrett, who had his demons, departed in 1968. However, his departure became a key moment in the band’s wall of sound that would follow. David Gilmour would be recruited, and his blues-inspired guitar work and soulful vocals would send the band on a more progressive rock trajectory, and the songwriting would also become structured.


The band’s best period would be the 1970s, with a string of iconic albums, such as the masterpiece “The Dark Side of the Moon”, which fearlessly addressed subjects such as madness, greed, and mortality. The thought-provoking lyricism, soulful vocals and ambient soundscapes hooked listeners in, and it is not hard to see why it became a best-selling album. This was followed by “Wish You Were Here”, a tribute to the departed Syd Barrett and a critique of the music industry. “Animals” was next. A record inspired by the late George Orwell’s Animal Farm novella, with the band becoming more political. Each album showed the band’s courage in addressing more complex and controversial themes.


The final album released from this period would be 1979’s “The Wall”, a rock opera thought up by Roger Waters that explored controversial themes like dictatorship. The record would be a stage show, and a film that featured Boomtown Rats’ frontman Bob Geldof taking the lead. It showed that the band were more than just music.


The band would face more adversity when the late Richard Wright departed, and Waters would be embroiled in a legal battle with the remaining members. Even though the band appeared to be in turmoil, Gilmour would become the leader for 1987’s “A Momentary Lapse of Reason” and 1994’s “The Division Bell” Waters and Gilmour would become bitter enemies for several years while the legal battles swirled.


It wasn’t until 2014 that the band set aside their differences and returned to the studio to record “The Endless River”, an album focusing on instrumentation that remained unreleased from “The Division Bell” session during the early 1990s. It is their final album to date.


As mentioned earlier, the sleeping giant is more than just a band. They are innovators who pushed the boundaries of their use of sound and technology; they are films and embody the concept of art. Their music still resonates with listeners regardless of their age. The reason being not only for their progressive rock, but also for their ability to address complex and controversial issues. From the beginnings of psychedelic rock to being more experimental during their later records, they remain one of the most influential bands in music history and their legacy is cemented.


Now, let us begin the track-by-track review:


Pompeii:


Not much to explore here. Just a brief instrumental.


Echoes Part I:


As you can imagine, there is more room to play with live, so the band makes the live performance last more than ten minutes. The second verse stands out with David Gilmour’s axemanship, which sends shivers down your spine. The song ends abruptly after an extended guitar solo from Gilmour, and later on, you will find out why.


Careful with that Axe, Eugene:


The song has a lot of keyboard noodling by the late Richard Wright, but it goes from mellow to Roger Waters letting out a bloodcurdling scream during the frenetic section, before returning to mellow ambience.


A Saucerful of Secrets:


We encounter a unique melodic complexity as we reach the midpoint of the live album remix. While it may seem discordant, this very element is what piques the listener’s interest, turning the experience into a journey into the avant-garde nature of the song. Gilmour’s heart-wrenching wordless harmony over the final organ chords is not just a standout; it’s a moment that genuinely moves the listener. And let’s not forget Nick Mason’s drumming on the live version, which is equally captivating.


One of These Days:


It may lack the polished crescendo of the studio version, but the live version shows their ability to translate the complex soundscape onstage. Once again, Nick Mason is the standout performer, with David Gilmour dominating the second half with his effortless guitar playing.


Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun:


The highlight of the concert. It perfectly captures their spooky and hypnotic vibe. Their dynamic soundscapes are fully displayed, showing quiet introspection into those intense and powerful crescendos.


Madomoiselle Nobs:


It seems out of place with the concert so far, despite Gilmour’s harmonica.


Echoes Part II:


As mentioned earlier, the song is split into two sections, and after the abrupt end comes the cosmic seagull section. The standout is Gilmour’s guitar performance leading into the final verse. It seems odd to split this one because it sounds much better and makes more sense in full.


The remastered 2025 version concludes with an alternate take of ‘Careful with that Axe, Eugene’, and the unedited version of ‘A Saucerful of Secrets’


Overall:


Despite the inevitable flaws of live performances, this album perfectly encapsulates the band’s experimental spirit, extended instrumental jams, and dynamic soundscapes. It’s an album that would truly come alive under the influence of a hallucinogen, with the instrumental jams conjuring up some truly eccentric images. This record will undoubtedly resonate with the Pink Floyd connoisseur, offering a unique experience that may prove challenging for the casual listener due to the lack of lyricism.


Song recommendations: ’Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun’, ‘ A Saucerful of Secrets’, ‘Careful with that Axe, Eugene’


7/10

Week 37: David Gilmour- Luck and Strange

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David Gilmour returns nine years after his previous solo album. He announced his return with the leading single ‘The Piper’s Call’ a while ago now. “Luck and Strange” is David’s fifth solo record since he embarked on a solo career in 1978. Of course, he was also in Pink Floyd back then and has been in sporadic reunions. Many have said the Pink Floyd albums he did without one of the founding members, Roger Waters, are nothing more than David’s solo career concealed behind the band’s name. Especially “The Endless River”. I bought that as a Christmas present for a family member. They were left unimpressed as it was full of guitar solos and instrumentals. The only track with vocals on was a soundbite of the late Stephen Hawking. I have heard the record and concur that it is just David performing guitar wizardry.

I find it quite odd that after 46 years as a solo artist, David has just released five albums. Okay, he has done records with Pink Floyd, but even they have been quite lengthy album-to-album. I also found it rather bizarre that he appeared on Later…with Jools Holland in the ’90s when he wasn’t on tour or releasing any material. His estranged former band member Roger Waters hasn’t released many himself, with 4 in over 40 years. Is this a way of signalling yet another reunion? They seem not to care that much about releasing their own material. Especially in the modern era, when promoting an album via a tour is necessary. Or is it a case of them needing each other to bounce ideas off but being too stubborn to set aside their differences?

As much as my political views do not align with David’s or the fact I wasn’t born with the fine bone china spoon in my mouth, I will not let this blur my judgment on how great a guitarist he is. Besides listening to him, whether solo or with Pink Floyd, the way he plays is effortless. He doesn’t even look like he is concentrating. He is that smooth. My favourite solo of his will always be from ‘Comfortably Numb’. His axe-manship is also easy to define. It doesn’t matter if he is collaborating or not. You know it’s him. I cannot recall when I first heard Pink Floyd, but I remember seeing this really cool sleeve of “Dark Side of the Moon” and thought I’d listen, and it remains one of my favourites. I loved listening to it when I was baked. It didn’t encourage me to seek out David’s solo work; I just wanted to do it anyway because I found him to be a great guitarist.

His next solo album, “About Face,” was released in 1984, and it is considered his best by his fans and peers. Although he wrote most of the songs, he co-wrote a few with Pete Townshend. Returning to his relaxed approach to releasing albums, his follow-up was an astonishing 22 years in 2006 with “On an Island,” during which time he was chastised for using his wife as the songwriter. 

Of course, it would take another nine years before he released his third album, “Rattle That Lock,” another record that received scathing reviews from the critics. ‘In Any Tongue’ was one of the few tracks that was any good. I imagine the critics savaged David again because he employed his wife for songwriting. However, it’s important to note that ‘Rattle That Lock’ was a vast improvement on “On an Island,” a sign of hope and optimism for the future.

Another nine years after his fourth album is “Luck and Strange”, which I have enjoyed listening to so far. It seems David has regained his hunger, and it was well worth declining Noel Gallagher’s request to do the solo on ‘Easy Now’ because he was busy recording this. Again, his wife returns as lyricist, his son on backing vocals, and his daughter takes lead vocals towards the end of the record. I actually think it’s the last track, but it has been over a week since I last listened, so my memory hasn’t been jogged.

Hindsight is a beautiful thing, and maybe I should have sought out the extended edition, which has an additional two tracks that are instrumentals. David isn’t a strong vocalist, but he is superb when he lets his guitar playing do the talking. The opener is called ‘Black Cat’ and is your quintessential David Gilmour sound. ‘Vita Brevis’ is a brief acoustic track over an album brimmed with long tracks that features sudden silence before going back into it. The final track is an extended version of the title track. It is dubbed ‘Luck and Strange Original Barn Jam’. This appears to be added as filler, but it’s David with his band having fun and goes on for 12 minutes. The guitar playing is once again effortless.

On the shorter version of the title track, David has added the keyboards of his late bandmate Richard Wright. This is a beautiful and nostalgic tribute to him. Does it sound like Pink Floyd for this reason? It probably does, invoking a sense of nostalgia. However, I find that David’s solo material is more removed from the band.

‘Dark and Velvet Nights’ is another highlight with organs and an ear-bursting sound. ‘Scattered’ has a piano solo, and you would expect David to follow it up with a guitar solo on this progressive blues track, but instead, he starts singing. ‘A Single Spark’ is a ballad with David at one with his Fender Stratocaster. I can just imagine him closing his eyes and falling into a trance as he plays effortlessly.

I feel ‘Between Two Points’ with his daughter Romany doesn’t get the love it deserves. The penultimate track addresses misogyny with lyrics written by her mother, but that isn’t why I like it. I like Romany’s vocals on this family affair track backed up by her father’s almost vocal-like axe-manship. ‘Sings’ is an acoustic ballad, which isn’t all that, I’m afraid. It’s a bit bland for David’s calibre. ‘Yes I Have Ghosts’ is a folk track over an acoustic that might not please the purists. The record, which I was shocked to see usurp Oasis, is…I don’t know. I love his solos and overall playing, but there isn’t a punch to it. The lack of ‘punch’ in the record, in my opinion, is due to the lack of dynamic changes and the consistent mid-tempo pace. It is mid-tempo to a plod. There’s not much change in the tempo—nothing to really get you moving.

In conclusion, I would encourage you to savour David Gilmour’s sublime playing and effortless solos. This is the heart of the record, a true reflection of David Gilmour’s artistry. The album itself is a typical display of his carefree attitude towards recording, a trait he often exhibits. He hints at a follow-up after the tour. As I said, this is a celebration of his guitar mastery, above all else.

Song recommendations: ‘Black Cat’, ‘Between Two Points’

6/10