The Pink Floyd Thread

[Kwyjibo]

I listened to it on Spotify today... Not bad and you can hear lots of traces of classic Floyd albums like Wish You Were Here, but not exactly mindblowing either. I guess it's a nice epilogue for the band's story and career.

That's my first reaction as well.

On second listen, if you don't pay attention, it can easily become background music. It is very relaxed and laid back, maybe a bit too much for my liking.

[Zydar]

I listened to it on Spotify today... Not bad and you can hear lots of traces of classic Floyd albums like Wish You Were Here, but not exactly mindblowing either. I guess it's a nice epilogue for the band's story and career.

That's my first reaction as well.

On second listen, if you don't pay attention, it can easily become background music. It is very relaxed and laid back, maybe a bit too much for my liking.

That's what I'm getting from this album. I'm not into all-instrumental albums (one or two per album is enough for me) so I'm not really feeling this album at the moment.

But I already knew beforehand that it was going to be a mostly instrumental album so I was prepared for it. 

[Orbert]

I've listened to it three times already and am partway through a fourth.  I think it's amazing.

I've always preferred the instrumental side of Pink Floyd anyway, so I'm sure that that helps.  And some of it definitely sounds derivative of their earlier work, sometimes even evoking specific tracks ("It's What We Do" sounds a lot like the intro to "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", and it also goes into a section that sounds like "Welcome to the Machine") but I love that stuff, and I'm up for more of the same.  The flow to the whole package is terrific.  One completely forgets that this is not music composed by the band, but essentially tracks laid upon existing tracks.  The Pink Floyd vibe is there.

I'm trying to figure out how to make an edit of the whole thing, but fading up after the first track and down before "Louder Than Words".  (Actually, I know what to do and already have the software; it's in the cost/benefit analysis stage.)  I love getting immersed in the instrumentals, and "We bitch and we fight" completely destroys the mood created over the past 45 minutes.  I understand their purpose and Gilmour's intent, but the bookends in this case bring the total package down a notch for me.

[Jaq]

Yeah, after 45 minutes of blissed out, Pink Floyd hasn't really sounded like this since the seventies music, the first line of Louder Than Words just drops you right out of the mood.

[GentlemanofDread]

What's everyone's favourite Side so far? Mine is Side 2 but Side 3 makes a strong contender for that spot too.

[XB0BX]

I had no clue they were making a new PF album until I saw a commercial on TV. O_O Who is it, David and Nick? How is it?

[RoeDent]

The structure of it reminds me a bit of The Theory of Everything by Ayreon. Are we supposed to consider these four 10-minute-plus epics or 18 short bits of songs?

[GentlemanofDread]

I had no clue they were making a new PF album until I saw a commercial on TV. O_O Who is it, David and Nick? How is it?

It's Nick, David and Rick, using old pieces of music from 93/94 as the basis. It's a swansong to Richard Wright and the instrumentation of Pink Floyd, so if like that aspect, this is a great album.

[T-ski]

just heard "Louder than Words"........disappointed.

it sounded like a song that should've been shelved.  hope the rest sounds better.

[Nick]

Listened to the blu-ray twice yesterday. Laid back, but really enjoyed it.

[Kwyjibo]

There's a cut on spotify called Nervana, that is almost certainly a jam and seems to not be that much edited. Anyway, that is the track I like the most because it is rocking and powerful.

[Zydar]

Nick Mason talks about possible future Floyd releases:

"I know both Roger and David have at times mentioned they'd like to have a remix of 'Animals,' which technically is perhaps one of our less well-recorded records."

He continued, "I think we'd just probably clean up some of the tapes and just sort of review it and see whether it can be enhanced. And if one was doing that, one might have a look at whether there's anything else to be done on it. But no one's got that down on their work schedule at the moment."

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/pink_floyd_might_present_more_unreleased_music_in_the_future_nick_mason_says.html

[Orbert]

This saddens me.  Animals is my favorite, and they completely skipped over it.  They did Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, then went right to The Wall.  Now it looks like they're not even going to bother coming back to it.

[The Letter M]

For the record, I actually do like the new Pink Floyd album! (So yes, I'll eat my words which I made a few months ago before I understood what this album was all about) I'm a huge fan of the Ummagumma/Pompeii-era, so I totally "get it" (and I assume many of their more mainstream fans will not...)
Hey, this is merely my humble opinion as a fan and no need to make headlines or a "press release" out of it!!! (But of course, now that I've said something "positive" about the album, nobody will notice anyways! Hahaha!!)

-Marc.

[Dark Castle]

For the record, I actually do like the new Pink Floyd album! (So yes, I'll eat my words which I made a few months ago before I understood what this album was all about) I'm a huge fan of the Ummagumma/Pompeii-era, so I totally "get it" (and I assume many of their more mainstream fans will not...)
Hey, this is merely my humble opinion as a fan and no need to make headlines or a "press release" out of it!!! (But of course, now that I've said something "positive" about the album, nobody will notice anyways! Hahaha!!)

-Marc.

That quote reeks of Tate level douchery.

[KevShmev]

This saddens me.  Animals is my favorite, and they completely skipped over it.  They did Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, then went right to The Wall.  Now it looks like they're not even going to bother coming back to it.

Even though a good chunk of Animals was written around the time of WYWH, I suspect they view Animals as part of the Waters-dominated era, which doesn't interest them as much for obvious reasons.  The Wall they obviously did cause it's iconic and they recognize it as such, but nothing from Animals or The Final Cut was ever played by Pink Floyd or Gilmour solo since Waters left the band.  In short, it's not nearly as popular as the other three from the classic era (1973-1979), except with diehard fans, and they might not even be aware of that, so they probably don't think interest for it is high.

[jammindude]

This saddens me.  Animals is my favorite, and they completely skipped over it.  They did Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, then went right to The Wall.  Now it looks like they're not even going to bother coming back to it.

Even though a good chunk of Animals was written around the time of WYWH, I suspect they view Animals as part of the Waters-dominated era, which doesn't interest them as much for obvious reasons.  The Wall they obviously did cause it's iconic and they recognize it as such, but nothing from Animals or The Final Cut was ever played by Pink Floyd or Gilmour solo since Waters left the band.  In short, it's not nearly as popular as the other three from the classic era (1973-1979), except with diehard fans, and they might not even be aware of that, so they probably don't think interest for it is high.

OTOH, Gilmore has gone on record as defending the album *against* it being a "Waters dominated" album.    Specifically, he says that since Dogs is 90% his, that's pretty much half the album....hence, he is responsible for half the Animals album. 

I think it's more likely that the one song he is responsible for (and presumably proud of) simply would take up too large of a chunk of the set. 

[Orbert]

For the record, I actually do like the new Pink Floyd album! (So yes, I'll eat my words which I made a few months ago before I understood what this album was all about) I'm a huge fan of the Ummagumma/Pompeii-era, so I totally "get it" (and I assume many of their more mainstream fans will not...)
Hey, this is merely my humble opinion as a fan and no need to make headlines or a "press release" out of it!!! (But of course, now that I've said something "positive" about the album, nobody will notice anyways! Hahaha!!)

-Marc.

That quote reeks of Tate level douchery.

Ah, yes and no.  The way I read it, Mike knows full well that basically everything he says will be pounced upon by the media, and he'd said something negative a while back about the new Floyd (I never saw it, but obviously something was said), and now he realizes that he was wrong and he likes it.  But he feels like he can't just say that; he has to explain it, and also explain why he's explaining it.  He's in such a no-win situation these days that I actually feel kinda sorry for him.

[GentlemanofDread]

If I recall correctly, he said that "this wasn't the true Pink Floyd and Pink Floyd was over in 1985"

[hefdaddy42]

He is in the "No Waters = No Floyd" camp, so he was against this entire project being titled Pink Floyd, IIRC.

[hefdaddy42]

I am having my first listen of The Endless River.  Wow, this is gorgeous.

[Elite]

I am having my first listen of The Endless River.  Wow, this is gorgeous.

This. Received it in the mail this morning. I'm having coffee and I'm listening to it as I'm typing. No shower or breakfast yet. Need to keep listening. Wow.

And it feels like it's all one long track. Why the need to cut it up into 18 separate tracks? (I'm only about halfway though, so don't quote me on this )

[hefdaddy42]

Just amazing.  The wait has been worth it, IMHO.

[Orbert]

I am having my first listen of The Endless River.  Wow, this is gorgeous.

This. Received it in the mail this morning. I'm having coffee and I'm listening to it as I'm typing. No shower or breakfast yet. Need to keep listening. Wow.

And it feels like it's all one long track. Why the need to cut it up into 18 separate tracks? (I'm only about halfway though, so don't quote me on this )

It's all like that.  It's meant to flow, like a river, but presumably David wanted to also preserve the identities of the individual bits that went into it.  Even though it all flows very nicely, you can hear where different sections start and end.

[GentlemanofDread]

Couple of A Saucerful of Secrets things I found out about recentally.

https://katewillaert.tumblr.com/post/64030238520/theres-an-image-of-dr-strange-hidden-on-the

While promoting 2014's The Endless River, band member Nick Mason said this is his favourite of the Pink Floyd studio albums. “I think there are ideas contained there that we have continued to use all the way through our career,” he says. “I think [it] was a quite good way of marking Syd [Barrett]’s departure and Dave [Gilmour]’s arrival. It’s rather nice to have it on one record, where you get both things. It’s a cross-fade rather than a cut.”

[hefdaddy42]

That's cool about Dr. Strange.  I never knew that.

[devieira73]

I liked the album very much... but, IMO and I'm not that much into "atmospheric" music - I admit - I think the album would be PERFECT with only the following songs, like this:
01 - Side 1, Pt. 2 It's What We Do
02 - Side 1, Pt. 3 Ebb And Flow
03 - Side 2, Pt. 1 Sum
04 - Side 2, Pt. 2 Skins
05 - Side 2, Pt. 4 Anisina
06 - Side 3, Pt. 4 Allons-y (1)
07 - Side 3, Pt. 5 Autumn '68
08 - Side 3, Pt. 6 Allons-y (2)
09 - Side 3, Pt. 7 Talkin' Hawkin'
10 - Side 4, Pt. 2 Eyes To Pearls
11 - Side 4, Pt. 3 Surfacing
12 - Side 4, Pt. 4 Louder Than Words
13 - Nervana (as a bonus track, it's very different from the rest, but very cool)

[Progmetty]

Thought it was too early to give a solid opinion but I wanna join the discussion!
So the Tuesday before last I went into a store, went to a shelf and grabbed a new Pink Floyd CD, double checked my cellphone to make sure it's not the 70's, called my dad in Egypt -who was asleep cause it's 8 hours ahead- and told him "I am buying the new Pink Floyd album", now I've accomplished everything he's done
I had no big expectations, I was just glad I'd be able to say I bought a new PF album the day it came out, but surprisingly I liked this album a lot, highly against the odds since it's made out of leftovers of an album that had zero appeal to me.
I heard a lot of old Floyd on this album and it was kinda fun in a weird way since it would sneak up on me and escape just as fast before I could put my hand on what it sounds like, I feel like I've heard faint hints of Welcome to The Machine, Comfortably Numb, One of These Days, Us & Them and others, I could be crazy.
I definitely like the album better than AMLoR and Division Bell combined.

[Nel]

I listened to it finally. As a single album, it's just alright. As an epilogue to the band's work, it's great. I do wonder if it needed to be segmented into a bunch of minute and a half tracks though, since quite a few of these come off as one long, continues jam section. Favorite bit is the Allons-Y (1) > Autumn '68 > Allons-y (2) sequence. Rock out to a sweet Floyd groove, calm down for a church-esque thing, kick back into high gear. Love it. And I will admit, Louder Than Words is a bit... jarring? It's a nice tune in its own right, and I like the little callbacks to High Hopes with the bells at the start, but once Gilmour starts singing, the tone of the album changes completely. Kind of takes you out of the natural high of the album and feels a bit tacked on.

[Moonchild]

Louder than Words sounds just like "On an island", it's like putting a Load song in the end of Master of Puppets. So, yes very off-putting. I guess the record company wanted some complete song to go start selling the album, but I think they chose the wrong one. Perhaps Anisina or Talking Hawkin'.

[gazinwales]

I finally picked up the new album today, got the CD/BR box, and I also picked up remasters of AMLOR and TDB, all with 20% off.
The new album I am loving it's just so beautiful and so sad at the same time.
Knowing that this is the end of the band and also RW sawansong.
I like how it all flows and it's all very atmospheric, emotional and panoramic at the same time.

What a superb and fitting farewell.

[Azyiu]

I finally picked up the new album today, got the CD/BR box, and I also picked up remasters of AMLOR and TDB, all with 20% off.
The new album I am loving it's just so beautiful and so sad at the same time.
Knowing that this is the end of the band and also RW sawansong.
I like how it all flows and it's all very atmospheric, emotional and panoramic at the same time.

What a superb and fitting farewell.

I too got the Cd+Bluray edition. What a lovely packaging! I can tell those guys were mostly just jamming on this album, but man, that stuff still rocks! 

[gazinwales]

A nice interview with DG, from a few years back.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/player/p00937ls

[bosk1]

Saw a cool Floyd tribute band, The Pink Floyd Experience last week.  They did a tour called "4 sides of Floyd" where the set list mainly revolved around playing one "side" from each of 4 classic Floyd albums, with a few other tunes mixed in.  Pretty good show.  The "sides" were from Animals, Wish You Were Here, Meddle, and Dark Side. 

Set list:

In the Flesh?
Pigs (Three Different Ones)
Sheep
Pigs on the Wing 2
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
Have a Cigar
Wish You Were Here
Shine On You Crazy Diamond (VI-IX)
--
Echoes
Hey You
Money
Us and Them
Brain Damage
Eclipse
--
One of These Days
Comfortably Numb
Run Like Hell (with Another Brick In the Wall, pt. 2 excerpt)

All in all, really good show.  There is another big tribute band that plays up here called House of Floyd that I prefer, but I really enjoyed this show.  And the set was pretty creative as well.

[JayOctavarium]

You should check out Which One's Pink?. IDK if they venture up north as far as you but down in LA they are THE Pink Floyd tribute band to go see.