Culture
17 Jan 10
08 Feb 10
Barrett’s the rock astronomer
boating the Cam’s lime green spine,
wristing downriver like a water-boatman
listening to voices, his schizophrenia
big in the mix
like invasive radio.
…
Echoing slide. It’s paranoia synthesised –
their moon trip – dark side in reverse.
Barrett’s still running through a corridor
As undertow, a brain damaged psycho.
The music road maps inner space.
It’s like a river knocking at the door.
Jeremy Reed, ‘Brain Damage: a short history of the Pink Floyd’, West End Survival Kit.
It’s out there somewhere, while the London rain
slashes the light-polluted scuzz,
wacks down fried leaves, keeps me inside
this rainy, orange October day,
retrieving the Floyd’s mission to locate
the alien in the psychopath.
Outside my window a wet jay
jabs at a red berry gash.
I go out on their dimension,
beamed by the music’s escalating curve,
back to my youth and Apollo
cargoing human hardware to the moon –
their weighted boots grating on dust,
Pink Floyd the terrestrial soundtrack
to space conquest, a white plateau
opening out to three astronauts
learning by hesitant degrees to trust.
Jeremy Reed, ‘Wish You Were Here’, West End Survival Kit.
Excerpted from:
http://www.ballardian.com/review-jeremy-reeds-west-end-survival-kit
09 Feb 10
Originally posted by rwingettI am a big Floyd fan and have read much about them and tend to agree with rw. As much-praised as Piper at the Gates of Dawn was (by Rolling Stone magazine), the psychedelic era Floyd just didn't have the staying power had Syd not stepped into that bar in Spain and only come ot with half of his brain cells in tact. By moving toward progrtessive (or whatever yterm is approriate these days), tyhey made the smartest move possible. Saucerful of Secrets had a couple of good hooks, but it was Meddle that put them on the map.
Pink Floyd had barely gotten started when Syd left. If they had disbanded at that time they would have been almost completely forgotten. Their fame and financial success came primarily during the post Barrett years. Gilmour's shameless clinging to the Pink Floyd name was an attempt to keep milking that cow for all it was worth. Experience had shown him that ...[text shortened]... nt for Barrett. The person with the least claim to the Pink Floyd name, therefore, is Gilmour.
In a non-commercial vein, I think they were the BEST at soundtracks. My favorite sopng is "Wots, Uh...the Deal?" from Obscured by Clouds. Second would be the outtake "Country Song" from Zabriskie Point. My favorite album is the More soundtrack. And I would be hard-pressed to pick a better single side of vinyl than the one containing Waters' "If", Wright's "Summer of '68" and Gilmour's "Fat Old Sun". (Echoes would be a close second there. Some songs that rarely get airplay that should include "Embryo", Grantchester Meadows", and "Not Now John." My tastes obviously tend to the "pastoral" tunes, and I do believe Waters was the superior lyricist, but the Rick and Dave could and did write some great songs as well. My favorite solo work would have to be Amused to Death and Mihalis, and The Body soundtrack had it's moments. Finally, of the dinosuar period, once they became platinum monsters, Dark Side, and The Wall were masterworks. I was less than taken with Animals and Final Cut. Wish You Were Here, the title cut and Have A Cigar were terrific, but the rest were lesser lights. As for Momentary Lapse, Division Bell, and the live stuff, only One Slip stands out for me. And that little indy film from Australia--the Committee, where Floyd supplied some musical backing, was an oddity but not something I'd put on a greatest hits album. Anmd so, the definitive top 10 Floyd songs are.....opening the envelpo}...
What's Uh...The Deal?
Country Song
Cirrus Minor
Echoes
Wish You Were Here
Cymbaline
Grantchester Meadows
Embryo
A Pillow of Winds
If
09 Feb 10
Originally posted by PinkFloydI have to put my vote in for 'Time'.
I am a big Floyd fan and have read much about them and tend to agree with rw. As much-praised as Piper at the Gates of Dawn was (by Rolling Stone magazine), the psychedelic era Floyd just didn't have the staying power had Syd not stepped into that bar in Spain and only come ot with half of his brain cells in tact. By moving toward progrtessive (or whatev ...[text shortened]... re Here
Cymbaline
Grantchester Meadows
Embryo
A Pillow of Winds
If
13 Feb 10
Originally posted by expuddlepirateTime is indeed a great song. For some reason, the intro is the only part I don't like (maybe in my old age, the peace-shattering sound of dozens of clocks chiming at once disturbs me 🙂 ), but the music and especially the lyrics are some of the best. "Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way" has always been one of my favorite of all their lyrics.
I have to put my vote in for 'Time'.
13 Feb 10
Originally posted by expuddlepirateThe soundtrack for the film "More" is my favorite studio album by Pink Floyd. I like all of their stuff, and of course DSotM and The Wall were great and get most of the glory. But I find I'm more drawn (in my old age) to their more obscure stuff: UmmaGumma, songs from Zabriskie Point and La Vallee, pretty much anything between the departure of Syd's whimsical psychedelia and Meddle. The "space rock" they improvised at the BBC as the Apollo module landed on the moon in 1969 was sublime. Mellow, thy name is Floyd. 😉
How many on here are Pink Floyd fans and what is your favorite work by them?
14 Feb 10
Originally posted by PinkFloydHave you ever seen or heard of "Dark Side of Oz" ?
Time is indeed a great song. For some reason, the intro is the only part I don't like (maybe in my old age, the peace-shattering sound of dozens of clocks chiming at once disturbs me 🙂 ), but the music and especially the lyrics are some of the best. "Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way" has always been one of my favorite of all their lyrics.
20 Feb 10
Originally posted by expuddlepirateI've never seen a documentary studying the supposed link betweek DSotM and the movie "The Wizard of Oz", but along with thousands of others of my generation, I've watched Oz with the volume barely audible (and even muted once) while playing the album to look for any links, real or imagined. It didn't impress me. If Floyd were really trying to make their opus coincide to the most dramatic points in Wizard of Oz, I think they missed by a mile.
Have you ever seen or heard of "Dark Side of Oz" ?
Now, as for backward masking---now that is NOT bogus! 😉
20 Feb 10
Originally posted by PinkFloydI remember reading that PF and Kubrick did work on a sync between one of the albums and 2001: A Space Oddessy. But again that may be an urban legend.
I've never seen a documentary studying the supposed link betweek DSotM and the movie "The Wizard of Oz", but along with thousands of others of my generation, I've watched Oz with the volume barely audible (and even muted once) while playing the album to look for any links, real or imagined. It didn't impress me. If Floyd were really trying to make their ...[text shortened]... think they missed by a mile.
Now, as for backward masking---now that is NOT bogus! 😉
23 Feb 10
1 edit
Originally posted by PinkFloydDefinitive top 10 PF songs, IMO, no particular order:
I am a big Floyd fan and have read much about them and tend to agree with rw. As much-praised as Piper at the Gates of Dawn was (by Rolling Stone magazine), the psychedelic era Floyd just didn't have the staying power had Syd not stepped into that bar in Spain and only come ot with half of his brain cells in tact. By moving toward progrtessive (or whatev re Here
Cymbaline
Grantchester Meadows
Embryo
A Pillow of Winds
If
Astronomy Domine
Fearless
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
Echoes
Money
Time
Wish You Were Here
Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Comfortably Numb
Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2
25 Feb 10
Originally posted by expuddlepirateKubrick asked for the right to use PF music in 2001, but was denied. Some documents claim that Roger Waters always regretted this, as all members of the band were big fans of A C Clarke, and I know that later, Clarke hosted a documentary on Fractals, for which Floyd did the soundtrack.
I remember reading that PF and Kubrick did work on a sync between one of the albums and 2001: A Space Oddessy. But again that may be an urban legend.
25 Feb 10
Originally posted by epiphinehasagreed---excellent picks. Fearless often gets short shrift, but is a fine song.
Definitive top 10 PF songs, IMO, no particular order:
Astronomy Domine
Fearless
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
Echoes
Money
Time
Wish You Were Here
Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Comfortably Numb
Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2
26 Feb 10
Originally posted by PinkFloydMind you, I don't think these are necessarily the most interesting Floyd songs, just the most definitive, IMO. I like your list; there are many brilliant yet obscure selections I am more fond of than what I would consider "definitively Floyd".
agreed---excellent picks. Fearless often gets short shrift, but is a fine song.