Music Pink Floyd

[Hantwo]

Inside out - by nick mason is an awesome read

Favourite songs final cut or mother

 

[balaks]

Dave Gilmore's voice gives me goosebumps and his guitar playing is absolutely sublime.

 

[Sarni]

Surprised to not see Animals get a shoutout. It’s a masterpiece to me and has more of a rock n roll vibe than Dark Side. The solos in Dogs are beautiful and so well placed. Pigs is just a mean song, and cuts deep. And I love the transition from vocal notes to guitar in Sheep. Felt like experiencing a 5 act opera, that album. Great to listen to while peaking, but not on the comeup.

I love Animals. My favorite album by them.

Still can’t get over how amazing that sounded last night. Spectacular.

 

[Tommy]

Apart from The Wall being one of the most overrated albums I've ever heard & pretty much everything after Waters left easy to consider irrelevant, they're still one of my biggest influences.

Top albums would be DSotM, Animals, WYWH/Meddle, in that order.

 

[Flying_Heckfish]

Echoes is epic on many levels. Great Gig is the tune I always play whenever I get new audio gear, beautiful stuff.

 

[Kearnkoff69]

Echoes is epic on many levels. Great Gig is the tune I always play whenever I get new audio gear, beautiful stuff.

Echoes is one of the more underrated songs of theirs, in my opinion. If you're a fan, the Live at Pompeii version is incredible. Between the even more drawn out jam and the spookiness of the visuals, it's a real trip. Agreed on Great Gig, as well. That song is the emotional peak of the album - it never fails to give me goosebumps.

 

[Ainu]

See, I totally disagree with your final statement. For me, the only reason Floyd hit the heights they did was because Syd left and Waters took over. Their run from Dark Side to The Wall was when Waters influence was greatest and the period that elevated them to all time greats.

I don’t think that Syd really fitted in with what made Floyd a truly great band. There’s a documentary on the making of Wish You Were Here and one of the soul singers they used said that Motown was a tough school but Floyd were the most demanding and meticulous musicians she ever worked with.

Syd was flighty and his music off the cuff. I don’t see him fitting in with the Waters era when they were hitting everything bang on. That wasn’t an accident, they worked incredibly hard in every aspect of their music and were ahead of their time in many regards. Syd didn’t fit in with that life so I can’t envision how he could been a part of the Floyd machine at their peak.

I think I have to agree with this. As much as I love Piper and Syd's weirdness on that album, I see it as a completely separate band. I don't really see how Syd's style would've been compatible with stuff like Meddle. I wish Syd had given us more but not at the cost of what Pink Floyd would later become.

Echoes is one of the more underrated songs of theirs, in my opinion. If you're a fan, the Live at Pompeii version is incredible. Between the even more drawn out jam and the spookiness of the visuals, it's a real trip. Agreed on Great Gig, as well. That song is the emotional peak of the album - it never fails to give me goosebumps.

Underrated, really? Pretty much every Pink Floyd fan I know has it among their favourite songs, if not the outright favourite. It's certainly mine, just the first "ping" is enough to send me on a trip.

 

[squiggle]

See, I totally disagree with your final statement. For me, the only reason Floyd hit the heights they did was because Syd left and Waters took over. Their run from Dark Side to The Wall was when Waters influence was greatest and the period that elevated them to all time greats.

I don’t think that Syd really fitted in with what made Floyd a truly great band. There’s a documentary on the making of Wish You Were Here and one of the soul singers they used said that Motown was a tough school but Floyd were the most demanding and meticulous musicians she ever worked with.

Syd was flighty and his music off the cuff. I don’t see him fitting in with the Waters era when they were hitting everything bang on. That wasn’t an accident, they worked incredibly hard in every aspect of their music and were ahead of their time in many regards. Syd didn’t fit in with that life so I can’t envision how he could been a part of the Floyd machine at their peak.

If Syd had stayed they'd probably either have split after a few years and reformed as another band or he'd have gone his own way, that's true. But in that time I think their albums would have been among the best anyone made.

His way of working would have eventually collided with the Waters/Mason way of working (less so with Wright/Gilmour) but I think too much is sometimes made of the difference between his songs and those of the others in the post-Syd, pre-DSotM period. Their different methods could have been very productive for a while.
The solo Barrett songs (especially on Madcap) are much more roughly recorded than the Floyd songs of the same years but that was more a result more of his sickness than a fundamental wish to record that way. The producers were trying to get the songs any way they could.

If you put, say, a third of the Madcap songs on More and two thirds on Ummagumma they work well, apart from the different styles of recording, and fill up the spaces left by the lesser tracks. Ummagumma could be up there with The White Album and Exile on Main St.

And split the best songs from Barrett between Atom Heart Mother and Meddle (almost any of them would be less out of place than 'Seamus'). Syd would have been exasperated by the recording of Atom Heart Mother's title track (and was - he visited them during the recording) but that might have been for the better, and the second side fits in very well with what he was doing.

I doubt they'd have sold less, given Syd's knack for a catchy tune, and they'd have been great albums. Even if they hadn't been big sellers they'd have been great - a bit like the Beach Boys albums when Brian Wilson was still a contributing member, though not touring, and the others were developing, or had developed, as songwriters (Friends, Sunflower, Surf's Up). Floyd wanted Syd to stay like that. (Rick Wright considered leaving with him.)

Of course, the best thing would have been if Syd had asked his old friend David to join early on, taking some of the pressure off him, and remained healthy. A healthy five-member Floyd from 'Arnold Layne' to at least Meddle.

But then it also comes down to a matter of taste. For me Floyd declined musically after Wish You Were Here, although I still like individual songs.

Edit: But even if the pressure on Syd had been lessened he might not have continued. Schizophrenia is often bandied about with regard to what happend to him but then it usually is when mental illness is involved. The best Barrett biography suggests temporal lobe epilepsy but no-one can say now. Even if he'd remained healthy he might have become a painter, as was his other ambition.

 

[Kearnkoff69]

Underrated, really? Pretty much every Pink Floyd fan I know has it among their favourite songs, if not the outright favourite. It's certainly mine, just the first "ping" is enough to send me on a trip.

Funny, where I'm from (and especially in this day and age) I'd say Echoes is vastly underrated. I've never heard it on the radio in the last 15 years even on classic rock stations, and I'd say the great majority of people who know Pink Floyd but aren't true fans know either The Wall or DSoTM but haven't heard of WYWH or Meddle. It could absolutely be a regional thing, to be honest. Just funny to have such different experiences. I've always been the guy crusading for Echoes and Shine On You Crazy Diamond/Welcome to the Machine amongst my group of friends.

 

[sallycinnamin]

Favorite song of theirs is : Take it back.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

If Syd had stayed they'd probably either have split after a few years and reformed as another band or he'd have gone his own way, that's true. But in that time I think their albums would have been among the best anyone made.

His way of working would have eventually collided with the Waters/Mason way of working (less so with Wright/Gilmour) but I think too much issometimes made of the difference between his songs and those of the others in the post-Syd, pre-DSotM period. Their different methods could have been very productive for a while.
The solo Barrett songs (especially on Madcap) are much more roughly recorded than the Floyd songs of the same years but that was more a result more of his sickness than a fundamental wish to record that way. The producers were trying to get the songs any way they could.

If you put, say, a third of the Madcap songs on More and two thirds on Ummagumma they work well, apart from the different styles of recording, and fill up the spaces left by the lesser tracks. Ummagumma could be up there with The White Album and Exile on Main St.

And split the best songs from Barrett between Atom Heart Mother and Meddle (almost any of them would be less out of place than 'Seamus'). Syd would have been exasperated by the recording of Atom Heart Mother's title track (and was - he visited them during the recording) but that might have been for the better, and the second side fits in very well with what he was doing.

I doubt they'd have sold less, given Syd's knack for a catchy tune, and they'd have been great albums. Even if they hadn't been big sellers they'd have been great - a bit like the Beach Boys albums when Brian Wilson was still a contributing member, though not touring, and the others were developing, or had developed, as songwriters (Friends, Sunflower, Surf's Up). Floyd wanted Syd to stay like that. (Rick Wright considered leaving with him.)

Of course, the best thing would have been if Syd had asked his old friend David to join early on, taking some of the pressure off him, and remained healthy. A healthy five-member Floyd from 'Arnold Layne' to at least Meddle.

But then it also comes down to a matter of taste. For me Floyd declined musically after Wish You Were Here, although I still like individual songs.

Edit: But even if the pressure on Syd had been lessened he might not have continued. Schizophrenia is often bandied about with regard to what happend to him but then it usually is when mental illness is involved. The best Barrett biography suggests temporal lobe epilepsy but no-one can say now. Even if he'd remained healthy he might have become a painter, as was his other ambition.

It is a matter of taste in that some people do like the Syd Barrett era better, they were less pretentious then, more pop in many ways. I don't think it is really arguable that the Water's era was what really defined Floyd's greatness, however. My opinion is that Syd wouldn't have fitted into that era or even that it wouldn't have happened full stop if he was in the band still. We'll just have to agree to disagree on that.

My favourite Floyd tracks are: Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, Echoes (Live at Pompeii), Welcome to the Machine (amazing early synth work), Time, Shine on you Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-5), Dogs, Mother, Hey You and Nobody Home.

I really like The Wall in its entirety too, the whole overblown concept and show! I went to the Wall live in 2013 (I think) it was amazing. Hands down the best concert I've ever been too. Waters is just a crazy intense guy. I'm gutted that I missed this set of shows as I completely missed them. I'm massively impressed by Waters's indefatigableness. The guy is 74 and has been doing absolute mammoth tours for the past 5 years!

I think Waters's Amused to Death is the best post The Wall album from Floyd or any former floyd member. Jeff Beck on guitar duty too.

 

[Green_Red]

Hard to look past Dark Side of The Moon or The Wall as their strongest albums. I know people will argue that the Syd Barret stuff is the best stuff creatively but I think The Wall and DSOTM are the band at their peak musically.

have seen Roger Waters three times live (In The Flesh, Dark Side of The Moon Anniversary and The Wall live tours) and every time he has blown me away. Never played for less than 3 hours and the musicians and visuals involved were just amazing.

For best songs, too many to mention but currently 'The Final Cut', 'Great Gig in the Sky', 'Pillow of Winds', 'Pigs on the Wing pt 1&2'.

I'd have to add Wish You Were Here to that list. I know plenty of people that think Division Bell is up there too.

 

[sullydnl]

Apart from The Wall being one of the most overrated albums I've ever heard & pretty much everything after Waters left easy to consider irrelevant, they're still one of my biggest influences.

Top albums would be DSotM, Animals, WYWH/Meddle, in that order.

So much this.

 

[Green_Red]

Apart from The Wall being one of the most overrated albums I've ever heard & pretty much everything after Waters left easy to consider irrelevant, they're still one of my biggest influences.

Top albums would be DSotM, Animals, WYWH/Meddle, in that order.

Isn't in the top 3 selling albums of all time?

 

[Mrs Smoker]

Isn't in the top 3 selling albums of all time?

Not that one. Dark Side of the Moon is one of the best selling albums ever. If not the best selling one.

The Wall still sold a bazillion or so.

 

[Green_Red]

Not that one. Dark Side of the Moon is one of the best selling albums ever. If not the best selling one.

The Wall still sold a bazillion or so.

1. Thriller
2. Back to Black
3. Dark Side of the Moon

you win...

Thriller is a beast!

 

[Classical Mechanic]

The Wall sold 19m. Waters's The Wall tour of a few years ago was the highest grossing tour in history. He also got to perform it at the Berlin Wall when it came down.

 

[Tommy]

1. Thriller
2. Back to Black
3. Dark Side of the Moon

you win...

Thriller is a beast!

Off The Wall > Thriller, but that's for another thread

So much this.

*High five* Quadrophenia is a much better album for me. The Wall has some killer highlights, though - Hell, you can argue that the highlights on The Wall outdo anything on WYWH or DSotM, but they're just better albums for me. DSotM with the lights off & no distractions from start to end is an absolute experience.

 

[squiggle]

It is a matter of taste in that some people do like the Syd Barrett era better, they were less pretentious then, more pop in many ways. I don't think it is really arguable that the Water's era was what really defined Floyd's greatness, however. My opinion is that Syd wouldn't have fitted into that era or even that it wouldn't have happened full stop if he was in the band still. We'll just have to agree to disagree on that.

My favourite Floyd tracks are: Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, Echoes (Live at Pompeii), Welcome to the Machine (amazing early synth work), Time, Shine on you Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-5), Dogs, Mother, Hey You and Nobody Home.

I really like The Wall in its entirety too, the whole overblown concept and show! I went to the Wall live in 2013 (I think) it was amazing. Hands down the best concert I've ever been too. Waters is just a crazy intense guy. I'm gutted that I missed this set of shows as I completely missed them. I'm massively impressed by Waters's indefatigableness. The guy is 74 and has been doing absolute mammoth tours for the past 5 years!

I think Waters's Amused to Death is the best post The Wall album from Floyd or any former floyd member. Jeff Beck on guitar duty too.

I’m definitely not one of those Barrett fans who dismisses anything post-Syd. I think Waters, Wright and Gilmour all wrote wonderful songs, although I think the Wright-Barrett/Wright-Gimour sound was at the heart of what made them great and they declined after Rick was sidelined. The Wall doesn’t really interest me as a whole, although I love some songs. I don’t have any problem with Roger Waters (apart from his support for fox-hunting); he reminds of others like Lou Reed and (pre-UKIPer) Morrissey in that he just isn’t very good at relationships.

As a writer I’m fascinated by Syd’s lyrics - the vivid images taking ever less predictable turns as time went on. Where talent ends and illness begins who can say? When people talk about him when he was young they often talk in terms of happiness and light (‘you shone like the sun’) and that seems appropriate to what he wrote.

Had they finished in 1968 they’d still have been one of the key influences on Marc Bolan and David Bowie and others of the next generation and been mentioned alongside The Stooges and The Velvet Underground.

But after Syd they were great again.

 

[lewwoo]

Probably not a popular choice but the division bell is my favourite album. I love Gilmours voice and i think the whole album flows so well musically. Particular favourites 'coming back to life' 'take it back' and 'poles apart'.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

I’m definitely not one of those Barrett fans who dismisses anything post-Syd. I think Waters, Wright and Gilmour all wrote wonderful songs, although I think the Wright-Barrett/Wright-Gimour sound was at the heart of what made them great and they declined after Rick was sidelined. The Wall doesn’t really interest me as a whole, although I love some songs. I don’t have any problem with Roger Waters (apart from his support for fox-hunting); he reminds of others like Lou Reed and (pre-UKIPer) Morrissey in that he just isn’t very good at relationships.

As a writer I’m fascinated by Syd’s lyrics - the vivid images taking ever less predictable turns as time went on. Where talent ends and illness begins who can say? When people talk about him when he was young they often talk in terms of happiness and light (‘you shone like the sun’) and that seems appropriate to what he wrote.

Had they finished in 1968 they’d still have been one of the key influences on Marc Bolan and David Bowie and others of the next generation and been mentioned alongside The Stooges and The Velvet Underground.

But after Syd they were great again.

By the same token I wouldn't dismiss the Syd era Floyd. As you say, he was a massive influence on many major acts that came after, not least David Bowie.

 

[Ainu]

Funny, where I'm from (and especially in this day and age) I'd say Echoes is vastly underrated. I've never heard it on the radio in the last 15 years even on classic rock stations, and I'd say the great majority of people who know Pink Floyd but aren't true fans know either The Wall or DSoTM but haven't heard of WYWH or Meddle. It could absolutely be a regional thing, to be honest. Just funny to have such different experiences. I've always been the guy crusading for Echoes and Shine On You Crazy Diamond/Welcome to the Machine amongst my group of friends.

If you mean the general public, then yeah I agree. Usually people don't know much beyond Dark Side of the Moon or The Wall. But I was referring to actual Pink Floyd fans.

 

[Kearnkoff69]

If you mean the general public, then yeah I agree. Usually people don't know much beyond Dark Side of the Moon or The Wall. But I was referring to actual Pink Floyd fans.

Gotcha. Just a misunderstanding, it seems. Regardless, Echoes is definitely a masterpiece (if it were any other artist it would be considered their magnum opus). The Live at Pompeii version is burned into my brain. I wish I had been alive when they were in their heyday - seeing them live would have been amazing.

 

[SwansonsTache]

My absolute favourite by Pink Floyd.

 

[AllezLesDiables]

Always been Meddle for me. DSotM suffers from being too perfect if that makes any sense.

 

[SirAF]

I thought Snake Piss was back for a second!

 

[Pagh Wraith]

Almost every album up to Animals is a 10/10. Best band of all time for me. Never really like The Wall though.

 

[esmufc07]

Probably my favourite version of Comfortably Numb. The solo is just immense.

 

[Loublaze]

I love Animals. My favorite album by them.

Still can’t get over how amazing that sounded last night. Spectacular.

I listened to it last night and some other Pink Flyod material. Sounded really amazing, was intoxicated as well.

 

[spwd]

Probably my favourite version of Comfortably Numb. The solo is just immense.

Christ, nearly ten minutes long, do they do this on purpose, apart from the guitaring I just, well I cant actually believe anyone likes this shit. The Scissor Sisters version is 100 times better than that crap. I watched that to see if I could understand why you lot like them but it was so fecking slow I gave up at 3.30, cant believe there’s another 6 minutes after that, did they all fall sleep but left the cameras on ?

 

[Classical Mechanic]

Christ, nearly ten minutes long, do they do this on purpose, apart from the guitaring I just, well I cant actually believe anyone likes this shit. The Scissor Sisters version is 100 times better than that crap. I watched that to see if I could understand why you lot like them but it was so fecking slow I gave up at 3.30, cant believe there’s another 6 minutes after that, did they all fall sleep but left the cameras on ?

A loose definition of 'prog' is that it progresses beyond the basic repetitive structures that form pop music: compositionally, instrumentally and through lyrical themes. You often get a lot of gradual building with an eventual crescendo or pay-off. The crescendo in Comfortably Numb is definitely the guitar solo.

I listened to it last night and some other Pink Flyod material. Sounded really amazing, was intoxicated as well.

Its great stoner music no question: Shine on you Crazy Diamond and Echoes are amazing tracks to smoke and relax to. Dark Side of the Moon is one of the greatest stoner albums of all time.

 

[Tincanalley]

Very high standard contributions here. Love the Syd era stuff. Set the controls, Umma Gumma. EMS Synthi + hallucinogens + rock n roll gone wrong. Can’t stand The Wall; where Waters’ thinness as a lyricist/ideas man suddenly appeared.

DSotM is a masterpiece. I love it as much now as when I heard it first, gifted by an unappreciative previous owner. Highlights: Us & Them, Time, Great Gig in the Sky.
Huge influence on my life. Thanks lads.

 

[esmufc07]

Christ, nearly ten minutes long, do they do this on purpose, apart from the guitaring I just, well I cant actually believe anyone likes this shit. The Scissor Sisters version is 100 times better than that crap. I watched that to see if I could understand why you lot like them but it was so fecking slow I gave up at 3.30, cant believe there’s another 6 minutes after that, did they all fall sleep but left the cameras on ?

I'm speechless

 

[Loublaze]

A loose definition of 'prog' is that it progresses beyond the basic repetitive structures that form pop music: compositionally, instrumentally and through lyrical themes. You often get a lot of gradual building with an eventual crescendo or pay-off. The crescendo in Comfortably Numb is definitely the guitar solo.



Its great stoner music no question: Shine on you Crazy Diamond and Echoes are amazing tracks to smoke and relax to. Dark Side of the Moon is one of the greatest stoner albums of all time.

Oh no doubt! I also have a great time with some of their earlier songs like See Emily play, Mother Matilda and Remember a day. These songs are worthy of more mention in this respect.

 

[spwd]

I'm speechless

So was I when I listened to that.

 

[esmufc07]

So was I when I listened to that.

You clearly have no taste.

 

[Verminator]

Christ, nearly ten minutes long, do they do this on purpose, apart from the guitaring I just, well I cant actually believe anyone likes this shit. The Scissor Sisters version is 100 times better than that crap. I watched that to see if I could understand why you lot like them but it was so fecking slow I gave up at 3.30, cant believe there’s another 6 minutes after that, did they all fall sleep but left the cameras on ?

This is akin to saying Paul Scholes was awful and you'd prefer Djemba Djemba.
Kudos for non-conformity, even in the face of appearing ridiculous.

 

[Minkaro]

I like the Scissor Sisters version (sorry, but I do) but Pink Floyd's is a masterpiece.

I just hope Spwd never finds out about the likes of Mike Oldfield and his 20+ minute long songs.

 

[balaks]

Christ, nearly ten minutes long, do they do this on purpose, apart from the guitaring I just, well I cant actually believe anyone likes this shit. The Scissor Sisters version is 100 times better than that crap. I watched that to see if I could understand why you lot like them but it was so fecking slow I gave up at 3.30, cant believe there’s another 6 minutes after that, did they all fall sleep but left the cameras on ?

You... you do not have good taste.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

I like the Scissor Sisters version (sorry, but I do) but Pink Floyd's is a masterpiece.

I just hope Spwd never finds out about the likes of Mike Oldfield and his 20+ minute long songs.

Or Meshuggah's Catch ThirtyThree, 13 songs that make up 45 minutes of continuous music in the extreme progressive metal style.