Poles Apart
Should Pink Floyd stay dead?
|
Pink Floyd should stay home 
Recently it was brought to my attention that Pink Floyd had not toured in nine years. And I thought "Wow, has it really been nine years since I saw them perform at Giants Stadium?". Yes, it in fact has been nine years since the Floyd last toured. And I'd like to keep it that way. Most people, especially diehard Pink Floyd fans, scratch their heads (or whatever else they have handy) at that very idea that I'd rather to see Pink Floyd stay home than go back out on the road. My reasoning is simple: why would I want to see a band perform if they aren't really interested in doing it? Let's face it: Gilmour and company are not interested in bringing Pink Floyd back. If they were, they would have gone back in the studio and started at one of the five points that Gilmour and Mason had said could be starting points for a new album--you know, all of those supposed leftovers from the Division Bell sessions? However, life has simply gotten in the way. Gilmour has re-married and has had four more children since 1995. Nick Mason continues to race cars, and Rick Wright, well, just doesn't care. I don't know about you, but if someone really doesn't want to do something, I don't want them doing it. The same thing applies here: if they truly don't want to do it, and are simply out there just to please the fans, I don't want them out here at all. Age isn't that much of a factor for me. Sure, Gilmour is two years younger then my own father, and I can't see him touring the world, singing and playing guitar every night for nine months straight. But then my father isn't a rock legend now, is he? As is shown on his recent DVD and acoustic performances, Gilmour can still play and sing. But can he really belt out "Sorrow" and "Time" the way they need to be belted out, night after night? I doubt it. Granted, it's just speculation on my part, but just call it a hunch. The other factor that some people refuse to take into consideration is how much time and energy this would require of them. Sure, all Gilmour has to do is show up at the stadium, walk up on stage and start to play, thanks to Phil Taylor, who will take care of everything from strings to wiring for Gilmour's rig. But Gilmour has gone on record saying the Floyd won't tour unless there's a new album to promote. He doesn't want Pink Floyd to become some old rock band who has nothing new to perform. That brings us back to these supposed five starting points for a possible new album. Back in the late 60s and early 70s Pink Floyd would produce, record and release a new album every year. After Dark Side of the Moon, however, the gaps between albums became increasingly wider. The Wall took over two years to make. The Final Cut wasn't released until four years after The Wall. A Momentary Lapse of Reason was four years after that, and The Division Bell took Anyone care to guess how long a new album would take these days? Gilmour could be 65 by the time it's all said and done. Heck, I could be 65 by the time it's all said and done. I have an image burned into my mind for the rest of my life about how great a Pink Floyd performance should be. 63-year-old men performing songs they really don't want to perform would do nothing but tarnish that image. I'd rather stay home and save my money. Maybe Pink Floyd should do the same. |
Pink Floyd should live forever 
Should Pink Floyd stay dead? Simple answer: No! Are you kidding me? Do we really have to think twice about this? Can you imagine a reunited Pink Floyd with Roger Waters in tow touring a new CD? How about a 7 night run at the Garden in New York City? I'm there! I'd pay whatever they asked to see that. Though I am one of the lucky ones who has seen the four Floyds together, I know there are countless others who have not. Let's ask them if Pink Floyd should "stay dead." First off, I have a problem with this question since I don't consider Pink Floyd dead in the first place! By no means are the Pink Floyd finished, and anyone who says they are doesn't know what they are talking about. Pink Floyd without Roger Waters are not dead, Roger Waters solo (which is just as much "Pink Floyd" as the David Gilmour trio) is certainly not dead, and don't think for a moment that Pink Floyd with Roger Waters is dead and buried. Old ex-bandmates never retire, they just creep back together. I firmly believe that the classic foursome of Waters-Gilmour-Mason-Wright will someday play together again. Although they certainly do not need to, it would be absolutely amazing to see if they did. Of all the classic albums they have produced, they have achieved greatness at least twice with Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. Who doesn't believe they don't have one more left in them? But the question isn't will they? but rather should they? Again, the simple answer is of course they shouldn't! And I'm absolutely positive that millions of others would agree. What a stupid question to ask. Think how fast those shows would sell out. And in today's times, with today's music scene the way it is, how beautiful would it be to see a Pink Floyd CD in the number one slot on the Billboard charts? Move over teeny-bopper bands! Make way for the dinosaur! Let's make no mistake about it, that's exactly where a reunited Floyd CD would shoot straight to... Number One. Who doesn't think Waters-Gilmour-Mason-Wright do not have another Dark Side or Wish You Were Here left in them? Who here doesn't want to see them try? Just as I thought: you all do. Amused To Death and The Division Bell are both great albums. So it is obvious they all have it still in them to produce great music. But just think of how good these albums would have sounded with all four working together on them. And to think there actually is at least one Floyd fan out there who would not want to see such a reunion. That Floyd should "stay dead". Bah! See a doctor! Get that checked out! Now this isn't to say that the only way for Pink Floyd to continue is as a reunited band. They seem to be doing just fine the way they are. Granted there isn't much work coming out of either camp right now. But don't expect that to continue. Even though I am confident that some day soon they will reunite, it is not necessary. The Gilmour-led Floyd can and should continue, and Roger Waters solo should also continue. I shudder at the thought of no more new Pink Floyd/Roger Waters material. For those of you who think Pink Floyd should "stay dead" please keep those ugly thoughts to yourself. The next generation of Floyd fans, and the world, awaits the next great Pink Floyd album led by David Gilmour... or the next great Roger Waters solo album... or...? Let Pink Floyd die? They are a part of what I am. Pink Floyd will live forever. |
One Day Closer to Death
How will we respond when one of our heroes really does lie down for that long, cold rest?
A year or two ago I was listening to the radio when the DJ came on and said that he had received an unconfirmed report that Syd Barrett, the former member of Pink Floyd, had died that afternoon. As it was, it turned out to be nothing more than a rumor. We all know Roger Keith Barrett is still alive, albeit arguably not doing too well. Although I had a feeling that it was a rumor, I still felt a deep sense of loss at the thought that he might be dead. That experience, coupled with the theme of this issue of Spare Bricks, started me thinking: What will it be like when a member of Pink Floyd actually does die? And who will be the first to go?
When you think about it, Pink Floyd fans have been pretty lucky when it comes to their band avoiding the Grim Reaper. Rock-and-Rollers have inextricably been linked with death over the years. From the untimely deaths of megastars like Jimi Hendrix and Keith Moon, to the tragic gun-related deaths of John Lennon and Kurt Cobain, rock has seen its share of careers ended well before their time. In recent years we've seen the passing of George Harrison and John Entwistle, both of whom lived rather full lives and enjoyed successful, enduring careers. The sad fact is that "Classic Rockers" are aging, and the members of Pink Floyd are not immune from the march of time.
The Floyds have actually aged pretty gracefully. None have had any serious health problems that we know of. It's been said that Roger Barrett suffers from diabetes. If true, at least this malady is very treatable. Other than the addition of a few pounds that tend to creep on over the years and the thinning and graying of the hair, the years have been pretty kind to our boys. But sooner or later that day will come. And when it does, how will it affect us?
Like the band itself, Floyd fans tend to be a bit more cerebral and staid when compared to the traditional rock fan. Will we hold candlelight vigils and sing-ins when we lose one of our heroes? Or will we turn to ourselves, throw in a disc, and wallow in our loss? Let's face it: Floyd music is pretty dark to begin with. How will it sound as we are listening to it while contemplating the death of one of its creators?
We contemplate the current status of Pink Floyd and ask ourselves if the band is dead. When one of the current members (and I'm including Roger Waters in this group) passes away, would the band be able to continue? If it is indeed Waters who goes first, there is still the opportunity for the current incarnation of Floyd to continue, but obviously all talk of any possible reunion would be ended. But if David Gilmour, Nick Mason, or Richard Wright were to die, could the band continue on? Perhaps the death of one of those three would provide the impetus for Waters to rejoin those remaining, and we might see yet another incarnation of Pink Floyd. Or perhaps the death of any of the four would sound the official death knell of the band, in that it would provide an opportunity for the surviving members to point to that death as a formal moment of closure.
And although by no means do I want to belittle the man or negate his contributions to Pink Floyd, the death of Roger Barrett will, for most people, serve as little more than a footnote in the history of Pink Floyd. In no way will it affect the viability of the band as it stands today.
So while we contemplate in this issue of Spare Bricks the question of whether or not Pink Floyd as an entity is dead, let's keep in mind that there are fans of such supergroups as The Beatles, The Who, and Led Zeppelin who know they will never see their heroes together on stage again. Let's celebrate the fact that, at least for now, we can contemplate what it would be like to see all four Floyd on stage, together once again.
Who Is The Strongest, Who Is The Best
The Top Ten Pink Floyd Songs That Have Been Played To Death
Over the years, some Pink Floyd songs have been overplayed, both on the radio and in concert. Personally, I have no problem with overplaying Pink Floyd on the radio. In my view, Pink Floyd isn't heard enough on the radio. On the other hand, having seen Pink Floyd, Roger Waters, and David Gilmour in concert over 20 times in the last 23 years, there are a few songs that I have heard enough of live.
For this list, I am not going to ignore the early period, either. In their day, some songs certainly were played to death. Part of the reason that Ummagumma's live album was released was to pacify the fans' desire for these songs, because the band members themselves felt they were played too often and wanted to get on with newer stuff.
With that in mind, here are my top ten Pink Floyd songs that have been played to death.
10. "Hey You"
This one is played quite often on the radio, and also played a lot in concert by both Pink Floyd and Roger Waters. Though neither bothers me much. It's a good song and it sounds great in concert whether we're talking about the Wall tour, Roger Waters solo, or David Gilmour's Pink Floyd. And I don't know about you, but when I hear this one on the radio I crank up the volume!
9. "In The Flesh"
Hey Roger, can we please open up a concert with a different song? It's a good song, and a great concert opener, but enough is enough! There's chatter about a new Waters' solo tour in 2004... here's hoping he starts off with a different song.
8. "Interstellar Overdrive"
We're going way back in time for this one, but back in the day, along with a host of other songs, it was played to death in concert. Was there a concert during 1969-70 when it wasn't played? Perhaps, but it sure seems like it was played every night. Again, I don't want to knock these songs, especially this one, so all I'm going to say here is that it was overplayed in concert in the early days. As with the other early songs, it might be the case that the choices were limited. That's understandable, coming off the departure of Syd Barrett and with David Gilmour just joining the band.
7. "Careful With That Axe, Eugene"
Similarly, "Axe" was also played to death back in the early days, so much so that we have to wonder how Roger Waters was able to maintain his voice after all of those bloodcurdling screams. A great song, but nonetheless played about a million times in concert. Make that one million and one if you count the encore at the 1977 Oakland show.
6. "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun"
Another song that was overplayed in the early days, and also being overplayed today on Roger Waters' solo tours. I think it sounds great live now and would love to hear Roger resurrect a few other oldies... in place of "Set The Controls". Hey, I got an idea: how about playing "Careful With That Axe, Eugene"? It just goes to show that even though these songs have been overplayed, with some of them we just can't get enough!
Honorable Mentions |
"Learning To Fly" |
5. "Comfortably Numb"
Okay, now we're really talking about overplayed, both on the radio and in concert. Again, if it's on the radio I still turn it up and fully enjoy it. While "Comfortably Numb" is one of the few tunes from the Floyd catalogue that we hear radio stations play, I personally don't think there's enough Floyd on the radio. In concert is another story. It's probably one of the greatest rock songs ever made, with the greatest guitar solo ever. But, again, enough is enough. Though I can only imagine Roger and David getting back together one more time and giving "Comfortably Numb" a whirl. I think we'd all pay to see that.
4. "Astronomy Domine"
Yikes. Here's a song that's was overplayed in the old days, and then again on the 1994 tour. Of all the songs in this top ten, this is the one that I would not care about if they never played it again. As much as I like the song, I just don't enjoy it that much anymore. And the reason for that is very simple. This song has played itself to death. Kudos to Syd, though, for creating such a song that can play itself to death over a span of three decades.
3. "Run Like Hell"
Personally, I've heard enough of this one live. It's a perennial mainstay on the radio, and that's fine with me, but in concert I've had enough of "Run Like Hell". In my personal opinion, David Gilmour could never sing this song and should never have bothered. In my view it's even the low point of the Wall concerts.
2. "Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2"
I think just about every Pink Floyd fan knew full well what two songs would take up the #1 and #2 slots on this list. We've heard them enough. Both camps play Brick part 2 live, and it's the usual choice of most radio DJs. We even got to hear Tony Soprano singing it in the shower! That should be enough, don't you think? It's a great song, but one that has been played to death over the course of 23 years.
1. "Money"
Easily the number one song by Pink Floyd that has been played to death. But I may surprise you here when I say that I still love the song! That said, I don't ever want to hear it in concert again. That's not to say there aren't some great live versions of "Money". But I think you have to go back 25 years. For instance, the version from the Oakland show on May 9, 1977 is fantastic. The song just rocks. However, now that both Roger and David play this song at each and every concert they ever perform, it has become nauseating to hear in concert. It is a good time for a beer run, but that's about it. Note to Roger and Dave: Don't play this one anymore! We've had enough! It's been played to death!