Pink Floyd Night
I guess I’m not the only person playing Pink Floyd tonight.
The one currently playing is “Is There Anybody Out There”, the live version of The Wall from Earls Court in 1981. I know The Wall isn’t generally reckoned to be the high point of the career 28 years on, but it marked the point where I came on board as a fan, so that work still means a lot to me. And I saw that show, polystyrene bricks and all. It was the only time I ever saw the Floyd live, and the first really big gig I ever attended.
The relationship between Rick Wright and Roger Waters may have been strained at this point, but Rick’s playing is superb on this live album. His style was always understated, never flash, but he was always a key element of Pink Floyd’s sound.
September 15th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
“I guess I’m not the only person playing Pink Floyd tonight.”
Indeed not, see http://shattered-room.net/index.php?topic=1305.0 for example.
The Wall not a high point? Surely you jest!
September 15th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Every music forum I’ve read tonight has a tribute thread to Rick - and last.fm tells me half my online friends are listening to Pink Floyd at the moment.
September 16th, 2008 at 9:38 am
I will never forget the year I was doing sound for the VIth form reveue (being one of the few pupils the music master would trust with the new hi-fi system) and the staff wanted “Another brick in the wall (part II)” in their sketch. I had never heard the track before and from my cubby hole I could not see front of house (a.k.a. “the hall”). I was a bit late lifting the needle as I was first shocked by the words in the first verse then I thought a riot had broken out….
September 17th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
“We don’t need no education
We don’t need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teacher, leave those kids alone!”
Some of the teechers clearly had a sense of humour back in 1979.
Became an anti-apartheid anthem, that did. I can’t remember the exact context now, it was many years ago.
October 10th, 2008 at 4:33 am
I’m not a great fan of Pink Floyd. But “See Emily Play” is brilliant. And “Astronomy Domine” the greatest track ever. And because of that I was saddened by the news.