Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments, philosophical lyrics and elaborate live shows. They became a leading band of the progressive rock genre, cited by some as the greatest progressive rock band of all time.
Pink Floyd were founded in 1965 by Syd Barrett (guitar, lead vocals), Nick Mason (drums), Roger Waters (bass guitar, vocals) and Richard Wright (keyboards, vocals). Under Barrett's leadership, they released two hit singles, "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play", and the successful debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967). David Gilmour (guitar, vocals) joined in December 1967, while Barrett left in April 1968 due to deteriorating mental health. Waters became the primary lyricist and thematic leader, devising the concepts behind Pink Floyd's most successful albums, The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979). The musical film based on The Wall, Pink Floyd – The Wall (1982), won two BAFTA Awards. Pink Floyd also composed several film scores.
Following personal tensions, Wright left Pink Floyd in 1981, followed by Waters in 1985. Gilmour and Mason continued as Pink Floyd, rejoined later by Wright. They produced the albums A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987) and The Division Bell (1994), backed by major tours, before entering a long hiatus. In 2005, all but Barrett reunited for a performance at the global awareness event Live 8. Barrett died in 2006, and Wright in 2008. The last Pink Floyd studio album, The Endless River (2014), was based on unreleased material from the Division Bell recording sessions. In 2022, Gilmour and Mason reformed Pink Floyd to release the song "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!" in protest at the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
By 2013, Pink Floyd had sold more than 250 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and these albums and Wish You Were Here are among the best-selling albums of all time. Four Pink Floyd albums topped the US Billboard 200, and five topped the UK Albums Chart. Pink Floyd's hit singles include "Arnold Layne" (1967), "See Emily Play" (1967), "Money" (1973), "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2" (1979), "Not Now John" (1983), "On the Turning Away" (1987) and "High Hopes" (1994). They were inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2008, Pink Floyd were awarded the Polar Music Prize in Sweden for their contribution to modern music.
from this album in RP library
albums by Pink Floyd
Each & every time, it's a life-affirming thing! Thanks so much, RP!
This album remains my favorite of all of the stellar Floyd material, with a particular weakness for Fearless, but this song is something altogether different. It is less a song than a composition. It, and this album, represented a sea change in my appreciation for music and what it could offer.
Over the years, I have compared the different sections of this piece to the passage of a day, or more often the passage of the seasons, with the intense hustle and bustle of the height of summer, slowly progressing into the fall season, with its more considered motions, actions that anticipate the winter that is on the doorstep.
And then moving with assurance into the coldness, the barren reality of short winter days, with trepidation facing each day. Then, brilliantly (in my humble opinion), the first notes of spring. The hope that even a single chord in the major key adds to the gloom that still grips our cold winter days.
And finally spring breaks through in all its glory, and joy and growth and the return to warmth and beauty finally encompass us with passion and forgiveness. Winter has released its seemingly relentless grip and on the other side is all that makes the world the spectacular place that it is, with the splendor that is found in every living thing. Except maybe mosquitos. Yeah, mosquitos have to go.
It probably helps that I grew up in the bitter cold of the Northeast, but anyway, it's and understatement to say that I absolutely love this piece. It's the first time I learned to appreciate and understand minimalism, and there is no where else in the world where you will hear this song on the radio. Auto-programmed stations don't count, they never did. Bill is God. Please, please don't ever stop what you are doing. I own so much of the material that you play, yet I still would be completely and utterly lost.,,
Thanks.
Each & every time, it's a life-affirming thing! Thanks so much, RP!
AWESOME : )
And Pink Floyd's concept cover art is always also a 9.
Maybe we should start an informal 1 - 10 on the covers.
Thanks for playing it
My favorite was always Orange Sunshine
Mine too. But Purple Pyramid was also pretty awesome. And let's not forget Window Pane.
Of course you realize that thanks to the marvels of modern studio production, Bill can tee up hours and hours and hours of music in minutes. I imagine him spending lots of time in his garden.
CJT wrote:
SmackDaddy wrote: