CD Odyssey Disc 823: Pink Floyd

I’m mid-way through a lovely weekend. In fact, I just woke up from a satisfying nap and I’m looking forward to the evening ahead. The older I get the more I appreciate a good nap.

I also appreciate a good album, and the Odyssey is on a bit of a roll, with its fourth 4 star album in a row.

Disc 823 is….Animals

Artist: Pink Floyd

Year of Release: 1977

What’s up with the Cover? Not the album title, not even the band name, just a huge factory. This is one of my favourite album covers. The factory is grandiose, menacing and decayed all at the same time. It is also strangely beautiful. It is like a castle that once let a feudal baron dominate the local landscape. The album will go on to condemn modern day barons of industry, making the cover the perfect fit.

How I Came To Know It: My friend Craig is a big Pink Floyd fan. Years ago I was staying at his place and we ended up talking about Pink Floyd. He either put this album on or exhorted its virtues. Whatever the case, the recommendation stuck in my mind and years later I bought it. I don’t know why I took so long, but I was probably thrown off by it only having five songs.

How It Stacks Up:  I have six Pink Floyd albums. Of the six, “Animals” is probably 4^th best, although there is an argument it could be as high as 2^nd. For now, let’s leave some room for the skaters coming later to outscore it and stick with 4^th.

Ratings: 4 stars

“Animals” is an album that requires your full attention. I was glad of the CD Odyssey rules that ensure I’m not doing anything else while I listened to it. As a result I was able to appreciate it as it is intended; a single art-piece about greed and consumerism.

The record is really just three very long songs that all connect to one another, bookended by two 90 second pieces that serve to introduce the musical themes, ask the question “should we care what happens to each other?”

The way the album was presented reminded me of classical music, which often has 3-5 distinct movements that introduce a musical concept, develop it and then resolve it.

On “Dogs” describing those who jostle one another for advantage and try to get ahead at the expense of others. It is a ‘dog-eat-dog world’ if you will, but the song mercifully doesn’t spell it out in such an obvious way. “Dogs” is the longest song at over 17 minutes, but it never feels like too much. It just takes its time to work through its argument. It also has some of David Gilmour’s best guitar work on this or any other record.

On “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” Pink Floyd introduces us to three different ‘pigs’ that result from the dog-eat-dog world they postulate in “Dogs”. The first is obvious: the fat and overindulgent on top of the heap, “pig stain on your fat chin”. The other two I’m not sure about, but my best guess is organized crime, organized religion or politicians, profiting at the expense of others in various ways. Whatever the intended metaphor, the song has a great guitar riff, and Roger Watters clearly enjoying himself as he sings “ha ha, charade you are” dismissing the various pigs he perceives with first laughter and then tears.

Finally, we have “Sheep,” which calls out all those who see injustice but meekly choose to do nothing about it. This song has a much thicker production, and a pace that creates anxiety and panic. You get the feeling of a flock of sheep, darting away from danger even as it fails to improve its lot in the long run.

Lyrically, none of these songs is particularly inspired, but when paired with solid musical choices and Gilmour’s guitar the album as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts. My only minor complaint is the use of actual animal sounds at the beginning and end of some songs, which felt overindulgent and unnecessary to the album’s intentions.

“Animals” is not a great album to have randomly mixed on a playlist. Taken out of context they lose a lot of their punch and context. However, if you’ve got the internal fortitude to sit down for 40 minutes and listen to it sequentially this album will open its black heart to you and leave you thoughtful and more than a little melancholy.

Best tracks:  Not really an album where you can single out a track but I’ll go with all the “Pig” songs. That would be: Pigs on the wing 1, Pigs (Three Different Ones), and Pigs on the wing 2

CD Odyssey Disc 535: Pink Floyd

It is a happy Sunday morning after a lovely weekend of socializing with various friends.

Today my plan is to kick back, take it easy and spend some quality time with just myself and Sheila.

And to kick it off, here’s the latest review.

Disc 535 is…. The Division Bell

Artist: Pink Floyd

Year of Release: 1994

What’s up with the Cover?  This is quite a trippy cover.  It is a type of cognitive illusion.  In this case you can see it as both two large heads yelling at one another and a single head looking out at you.  Your mind can see them both, but it can’t see them both at the same time.  A lot of the themes explored on “The Division Bell” relate to the importance of human communication, so the cover is pretty clever.

How I Came To Know It:  I only got this album recently.  I’d heard it a few times over the years, but I bought it when Sheila’s coworker Gord decided to part with a bunch of is CD collection.  This was a bargain for me, and I think I bought about twelve albums, mostly flushing out some of the classics I’d always meant to purchase but never got around to.

Also of note, Gord is one of the few people who leaves comments on this blog.  I really appreciate the feedback, so thanks for the good deal on the CD, Gord, but thanks even more for taking an interest in these music reviews.  It feels good.

How It Stacks Up:  With the recent addition of “The Division Bell” I now have six Pink Floyd albums, mostly from the latter half of their career.  I enjoyed this record, but I still have to put it down as last, or sixth.  Someone had to be last.

Rating:  3 stars

The “Division Bell” derives its name from the bell in British Parliamentary tradition that is rung to summon all of the Members of Parliament when there is a vote.  Just like the album cover art, the title is also fitting, given the themes of dialogue and communication it explores.

The “Division Bell” gets off to a bit of a slow start, with a meandering instrumental called “Cluster One” starting the record.  “Cluster One” is typical Pink Floyd fare; atmospheric and meandering, with a big echoing sound that makes you feel a little weightless.  I found “Cluster One” a bit boring, and it didn’t help that my media player seemed to think it was a Blue Rodeo song (for some reason the media player will sometimes just label a song wrong for no logical reason).

Once I overcame that little technological hiccup I could get into the album, which does pick up after “Cluster One.”  There are plenty more noodling tracks that don’t seem to go anywhere, but at least there is David Gilmour’s guitar to keep you company.  Gilmour is one of those great guitar players that is instantly recognizable as soon as you hear him start playing.

The first song that interested me musically was “Poles Apart” which lacks much of a notable hook, but makes up for it with some good emotional resonance in the music.  Also, for an album supposedly about communication, “Poles Apart” that on the surface is a song pitying someone who’s “lost the light in their eyes” but underneath that is a fairly passive aggressive poke at some failed relationship.  Are you listening, Roger Waters?

Overall the album feels more bitter than introspective.  The best example of this combination is “Lost for Words” which is a truly beautiful song musically, gently noodling about in a way that Mark Knopfler would appreciate, before Gilmour begins with this good advice:

“While you are wasting your time on your enemies

Engulfed in a fever of spite

Beyond your tunnel vision reality fades

Like shadows into the night.”

But wraps up with a very different message:

“So I open my door to my enemies

And I ask could we wipe the slate clean

But they tell me to please go fuck myself

You know you just can’t win.”

Uh…Dave – it sounds like your still wasting your time on your enemies here.  I would suggest you take the advice of fellow prog rockers Rush on their “Clockwork Angels” album when it comes to enemies. “All that you can do is wish them well” and move on.

For all that, I really like “Lost For Words.”  It is a pretty song to listen to, even if I don’t think it follows its own advice.

This was a pretty common experience for me on this record.  The lyrics are very defeatist, but the music that accompanies them is often inspirational.  In a clever way, Pink Floyd has drawn out how in our hearts (represented by the music) we are optimistic and desperately seeking true connection, but our words fail us, and communication breakdown seems inevitable as soon as we try to speak.

Later in the record, the song “Keep Talking” advises us to do just that, although again it is mostly accusatory in tone (i.e. – ‘why won’t you talk to me/You never talk to me’).  Also, the inclusion of a Stephen Hawking giving us a little lecture through the song about how language separates man from the animals feels a bit trite.

Musically, “The Division Bell” has a lot to recommend it.  Gilmour’s guitar is as good as ever, and the big ‘outer space’ resonant sound the band is known for is showcased wonderfully (thanks to Bob Ezrin, who scores yet another victory in his illustrious career as a producer).

However, it also falls victim to its own theme; unable to decide exactly what it wants to communicate about communication.  There are a lot of mixed messages and the music while good, isn’t great like on previous efforts.  As with “A Momentary Lapse of Reason” (reviewed back at Disc 390) I found myself wishing Roger Waters was still with the band giving the thematic direction the album needed.

Of course, Roger and David weren’t talking, so that was never going to happen.  How ironic.

Best tracks:  Poles Apart, A Great Day for Freedom, Lost For Words, High Hopes

CD Odyssey Disc 390: Pink Floyd

The CD Odyssey continues. Some days I'm excited to write a review, and other days I just want to get on to the next record. The bottom line is that almost three years ago I signed up for this little jaunt through my music collection, and I'm going to keep faith with my former self and see it through.

Also, it's kind of fun.

Disc 390 is…A Momentary Lapse of Reason

Artist: Pink Floyd

Year of Release: 1987

What’s Up With The Cover?: A beach full of beds, that's what's up. I remember when my brother bought this record on vinyl back when it came out how much he liked the cover. It is pretty cool, especially when you realize that in 1987 they didn't have the CGI to believably fake a beach full of beds - someone went out and laboriously put all those beds out there for real, so that they could take a picture. Nice.

How I Came To Know It: As noted above, my brother bought this record when it came out, and I borrowed it off of him and taped it. When it came out on CD in 1997, I bought it and I've had it ever since.

How It Stacks Up: I have five Pink Floyd albums. Pink Floyd makes pretty good records, so the competition is pretty stiff. I'll say this is 4th or 5th best.

Rating: 4 stars

"A Momentary Lapse of Reason" is a very smooth and relaxed sounding record for being birthed in anger. It was Pink Floyd's first album since Roger Watters had messily left the band, amidst legal threats and accusations about who got to call themselves Pink Floyd, and who got to play what songs in concert.

It is strange therefore, that the album comes out so smoothly. The songs are gentle on the ear, with atmospheric, almost soundrack-like synthesizers and rolling drums. Throughout, is the steady presence of David Gilmour's emotive guitar, which someone manages to avoid being wrecked despite a dangerously large helping of saxophone in places.

I'll give Gilmour full credit for his ability to make ambient sound so interesting, but he gets a big assist here - from Bob Ezrin. Yes, that Bob Ezrin - the man that helped make Alice Cooper the great musician that he is. Ezrin co-produces "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" and also co-writes the first two tracks, one of which ("Learning To Fly") was a modestly successful hit.

I love the way Ezrin gets the best the Watter-less Pink Floyd can muster on this album, without sacrificing their signature sound. He is a great and under-appreciated collaborator.

The highlight of the album comes right in the middle, with the five star song, "On the Turning Away." "On the Turning Away" is an anthem of compassion - a call to arms for the human race to finally show some true empathy with itself. I've listened to this song hundreds of times, including three times in the last two days, and it consistently moves me and motivates me. It begins:

"On the turning away
From the pale and downtrodden
And the words they say
Which we won't understand
Don't accept that what's happening
Is just a case of other's suffering
Or you'll find that you're joining in
The turning away."

Whether this song is about helping less fortunate nations, or just noticing the down-and-out on your own street corner is irrelevant. It is about accepting an active role in being human. The song only has four verses, separated by a lengthy and perfect instrumental interlude. The interlude sets you on a reverie of all the times you may have turned away, when you should have held fast, and then the final verse comes back and hits you right between the eyes:

"No more turning away
From the weak and the weary
No more turning away
From the coldness inside
Just a world that we all must share
It's not enough just to stand and stare
Is it only a dream that there'll be
No more turning away."

I like the rhetorical way the song ends, leaving the question to be answered by the listener, through their actions. When in doubt, it is always a good move to trust your audience to go and figure it out on their own.

Sadly, the record is not as pitch-perfect throughout. Songs like "Dogs of War" which I loved when I first heard it, now feel like a pale and preachy imitation of Bob Dylan's masterpiece "Masters of War." "A New Machine" parts 1 and 2 start to explore artificial intelligence (I think) but are snippets of songs that aren't fully developed.

Also, while "On The Turning Away" and a couple other tracks distinguish themselves, many others just sort of hang in space, seemingly wanting to connect with each other into a larger mood piece, but unable to find the right glue that holds the whole record together thematically.

It is missing an overarching vision that my other Pink Floyd albums have. Ezrin helps them hold it all together musically, and Gilmour is a genius in his own right but the record is ultimately missing the visionary of the band - the departed Roger Watters.

Much like Watters' 1992 effort "Amused To Death" (reviewed back at Disc 115) doesn't come together without Gilmour, "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" also falls short.

Because of the brilliance of "On the Turning Away" and how it has always spoken to me, and the overall quality of the compositions and production, I'm still going to have "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" edge ahead of "Amused To Death" into four star territory, but it could have been so much more.

Best tracks: Learning To Fly, On The Turning Away, One Slip.

CD Odyssey Disc 335: Pink Floyd

Before I get into what is one of the great rock albums of all time, I'd like to give a shout out to another one of my loves - football.

No, not my usual joyful exclamations about the Dolphins (although we did win today. We're 1-7, baby!) No, today I want to congratulate the fans of the Detroit Lions. It seems they are petitioning the Powers That Be not to allow Nickelback to perform at the halftime show of their annual Thanksgiving Day game. You can read more about it here.

Some things go beyond loyalty to a single team, and righteously opposing the terrible things Nickelback inflicts on the music world is one of those things. Good luck, Lions fans.

Disc 335 is...The Wall

Artist: Pink Floyd

Year of Release: 1979

What’s Up With The Cover?: Fairly self-explanatory. It is a wall of white bricks. Tear down this wall, Mr. Waters.

How I Came To Know It: My brother is seven years older than me, and I am therefore lucky enough to have had an introduction to 'serious' rock and roll music at a comparatively early age. He bought "The Wall" when it came out, and I've known it ever since. I myself never owned it until I bought it on CD in the mid-nineties.

How It Stacks Up: I have five Pink Floyd albums, and they are all great, but "The Wall" is their best.

Rating: 5 stars

When I rolled this album, I was excited, but I was also determined to not simply fawn over it without a proper and impartial listen. I reminded myself that it is in part, a musical, which is hardly my favourite art form. I reminded myself there were lots of little songs that would no doubt turn out to be overly fragmentary, or would serve only as filler. Three songs into my first listen, I recognized these thoughts for what they were; the ramblings of an idiot. There is nothing wrong with this album.

At some point in your life when you find yourself alone on some late night, I encourage you to put "The Wall" on. Turn off all the lights and listen to it straight through without pause, and without any other activity. Watching the movie, with the marching hammers etc., or some concert DVD doesn't count. It should just be you, the dark and "The Wall". Feel free to lie down, on your couch, or the bed or even the floor, and let it soak over you, musically and lyrically. In fact, if you've never done this you've never truly given this record the attention it deserves.

I had done it twice already, and knowing how emotionally affecting it can be, my plans on this listen were more modest. I basically intended to just get it done in chunks, while driving or painting. Early on, I knew this was not to be, and that I was going to have to give "The Wall" its due once again. Sheila went to bed early on Friday, and so I took it on once again, with no small amount of trepidation. It did not disappoint.

Is "The Wall" about the disconnect between a rock star and his audience? Yes, but it is more than this. Is it a cautionary tale of a bleak and totalitarian future? Yes, but taken simply in these terms would actually sell the record short.

"The Wall" is an album about alienation at every level – from our childhood ("The Thin Ice"), our education ("The Happiest Days of Our Lives"), our parents ("Mother"), our lovers ("Young Lust"), our careers ("Nobody Home"), and ultimately from ourselves ("Comfortably Numb"). It is a stark record about all the walls we construct as we grow into adults, and the dangers of how those walls can inadvertently cut us off from ourselves.

Lyrically, my favourite expression of this is about a third of the way in on "One Of My Turns" when Waters sings:

"I feel cold as a razorblade
Tight as a tourniquet
Dry as a funeral drum."

It is some stark stuff, but "The Wall" is great art, and great art is sometimes hard to look at square on.

Musically, "The Wall" has all of the great atmospheric sound that Pink Floyd is famous for. Waters is the mastermind behind the lyrics and themes, but David Gilmour's guitar suffuses the record with its emotional tone. They may have hated each other while making and touring this record, but their talents are perfectly matched.

Gilmour's guitar solos do what all good guitar solos should do; they take the themes established in the rest of the song, build those themes out even further and then return us smoothly back into the main melody. The best example on the record is the long fading solo at the end of "Comfortably Numb." Without this guitar work, the song would still be amazing, but with it it becomes one of the greatest rock songs ever written.

As a "Comfortably Numb" aside, I have a folk version of this song (Dar Williams) as well as a disco version (Scissor Sisters) and both are excellent. It is a song that you'd have to really work to wreck, regardless of how it is re-imagined.

I am also a big fan of the production decisions made on this record. The children playing in the background of "Another Brick In The Wall, Part Two", fading to the telephone ringtone and then the single heavy sigh that leads into "Mother" sets us on edge, and gives us the emotional cue that you can't always phone home and expect to get all the answers to life's tough questions.

At the end of the first disc (or side two, for you vinyl warriors out there), "Goodbye Cruel World" plays the same simple line of music over and over, with the end of the note being clipped short. It is creepy (especially on headphones) and effective.

With the dreary mood firmly established in the first half of the record, Pink Floyd use the second half (sides three and four) to further explore these themes. In "Hey You" there are even moments where we get glimpses of an effort to re-establish some human connectivity, but they are short lived; Roger Waters has not finished with his apocalyptic exploration of our own minds.

Because ultimately, that is what "The Wall" is, at least for me. It is a series of songs that warn us not to lose our human connections, by painting a picture of what it would look like if we did. The last lines of the last song on the album, "Outside The Wall" describe what people do once they've escaped:

"Some stagger and fall - after all, it's not easy
Banging your heart against some mad bugger's wall."

A rather pathetic epilogue, especially when the mad bugger in question is you, and just how high and wide your wall has become is entirely your own doing.

"The Wall" is about as perfect as rock music gets. It is profoundly affecting, and it always makes me recommit to not losing touch with myself. Musically it is inspiring, and if it is lyrically dark and unpleasant in places, that's just how it makes sure you're taking it seriously.

Best tracks: all tracks