Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic or space rock music, and, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. They are known for philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative cover art, and elaborate live shows. One of rock music’s most successful acts, the group have sold over 200 million albums worldwide including 74.5 million albums in the United States alone.
Pink Floyd had moderate mainstream success and were one of the most popular bands in the London underground music scene in the late 1960s as a psychedelic band led by Syd Barrett; however, Barrett’s erratic behaviour eventually forced his colleagues to replace him with guitarist and singer David Gilmour. After Barrett’s departure, singer and bass player Roger Waters gradually became the dominant and driving force in the mid-1970s, until his eventual departure from the group in 1985. The band recorded several albums, achieving worldwide success with The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977), and The Wall (1979). In 1985, Waters declared Pink Floyd “A spent force”, but the remaining members, led by Gilmour, continued recording and touring under the name Pink Floyd. Although they were unsuccessfully sued by Waters for rights to the name, they again enjoyed worldwide success with A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987) and The Division Bell (1994). Eventually they reached a settlement out of court with Waters allowing them use of the name.
Waters performed with the band for the first time in 24 years on July 2, 2005 at the London Live 8 concert.
Wish You Were Here
According to the Nicholas Schaffner book Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey, Pink Floyd entered Abbey Road Studios during the first week of 1975 to begin work on their long anticipated follow-up album to their hugely successful album The Dark Side of the Moon. Although the band had three pieces of music already sketched out to be recorded (”Raving and Drooling” (which later became “Sheep”), “You Gotta Be Crazy” (which later became “Dogs”) and the centerpiece “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”), all was not well within the band. The overwhelming critical, commercial and financial success of Dark Side of the Moon had left the band physically and emotionally drained and the band spent the first few weeks just sitting around. When the band did get around to recording, their bodies went through the motions while their minds and feelings were elsewhere.
The initial plan was to record the three tracks they had played live on their 1974 European tour (which were “Raving and Drooling”, “You Gotta Be Crazy” and “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”), but bass player/singer/lyricist Roger Waters decided to change the vision of the album, split the two halves of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and write three shorter songs relating to the theme of absence, two of which (”Welcome to the Machine” and “Have a Cigar”) were veiled attacks on the music business and the other (the title cut) was, like “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”, about fallen Floyd member Syd Barrett. This move was, according to the Saucerful of Secrets book and in drummer Nick Mason’s book Inside Out, one of the first debates between Waters and singer/guitarist David Gilmour. Gilmour wanted to record what the band had been playing live while Waters wanted to split “Shine On…” into two halves and create a concept album. Gilmour was outvoted three to one. Despite this disagreement, plus the hardships that occurred during the recording, Gilmour and keyboard player Rick Wright revealed in 1995, on the radio show In the Studio with Redbeard (which devoted an entire episode to the making of the album) that Wish You Were Here is their favorite Pink Floyd album.
The recording took over seven months with two breaks in between recording for two U.S. tours, one in April 1975 and the other in June 1975, where they premiered the multi-part “Shine On…” suite with “Have a Cigar” bridging the two halves.
Shine On You Crazy Diamond
This video is from a live show recorded at Earls Court London on October 20th 1994. Roger Waters does not perform in this version.
Remember when you were young,
You shone like the sun.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Now there’s a look in your eyes,
Like black holes in the sky.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
You were caught on the crossfire
Of childhood and stardom,
Blown on the steel breeze.
Come on you target for faraway laughter,
Come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine!
You reached for the secret too soon,
You cried for the moon.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Threatened by shadows at night,
And exposed in the light.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Well you wore out your welcome
With random precision,
Rode on the steel breeze.
Come on you raver, you seer of visions,
Come on you painter, you piper, you prisoner, and shine!
Welcome to the Machine
Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
Where have you been? It’s alright we know where you’ve been.
You’ve been in the pipeline, filling in time,
provided with toys and Scouting for Boys.
You bought a guitar to punish your ma,
And you didn’t like school, and you know you’re nobody’s fool,
So welcome to the machine.Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
What did you dream? It’s alright we told you what to dream.
You dreamed of a big star, he played a mean guitar,
He always ate in the Steak Bar. He loved to drive in his Jaguar.
So welcome to the machine.
Have a Cigar
Come in here, Dear boy, have a cigar.
You’re gonna go far,
You’re gonna fly high,
You’re never gonna die,
You’re gonna make it, if you try;
They’re gonna love you.
Well I’ve always had a deep respect,
And I mean that most sincerely.
The band is just fantastic,
that is really what I think.
Oh by the way, which one’s Pink?And did we tell you the name of the game, boy?
We call it Riding the Gravy Train.We’re just knocked out.
We heard about the sell out.
You gotta get an album out.
You owe it to the people.
We’re so happy we can hardly count.
Everybody else is just green,
Have you seen the chart?
It’s a hell of a start,
It could be made into a monster
If we all pull together as a team.And did we tell you the name of the game, boy?
We call it Riding the Gravy Train.
Wish You Were Here
From the Live 8 London concert on July 2, 2005 — a reunion of Waters and Gilmore
So, so you think you can tell
Heaven from Hell,
Blue skys from pain.
Can you tell a green field
From a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?And did they get you to trade
Your heros for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange
A walk on part in the war
For a lead role in a cage?How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We’re just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl,
Year after year,
Running over the same old ground.
What have we found?
The same old fears.
Wish you were here.
April 24th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
get the Pulse dvd and listen to it on surround sound….the best of all concert dvds