|
|
BEHIND THE WALL
Pink Floyd has revolutionized the way that the world looks at music.
�By creating their own powerful sound, along with tantilizing lyrics,
the band has painted imagery in the mind of their public through four decades.
�The message of the Floyd has been varied, but the soul-filled meaning
behind it has always remained intact.
The band formed in 1965 when a group of friends (Roger Waters, Rick
Wright and Nick Mason) decided to cover some R&B songs. �They called
themselves Sigma 6. �They were hooked, but success was not to be theirs
just yet. �They played under many names, such as The T-Set, The Meggadeaths,
The Architectural Abdabs, and The Screaming Abdads.
Later that year Waters, thinking they needed a new sound, brought in
a friend from High School. �His name is Roger Keith Barrett. �Barrett got his nickname at
the age of 15 in honor of a local jazz drummer called Sid Barrett, but his family always
preferred to use his real name. Syd gave them the name we all know them by now,
Pink Floyd, after two American Blues musicians, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.
Syd also became the band's chief songwriter in their early stages, contributing most of
the songs on their first album and writing their two hit singles "Arnold Layne" and
"See Emily Play".
Very rapidly, the Floyd grew an underground following. �Syd Barrett
Began to show his creative genius in lyrical, and sometimes witty ways.
Despite their "cult" status, they would sometimes have beer bottles
and other things thrown at them on stage. �The reason for this is something
which has not changed as the Floyd has developed (although no one throws
things anymore),�they would often play very extended versions of songs,
like a forty minute version of "Interstellar Overdrive".
But still, the band's popularity was growing. �While playing in
the underground London club scene, it wasn't too uncommon to see The Floyd
headlining with the likes of Jimi Hendrix. �Their first released single
was "Arnold Layne", and rapidly flew up the charts.
The band reveled in their newfound popularity. �All this time,
however, Syd Barrett was drawing apart from the band. �He regularly
lost himself in LSD daydreams, and started developing some mental health
problems at about the same time. �Towards the end of his stay with Pink
Floyd, he was known to stand on stage strumming a single chord while staring
into the lights, or just to detune his guitar while playing. �It is
also said that the band would have to take him offstage at the end of a concert
and wipe the drool from his mouth. �This was rapidly becoming too much
for the rest of the band. �Syd had to go.
The search for a new guitarist was something that the band thought would
take the popularity from them that they had. �Roger Waters wanted to
initially ask Jeff Beck to take over for Syd, but was afraid he'd say no.
�It finally came down to the band taking in long time friend and folk-blues
guitarist, David Gilmour. �Syd Barrett reluctantly left the band, and
was checked into a sanitarium a short time later.
The band had a new problem before them, and that was finding their style
of music. �The first few years from this new lineup revealed a diversity
in music that has to be heard to be believed. �After doing a couple
of soundtracks for foreign films, the band released "Meddle". �It is
from this very album that the well known sounds of Pink Floyd started to
develop.
Through the early seventies, the band gained a larger and larger foreign
audience - namely in the United States. �In 1973, their fame began to
apex with the release of "Dark Side of The Moon". �This new project
showed a different band. �All members of the band had matured artistically
since they had first played together nearly a decade before. �Waters
had become an accomplished lyricist, and Gilmour had become a much respected
guitarist. �And it was these two prevelant personalities that would
come to odds with each other the most.
It was also at this time that the band began to know what fame and fortune
can bring, tension. �It started to become apparent that there was a
struggle between Roger Waters and the rest of the band. �He threatened
to walk out on the recording of the album, and also on the following
tour.
The band then started to record the classic, "Wish You Were Here". �It
was released in 1975.��David Gilmour later speaks of this album
as being a "Thank You" to Syd Barrett for his guidance and wisdom in the
early years of the band. �Much to everyone's surprise, Barrett showed
up in the middle of recording, nearly seven years after leaving the band.
�He no longer resembled the sheik looking rock star he once was, though.
�He had lost most of his hair, put on much weight, and didn't seem to
have the same personality. �Needless to say, this was very inspirational
to the band and it can be heard in every song off of that album.
In 1976, "Dark Side of The Moon" had entered Billboards Top 200, nearly
three years after its release. �And most certainly, no one expected
it to stay on the charts for the thirteen consecutive years that it did (until
1989).
Sounds of strife settled down for a while then. �"Animals" was
released in 1977, and was met with respectful popularity.
In 1978, they began work on "The Wall". �Early in the recording
of this album, Gilmour approached Waters with a complete instrumental song
that he had played for the rest of the band. �After listening to it,
Waters said that he hated it and wouldn't have it on his album - he considered
the music to be "childlike and simplistic". �The rest of the band stood
up for this song, and demanded that this song be included or they would walk.
Reluctantly, Waters accepted. �He put together the lyrics in less
than half and hour. �The song is "Comfortably Numb". �Only two
weeks after this fiasco, Waters "fired" Richard Wright and the band was now
a trio.
"The Wall" was released in 1979, and met with world wide success, as
did the movie production of the same name. �A massive tour followed,
as did the rumors from the media. �A few people, who were ridiculed
immediately for thinking so, saw the band breaking up soon.
In 1983, amidst the rumors of turmoil in the band, Pink Floyd released
"The Final Cut". �The name so ironically characterized the present status
of the band. �Some people, the rest of the band included,
considered�it to be a Waters "solo" album. �On this album, no song
was co-written with another band member. �Indeed, much of the sound
and emotion that gelled the band together seemed to be missing.
After a very punctuated tour and a U.K. mini-movie, no one heard from
the band for two years. �Then in late 1985, Waters left the band and
immediately sued the remaining band members for exclusive rights for all
the works of Pink Floyd, including the name. �The fight was long and
messy, lasting over a year. �Finally, in 1987, a decision was made.
The judge said that Waters had left the band of his own free will,
and since the band never entirely broke up, the rights to most of the material
belonged to what was left of the band. �However, Waters did receive
a partial decision in his favour. �He was to receive royalties for what
he had worked on. �Neither side entirely satisfied, but it was
over....
In September of 1987, Pink Floyd (Gilmour and Mason, with Wright as
a paid musician) released "Momentary Lapse of Reason". �Originally intended
as a solo album for Gilmour, he wanted the album to be done as a whole.
Some fans embraced this new album, saying that the spirit of the band
was still alive. �On the other hand, some fans turned their backs entirely
to this new project from The Floyd. �A very successful tour followed,
though, and it seemed that the band was as popular as ever.
Waters also was having success of his own. �He released The Pros
and Cons of Hitchhiking in 1984, Radio K.A.O.S. in 1987, and Amused to Death
in 1992. �The albums sold well, and had very sucessful tours. �And
when the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, Waters orchestrated a star studded
performance of "The Wall" in a now unified Germany. �Performers for
this gala event included Bryan Adams, Thomas Dolby, Cyndi Lauper, and a very
special appearance by the infamous Vera Lynn.
In 1994, The Floyd released "The Division Bell", which went to No. 1
on the American charts.
And through this deep and winding history there are still many things
that are unknown. �The wounds in the
band run deep, and only time will tell of what is yet to come.
|
|
