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Pink floyd is the name of the group. The History of Pink FloydPink Floyd Discography

Pink floyd is the name of the group. The History of Pink FloydPink Floyd Discography

16.07.2019

In 1965, a new group appeared on the world musical horizon - Pink Floyd. It was founded by students of the Faculty of Architecture of the London Polytechnic, four rock enthusiasts: Roger Waters (vocals and bass guitar), Richard Wright (vocals and keyboards), Nick Mason (drums) and Syd Barrett (vocals and slide guitar). In 1968, when Barrett left the group, he was replaced by a well-trained guitarist, who also had vocal abilities.

From birth to collapse

The acknowledged head of the group musically and administratively was Roger Waters, a natural leader and talented poet. From 1973 to 1984 he single-handedly wrote the lyrics and was the main author of the most recognized album - The Wall. Three significant events occurred for "Pink Floyd" in 1994, when the penultimate disc The Division Bell was released, the last tour and the unofficial breakup of the group took place. In their classic line-up, the Pink Floyd group took the stage in the summer of 2005, at the Live 8 concert, for the last time.

A bit of history

And they met at the architectural department of the University of Westminster in London. There already existed a group organized by students Clive Metcalfe and Keith Nomble. We started playing with four, it turned out well. Richard Wright then joined the quartet. The group was called Sigma 6 and played compositions by student Ken Chapman, who later became the band's impresario and songwriter.

In September 1963, Waters and Mason moved into an apartment rented by one of the university's professors, Mike Leonard. There the musicians began to gather. As usual, some began to leave the group, and others came. In October, a friend of Roger's arrived and joined the band as a guitarist.

After the departure of Metcalfe and Nobel in 1964, the group was left virtually without vocalists. They began to look for singers. Close soon introduced Chris Dennis to the musicians, who had a good blues timbre and could perform any song with little or no accompaniment. The updated band changed its name to The Pink Floyd Sound. The musicians were satisfied, and Barrett was just happy. He constantly reminded that the Pink Floyd group took its name from the names of the bluesmen Floyd Council and Pink Anderson.

swing intonations

Thanks to Chris Dennis, the repertoire could now include spirituals, gospel, and even soul. In the early sixties of the last century, the blues was held in high esteem, and the musicians took advantage of this circumstance. However, the Pink Floyd group (its members) decided not to play pure blues, so as not to become another performer of "black" music. They only inserted a blues rhythmic pattern into the composition, but it turned out, nevertheless, very beautifully.

The concerts of the Pink Floyd group went on uninterrupted, the audience liked the young musicians who tried to create something unusual. Thus, the group quickly became popular, first in London and then outside the UK.

Timbre and its meaning

Speaking in clubs, the musicians played mostly rhythm and blues hits that were on everyone's lips. This technique fully justified itself, and one day a certain Peter Jenner drew attention to them. This man was not a professional musician, he taught economics in one of the London schools. But he was struck by the acoustics, rare in terms of purity of timbre, that Wright managed to create together with Barrett.

Jenner became a friend of the musicians and took up their promotion. By the fall of 1966, the Pink Floyd group had become one of the most popular and successful.

First entries

In January, two recordings were made at the Polydor studio: Interstellar Overdrive and Arnold Layne. Then the musicians signed a contract with another studio - EMI, and the records that were made on good equipment were now successfully replicated and went on sale. Thus began the commercial era, quite successful considering the millions in album sales.

Not all participants withstood the burden of success, the first to be "retired" was Syd Barrett, who abused drugs. The guitarist went to live with his mother and became a hermit until he died of cancer.

In 1973, the stellar album "The Dark Side of the Moon" was released, which became the quintessence of the group's creativity and a powerful catalyst for the future.

In the early 1980s, Pink Floyd began putting on incredible stage performances, complete with special sound and visual effects. A show was created in which the music was no longer heard. Lasers, balls and figures, pyrotechnics - all this destroyed a group that rock music fans have known for many years.

"Pink Floyd", the composition of the group

At the time of the collapse, the musicians worked in the following lineup:

Waters Roger - vocalist, bass guitar.
Wright Richard - keyboards, vocals.
Nick Mason - percussion instruments.
Gilmour David - vocalist, guitar.

Most famous albums

"Piper at the Gates of Dawn" (1967).
"Music from the Film" (1969).
"Mother's Heart" (1970).
"Cloudy weather" (1972).
"Dark Side of the Moon" (1973).
"Animals" (1977).
"The Wall" (1979).
"Endless River" (2014).

Pink Floyd's albums have sold 74.5 million copies in America, which is a kind of record considering the very short sales period. In the world, without taking into account the solo compositions of the albums, almost 300 million copies were sold.

Pink Floyd: to be continued?

No matter how long and multifaceted the history of Pink Floyd may be, it still remains unfinished and incomplete. The life of someone who is still alive cannot be told to the end, this can only be done up to a certain period. And this is good, as it gives the expectation of a creative sequel. And that there will be more than one “to be continued” ahead.

But, as usual, every story has its beginning. So, with him we will begin the story about the group, which in itself represents the whole world, complete and harmonious.

Initial composition:

Syd Barrett (eng. Syd Barrett) - guitarist, vocalist (1965 - 1968);
Roger Waters (born Roger Waters) - bass guitarist, vocalist (1965 - 1985, 2005);
Richard Wright - keyboardist, vocalist (1965 - 1981, 1987 - 1994, 2005);
Nick Mason - drummer (1965 - 1994, 2005).
David Gilmour (eng. David Gilmour) - vocalist, guitarist (1968 - 1994, 2005).

To begin with, it should be noted that the first were not Syd Barrett and the now living Roger Waters, but blues musicians Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. It was they who pushed Barrett to come up with such a strange, psychedelic deranged, but such a beautiful name for the group.

Then there were classmates at an architectural college (well, not a college, an institute), who made something of their own out of rhythm and blues hits. This is how not even a group appeared, but Blackhill Enterprises - a corporation consisting of four musicians and two managers.

In 1967, the first fruit of their joint efforts appeared - The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn Pink Floyd. Translated, it sounds like "Trumpeter at the Gates of Dawn" and is the best example of British psychedelic music of the late sixties. Much can be expected from a foursome of essentially teenagers, but the fact that the album reached number six in the UK is truly admirable. And surprise.

What happened to Syd Barrett?

But there were downsides to the success. Not for nothing that psychedelia was called just like that "acid". What happened to Syd Barrett remains to this day only a topic for mystical gossip and extravagant analogies. What came first: the psychedelics that drove him to schizophrenia, or the schizophrenia that took shape in psychedelics? It was a time when the diagnosis of "schizophrenia" was made by doctors at the slightest contact with the unknown. He was a student, he would have had to get enough sleep first, and only then ... and then what?

Syd Barrett with Pink Floyd

I'm telling you, he needed to get a good night's sleep, but because of the tight tour schedule, he began to show constant nervous breakdowns and psychosis, he became an increasingly unbearable subject, which infuriated others, and Roger in particular. Sometimes Sid "withdrew into himself" right on stage. So in 1968, Syd Barrett was fired and replaced by David Gilmour.

Sid composed most of the first album, so it was originally planned that he would not become a musician, but a composer for the group, but alas, nothing sensible came of this. In the album, which was released in 1968, only one of his compositions sounds.

Therefore, the history of the early Pink Floyd is divided into two periods: with and without Sid. A schizophrenic in the family, it is always too sad not to try to kill him, if not literally, then at least figuratively. But it was this schizophrenic who glorified the gang throughout the country.

In 1969, the group wrote the soundtrack for the film More, after which they released the album Ummagumma. It was recorded partly in Birmingham and partly in Manchester. Therefore, it was decided to release it as a double album. The first disc was the band's first and only recording of a live performance (which has not changed over the next twenty years), and the second disc contained four separate parts, each of which was written by the next member of the group. That is four miniature solo discs.

This disc reached number five in the UK charts, and also hit the US charts, at a far, far seventieth place.

But the third album, with which the group clearly demonstrated in which direction it began to develop, was called "Atom Heart Mother". He has already taken first place. To realize the intention of the musicians, a choir and a symphony orchestra were used. A professional arranger was also involved in the process, who also did all the orchestration of the album.

Meddle, released the following year, resembled the previous album only in length and number of tracks. The sound became completely different. The recording was made on sixteen-track tape recorders, a VCS3 synthesizer was used. And in one of the compositions, the vocals were recorded by a Russian greyhound named Seamus. By the way, this song was named after her name.

"Obscured by Clouds" was released as a soundtrack, and thus remained less known. Although, to be honest, it seems to me closer than the previous album. Why dont know. He took an honorable sixth place in Britain.

"The Dark Side of the Moon"

Everything changed after The Dark Side of the Moon. Yes, in honor of this album, even a film was made, which told how the recordings were made, and what was used to get the right sound.

Unlike previous albums, it was not just a collection of songs, but a conceptual work that told about the pressure and influence of the modern world on the human psyche. At least the group had something to talk about, they felt this concept themselves, and such an experience leaves a memory of itself for a long time. And not the best memory, I must say. But still, the album turned out just wonderful.

1973 year. The complete lack of adequate equipment - now any schoolchild sitting at a computer monitor has much more opportunities for creativity and creating the right sound than Pink Floyd had thirty years ago. No, wait, not thirty - already forty years ago, misspoken. How time flies anyway!

Along with a story about the influence of the surrounding world on the mental balance of a person, the album tells about the paranoia of "On the Run", "Time" spoke about the sensations of approaching old age and the feeling that life has been lived in vain (typical youth thoughts, I must say). "The Great Gig in the Sky" along with "Religious Theme" deals with the theme of religion and death, while "Money" talks about the destructive power of money. "Us and Them" is an ode to social conflicts. And "Brain Damage" is a song dedicated to poor Sid.

The disc was recorded for almost nine months, which for those years was simply an unforgivable waste of time, but it has become a classic and is perfectly listenable even now, despite the past decades. What can I say. Just in those years, the groups competed in the spirit of "who is faster." For example, Lead Airship wrote their first album either in nine or twelve hours.

The effort was worth it: the album is now the best-selling album in the history of recording.

Wish You Were Here

The title track from this album has become Pink Floyd's calling card. "I'm sorry you're not here." The theme of alienation, the crazy track "Shine on You Crazy Diamond", which was again dedicated to Syd Barrett for him, as some believe / songs).

This album was again a first in the UK. And what to do, Pink Floyd simply did not have worthy competitors.

animals

“Houston, what do you hear? I've got a huge pink pig on the course." About Houston, of course, this is a joke, but there really was a pig. She flew over the streets of London. The poor pilot was immediately sent to a psychiatrist, and this was just a video clip for the song Pigs. Pink Floyd gave vent to her sick imagination. It seems like Syd Barrett retired a long time ago, but in the end he inspired the whole team so much that they still could not move away from completely crazy images and analogies.

1977 year. The group is increasingly being criticized by punks. The theme of condemnation was allegedly excessive weakness of character and arrogance. As a result, the team recorded an album, which had only three compositions, but many kilometers in length. Two short ones were like that, in addition to the main topics and more fully revealed the essence of the idea.

On this album, animals are associated with certain members of society as metaphors... tensions grew between Wright and Waters, as a result of which guitars began to prevail in the sound of the new album. In general, this is not felt at all, but the increase in guitar sound clearly benefited the band's sound. So listen, watch and enjoy.

What are these huge heads of boars worth, which cut through the concert halls with their ferocious eyes! I didn't make a reservation. The concerts did indeed feature creepy pig heads that Mayhem would have envied in Grandfather's era, but instead of metal, they played creepy melodic music.

How is it, I wonder, is that unlucky pilot doing?

The Wall

I am exceptionally sure that I am right: first you need to get hooked on the album, then fall madly in love, take your girlfriend in the evening and sit her down together to watch The Wall in the form of a movie. A charge of extreme thrills is provided. And experiences for a lifetime.

Still, Waters is a genius of exceptional magnitude. Almost completely single-handedly composed the album, which again benefited him, the sound was superbly mixed, the atmosphere reached its climax. The fans were delighted. I wasn't a Pink Floyd fan, but I became one after Another Brick in the Wall, Part II. By the way, that song hit the first place in the British charts, which once again showed the excessive commitment of the British to the old traditions.

The album was released in 1979 and turned out to be insanely expensive. It seems completely indecent to write about the costs of writing it. But it paid off. And completely and quite quickly.

Waters took the Roman folk proverb “divide and conquer” too literally, after which he established an unspoken dictate, constantly sowing discord among the members of the group. His plan to fire Richard Wright ended with Wright being the only one who made any money from these concerts - the costs of the show were simply fantastic and covered exclusively by the pockets of the musicians, which, although they were now exceptionally roomy, but also swiftly quickly and empty.

(3 ratings, average: 3,67 out of 5)

224 chord selections

Biography

Pink Floyd (Pink Floyd) British progressive/psychedelic rock band formed in Cambridge. Known for its psychedelic songs and grandiose shows. It is one of the most successful in rock and pop music, is in seventh place in the world in terms of the number of albums sold (more than 300 million copies worldwide). Formed in 1965, last album ("The Division Bell") and tour took place in 1994. Last performance July 2005 (“Live8”).

Members of the group

Initial composition:

* Syd Barrett (eng. Syd Barrett) guitarist, vocalist (19661968);
* Roger Waters bass guitarist, vocalist (19661985);
* Richard Wright keyboardist, vocalist (19661981, from 1987 to September 15, 2008);
* Nick Mason (born Nick Mason) drummer (from 1966 to the present).

Joined later:

* David Gilmour (eng. David Gilmour) vocalist, guitarist (from 1968 to the present).

The name "Pink Floyd" is formed by a combination of the names of jazz, more precisely rhythm and blues musicians Pink Anderson (Pink Anderson) and Floyd Council (Floyd Council), of whom Barrett was a fan; this name, according to the story of Waters, appeared to Barrett in a prophetic dream, and he insisted on renaming the group. Prior to this, the group changed many names: "Sigma 6", "T-Set", "Meggadeaths", "The Screaming Abdabs", "The Architectural Abdabs" and "The Abdabs". Moreover, at first the group was called "The Pink Floyd Sound", then simply "The Pink Floyd" and only then the definite article "the" was discarded in favor of "sonority".

"Which one of you is Pink?"

Pink Floyd's first line-up included London Architectural Institute classmates Richard Wright (keyboards, vocals), Roger Waters (bass guitar, vocals) and Nick Mason (drums) and their Cambridge friend Syd Barrett (vocals, guitar). Early in their career, Pink Floyd reworked rhythm and blues hits such as "Louie, Louie" ("Louie, Louie"). The band formed Blackhill Enterprises, a six-party business venture that included four musicians and their managers, Peter Jenner and Andrew King.

Released in August 1967, the band's debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, is considered the finest example of English psychedelic music. The tracks on this record showcase an eclectic musical mix, from the avant-garde "Interstellar Overdrive" to the whimsical "Scarecrow", a melancholy song inspired by the rural landscapes surrounding Cambridge. The album was successful and reached number six on the UK charts.

However, not all members of the group withstood the burden of success that fell on them. The use of psychedelics (as a result, an exacerbation of congenital schizophrenia) and constant performances broke the leader of the group, Syd Barrett. His behavior became more and more unbearable, nervous breakdowns and psychoses were repeated more and more often, infuriating the rest of the group (especially Roger). It happened more than once that Sid simply "turned off", "withdrew into himself" (which was caused by catatonic seizures) right at the concert. In January 1968, Roger and Syd's longtime guitarist David Gilmour joined the band to replace Barrett. However, it was planned that Syd, although not performing, would continue to write songs for the band. Unfortunately, nothing came of this venture.

In April 1968, Barrett's "retirement" was formalized, but Jenner and King decided to stay with him. The six-party Blackhill Enterprises went out of business.

Although Barrett wrote most of the material for the first album, for the second album, A Saucerful of Secrets, released in June 1968, he wrote only one song in its entirety, "Jugband Blues" (" Blues for noise orchestra). "A Saucerful of Secrets" peaked at number nine in the UK.

Without Barrett

After the group wrote the soundtrack for the film "More" ("More") directed by Barbet Schroeder in 1969, the album "Ummagumma" was released in the same year, 1969, partly recorded in Birmingham, partly in Manchester. It was a double album, the first disc of which was the first (and for almost twenty years the only official) recording of a live performance of the group, and the second was equally divided into four parts, according to the number of members of the group, and each of them recorded, in fact, his own mini- solo album. The album was the band's highest achievement at the time. It peaked at number five in the UK and hit the US chart at number seventy.

In 1970, the album "Atom Heart Mother" ("Mother with an atomic heart") appeared and took first place in the UK. The group grew musically, and now a choir and a symphony orchestra were needed to implement the ideas. The complicated arrangement required the involvement of an outside specialist, which was Ron Geesin. He wrote the intro to the title track as well as the album's orchestration.

A year later, in 1971, “Meddle” (“Intervention”) was released - practically the twin of the previous one (in the form and length of the songs, but not in the music; except that they did without an orchestra and a choir). The second side of the disc was dedicated to a 23-minute "epic sound poem" (as Waters called it) called "Echoes" ("Echo"), where the group first used 16-track tape recorders instead of the four-channel and eight-channel equipment used on the Atom Heart Mother", as well as the Zinoviev synthesizer VCS3. The album also included "One Of These Days", a Pink Floyd live classic, where drummer Nick Mason promised in a terribly distorted voice to "cut you into little pieces" ("One of these days, Im going to cut you into little pieces"), light and carefree "Fearless" and "San Tropez" and mischievous and hooligan "Seamus" (Seamus is the dog's nickname), where a Russian greyhound was invited to the vocal part. "Meddle" peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart.

A lesser known album by the band was released in 1972 as Obscured By Clouds as the soundtrack to the Barbet Schroeder film La Vallee. The album is one of Nick Mason's favorites. Only 46th in the US Top 50 and sixth at home.

The Peak of Success

another side of the moon

The 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon was the band's high point. It was a conceptual work, that is, not just a collection of songs on one disc, but a work imbued with a single, connecting idea of the pressure of the modern world on the human psyche. The idea was a powerful catalyst for the band's creativity, and together its members compiled a list of themes revealed in the album: the composition "On The Run" ("On the Run") told about paranoia; "Time" ("Time") described the approach of old age and the senseless waste of life; The Great Gig In The Sky (originally titled Mortality Sequence) and Religious Theme are about death and religion; "Money" is about money that comes with fame and takes over a person; "Us And Them" ("We and them") speaks of conflicts within society; "Brain Damage" is dedicated to madness and Syd Barrett. Through the use of new 16-track recording equipment in the studio Abbey Road, almost nine months (fantastically long for that time!), Left to record, and the efforts of sound engineer Alan Parsons (Alan Parsons), the album turned out to be unprecedented and entered the recording treasury of all time.

The single "Money" hit the top twenty in the US, and the album became #1 (only #2 in the UK) and stayed on the US Top 200 for 741 weeks, including 591 weeks from 1973 to 1988 consecutively, several times coming in first place. The album broke many records and became one of the best selling albums of all time.

Wish You Were Here

"Wish You Were Here" ("Wish You Were Here") was released in 1975 and featured alienation as the title theme. In addition to the classic Pink Floyd title track, the album includes the critically acclaimed "Shine on You Crazy Diamond", a tribute to Syd Barrett and his mental breakdown. In addition, the album includes "Welcome to the Machine" ("Welcome to the machine") and "Have a Cigar" ("Light a cigar"), dedicated to the soulless businessmen of show business. The album was number one in the UK and number two in America.

By the time of the release of Animals in January 1977, the band's music was increasingly being criticized by the emerging punk rock movement for being too "weak" and haughty, a departure from the simplicity of early rock and roll. The album contained three long main songs and two short ones that complemented their content. The concept of the album was close to the meaning of George Orwell's book Animal Farm. The album uses dogs, pigs and sheep as metaphors to describe or denounce members of modern society. The Animals' music is significantly more guitar-based than previous albums, possibly due to the growing tension between Waters and Richard Wright, who did not contribute much to the album.

The Wall

The rock opera "The Wall" was created almost entirely by Roger Waters and again received an enthusiastic reception from the fans. The single from this album "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II", touching on issues of pedagogy and education, hit number one on the UK Christmas Singles Chart. In addition to number three in the UK, "The Wall" spent 15 weeks on the US charts during 1980. The album became very expensive in the writing process and brought in a lot of expenses due to the massive shows, but the record sales brought the band out of the financial crisis they were in. While working on the album, Waters expanded his influence and strengthened his leadership role in the group, giving rise to constant conflicts in it. For example, Waters tried to persuade the band members to fire Richard Wright, who had little to no involvement with the album. Wright eventually took part in several concerts for a fixed fee. Ironically, Richard was the only one who managed to make any money from these concerts, since the rest of the band had to cover the exorbitant costs of the show "The Wall". The Wall was co-produced by Bob Ezrin, a friend of Roger Waters who co-wrote the lyrics to "The Trial". Waters later kicked him out of the Pink Floyd show camp after Ezrin inadvertently spoke to a journalist relative about the album. The Wall remained on the best-selling album list for 14 years.

In 1982, a feature-length film was made based on the album Pink Floyd The Wall. Bob Geldof, founder of the Boomtown Rats and future organizer of the Live Aid and Live 8 festivals, starred as rock star Pink. The film was written by Waters, directed by Alan Parker, and animated by acclaimed cartoonist Gerald Scarfe. The film can be called provocative, as one of the main ideas was a protest against established ideals and the English passion for order. Also, the film was a certain manifesto in defense of rockers. After all, as you know, in the 1970s, a person could be arrested only because he was wearing torn jeans, or because he had a Mohawk on his head. None of the problems are directly shown in The Wall. The whole film is woven from allegories and symbols, for example, faceless teenagers who, one by one, fall into a meat grinder and turn into a homogeneous mass.

The making of the film was accompanied by a further deterioration in the relationship between the two most powerful personalities of the group: Waters and Gilmour.

Recent albums and the breakup of the group

In 1983, the album "The Final Cut" ("Final Cut" or "Mortal Wound") appeared, with the subtitle "Requiem for the post-war dream of Roger Waters, performed by Pink Floyd." Darker than The Wall, this album revisits many of its themes, as well as addressing issues that were as relevant today as they are today. This included Waters' dissatisfaction and anger at the fact that Britain is involved in the Falklands conflict - the composition "The Fletcher Memorial Home" ("Fletcher's Memorial House"), where Fletcher is Waters' father Eric Fletcher. The theme of the track "Two Suns in the Sunset" ("Two Suns at sunset") fear of nuclear war. Wright's absence from the recording of the album resulted in some lack of keyboard effects characteristic of Pink Floyd's previous work, although guest musicians Michael Kamen (piano and harmonium) and Andy Bown made some contributions as keyboardists. Among the musicians who took part in the recording of "The Final Cut" was noted tenor saxophonist Raphael Ravenscroft. Despite mixed reviews for this album, "The Final Cut" was a success (No. 1 in the UK and No. 6 in the US) and was certified platinum shortly after its release. The most hit songs, according to radio stations, were “Gunner's Dream” (“Artilleryman's Dream”) and “Not Now John” (“Not Now, John”). The friction between Waters and Gilmour during the recording of the album was so strong that they never showed up at the recording studio at the same time.The band did not tour with this album.Waters soon officially announced his departure from the group.

After The Final Cut, the members of the band went their separate ways, releasing solo albums until 1987, when Gilmour and Mason began to recreate Pink Floyd. This gave rise to heated legal disputes with Roger Waters, who, after leaving the group in 1985, decided that the group could not exist without him anyway. However, Gilmour and Mason managed to prove that they had the right to continue their musical activities as a Pink Floyd group. Waters at the same time retained some of the band's traditional looks, including most of the props and characters from The Wall and all rights to The Final Cut. As a result, the band led by David Gilmour returned to the studio with producer Bob Ezrin. While working on the band's new album, A Momentary Lapse of Reason (No. 3 in both the UK and US), Richard Wright joined the band, initially as a session musician on a weekly basis, then as a full-fledged participant until 1994, when the last work of the Floyds "The Division Bell" ("The Division Bell", No. 1 in the UK and USA) was released and the subsequent tour, which became the most profitable in the history of rock music to date.

All members of the group have released solo albums that have reached varying levels of popularity and commercial success. "Amused to Death" by Roger Waters was most warmly received by the public, but was still met with mixed reviews from critics.

Later activities of the group

Since 1994 and The Division Bell, Pink Floyd hasn't released any studio material, and there won't be any any time soon. The band's only output was the 1995 live album P*U*L*S*E (Pulse), a live recording of The Wall compiled from the 1980 and 1981 Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980-81” (“Is anyone outside? The Wall Live, 198081”) in 2000; a two-disc set containing the most significant hits of the group "Echoes" ("Echo") in 2001; the album's 30th anniversary re-release of "Dark Side of the Moon" in 2003 (remastered by James Guthrie in SACD); 2004 reissue of The Final Cut with the added single "When The Tigers Broke Free" ("When the tigers broke free"). The Echoes album caused a lot of controversy due to the fact that the songs flow into each other in a different order than on the original albums, significant parts are torn out of some of them, and also because of the sequence of songs itself, which, according to fans, should not be logic.

David Gilmour in November 2002 released a DVD of his solo concert "David Gilmour in Concert" ("David Gilmour in concert"). It was compiled from recordings of the show from 22 June 2001 to 17 January 2002 at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Richard Wright and Bob Geldof were invited to the stage as guests.

Due to the fact that the members of the group are mostly engaged in their own projects for example, Mason wrote the book "Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd" ("Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd"), because of the death of Steve ORourke (Steve ORourke) October 30, 2003 Band manager for many years, due to David Gilmour's solo project (Album On an Island and tour of the same name) and Rick Wright's death on September 15, 2008, the band's future is hazy.

Although on July 2, 2005, putting past differences aside for one evening, Pink Floyd performed in their classic line-up (Waters, Gilmour, Mason, Wright) at the Live 8 worldwide show dedicated to the fight against poverty.

On July 7, 2006, one of the group's founders, Syd Barrett, died due to complications from diabetes in Cambridge. During the summer, Barrett's few surviving paintings, as well as his furniture and some of his manuscripts, were auctioned off. On May 10, 2007, Madcap's Last Laugh concert took place, dedicated to his memory, but Roger Waters performed at it separately from Pink Floyd.

On September 3, 2007, Pink Floyd's first album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was re-released to celebrate his 40th birthday. The release includes 3 discs: a mono version of the album, a stereo version, early tracks, as well as several scanned sheets from Syd Barrett's notebooks.

The Pink Floyd Show

Pink Floyd are known, among other things, for their incredible performances, combining visuals and music, creating a show in which the musicians themselves almost fade into the background. In their early days, Pink Floyd were practically the first band to use special light show equipment in their performances - slides and video clips projected onto a large round screen. Later, lasers, pyrotechnics, balloons, and figures were used (the most notable of these being the huge inflatable pig that first appeared on the Animals album).

The biggest stage performance was for The Wall, where several session musicians played the opening song wearing rubber masks (revealing that the band members are unknown as individuals); further, during the first part of the show, workers gradually built a huge wall of cardboard boxes between the audience and the group, on which cartoons of Gerald Scarfe were then projected, and at the end of the performance the wall collapsed. This show was later recreated by Waters with the help of many guest musicians, including Bryan Adams, the Scorpions and Van Morison, in 1990 amidst the ruins of the Berlin Wall.

Album illustrations

Album illustrations are an integral part of the band's work for fans. Album covers and record sleeves give an emotional boost to the perception of music through a bright and meaningful visuals. Throughout the band's career, this aspect was primarily reinforced by the talent of photographer and designer Storm Thorgerson and his studio Hipgnosis. Suffice it to mention the famous images of a man shaking hands with his burning doppelgänger (“Wish You Were Here”) and a prism with light passing through it (“Dark Side of the Moon”). Torgeson was involved in the design of all the albums except "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" (photographed for this cover by photographer Vic Singh and back cover art by Syd Barrett), "The Wall" (for which the band hired Gerald Scarfe) and "The Final Cut" (cover design by Waters himself, using a photo taken by his son-in-law Willie Christie).

Discography
Studio and live albums

* The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (LP; EMI; August 5, 1967; Barret/Wright/Waters/Mason)
* A Saucerful of Secrets (LP; EMI; June 29, 1968; Barrett/Gilmour/Wright/Waters/Mason)
* More (LP; EMI; July 27, 1969; Gilmour/Wright/Waters/Mason)
* Ummagumma (2 LP; EMI; October 25, 1969, studio and live recordings; Gilmour/Wright/Waters/Mason)
* Atom Heart Mother (LP; EMI; October 10, 1970; Gilmour/Wright/Waters/Mason)
* Meddle (LP; EMI; October 30, 1971; Gilmour/Wright/Waters/Mason)
* Obscured by Clouds (LP; EMI; June 3, 1972; Gilmour/Wright/Waters/Mason)
* The Dark Side of the Moon (LP; EMI; March 24, 1973; Gilmour/Wright/Waters/Mason)
* Wish You Were Here (LP; EMI; September 15, 1975; Gilmour/Wright/Waters/Mason)
* Animals (LP; EMI; January 23, 1977; Gilmour/Wright/Waters/Mason)
* The Wall (2 LP; EMI; November 30, 1979, 2 LP; Gilmour/Wright/Waters/Mason)
* The Final Cut (LP; EMI; March 21, 1983; Gilmour/Waters/Mason)
* A Momentary Lapse of Reason (LP; EMI; September 7, 1987; Gilmour/Mason)
* Delicate Sound of Thunder (LP, live; EMI; November 22, 1988; Gilmour/Wright/Mason)
* The Division Bell (LP; EMI; March 30, 1994; Gilmour/Wright/Mason)
* P*U*L*S*E (2 CD live; EMI; June 5, 1995; Gilmour/Wright/Mason)
* Is There Anybody out There? The Wall Live 198081 (CD, Live; March 27, 2000; Gilmour/Wright/Waters/Mason)

Compilations

* Relics (1971) a compilation of some of the materials and songs taken from the albums from the B-sides of the early singles
* Masters of Rock, issue 1 (1974) compilation; the compilation was originally released under the name "The Best Of Pink Floyd"
* A Nice Pair (1973) compilation combining the band's first two discs "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" and "A Saucerful Of Secrets" in one album
* A Collection of Great Dance Songs (1981) the compilation includes several alternative versions of well-known songs, especially the new recording Money, in which David Gilmour alone performed all the parts except for the saxophone.
* Works (1983) Compilation featuring the off-album track "Embryo" and two alternate versions of "Brain Damage" and "Eclipse"
* Shine on (CD Box Set, 1992) deluxe CD set including remastered "A Saucerful Of Secrets", "Meddle", "Dark Side Of The Moon", "Wish You Were Here", "Animals", "The Wall", "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason", and a compilation of the group's first singles
* 1967: The First Three Singles (1997) compilation of the group's first three singles
* Echoes (2 CD, 2001) compilation of the band's best tracks

* "Live at Pompeii" (Live concert in Pompeii) (1973, concert, directed by Adrian Maben; Gilmour/Wright/Waters/Mason) recording of ten songs performed by the band against the backdrop of the ancient ruins of Pompeii (Italy)
*Pink Floyd The Wall (1982, MGM, directed by Alan Parker; Gilmour/Wright/Waters/Mason) film based on the 1979 album The Wall
* "The Final Cut" 1983, short film
* "Delicate Sound of Thunder" (1988, live, directed by Wayne Isham; Gilmour/Wright/Mason) live recording at Nassau Coliseum (USA)
* "Pulse" 2006, concert

Soundtracks

* "Tonite Lets All Make Love In London" (Let's all make love in London tonight) (1967, directed by Peter Whitehead, UK) only two short parts of the composition "Interstellar Overdrive" were used, but the film allowed the band's first studio recording of four songs.
* "The Committee" (1968, directed by Peter Sykes, UK) used, in particular, an early version of "Careful With That Ax, Eugene".
* "More" (More) (1969, directed by Barbet Schroeder, France) a film about the adventures of hippies in Ibiza. Not very famous in the world, but very popular in France. As a soundtrack, modified old and several new songs of the group were used.
* "Zabriskie Point" (Zabriskie Height) (1970, directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, USA) used four fragments of the band's songs.
* "La Vallee" (Valley) (1972, directed by Barbet Schroeder, France) this film is also known as "Obscured by Clouds" (Hidden by Clouds). He talks about hippies who went to New Guinea in search of a lost valley. The band's music used in the film is different from what can be heard on the "Obscured by Clouds" album.
* "La Carrera Panamericana" (Panamericana Freeway) (April 13, 1992, directed and produced by Ian MacArthur, UK) a documentary film about the 2500-mile motor race in Mexico. David Gilmour and Nick Mason took part in these competitions and were one of the sponsors. Pink Floyd provided the soundtrack for the film. In addition to several tracks from the A Momentary Lapse of Reason album, several new tunes were recorded for the film, which did not appear on the band's next studio album, although they surfaced on several pirated discs.

Pink Floyd is a legendary British musical group whose work in different periods can be classified as psychedelic, progressive and art rock, but any Pink Floyd record is much broader than some genre definition.

Starting as an "acid" band in the 60s, Pink Floyd quickly became real stars of the rock scene and influenced many musicians - from David Bowie to Queen and Radiohead. In each of their albums, they experimented with sound, while at the same time emphasizing a strong guitar solo. Most of Pink Floyd's records are united by a single concept; with large-scale album shows, they have traveled all over the world more than once.

The history of the creation of the Pink Floyd group

In 1965, university friends Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Richard Wright formed a group called the T-set, who were passionate about music. The guys studied architecture at the London Polytechnic Institute, which did not prevent them from devoting all their free time to music. For several months (until July 1965) the band's rhythm guitarist was Rado "Bob" Klose. A little later, they were joined by a Cambridge friend Syd Barrett, who became the author of most of the compositions of the newly minted group and the frontman of the band. It was he who suggested changing the name to Pink Floyd, combining the names of his favorite bluesmen Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.

At first, the band played classic rhythm and blues, but Barrett was a big fan of creative experiments, which was clearly felt in the pronounced psychedelic sound of some of his compositions. Sometimes some extraneous sounds were added to the songs, the composition could suddenly stop in the middle, and the audience sat in bewilderment for several seconds in complete silence.

The band's first album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, was written entirely by Syd Barrett and was released in 1967. It is still considered one of the best examples of psychedelic music, and in the year of release it immediately took sixth position in the English charts. But not everyone coped with the unexpected popularity - Steve Barrett, whose psyche was already too vulnerable from the regular use of mind-expanding drugs and mild schizophrenia, began to behave inappropriately at concerts and terribly annoy the other musicians with his behavior.

Pink Floyd without Syd Barrett

The following year, he was replaced by David Gilmour, although the rest of the musicians still hoped that Syd would continue to write songs for the band. But all his new compositions, written under the influence of drugs, more and more resembled a random set of sounds and were perceived by an unprepared public as just some kind of crazy cacophony. In April 1968, Barret left the group forever, after which he unsuccessfully tried to pursue a solo career and organize his own team. After that, he returned to his mother in his native Cambridge, where he lived as a hermit until he died of cancer in 2006.

In the summer of 1968, the group's second album, A Saucerful of Secrets, was released, which the musicians began recording under Sid, but the album had a completely different sound at the end. Most of the compositions for the disc were written by Waters and Wright, and only one - "Jugband Blues" - by Syd Barrett. The group's second album was also warmly received by the British public and took ninth place in the local charts.

The following year, the musicians recorded the soundtrack for Barbe Schroeder's film "More" and released the double album "Ummagumma", which reached number five in the UK charts and number seventy in the US.

The highest achievement of Pink Floyd at this stage of creativity was the album "Atom Heart Mother" in 1970 - it confidently took first place in the British charts, and to realize their creative ideas, the musicians turned to the symphony orchestra and arranger Ron Gisin for help.

Pink Floyd - Live in Pompeii (1972)

Career heyday

But the real breakthrough in the creative career of Pink Floyd was their eighth album "The Dark Side of the Moon", released at the end of March 1973. Even those who managed to never hear the songs from this disc are certainly familiar with its legendary cover, created by designer Storm Thorgerson, who later collaborated with Pink Floyd more than once.

The Dark Side of the Moon became the second highest-selling album of all time and still has not lost this position, approaching the total number of copies sold already to 50 million. Above him - only "Thriller" by Michael Jackson.

This is the group's first concept album: each song raises some problem of our time or a philosophical question, whether it is the inexorable approach of old age, the exaggerated importance of money in the world, the pressure on a person of religious, state institutions.

It feels like a very meditative album with the improvisational sound characteristic of the group - the musicians themselves admitted that many motives were born right in the studio. The tracks "Time" and "Money" are especially worth highlighting.

With this disc, from a psychedelic group for music lovers, Pink Floyd turned into one of the best rock bands of their time and did not leave this pedestal. It would seem that it was difficult to repeat the success of The Dark Side of the Moon, but the next album became a worthy successor to its predecessor. Thus, Gilmour and Wright generally considered "Wish You Were Here" (1975) the best creation of "Pink Floyd". The album consists of only 5 tracks - Pink Floyd has always been distinguished by its attraction to big forms. The title track "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", divided into two tracks with a total duration of almost half an hour, was dedicated to Syd Barrett.

In the next disc "Animals" (1977), the musicians tried in the spirit of George Orwell to compare people with animals and staged a show with inflatable animals, the pig from which migrated to all subsequent performances of the group.

Pink Floyd

In the fall of 1979, another super-successful album of the group "The Wall" ("Wall") was released, which in its structure resembled a rock opera, and the single "Another Brick in the Wall" became the most famous composition of Pink Floyd and entered the list of the greatest songs of all time. The wall on the album is a symbol of the alienation that a person can undergo. The two discs are packed with progressive rock gems such as "Hey You", "Nobody Home" and, of course, "Comfortably Numb". Three years later, based on the album, director Alan Parker shot the film of the same name, which looks like a huge video clip with unusual animation inserts.

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd breakup

Meanwhile, disagreements gradually accumulated between the members of the team. During the recording of "The Wall" and the subsequent even darker album "Final Cut", Roger Waters often pulled the blanket over himself and even got Gilmour removed from production, because of which he practically turned into a session musician. This state of affairs did not suit the ambitious David, serious conflicts began between them, as a result of which, in 1985, Waters himself left the group, announcing the end of Pink Floyd's existence.

In 2008, Richard Wright died of lung cancer, after which the remaining members of the group stated that without him a reunion was impossible. In 2014, the album "The Endless River" was released, based on unreleased recordings from the 90s. In 2015, David Gilmour announced the end of Pink Floyd.

Discography

The Piper at the Gate of Dawn (1967)
A Saucerful of Secrets (1968)
Music from the film More (1969)
Ummagumma (1969)
Atom Heart Mother (1970)
Meddle (1971)
Obscured by Clouds (1972)
The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
Wish You Were Here (1975)
Animals (1977)
The Wall (1979)
The Final Cut (1983)
A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987)
The Division Bell (1994)
The Endless River (2014)

Pink Floyd now

Pink Floyd no longer exists, but its members continue to work on solo projects. Roger Waters tours the world with The Wall program (he was in Russia in 2011), David Gilmour released his solo album Rattle That Lock in 2015.

Pink Floyd (Pink Floyd) British progressive / psychedelic rock band from Cambridge. Known for its psychedelic songs and grandiose shows. It is one of the most successful in rock and pop music, is in seventh place in the world in terms of the number of albums sold. Formed in 1965, last album ("The Division Bell") and tour took place in 1994. Last performance July 2005.

The name "Pink Floyd" (formed by a combination of the names of jazz, more precisely rhythm and blues musicians Pink Anderson and Floyd Council, of which Barrett was a fan; this name, according to Waters, "appeared to Barrett in a prophetic dream, and he insisted on renaming the group") arose after a series of renaming groups "Sigma 6", "T-Set", "Meggadeaths", "The Screaming Abdabs", "The Architectural Abdabs" and "The Abdabs". Moreover, at first the group was called "The Pink Floyd Sound", and only then simply "The Pink Floyd", (in honor of two blues musicians from Georgia Pink Anderson (Pink Anderson) and Floyd Council (Floyd Council)). The definite article "The" was dropped from the title by the time the band's first record was released.

Which one of you is Pink?

The first line-up of the Pink Floyd group included classmates at the London Architectural Institute Richard Wright (keyboards, vocals), Roger Waters (bass guitar, vocals) and Nick Mason (drums) and their Cambridge friend Syd Barrett (vocals, guitar). At the beginning of its work, Pink Floyd was reworking rhythm and blues hits such as "Louie, Louie" ("Louie, Louie"). The band formed Blackhill Enterprises, a six-party business venture that included four musicians and their managers, Peter Jenner and Andrew King.

However, not all members of the group withstood the burden of success that fell on them. Drug use (as a result, exacerbation of congenital schizophrenia) and constant performances broke the leader of the group, Syd Barrett. His behavior became more and more unbearable, nervous breakdowns and psychoses were repeated more and more often, infuriating the rest of the group (especially Roger). It happened more than once that Sid simply "turned off", "withdrew into himself" (which was caused by catatonic seizures) right at the concert. In January 1968, Roger and Syd's longtime guitarist David Gilmour joined the band to replace Barrett. However, it was planned that Syd, although not performing, would continue to write songs for the band. Unfortunately, nothing came of this venture.

In April 1968, Barrett's "retirement" was formalized, but Jenner and King decided to stay with him. The six-party Blackhill Enterprises went out of business.

Without Barrett

After writing in 1969 by the group the soundtrack to the film "More" ("More") directed by Barbet Schroeder, in the same year, 1969, the album "Ummagumma" was released, partly recorded in Birmingham, partly in Manchester. It was a double album, the first disc of which was the first (and for almost twenty years the only official) recording of a live performance of the group, and the second was equally divided into four parts, according to the number of members of the group, and each of them recorded, in fact, his own mini- solo album. The album was the band's highest achievement at the time. It peaked at number five in the UK and hit the US chart at number seventy.

A year later, in 1971, "Meddle" ("Intervention") was released - practically the twin of the previous one (in the form and length of the songs, but not in the music) (except that they did without an orchestra and a choir). The second side of the disc was dedicated to a 23-minute "epic sound poem" (as Waters called it) called "Echoes" ("Echo"), where the group first used 16-track tape recorders instead of the four-channel and eight-channel equipment used on the Atom Heart Mother", as well as the Zinoviev synthesizer VCS3. The album also included One of These Days, a Pink Floyd live classic, where drummer Nick Mason promised in a terribly distorted voice to "cut you into little pieces" ("One of these days, Im going to cut you into little pieces" ), light and carefree "Fearless" and "San Tropez" and mischievous and hooligan "Seamus" (Seamus the dog's nickname), where a Russian greyhound was invited to the vocal part. "Meddle" peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart.

A lesser-known album by the band was released in 1972 under the title Obscured by Clouds, as the soundtrack to the Barbet Schroeder film La Vallee. The album is one of Nick Mason's favorites. Only 46th in the US Top 50 and sixth at home.

The Peak of Success

Back side of the moon

The 1973 album the Dark Side of the Moon was the band's high point. It was a conceptual work, that is, not just a collection of songs on one disc, but a work imbued with a single, connecting idea of the pressure of the modern world on the human psyche. The idea was a powerful catalyst for the band's creativity and together its members compiled a list of themes revealed in the album: the composition "On The Run" ("On the run") told about paranoia; "Time" ("Time") described the approach of old age and the senseless waste of life; The Great Gig In The Sky (originally titled Mortality Sequence) and Religious Theme are about death and religion; "Money" is about money that comes with fame and takes over a person; "Us And Them" ("We and them") speaks of conflicts within society; "Brain Damage" is all about insanity. Using new 16-track recording equipment at Abbey Road Studios, almost nine months (a fantastically long time for that time!) to record, and the efforts of sound engineer Alan Parsons, the album turned out to be unprecedented and entered the recording treasure trove of all time.

The single "Money" hit the US Top 20, and the album went to No. 1 (only No. 2 in the UK) and remained on the US Top 200 for 741 weeks, including 591 consecutive weeks from 1973 to 1988, and several once in first place. The album broke many records and became one of the best selling albums of all time.

Wish You Were Here

"Wish You Were Here" ("Wish You Were Here") was released in 1975 and featured alienation as the title theme. In addition to the classic Pink Floyd title track, the album includes the critically acclaimed track "Shine on You Crazy Diamond", a tribute to Syd Barrett and his mental breakdown. In addition, the album includes "Welcome to the Machine" ("Welcome to the machine") and "Have a Cigar" ("Light a cigar"), dedicated to the soulless businessmen of show business. The album was number one in the UK and number two in America.

animals

The Wall

The rock opera "The Wall" was created almost entirely by Roger Waters and again received an enthusiastic reception from the fans. The single from this album "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II", touching on issues of pedagogy and education, hit number one on the UK Christmas Singles Chart. In addition to number three in the UK, "The Wall" spent 15 weeks on the US charts during 1980. The album became very expensive during the writing process and brought in a lot of expenses due to the massive shows, but the record sales brought the band out of the financial crisis they were in. While working on the album, Waters expanded his influence and strengthened his leadership role in the group, giving rise to constant conflicts in it. For example, Waters tried to persuade the band members to fire Richard Wright, who had little to no involvement with the album. Wright eventually took part in several concerts, for a fixed fee. Ironically, Richard was the only one who managed to make any money from these concerts, since the rest of the band had to cover the exorbitant costs of the show "The Wall". The Wall was co-produced by Bob Ezrin, a friend of Roger Waters who co-wrote the lyrics to "The Trial". Waters later kicked him out of the Pink Floyd show camp after Ezrin inadvertently spoke to a journalist relative about the album. The Wall remained on the best-selling album list for 14 years.

In 1982, a feature-length film was made based on the album Pink Floyd The Wall. Bob Geldof, founder of the Boomtown Rats and future organizer of the Live Aid and Live 8 festivals, starred as rock star Pink. The film was written by Waters, directed by Alan Parker, and animated by acclaimed cartoonist Gerald Scarfe. The film can be called provocative, since one of the main ideas was a protest against established ideals and the English passion for order. Also, the film was a certain manifesto in defense of rockers. After all, as you know, in the 1970s, a person could be arrested only because he was wearing torn jeans or because he had a mohawk on his head. None of the problems are directly shown in The Wall. The whole film is woven from allegories and symbols, for example, faceless teenagers who, one by one, fall into a meat grinder and turn into a homogeneous mass.

The making of the film was accompanied by a further deterioration in the relationship between the two most powerful personalities of the group: Waters and Gilmour.

Recent albums and the breakup of the group

In 1983, the album "The Final Cut" ("Final Cut" or "Mortal Wound") appeared, with the subtitle "Requiem for the post-war dream of Roger Waters, performed by Pink Floyd." Darker than The Wall, this album revisits many of its themes, as well as addressing issues that were as relevant today as they are today. This included Waters' dissatisfaction and anger at the fact that Britain is involved in the Falklands conflict the composition "The Fletcher Memorial Home" ("Fletcher's Memorial House"), where Fletcher Waters' father Eric Fletcher. The theme of the track "Two Suns in the Sunset" ("Two Suns at sunset") fear of nuclear war. Wright's absence from the recording of the album led to some lack of keyboard effects characteristic of previous Pink Floyd works, although guest musicians Michael Kamen (piano and harmonium) and Andy Bown (Andy Bown) made some contributions as keyboardists. Among the musicians who took part in the recording of "The Final Cut" was noted tenor saxophonist Raphael Ravenscroft. Despite mixed reviews for this album, "The Final Cut" was a success (No. 1 in the UK and No. 6 in the US), and was certified platinum shortly after its release. The most hit compositions according to the radio stations were "Gunner's Dream" ("Artilleryman's Dream") and "Not Now John" ("Not now, John"). Friction between Waters and Gilmour during the recording of the album was so strong that they never showed up at the recording studio at the same time. With this album, the group did not go to concerts. Soon, Waters officially announced his departure from the group.

After The Final Cut, the members of the band went their separate ways, releasing solo albums until 1987, when Gilmour and Mason began to recreate Pink Floyd. This gave rise to heated legal disputes with Roger Waters, who, after leaving the group in 1985, decided that the group could not exist without him anyway. However, Gilmour and Mason managed to prove that they had the right to continue their musical activity as the Pink Floyd group. Waters at the same time retained some of the band's traditional looks, including most of the props and characters from The Wall and all rights to The Final Cut. As a result, the band led by David Gilmour returned to the studio with producer Bob Ezrin. While working on the band's new album, A Momentary Lapse of Reason (No. 3 in both the UK and US), Richard Wright joined the band, initially as a session musician on a weekly basis, then as a full member until 1994. This year saw the release of Floyd's latest work, The Division Bell (No. 1 in the UK and US) and the subsequent tour, which became the most profitable in the history of rock music to date.

All members of the group have released their own solo albums, reaching varying levels of popularity and commercial success. "Amused to Death" by Roger Waters was most warmly received by the public, but was still met with mixed reviews from critics.

Later activities of the group

Since 1994 and The Division Bell, Pink Floyd hasn't released any studio material, and it's not expected to in the near future. The band's only output was the 1995 live album P*U*L*S*E (Pulse), a live recording of The Wall compiled from the 1980 and 1981 Is There Anybody out There? The Wall Live 198081” (“Is anyone outside? The Wall Live, 198081”) in 2000; a two-disc set containing the most significant hits of the group "Echoes" ("Echo") in 2001; the album's 30th anniversary re-release of "Dark Side of the Moon" in 2003 (remixed by James Guthrie in SACD); 2004 reissue of The Final Cut with the added single "When the Tigers Broke Free" ("When the tigers broke free"). The Echoes album caused a lot of controversy due to the fact that the songs flow into each other in a different order than on the original albums, significant parts are torn out of some of them, and also because of the sequence of songs itself, which, according to fans, should not be logic.

Due to the fact that the members of the group are mostly engaged in their own projects for example, Mason wrote the book "Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd" ("Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd"), because of the death of Steve O Rourke (Steve ORourke) October 30, 2003 the band's manager for many years, due to David Gilmour's solo project (Album On an Island and the concert tour of the same name) and due to the death of Rick Wright on September 15, 2008 future groups is unclear.

On July 7, 2006, one of the founders of the group, Syd Barrett, died in Cambridge due to complications from diabetes. During the summer, Barrett's few surviving paintings, as well as his furniture and some of his manuscripts, were auctioned off. On May 10, 2007, a Pink Floyd concert was held dedicated to his memory, but Roger Waters performed at it separately from the group.

At the end of August 2007, Waters was hit by a car, which resulted in a severe fracture of the spine, concussion and other injuries. He was taken to the hospital, operated on, and is now on the mend. Roger Waters and David Gilmour recently reconciled, and according to unverified rumors, a full reunion of the group may take place.

On September 3, 2007, Pink Floyd's first album, A piper at the gates of dawn, was re-released in honor of his fortieth birthday. The release includes 3 discs: a mono version of the album, a stereo version, early tracks as well as several scanned sheets from Syd Barrett's notebooks.

On September 15, 2008, at the age of 65, the band's keyboardist Richard Wright died of cancer.

Show "Pink Floyd"

The Pink Floyds are known, among other things, for their incredible performances, combining visuals and music, creating a show in which the musicians themselves practically fade into the background. In their early days, the Pink Floyds were practically the first band to use special light show equipment in their performances—slides and video clips projected onto a large round screen. Later, lasers, pyrotechnics, balloons and figures were used (the most notable of these is the huge inflatable pig that first appeared on the Animals album).

Album illustrations

Album illustrations are an integral part of the band's work for fans. Album covers and record sleeves give an emotional boost to the perception of music through a bright and meaningful visuals. Throughout the band's career, this aspect was primarily reinforced by the talent of photographer and designer Storm Thorgerson and his studio Hipgnosis. Suffice it to mention the famous images of a man shaking hands with his burning doppelgänger (“Wish You Were Here”) and a prism with light passing through it (“Dark Side of the Moon”). Thorgeson was involved in the design of all the albums except "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" (which was photographed for the cover by photographer Vic Singh and featured art by Syd Barrett on the back cover), "The Wall" (for which the band hired Gerald Scarfe) and "The Final Cut" (cover design by Waters himself, using a photo taken by his son-in-law Willie Christie).