Which One's Pink?
Well, tonight I want to do something I don't know that I've ever done on the blog before . . .
Send out Happy Birthday wishes to someone special. Okay, I don't actually know this person, but his music has been a prominent part of the soundtrack to well over half of my life.
The person of course is David Gilmour of Pink Floyd.
If my sources are accurate, (and they rarely are) Dave's birthday was this past Monday. The really cool sidenote here is that he also just released his first solo album in a really, really long time. Heck, if you've been waiting for anything at all to come blasting out of his guitar, you've probably already given up and started liking Rap. The Floyd haven't even released any new music since The Division Bell back in '94 (Wow, was that an amazing album).
Okay . . . Okay, I know they did play that lil' Live 8 gig a while back, but for all intents and purposes, it was starting to look like it might all be in the past with Mr. Gilmour. Thank goodness it ain't.
As long-time readers to The Station already know, David Gilmour was selected from among a whole freakin' lot of really good guitarists out there to play lead guitar in my "Dream Band". I'll readily grant you that there are flashier gunslingers and louder axemen aplenty, but you are not going to find a better musician with better timing and nuance than the guy who got his job filling in for The Crazy Diamond himself, Syd Barrett.
With the possible exception of U2, I've logged more hours listening to Pink Floyd than any other rock group out there. Yes, more even than Boyz to Men. What can I say . . . I was young and impressionable and they were such good dancers. Seriously, David Gilmour can really play and for that matter . . . sing and write. Now, I know that you can't swing a dead inflatable pig around without hitting at least three insane Roger Waters fanatics who think that it all ended way back when the original Pink Floyd split up after The Final Cut. Well, they're all wrong. You heard me . . . . wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.
Waters wrote some deep stuff, but the guitar is what always made Pink Floyd so unbelievably cool to me. There's a darkness there and a tightness that really pops. Go back and give "Money" and "Dogs" a listen. Dust off your copy of Obscured by Clouds or Wish You Were Here. Even the title song from their last album together has an amazing guitar solo.
I haven't bought David Gilmour's new solo CD yet, but I did check it out on iTunes and it's worth the price of admission. I guess were gonna have to try and look past the grey hair and lack of hair altogether. The fact is that the dude maybe ancient, but the dude can still play and I know one thing for sure . . . I'm certainly ready for some more of what he's got to say (play).
Ben O.
(BTW - Don't forget to click the Audiozue button if ya haven't already. Thanks!)
Send out Happy Birthday wishes to someone special. Okay, I don't actually know this person, but his music has been a prominent part of the soundtrack to well over half of my life.
The person of course is David Gilmour of Pink Floyd.If my sources are accurate, (and they rarely are) Dave's birthday was this past Monday. The really cool sidenote here is that he also just released his first solo album in a really, really long time. Heck, if you've been waiting for anything at all to come blasting out of his guitar, you've probably already given up and started liking Rap. The Floyd haven't even released any new music since The Division Bell back in '94 (Wow, was that an amazing album).
Okay . . . Okay, I know they did play that lil' Live 8 gig a while back, but for all intents and purposes, it was starting to look like it might all be in the past with Mr. Gilmour. Thank goodness it ain't.
As long-time readers to The Station already know, David Gilmour was selected from among a whole freakin' lot of really good guitarists out there to play lead guitar in my "Dream Band". I'll readily grant you that there are flashier gunslingers and louder axemen aplenty, but you are not going to find a better musician with better timing and nuance than the guy who got his job filling in for The Crazy Diamond himself, Syd Barrett.
With the possible exception of U2, I've logged more hours listening to Pink Floyd than any other rock group out there. Yes, more even than Boyz to Men. What can I say . . . I was young and impressionable and they were such good dancers. Seriously, David Gilmour can really play and for that matter . . . sing and write. Now, I know that you can't swing a dead inflatable pig around without hitting at least three insane Roger Waters fanatics who think that it all ended way back when the original Pink Floyd split up after The Final Cut. Well, they're all wrong. You heard me . . . . wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.
Waters wrote some deep stuff, but the guitar is what always made Pink Floyd so unbelievably cool to me. There's a darkness there and a tightness that really pops. Go back and give "Money" and "Dogs" a listen. Dust off your copy of Obscured by Clouds or Wish You Were Here. Even the title song from their last album together has an amazing guitar solo.
I haven't bought David Gilmour's new solo CD yet, but I did check it out on iTunes and it's worth the price of admission. I guess were gonna have to try and look past the grey hair and lack of hair altogether. The fact is that the dude maybe ancient, but the dude can still play and I know one thing for sure . . . I'm certainly ready for some more of what he's got to say (play).
Ben O.
(BTW - Don't forget to click the Audiozue button if ya haven't already. Thanks!)
posted by Ben O. | 10:38 PM
7 Comments:
ick.
I do not like Pink Floyd.
My husband did, in highschool, but he was also contemplating suicide and The Wall was the perfect "spiraling down into darkness" music.
again, "ick" I say.
Fred - I actually really like the early Floyd stuff that Roger had the largest hand in and I also like most of The Final Cut, which was basically a Waters solo album with help from the other members of Pink Floyd. With that said, my favorite Floyd songs are always the ones that David Gilmour had the most input on - Run Like Hell, Comfortably Numb, Learning to Fly, Take it Back, Pigs, Wish You Were Here. I just really like the way he writes and plays guitar.
Sadie - Girl, I'm gonna have to dock you a couple of points for the double "ick". How many times have I told you that our beloved Procrastination Station is an Ick-Free Zone? That's what I thought.
(I totally understand that the Floyd are an acquired taste and I also know that they can be pretty dark and sometimes linked with negative memories. That's cool.)
Ben O.
DANG IT!
Oh well, I have so many frippin' Procrastination Station points, a few lost here and there won't make a bit'o' difference.
*smug*
When can I cash these points in for a prize or sumpthin?
Sadie - that's actually a good idea. Maybe in the next few posts, I'll have the first annual Procrastination Point Redemption Bonanza. I think we have a package of tortillas and a broken leaf blower to offer our wonderful loyal readers. Ain't life grand?
Fred - I think if the 3 people who all like The Final Cut get together something bad might happen like a disruption in the Space-Time Continuum (sp?). I don't like tempting physics when I don't absolutely have to, ya know?
It is a pretty good album, though.
Ben O.
Damn Ben, You are right on the money (Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash) with this post.
I thought I was even going to make your day tonight by telling you that Gilmour is putting out an album this month, but of course you already found out... You got people everywhere.
The only thing I can add is that Gilmour is also a real humanitarian and gentlemen, cough, unlike Waters. Gilmour never got the due props he deserves.
LOVE the Gilmour edge of Pink Floyd. And shine on, you crazy diamond Dave. Many happy returns.
Fred - I don't even think Mason plays the drums on all the tracks. I actually like a few of the songs, though. The song, The Final Cut has a really cool guitar solo and a pretty nice sound to it.
It is sad that Pink Floyd have never even played a single song from that album live. I know Roger plays them all the time live, but as a band, The Floyd haven't. I would pay a pretty ebay dollar to see and hear that.
Laurie - I forgot to tell you that I am an FBI narc agent. Just kidding. My memory is more like listening to a Pink Floyd album and then rushing out to get another one and another. Most of them were already out by the time I started liking them, so there was this vast store of material out there just waiting to be discovered. Good times, that's for sure.
Mark - Yep, Dave is an interesting cat. I still haven't gotten his new solo album, but I probably will. Another cool factoid about him is that he collects guitars. I think he even has Fender Stratocastor serial # 001 in his collection. Pretty cool.
BTW - Van Morrison also has a new album out . . . see for yourself.
Erica - I agree. I'm listening to some Floyd right now, actually.
Ben O.
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