I purchased this album very cheap from a Walmart for $9.76 and was surprised no one had reviewed it already. This is one of there last orginal albums, released in 1994, with this line up
David Gilmour: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards and Programming
Nick Mason: Drums, Percussion
Rick Wright: Keyboard, Vocals
Tim Renwick: Guitars
Guy Pratt: Bass
Gary Wallis: Percussion
Jon Carin: Programming, Additional Keyboards
Dick Parry: Tenor Saxophone
Bob Ezrin: Keyboards, Percussion<
Backing Vocals: Sam Brown, Durga McBroom, Carol Kenyah, Jackie Sheridan and Rebecca Leigh-White
Now this album was released in 1994, like i said before, after a huge time gap of no album since the Delacate Sound of Thunder (1988). The album is defintaly more jam-like, and the guitar work is beyond what i have ever heard before in one album. Floyd states, what is clear in this album, they tryed to touch base with their 70's work like in Wish you were Here and Dark Side. But instead of the loud Phycadelia Rock band you hear in albums like Dark Side and the Wall, They're defintaly more quieter in tone, and based around the lyrics. Their are more instrumental songs than usual, The album features more organ, and Pink Floyd even States "this is more of a jam album than ever. We sat down for 2 weeks and made about 40 sketches. The other ideas might end up on a satellite album." If you didnt notice either, Rick Wright serves more a part in this album than he has in any previous albums, and is understood that his girlfriend made most of the lyrics for the album.
Enough of that...Heres the song reviews.
1. Cluster One / 5:58 - Another one of Floyd's Musical intros, but instead of a two minute musical intro, this one is the entire song. Very slow start with only the piano, and about halfway through, guitar kicks in with a nice riff after every piano riff is played. Ride Cymbal comes in to keep the groove. Overall, is very nice sounding. Good guitaring in it, it gets a 4/5
2. What Do You Want From Me / 4:21 - has a funky intro and starts with more intensity to the guitar. this is defintaly a song youd want to listen to loud. Good lyrics, from what i can hear now, and everything in this song is whatd you expect from floyd. Probably, and IMO, the best song on the album 5/5
3. Poles Apart / 7:04 - Nice intro acoustic riff, but the song doesnt flow well, especially around the lyrics and guitar matching the notes with the lyrics. Takes 2 or 3 minute bridge inbetween for some random sounds which I thought killed a song stuggling to be good in the first place. I know Floyd is known for some weird effects, but this was pathetic. But...since it ends with a good guitar solo, ill give it a 3/5
4. Marooned / 5:29 - Another Guitar jam song. Won a Grammy for best instrumental recording when it was realeased too. It Starts nice and slow, and builds to a great solo. Any fan of Gilmour will adore this song, and even though these ratings are soposed to be without personal favorites, anybody can respect this song. 5/5
5. A Great Day For Freedom / 4:17 - .The beginning starts with some piano and lyrics for a few minutes. Good lyrics, but couldve worked better with the song i think. But more importantly...it ends with another crazy guitar solo. the solo adds some much needed intensity, so its about a 3.5/5
6. Wearing the Inside Out / 6:49 - Soothing Sax intro to this one. This is another good slower song with some backround guitaring, percussions, the sax here and there, and a choir. Everything is so well balenced it sounds incredible. theres a short guitar solo around 3:00 and ends quickly, but the song ends with yet ANOTHER crazy guitar solo. great song... 5/5
7. Take It Back / 6:12 - Seems like everything in this song is keeping the rythem. hard to describe, but it sounds great with the lyrics. I think this kind of song best represents Pink Floyds work for the 90's. Someone told me that the lyrics are about Mother Earth, and while people are slowly destroying it, at any moment she could Take it Back. But sorry guys, no guitar solo here, but doesnt stop it from being one of the best songs on the album 4/5
8. Coming back to Life / 6:19 - Starts with some slow guitar jamming with only an organ in the backround, then goes into just the lyrics with a load of echo. The song really begins at 2:35, with some repetitive guitar playing chords palm muting, Good lyrics, and what we all love, cowbell. It goes into yet ANOTHER guitar solo for about 2 1/2 minutes. gets a 4/5.
9. Keep Talking / 6:11 - Pretty groovey intro, especially i minute into it. Lyrics flow pretty well with the rest. A backround choir comes in after every line of lyrics and makes a different response to the words, which sounds good when you here it. another weird announcer-like voice comes in here and there during the song which you here before and after the first verse. The a guitar solo on full distortion kicks in, and goes into and keyboards solo. back into the verse, and i believe Dave starts soloing with a Wah wah pedal, but sounds pretty weird. song fades like it started. This song represents music only pink floyd can provide for us. 5/5
10. Lost for Words / 5:15 - Acoustic intro with an intro that cant help but remind me of Wish you were Here...though the riff in general sounds nothing like it. Lyrics and guitar chords flow like normal, then goes into what sounds like a TV announcer for a short while, flows back into the song, then an acoustic solo as it fades out. 4/5
11. High Hopes / 8:32 - This was the first song worked on for the album, but the last one finished, and with all the time takin, its a great outro for one of their last CDs. Starts with a keyboard playing repetitive notes and a bell in the backround. When the lyrics kick in, it sounds sort of dark or mystical feel. After the second verse, an acoustic solo begins with a full orchestra, and once again, more keyboards. The re-appearing bell comes back with the lyrics. The song seems to start over at this point, but an electric guitar solo Comes out of nowhere. Its a whole load for one song, and is like everything you heard throught the album in one song...and it couldnt sound better. The Solo Goes for about two minutes and the bell remains and fades out. At the end, you can hear Gilmour's son, Charlie, hang up the phone on the studio manager, which Floyd begged to leave in. 4/5
Overall, Great Album. Anybody that loves Dave Gilmore will worship it. I would still recommend this 5th or 6th in a line up of Floyd albums to buy, since their other stuff is defintaly worth buying first. But this is still impressive, especially for their latter work. Album gets a 4/5.
