Pink Floyd Announce More Details About New Album

The big music news of the week (maybe year) is that Pink Floyd will release a new album on November 10. This will be Pink Floyd's first album of new material in two decades. The album will also feature keyboardist Richard Wright, who died several years ago. Here's the AP wire announcing the news:

NEW YORK (AP) — Pink Floyd's new album will arrive on Nov. 10.

A Monday news release gives fresh details about The Endless River, the British rock 'n' roll group's first new material in 20 years.

The 18-song double album features band members David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright, who died in 2008. Roger Waters left the group in 1985 and isn't involved.

The album was assembled from 20 hours of material recorded during the band's 1993 sessions for "The Division Bell."

Gilmour says in the release that the band "added new parts, rerecorded others and generally harnessed studio technology to make a 21st-century Pink Floyd album."

"The Endless River" is comprised mostly of instrumental music with just one song, "Louder Than Words," that includes new lyrics, written by Gilmour's wife, Polly Samson.

Comments

[Him]

Not sure how I feel about this new (1993) material coming out now. Granted, Gilmour has sounded great as of late in live performances (as has Waters in his tour of _The Wall_). If it is to juice ticket sales for a new tour, fine. That makes sense to an extent. As a tribute to Wright, it also makes some sense.

But all this is coming very close on the heels of a new edition of _The Division Bell_ as well. For completists (I love the band, but wouldn't categorize myself as one), this is perhaps an understandable coda.

I suppose I would rather see Gilmour or Mason (or even Gilmour and Mason) out touring under a different moniker, not one so freighted with baggage. But that, realistically, wouldn't sell. For me, _Momentary Lapse of Reason_ was the last time there seemed to be some sort of spark to the music, before it lapsed into a travelogue sound (literally, at one point . . . what the hell was _La Carrera Panamericana_???).

[fletch]

There was no "momentary lapse of reason"! another reason to fucking hate Pink Floyd!. that's what I bring to the table.

[Metalboy!]

Sure wish Waters and Gilmour could hug it out.

I thought they had, as they reunited in the classic line-up for LIVE 8 in 2005 but I guess that panned out to be nothing more than a one-off.

Then, hopes of any kind of a prolonged reunion stint were sadly dashed with the untimely demise of Richard Wright (RIP).

"Dark Side of The Moon" is easily ONE of THE Greatest Classic Rock Albums of ALL Time and "Money", ONE of THE Greatest Classic Rock Songs of ALL Time.

My other favorite Floyd albums -- "Wish You Were Here", "Animals" and "Meddle".

The rest of the stuff after "Animals", whether created as a group or solo, including "The Wall", are total sh*te, IMHO.

[Dj]

I don't think the world is ready for a new Pink Floyd record. I like a few albums, but I'm not a huge fan at all. A new Pink Floyd album is just as ridiculous as the 27 new live Metallica records....

[Badland]

Floyd is not metal or glam! Who cares? Next...

[Metalboy!]

Yeah, but ask any Glam Metal or Metal artist and they'll tell you Pink Floyd is one of their favorite bands, especially the "Metal" hacks you like, Badland, where they consider Floyd more than just a fave but a major influence.

[fletch]

badland: mb is incredibly right. a while back, I listed them as one of the top 5 [influential] bands, behind the beatles, stones and the who. I've even tried hard to enjoy PF and can remember many a time sharing/passing some erbs to their music. In hindsight, it was always 'the wall' that played in the background, so perhaps that started my disdain for them altogether. who knows. during those years of yonder, I would suggest The Doors, tommy always preferred the dead, dave didn't go anywhere without his led zeppelin tape collection, but somehow, PF seemed to always make its round onto the boombox, too. perhaps that was greg's influence.

[fletch]

I meant Led Zeppelin, not the who. But the who is right up there, too.

[Him]

Thanks for the laugh, Dj. A great comment!

I find it hard to believe that _The Wall_ is total merde. As good as some of their earlier stuff? Debatable. Better than anything that came after? Less debatable.

But "total merde"? That is a bit hyperbolic. And that is just the album. The movie also stands up--indulgent and trippy though it is--as one of the classic rock n' roll films. And their stage show influenced countless bands that came after them in terms of what was possible in presenting either a single song or a series of songs visually.

Perhaps I am too generous. But I think Gilmour and Co. did an incredible job carrying on without Waters on _AMLOR_ (even if it reflects its origins as a solo work) and partially helped erase from memory the ego-driven slime that was _The Final Cut_ (another solo album basically).

Sure, I occasionally revisit _A Saucerful of Secrets_ and other such oldies. But I think the band--then and now--is lucky that Barrett counted Gilmour as a friend and influenced his arrival in the band as he skidded into oblivion. If not for Gilmour's counter-balance to Waters, I sincerely doubt the band would have lasted as long as they did or gained as much notice (which isn't to diminish the central role that Waters and Wright played in crafting music).

[Metalboy!]

Good points, HIM.