This isn’t intended as a negative thread or designed to stir things up. Genuinely looking for some pointers or tips but it could just be that it isn’t for me.
Im
really trying to get into Floyd. Have listened to all the “big” records. Was at Murrayfield yesterday for the Lions game and listened to Live at Pompei (1972) on the train. I just can’t get very excited by this stuff. It’s so “ambient” and many songs are very similar. Do I need to be stoned to fully appreciate it?!
The most I’ve enjoyed it is watching David Gilmores recent live at pompei DVD, mabye because I can visually see what he’s doing on guitar during the ambient stuff. Mabye it’s a bit more guitar centric than the Floyd albums. Mabye I prefer his solo work.
What should I be focussing on to better appreciate Pink Floyd? So many people seem to put them on the highest pedestal.
By contrast, listening to Jeff Beck Live at Ronnie Scott’s this morning and it blows me away. Having listened to lots of 50s/60s jazz recently I can see where it all fits in.
Comments
vocals are just sublime.
I love loads of Pink Floyd, but oddly I'm not keen on Wish You Were Here. I don't like the production and I'm bored of Shine On. But Meddle, Animals, The Wall are some of my favourite albums.
Pink Floyd did their thing like many others,
and they are no better or worse than many others, they are just Pink Floyd,
enjoy and listen to the music you want,
maybe tomorrow you will change your mind,
that’s the beauty of it as well,
Ps if you’ve not heard it listen to the Jeff Beck album Jeff one of his later masterpieces
If you can get into the songwriting, then listen to Pink Floyd’s The Final Cut. If you like *that*, then get The Wall...
I know that’s the exact opposite direction most Floyd fans would suggest.
You might not ever get the pre-DSOTM stuff really - I do now, but only because I can see where it led... and I still don’t really get the Syd era. (Sorry.)
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
That Jeff Beck concert is amazing, I love watching that - but it's the opposite approach to the music - all very high intensity, not "ambient" in any way!
If you like DG's playing, try listening to some of his solo albums
This will give you the pretty hippy stuff that allowed them to indulge, and then of course find their conceptual direction.
I don’t even like post-Waters Floyd much...
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
For me though, Pink Floyd have hidden shallows rather than depths. It's just "pretty" for want of a better word, you won't find Coltrane in there!