Pink Floyd - 1969 [1987] "More" (Soundtrack)

More is the first full-length soundtrack album, and third studio album, by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 13 June 1969 in the United Kingdom by EMI Columbia and on 9 August 1969 by Tower Records a subsidiary label of Capitol Records in the United States as Original Motion Picture Soundtrack from the film More. It is the first album by the band to be released by Capitol internationally. The film More was primarily filmed on location on Ibiza where most of the story takes place. It was the directorial debut for Barbet Schroeder.

More is a psychedelic rock soundtrack album that contains some acoustic folk ballads, a genre that appeared sparsely on Pink Floyd's later works. It also contains some of the band's "heaviest" recordings, such as "The Nile Song" and "Ibiza Bar", as well as several instrumental tracks, featuring their experimental and avant-garde approach.

This is Pink Floyd's first full album without founding member Syd Barrett, who was ousted from the group in early 1968 during the recording of A Saucerful of Secrets. It is one of the three Pink Floyd albums to feature David Gilmour as the sole lead vocalist, the others being 1987's A Momentary Lapse of Reason and 2014's The Endless River, and it is also the first album to be produced by Pink Floyd without assistance from Norman Smith. More was recorded at Pye Studios, Marble Arch, London and engineered by Brian Humphries. It is the only album in the band's discography not to have a lead vocal from Roger Waters during his tenure in the band.

Two songs can be heard in the film that were not included on the album: "Seabirds" and "Hollywood".

More reached number 9 in the UK and, upon re-release in 1973, number 153 in the US. In 1987, the album was issued on CD. A digitally remastered CD was released in 1995 in the UK and 1996 in the US.

Since 1995, the new edition changed the title to just Music from the Film More (US title: Music from the Motion Picture More). This was the last of three Pink Floyd albums to be released in the United States by the Tower Records division of Capitol Records. The 1973 US reissue was released on Harvest Records. Although the CD restores the original United Kingdom title in all countries, it is represented differently on the spine (Music from the Film More) and label More. For the Pink Floyd Records 2016 re-issue, the name reverted to Soundtrack from the film More which was released 3 June 2016.

More received mostly negative reviews from critics. The Daily Telegraph was favorable towards the album, while AllMusic provided a mixed response. MusicHound and Rolling Stone, however, were less positive, with the former giving the album a rating of one out of five.

For their third album, Pink Floyd were commissioned to provide the score to More, a film by Barbet Schroeder that dealt heavily with drugs. Ultimately, his movie became nothing more than a footnote, but the mesmerizing soundtrack – released on Aug. 9, 1969 – stands on its own as a true Pink Floyd album.
At this point, the group was still trying to find a new path following the departure of Syd Barrett. Pink Floyd's second album, A Saucerful of Secrets, had featured a hybrid five-man lineup that still included their erratic founding frontman. With Barrett officially gone, certain tracks on More made their path more clear.
Opening with "Cirrus Minor," the soon-to-be-signature Floyd sound swims through, following some introductory nature sounds which create a dream-like feel. That hazy state is soon harshly disrupted by what is probably Floyd's loudest and most aggressive track, "The Nile Song." As brutal and powerful as anyone else of the era, they bludgeon our ears with some fine neanderthal, proto-metal rock. This could easily be held up as one of this group's great lost songs.

"The Crying Song" settles things back to mellow mode. Written by Roger Waters, who had a hand in all the songs here, this beautiful number perfectly captures the mood of his lyric. "We cry and cry, sadness passes in a while," David Gilmour sings over a bed of acoustic guitars, vibes and minimal drums, creating an atmosphere that is more haunting than psychedelic. He'd handle all of the vocals on More.
"Green Is the Colour" is a pretty little ditty dressed up with piano, acoustic guitars and recorder, while "Cymbaline" is another forgotten gem. The song could have easily fit on any given Pink Floyd album up to, and including, Wish You Were Here. Gilmour's vocal gives it a timeless quality, and was covered by Hawkwind for inclusion on their 1970 debut, though it remained unreleased until the '90s. "Ibiza Bar" is cut from the same cloth as "The Nile Song," with Nick Mason thundering away on drums.
The rest of the album, including tracks like "Up the Khyber," "Party Sequence," "Quicksilver" and "Main Theme," supplies a variety of moods and styles to fit in with the film – and, though written for that purpose, stand on their own as interesting slices of Pink Floyd from this period. That helped More sail into the U.K. Top 10, though it failed to make a dent stateside, where the album finished at just No. 153 by year's end.
For some, the soundtrack work – including More, Zabriskie Point, and Obscured by Clouds – is held apart from their regular catalog. They're considered sidesteps, and are not judged as "standard" Pink Floyd albums. More, however, makes its own argument for a place in the larger scheme of things. Listen in, and you will hear a whole world of great sounds from this always-exceptional band.

Commissioned as a soundtrack to the seldom-seen French hippie movie of the same name, More was a Pink Floyd album in its own right, reaching the Top Ten in Britain. The group's atmospheric music was a natural for movies, but when assembled for record, these pieces were unavoidably a bit patchwork, ranging from folky ballads to fierce electronic instrumentals to incidental mood music. Several of the tracks are pleasantly inconsequential, but this record does include some strong compositions, especially "Cymbaline," "Green Is the Colour," and "The Nile Song." All of these developed into stronger pieces in live performances, and better, high-quality versions are available on numerous bootlegs.

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Track listing:

01. "Cirrus Minor" Waters 5:18
02. "The Nile Song" Waters 3:26
03. "Crying Song" Waters 3:33
04. "Up the Khyber" (instrumental) Mason, Wright 2:12
05. "Green Is the Colour" Waters 2:58
06. "Cymbaline" Waters 4:50
07. "Party Sequence" (instrumental) Waters, Wright, Gilmour, Mason 1:07
08. "Main Theme" (instrumental) Waters, Wright, Gilmour, Mason 5:27
09. "Ibiza Bar" Waters, Wright, Gilmour, Mason 3:19
10. "More Blues" (instrumental) Waters, Wright, Gilmour, Mason 2:12
11. "Quicksilver" (instrumental) Waters, Wright, Gilmour, Mason 7:13
12. "A Spanish Piece" Gilmour 1:05
13. "Dramatic Theme" (instrumental) Waters, Wright, Gilmour, Mason 2:15

Total length: 44:56

Personnel:

Roger Waters – bass guitar, tape effects, percussion
Nick Mason – drums, percussion
Richard Wright – Farfisa Combo Compact Duo organ, Hammond M-102 spinet organ, piano, vibraphone, backing vocals
David Gilmour – acoustic, electric, slide, and flamenco guitars, percussion, lead vocals

Additional personnel:

Lindy Mason – tin whistle on "Green Is the Colour" and "Party Sequence"

Pink Floyd - 1992 "Shine On" [9 CD Box]

Shine On is a 1992 nine-CD box set by Pink Floyd which was released through EMI Records in the United Kingdom and Columbia Records in the United States to coincide with Pink Floyd's 25th anniversary as a recording and touring band. All CDs were digitally remastered.

This box set devoted to Pink Floyd was somewhat frustrating at the time of its release. Priced at over 100 dollars, it included nine CDs drawn equally from their EMI and Columbia Records, starting with their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets. That seemed to confuse a lot of people who regard that transitional album as a lot less important and alluring than its predecessor, Piper at the Gates of Dawn. On the other hand, EMI was planning its own special edition of that album, and it could be argued that the hardcore fans who might be attracted to this set would certainly already own the debut album, and be prepared to buy EMI's special edition of it. The essential problem is that Pink Floyd, like most prog rock and psychedelic acts of its era, left behind precious few outtakes that would be viable as bonus features for a box such as this. It's not as though they followed too many blind alleys, or left behind multiple versions of, say, "Atom Heart Mother" the way, say, a blues-based band might've done some rehearsal jams on, say, "Crossroads" or some other standard; most prog rock works sort of stand as they are, and if outtakes do exist, chances are excellent that they never got to the point of getting vocals added. So that all one can really do is upgrade the sound, which was badly needed, and enhance the packaging, and that comes from the hardcover book in the box; and the bonus tracks, courtesy of EMI, come in the form of the ninth CD, titled "The Early Singles," which has proved so popular over the years that it's been bootlegged as a real CD (that is, not a CD-R).

The book Shine On includes lots of illustrations and even a time line depicting the history around the band's releases, and while it all could have been a little better organized and a bit more ambitious, this is a handy small-scale coffee table book. The flaw lies in the packaging of the box, which is a little flimsy over time in terms of its ability to hold the book and the CDs, and the bonus art. On the other hand, the CDs are sort of packaged to be displayed -- the spine of the eight discs lined up properly on a shelf form the image of the light beam and prism from Dark Side of the Moon. In all, it was the perfect Christmas gift (hence its release in early November) for fanatical Floyd followers, and it still holds up reasonably well. The early singles platter is still a killer collection even if it is the shortest of the discs here, and the rest has its audience, none quite mutually exclusive, and it's understandable why some of the rest of their library -- such as the early soundtrack efforts and the live/studio composite Ummagumma -- was left out of what was supposed to be their best profile. And all of the missing works have now been upgraded as well. Indeed, coupled with the special mono and stereo editions of Piper at the Gates of Dawn done around the same time by EMI, this box would, indeed, make the ultimate Pink Floyd experience.

The eight albums included in this box set are:

    A Saucerful of Secrets
    Meddle
    The Dark Side of the Moon
    Wish You Were Here
    Animals
    The Wall (double album)
    A Momentary Lapse of Reason
    The Early Singles (bonus CD not available elsewhere)

The packaging on each of the previously released albums was unique to this set. The spines of the eight black CD cases lined up to show the prism from The Dark Side of the Moon.

Included with the box set was a hardcover book chronicling the career of Pink Floyd from its inception to the late 1980s and an envelope of postcards depicting artwork from the included seven albums and the cover of the set itself.

As the collection was meant to showcase the best of Pink Floyd, the decision was made to not include the soundtrack albums More or Obscured by Clouds, or the albums Ummagumma, Atom Heart Mother and The Final Cut . The band's first album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was not included, as at the time EMI were planning to release a special edition of the album, and it was hoped that new fans would buy both this set and the re-released debut.

According to drummer Nick Mason, a suggestion for the title of the box set was The Big Bong Theory. David Gilmour said calling the box set Shine On was not a bowing out retirement box set but a continuation.

1992 "The Early Singles"


This is an collection of Pink Floyd's 60s singles along with their B-sides. It's interesting hearing three-minute singles from a band mostly known for epic album-oriented rock music and psychedelic freak-outs.

The first five songs are from when Syd Barrett was the band's frontman. They exhibit Syd's talent for making outlandish, yet irrestible pop music very well. The next two ("It Would Be So Nice" and "Paintbox")are from a very brief period in Pink Floyd's history when keyboardist Richard Wright was said to be the next leader of Pink Floyd, Syd having fallen mentally ill. They're decent, but seem to lack momentum and enthusiasm when compared to Syd's work. The last three ("Julia Dream", "Point Me At the Sky", and "Careful With That Axe, Eugene") are the work of bassist Roger Waters, with Dave Gilmour co-composing "Point Me At the Sky". That track and "Julia Dream" are both excellent early examples of the work of the Floyd lineup that would become one of the most legendary bands of the classic rock era. "Julia Dream" is a haunting song with spine-tingling organ and softly sung, paranoid lyrics. "Point Me At the Sky" is an ambitious piece about a man who shoots himself off into space in a rocketship. "Careful With That Axe, Eugene" is a well-known Pink Floyd staple that I believe sounds much better live (on "Ummagumma") than in the studio, although the studio version is still good.

Get this CD for "Point Me At the Sky", which doesn't appear on any other CD release that I am aware of. It's a good way to get the other singles in one place as well.

Track listing

    "Arnold Layne" (Syd Barrett) – 2:57
    "Candy and a Currant Bun" (Barrett) – 2:47
    "See Emily Play" (Barrett) – 2:54
    "The Scarecrow" (Barrett) – 2:10
    "Apples and Oranges" (Barrett) – 3:08
    "Paint Box" (Richard Wright) – 3:47
    "It Would Be So Nice" (Wright) – 3:46
    "Julia Dream" (Roger Waters) – 2:35
    "Point Me at the Sky" (Waters, David Gilmour) – 3:35
    "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" (Gilmour, Waters, Wright, Nick Mason) – 5:44

Original release dates

    1, 2: 11 March 1967
    3, 4: 17 June 1967
    5, 6: 18 November 1967
    7, 8: 13 April 1968
    9, 10: 17 December 1968

Personnel

    Syd Barrett – guitar on 1 to 6; vocals on 1 to 5; backing vocals on 6
    David Gilmour – guitar on 7 to 10; vocals on 8, 9, 10; backing vocals on 7
    Nick Mason – drums, percussion
    Roger Waters – bass guitar; vocals on 9, 10; backing vocals on 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8
    Richard Wright – piano; organ; mellotron on 7, 8; vibraphone on 10; vocals on 6, 7; backing vocals on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9


 1968 [1992] "A Saucerful Of Secrets"

A Saucerful of Secrets is the second studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd. It was recorded at EMI's Abbey Road Studios on various dates from August 1967 to April 1968 and was released on 29 June 1968, through EMI Columbia in the United Kingdom, while the album was released on 27 July 1968 in the United States by Tower.
The album was recorded before and after Syd Barrett's departure from the group. Owing to Barrett's behaviour becoming increasingly unpredictable, David Gilmour was recruited in January 1968.^[1][2] As a result, A Saucerful of Secrets became the only non-compilation Pink Floyd album on which all five band members appeared, the first for Gilmour, with him appearing on five songs ("Let There Be More Light", "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun", "Corporal Clegg", "A Saucerful of Secrets" and "See-Saw"), and the last for Barrett, with him on three ("Remember a Day", "Jugband Blues" and "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun").^[3] "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" was the only song all five members appeared on together. Drummer Nick Mason declared A Saucerful of Secrets his favourite Pink Floyd album.
A transitional album on which the band moved from Syd Barrett's relatively concise and vivid songs to spacy, ethereal material with lengthy instrumental passages. Barrett's influence is still felt (he actually did manage to contribute one track, the jovial "Jugband Blues"), and much of the material retains a gentle, fairy-tale ambience. "Remember a Day" and "See Saw" are highlights; on "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun," "Let There Be More Light," and the lengthy instrumental title track, the band begin to map out the dark and repetitive pulses that would characterize their next few records.

Tracks Listing

1. Let There Be More Light (5:38)
2. Remember A Day (4:33)
3. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun (5:28)
4. Corporal Clegg (4:12)
5. A saucerful Of Secrets (11:57)
6. See-Saw (4:36)
7. Jugband Blues (2:59)

Total Time: 39:23

Personnel:

- Syd Barrett / guitar, vocals
- David Gilmour / guitar, vocals
- Nick Mason / drums
- Roger Waters / bass, vocals
- Richard Wright / organ, piano, vocal


1971 [1992] "Meddle"

Meddle is the sixth studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd, released on 30 October 1971 by Harvest Records. It was produced between the band's touring commitments, from January to August 1971. The album was recorded at a series of locations around London, including Abbey Road Studios and Morgan Studios.
With no material to work with and no clear idea of the album's direction, the group devised a series of novel experiments which eventually inspired the album's signature track, "Echoes". Although many of the band's later albums would be unified by a central theme with lyrics written mainly by Roger Waters, Meddle was a group effort with lyrical contributions from each member, and is considered a transitional album between the Syd Barrett-influenced group of the late 1960s and the emerging Pink Floyd. The cover, incorporating a close-up shot of an ear underwater was, as with several previous albums, designed by Hipgnosis, though Storm Thorgerson was unhappy with the final result.
The album was well received by music critics upon its release. However, despite being commercially successful in the United Kingdom, lackluster publicity on the part of their United States-based label led to poor sales there upon initial release (though it would eventually be certified 2x Platinum as the band's popularity increased).

Tracks Listing

1. One Of These Days (5:56)
2. A Pillow Of Winds (5:13)
3. Fearless (6:08)
4. San Tropez (3:43)
5. Seamus (2:15)
6. Echoes (23:27)

Total Time: 46:42

Line-up / Musicians

- David Gilmour / guitars, vocals
- Nick Mason / drums
- Roger Waters / bass, vocals
- Richard Wright / keyboards, vocals


1973 [1992] "Dark Side Of The Moon"

The Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released on 1 March 1973. It built on ideas explored in the band's earlier recordings and live shows, but lacks the extended instrumental excursions that characterised their work following the departure in 1968 of founder member, principal composer, and lyricist, Syd Barrett. The themes on The Dark Side of the Moon include conflict, greed, the passage of time, and mental illness, the latter partly inspired by Barrett's deteriorating mental state.
Developed during live performances, an early version of the suite was premiered several months before studio recording began; new material was recorded in two sessions in 1972 and 1973 at Abbey Road Studios in London. The group used some of the most advanced recording techniques of the time, including multitrack recording and tape loops. Analogue synthesizers were given prominence in several tracks, and a series of recorded interviews with the band's road crew and others provided the philosophical quotations used throughout. Engineer Alan Parsons was responsible for some of the album's most notable sonic aspects and the recruitment of non-lexical singer Clare Torry. The album's iconic sleeve, designed by Storm Thorgerson, features a prism that represents the band's stage lighting, the record's lyrical themes, and keyboardist Richard Wright's request for a "simple and bold" design.
The Dark Side of the Moon was an immediate success; it topped the Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart for one week and remained in the charts for 741 weeks from 1973 to 1988. With an estimated 50 million copies sold, it is Pink Floyd's most commercially successful album and one of the best-selling albums worldwide. It has twice been remastered and re-released, and has been covered in its entirety by several other acts. It produced two singles, "Money" and "Time". The Dark Side of the Moon is Pink Floyd's most popular album among fans and critics, and has been ranked as one of the greatest albums of all time.

 Tracks Listing

1. Speak To Me (1:16)
2. Breathe (2:44)
3. On The Run (3:32)
4. Time / Breathe (reprise) (7:06)
5. The Great Gig In The Sky (4:44)
6. Money (6:32)
7. Us And Them (7:40)
8. Any Colour You Like (3:25)
9. Brain Damage (3:50)
10. Eclipse (2:04)

Total Time: 42:53

Line-up / Musicians

- David Gilmour / guitars, vocals, VCS3
- Nick Mason / drums, percussion, tape effects
- Roger Waters / bass, vocals, VCS3, tape effects
- Richard Wright / keyboards, vocals, VCS3

With:
- Dick Parry / saxophone (6-7)
- Clare Torry / lead vocals (5)
- Leslie Duncan / backing vocals
- Lisa Strike / backing vocals
- Barry St. John / backing vocals
- Doris Troy / backing vocals


1975 [1992] "Wish You Were Here"

Wish You Were Here is the ninth studio album by the English progressive rock group Pink Floyd, released in September 1975. Inspired by material the group composed while performing across Europe, Wish You Were Here was recorded in numerous sessions at London's Abbey Road Studios. Some of the songs critique the music business, others express alienation, and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is a tribute to Syd Barrett, whose mental breakdown had forced him to leave the group seven years earlier. It was lead writer Roger Waters' idea to split "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" into two parts and use it to bookend the album around three new compositions, introducing a new concept as the group had done with their previous album, The Dark Side of the Moon.
As with The Dark Side of the Moon, the band used studio effects and synthesizers, and brought in guest singers to supply vocals on some tracks of the album. These singers were Roy Harper, who provided the lead vocals on "Have a Cigar", and The Blackberries, who added backing vocals to "Shine On You Crazy Diamond".
The album became an instant commercial success and record company EMI was unable to print enough copies to satisfy demand. Although it initially received mixed reviews, the album has since been acclaimed by critics and appears on Rolling Stone‍ '​s list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Band members Richard Wright and David Gilmour have each cited Wish You Were Here as their favourite Pink Floyd album.

Tracks Listing

1. Shine On You Crazy Diamond Parts 1 - 5 (13:40)
2. Welcome To The Machine (7:31)
3. Have A Cigar (5:08)
4. Wish You Were Here (5:34)
5. Shine On You Crazy Diamond Parts 6 - 9 (12:31)

Total Time: 44:25

Line-up / Musicians

- David Gilmour / guitars, vocals
- Nick Mason / drums, percussion
- Roger Waters / bass, vocals
- Richard Wright / keyboards

Guest musicians:
- Roy Harper / vocals (3)
- Dick Parry / saxophone (track 1, part 5)
- Carlena Williams, Vanetta Fields / backing vocals


1977 [1992] "Animals"

Animals is the tenth studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd, released in January 1977. A concept album, it provides a scathing critique of the social-political conditions of late 1970s Britain, and presents a marked change in musical style from their earlier work. Animals was recorded at the band's studio, Britannia Row, in London, but its production was punctuated by the early signs of discord that three years later would culminate in keyboardist Richard Wright leaving the band. The album's cover image, a pig floating between two chimneys on Battersea Power Station, was conceived by bassist and writer Roger Waters, and photographed by long-time collaborators Hipgnosis.
The album was released to generally positive reviews in the United Kingdom, where it reached number 2. It was also a success in the United States, reaching number 3 on the Billboard 200, and although it scored on the American charts for only six months, steady sales have resulted in its certification by the RIAA at four times platinum. The size of the venues on the band's In the Flesh Tour, and an incident in which Waters spat at a fan, prompted him to conceive the band's subsequent album, The Wall.

Tracks Listing

1. Pigs on the wing Part 1 (1:25)
2. Dogs (17:04)
3. Pigs (three different ones) (11:28)
4. Sheep (10:16)
5. Pigs on the wing Part 2 (1:25)

Total Time: 41:38

Line-up / Musicians

- David Gilmour / guitars, vocals
- Nick Mason / drums, percussion
- Roger Waters / bass, vocals
- Richard Wright / keyboards


1979 [1992] "The Wall" [2 CD]

The Wall is the eleventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd. It is the last studio album released with the classic lineup of guitarist David Gilmour, bassist/lyricist Roger Waters, keyboardist Richard Wright and drummer Nick Mason before Wright left the band. Released as a double album on 30 November 1979, it was supported by a tour with elaborate theatrical effects, and adapted into a 1982 feature film, Pink Floyd – The Wall.
As with Pink Floyd's previous three albums, The Wall is a concept album and explores themes of abandonment and personal isolation. The album is a rock opera that follows Pink, a character whom Waters modelled after himself and the band's original leader, Syd Barrett. Pink's life begins with the loss of his father during the Second World War and continues with abuse from his schoolteachers, an overprotective mother, and the breakdown of his marriage; all contribute to his eventual self-imposed isolation from society, represented by a metaphorical wall. Waters conceived the album during Pink Floyd's 1977 In the Flesh Tour, when his frustration with the audience became so acute that he imagined a wall between the audience and the stage.
The Wall features a harsher and more theatrical style than Pink Floyd's previous albums. Wright left the band during its production but remained as a salaried musician, performing with Pink Floyd during the Wall tour. The album was one of the best selling of 1980, and by 1999 it had sold over 23 million RIAA-certified units (11.5 million albums) in the United States. Rolling Stone placed The Wall at number 87 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".

Tracks Listing

CD 1: 38:58
1. In The Flesh? (3:17)
2. The Thin Ice (2:28)
3. Another Brick In The Wall Part 1 (3:41)
4. The Happiest Days Of Our Lives (1:20)
5. Another Brick In The Wall Part 2 (3:56)
6. Mother (5:32)
7. Goodbye Blue Sky (2:48)
8. Empty Spaces (5:36)
9. Young Lust (2:03)
10. One Of My Turns (1:33)
11. Don't Leave Me Now (4:22)
12. Another Brick In The Wall Part 3 (1:17)
13. Goodbye Cruel World (1:05)

CD 2: 40:43
1. Hey You (4:39)
2. Is There Anybody Out There! (2:40)
3. Nobody Home (3:25)
4. Vera (1:38)
5. Bring The Boys Back Home (0:50)
6. Comfortably Numb (6:49)
7. The Show Must Go On (1:36)
8. In The Flesh (4:16)
9. Run Like Hell (4:22)
10. Waiting For The Worms (3:56)
11. Stop (0:34)
12. The Trial (5:16)
13. Outside The Wall (1:42)

Total Time: 79:41

Line-up / Musicians

- David Gilmour / guitars, vocals
- Nick Mason / drums, percussion
- Roger Waters / bass, vocals
- Richard Wright / keyboards, vocals

WITH:
- Joe Chemay, Stan Farber, Jim Haas, Bruce Johnston, John Joyce & Toni Tenille / voices
Pupils from Islingtown Green School Choir


1987 [1992] "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason"

A Momentary Lapse of Reason is the thirteenth studio album by the English progressive rock group Pink Floyd, released in the UK and US in September 1987. It followed guitarist David Gilmour's decision to include material recorded for his third solo album on a new Pink Floyd album with Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and keyboardist Richard Wright. Although for legal reasons Wright could not be re-admitted to the band, with Mason he helped Gilmour craft what became the first Pink Floyd album since the departure of bass guitarist, singer, and primary songwriter Roger Waters in December 1985.
A Momentary Lapse of Reason was recorded primarily on Gilmour's converted houseboat, Astoria. Its production was marked by an ongoing legal dispute with Waters as to who owned the rights to Pink Floyd's name, an issue resolved several months after the album was released. Unlike many of Pink Floyd's studio albums, A Momentary Lapse of Reason has no central theme and is instead a collection of songs written by Gilmour, sometimes with outside songwriters.
Though it received mixed reviews and was derided by Waters, A Momentary Lapse of Reason outsold Pink Floyd's previous album The Final Cut (1983) and was supported by a successful world tour. It has been certified quadruple platinum in the United States.

Tracks Listing

1. Signs Of Life (4:24)
2. Learning To Fly (4:53)
3. The Dogs Of War (6:05)
4. One Slip (5:10)
5. On The Turning Away (5:42)
6. Yet Another Movie (6:18)
7. Round And Round (1:10)
8. A New Machine Part One (1:46)
9. Terminal Frost (6:17)
10. A New Machine Part Two (0:38)
11. Sorrow (8:46)

Total Time: 51:09

Line-up / Musicians

- David Gilmour / guitars, vocals, keyboards, sequencers
- Nick Mason / acoustic & electronic drums, sound f/x

WITH:
- Carmine Appice / drums
- John Carin / keyboards
- Bob Ezrin / keyboards, sequencers, percussion
- Steve Forman / percussion
- John Halliwell / saxophone
- Jim Keltner / drums
- Michael Landau / guitar
- Pat Leonara / synthesizers
- Tony Levin / bass, Stick
- Scott Page / tenor sax
- Bill Payne / Hammond organ
- Tom Scott / alto & soprano saxes
- Richard Wright / keyboards, vocals
- Donnie Gerrard, Darlene Koldenhaven, Phyllis St. James & Carmo Twille / backing vocals.

Pink Floyd - 1995 "Pulse"

Pulse (stylised as p·u·l·s·e) is a live album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd. It was released on 29 May 1995 by EMI in the United Kingdom and on 6 June 1995 by Columbia in the United States. The album was recorded during the European leg of Pink Floyd's Division Bell Tour in 1994.

When Pink Floyd began their expansive world tour behind 1994's The Division Bell, David Gilmour and company had no intention of documenting the jaunt with a live LP. But a series of logistical moves resulted in their double-disc concert set Pulse, which was released on May 29, 1995.
The Division Bell set list was structured with a logical mix of old staples ("Shine On You Crazy Diamond") and recent, post-Roger Waters tracks ("Learning to Fly"). As usual, the band was playing almost the entire Dark Side of the Moon LP onstage, and Gilmour decided to restructure the set into two distinct halves, with the second part comprising the full Dark Side experience.

Without that move, Pulse wouldn't exist.
"The reason for Pulse is Dark Side of the Moon, obviously," Gilmour told Guitar magazine in 1995. "We weren't going to do a live album for this tour; it seemed a bit superfluous having just done one [1988's The Delicate Sound of Thunder] a few years ago. But, as we started out on the tour, we were looking for ways to change the show around and make ourselves a little more flexible and have a little fun, and Dark Side of the Moon was one of the ideas that came across. We thought, 'That'll be easy, we're already playing half the songs.' But it took us about three months to put all the bits of sound-effect tape into it, besides getting all the old film and making one or two new bits of the ones that were too ancient or damaged.

"So we did it on the end of our American tour, and then when we carried it over to Europe, we started thinking, 'Well, it would be nice for us – and for posterity – to have a live version of Dark Side of the Moon, which I always particularly wanted," Gilmour continued. "We, in fact, discussed it years ago – even when Roger was still in the band – about putting a live version of Dark Side of the Moon back together and recording it, because we don't have a record of it ourselves. So, I thought that would be a very nice idea. Of course, discussing it, we finally thought it was daft to just put out Dark Side of the Moon. We might as well put out the whole thing."

Ironically, even though the Dark Side material is Pulse's main selling point, it's also the weaker of the two discs, with the band churning out professional if perfunctory takes on their 1973 masterpiece. The core trio – Gilmour, drummer Nick Mason and keyboardist Richard Wright – are supplemented by a militia of guest players, and the most interesting moments harness those extra colors, like the more percussive groove in "Time" (featuring percussion from Gary Wallis) and the sleek jazz-funk take on "Any Colour You Like" (propelled by session man Guy Pratt's nimble slap-bass).

Luckily, disc one is loaded with highlights. The set opens with a surging take on "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," anchored by Pratt's funky bass and Dick Parry's reliably stunning sax solo. Hands down, the album's centerpiece is a stratospheric take on the Syd Barrett epic "Astronomy Domine," with Gilmour and Wright sharing lead vocals.
The disc's soggiest stretches, perhaps inevitably, focus on Floyd's two most recent LPs, The Division Bell and 1987's A Momentary Lapse of Reason – both filled with expertly crafted but sometimes forgettable material. One exception is the sultry "Coming Back to Life," which features one of Gilmour's most expressive vocals. Unlike the other late-era Floyd material on Pulse, "Life" feels more alive onstage, the grittiness of Gilmour's vocal adding an emotional dimension lacking in its slick studio counterpart.
Pulse marks the end of an era for Pink Floyd, documenting the band's final full tour. (In 2005, they reunited – with Waters – for a brief set at the Live 8 concert in London.) And that sense of finality gives the album an importance its performances probably don't earn. No, Pulse isn't a revelation, but it still remains an essential piece of any Floyd fan's collection.

Pink Floyd claim they had no intention of recording another live album when they began the Division Bell tour, but performing The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety convinced the group to release another double-live set, called Pulse. There's no question that the group is comprised of talented musicians, including the number of studio professionals that augmented the trio on tour. Whether they're inspired musicians is up to debate. A large part of Pink Floyd's live show is based on the always impressive visuals; on the Division Bell tour, they closed each show with an unprecedented laser extravaganza. In order for the visuals and the music to coincide, the group needed to play the sets as tightly as possible, with little improvisation.

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Track Listing:

CD 1:
1. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (13:30)
2. Astronomy Domine (5:25)
3. What Do You Want From Me (4:10)
4. Learning to Fly (5:06)
5. Keep Talking (6:56)
6. Coming Back to Life (6:31)
7. Hey You (4:50)
8. A Great Day for Freedom (4:20)
9. Sorrow (10:30)
10. High Hopes (7:48)
11. Another Brick in the Wall: Part Two (6:50)
12. One of These Days (only on LP)

CD 2:
1. Speak to Me (2:28)
2. Breathe (2:40)
3. On The Run (3:41)
4. Time / Breathe (reprise) (6:48)
5. The Great Gig in the Sky (5:51)
6. Money (8:46)
7. Us and Them (7:08)
8. Any Colour You Like (3:19)
9. Brain Damage (4:02)
10. Eclipse (1:38)
11. Wish You Were Here (5:40)
12. Comfortably Numb (9:10)
13. Run Like Hell (7:58)

Total Time: 146:05

Personnel:

- David Gilmour / guitars, vocals
- Nick Mason / drums, percussion
- Richard Wright / keyboards, vocals

With:
- Jon Carin / keyboards, vocals
- Dick Parry / barritone & tenor saxes
- Guy Pratt / bass, vocals
- Tim Renwick / guitars, vocals
- Dick Wallis / percussion
- Sam Brown, Claudia Fontaine & Durga McBroom / backing vocals

Pink Floyd - 1967 [1994] "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn"

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is the debut studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, and the only one made under founder member Syd Barrett's leadership. The album, named after the title of chapter seven of Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows^[1] and featuring a kaleidoscopic cover photo taken by Vic Singh, was recorded from February to May 1967. It was produced by Beatles engineer Norman Smith and released in 1967 by EMI Columbia in the United Kingdom and Tower in the United States, in August and October respectively.
The release of the album in the US was timed with the band's tour of the US. In the UK, no singles were released from the album, but in the US "Flaming" was offered as a single. The US version of the album has a rearranged tracklist, and contains the UK non-album single, "See Emily Play". Two of the album's songs, "Astronomy Domine" and "Interstellar Overdrive", became central to the band's setlist around this period, while other songs were performed only a handful of times.
Since its release, the album has been hailed as one of the best psychedelic rock albums of all time. In 1973, it was packaged with the band's second album, A Saucerful of Secrets, and released as A Nice Pair to introduce new fans to the band's early work after the success of The Dark Side of the Moon. Special limited editions of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn were issued to mark its thirtieth and fortieth anniversaries in 1997 and 2007, respectively, with the latter release containing bonus tracks. In 2012, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was voted 347th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".

1967's "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" is the one that started it all for Pink Floyd, back in the early days when bassist Roger Waters, keyboardist Richard Wright & drummer Nick Mason were led by the genius, but doomed singer/guitarist Syd Barrett. Psychedelic rock doesn't get much more trippier than "Piper," a totally far-out collection of avant-garde space rock, songs about gnomes and scarecrows, off-the-wall production and sound effects, and superb performances by a tight British art-rock band that were destined to become rock legends. Although he made one last "cameo" appearance with the Floyd on their second album, "A Saucerful Of Secrets" with that album's closing number, "Jugband Blues," the lion's share of Syd Barrett's legacy with the band is all contained right here on "Piper," barring a few early singles. Writing all but one song, and, with a charismatic singing voice and incredible guitar-playing skills, Barrett was truly a musical genius, and his equally-talented bandmates match him song for song. Every track on the album is a highlight in it's own right, but certainly worth mentioning are such tracks as the opening space rock of "Astronomy Domine," the before-there-was-alternative alternative rock of "Lucifer Sam," the far-out instrumentals "Pow R Toc H" and "Interstellar Overdrive," the frenetic rock of "Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk" (written & sung by Waters, in his debut composition for the band), the charming tale of "The Gnome," and the classic, half children's song/half freak-out finale, "Bike," which starts out cheerily enough before giving way to some deliciously wacko noises and sound effects.Sadly, and tragically, shortly after the release of "Piper," Syd Barrett's experimentations with psychedelic drugs ultimately destroyed him, and he was finally ousted from the band. Roger Waters more-or-less took over as the group's leader, and Barrett's vacated slot was filled by guitarist David Gilmour. Barrett, despite his drug-addicted state, would record a pair of solo albums before dropping out of the music business altogether. Not well enough to look after himself, he quietly lived in the care of family members until his death in 2006. Pink Floyd, meanwhile, would go on to major superstardom and sell millions of albums, with such classics as "Dark Side Of The Moon," "Wish You Were Here," "Animals" and "The Wall." But "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" was the band's very first chapter, and one that would not have been possible without the great Syd Barrett. "Piper" is outstanding psychedelic rock, and a Pink Floyd classic. And thank you, Syd, wherever you are.

At the time The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was originally released in 1967, it was one among many aurally ripped, acid-tripped albums including Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced, Cream's Disraeli Gears, Jefferson Airplane's After Bathing at Baxter's, and, of course, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which the Beatles were recording down the hall from Pink Floyd at Abbey Road. But as those albums have gracefully slipped into the mainstream of our music consciousness, Piper, along with The Velvet Underground and Nico, still sounds like it broke through from another dimension. Pink Floyd were employing musique concrete techniques, inventing glissando guitar, and exploring areas of trance with tunes like "Interstellar Overdrive," actually two takes of an extended rave-up laid on top of each other. Mixing sci-fi imagery with swinging London metaphors and pastoral fantasies (the title is lifted from The Wind in the Willows), Pink Floyd's music was even more dappled, swirled, and surreal than the light shows that accompanied their performances. Piper represented Syd Barrett's vision as the sole composer of all but three songs. He was yet to have his acid-induced meltdowns, and all things were possible and beautiful. Barrett mixed whimsy on "Bike" with cynicism on the wordless but ominous "Pow R. Toc H."; goofy innocence on "The Gnome" and mysticism on "Chapter 24." But there's no doubting the contributions of Richard Wright with his swirling, reverb-drenched organ fugues and jazz ellipses and Roger Waters's earth-rooted bass. Nick Mason's underrated drumming, time-shifting polyrhythms, and colorful flourishes pushed Barrett's elliptical pop even further over the edge, especially on the space-music opus "Astronomy Domine." The original album was recorded on only four tracks, making stereo effects and panning somewhat rudimentary and often annoying. But this expanded release includes a full mono mix of the album which provides a more coherent sound and, surprisingly, a bit more depth. Some of the songs are just wacky, some of the technology and tape edits rough-hewn, but The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is one of those albums that actually appears more radical in retrospect.

Tracks Listing

1. Astronomy Domine (4:12)
2. Lucifer Sam (3:07)
3. Matilda Mother (3:08)
4. Flaming (2:46)
5. Pow R. Toc H. (4:26)
6. Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk (3:05)
7. Interstellar Overdrive (9:41)
8. The Gnome (2:13)
9. Chapter 24 (3:42)
10. Scarecrow (2:11)
11. Bike (3:21)

Total Time: 41:52

Musicians

- Syd Barrett / guitar, vocals
- Nick Mason / drums
- Roger Waters / bass, vocals
- Richard Wright / organ, piano

Alex Skolnick - 2004 "Transformation"

Alex Skolnick made his name as a six-string guitar slinger in the Bay Area thrash legends Testament. Apparently fed up with metal, he quit the band, went to music school, and hooked up with a couple of jazzers (Nathan Peck on double bass and Matt Zebroski on drums), with the idea of doing exploratory fusion-jazz, using the heavy metal songbook for standards (and inspiration) and not the "regular" (or, it could be argued, "over-covered") classic jazz songbook. This, their second album, features radically reworked versions of Judas Priest, Pink Floyd, Scorpions, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, and Ronnie James Dio, evenly balanced with some original compositions. And while this album is very well played, with excellent performances from all involved (especially Zebroski's work on "IMV/The Trooper" and Skolnick's guitar on "Money"), the album as a whole comes off much like works by the Bad Plus, that is, a well-executed gimmick. That may turn some listeners off, but how many dyed-in-the-wool metal fans are going to tolerate even one minute of what Spinal Tap termed a "jazz odyssey"? And how many dyed-in-the-wool jazz fans are going to seek out the original version of Priest's "Electric Eye" to do a comparison with the version here? Probably not too many. If you're somehow either one of these two extremes, this album will probably work for you, both in the background and on the headphones.

Call me a jazz bigot. When I received Transformation by Alex Skolnick, apparently the ex-guitarist for thrash metal-heads Testament, my first thought was, "Great, another rocker trying to be a jazzer." Things didn't get better when I saw that Skolnick was interpreting material by Judas Priest, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Scorpions, Iron Maiden and—yes—Ronnie James Dio. Sure, plenty of serious jazz artists have approached contemporary singer/songwriters in recent years—Brad Mehldau, Charlie Hunter, even Herbie Hancock. But metal bands? I mean, really.
Well, imagine my surprise to discover Skolnick a fine jazz guitarist, completely capable of getting to the core of songs by a group of artists more associated with classic rock, and transforming them into almost unrecognizable new tunes. Unlike the Bad Plus, who are nothing less than shtick—a group whose supposed reinvention of songs by Nirvana and Black Sabbath do little to honour the originals, and even less to make them interesting and refreshing new mediums for improvisation—Skolnick and his trio of bassist Nathan Peck and drummer Matt Zebroski breathe new life into these tunes, transforming (there goes that word again) them into something fresh, while at the same time being reverential to their sources. Judas Priest could never have conceived "Electric Eye" as a lithe 7/4 romp, nor Scorpions their "Blackout" as a swinging jazz waltz, but there you go.
That Skolnick comes to jazz from rock as opposed to the other way around means that while he has a firm grasp on harmony and is capable of navigating odd meters and shifts in feel, there is a certain energy and, in particular, attitude that is missing from your typical fusion player. That's not to say guitarists like Scott Henderson and Frank Gambale lack attitude; it's just that there's something different about the way that Skolnick digs into a solo, even when it's on an abstract ballad like "Fear of Flying." And Skolnick does this, for the most part, with a clean and warm tone that is only affected with a touch of delay, completely eschewing the typical overdriven fusion tone with the exception of a brief spot on the title track and his surprisingly swinging version of Deep Purple's "Highway Star."
If Skolnick has any precedent in jazz, it would have to be Larry Coryell, who has blended a true rock and roll attitude with a far broader reach over the course of his career, demonstrated to great effect at this summer's Ottawa International Jazz Festival . Like Coryell, Skolnick demonstrates that translating the energy of rock to a jazz context can be a more subtle thing, showing that you can imbue more traditional trappings of swing, modal playing and richer harmony with an edge that doesn't spoil their essential purity. Transformation is a surprising record that succeeds on many levels and proves that it is indeed possible to shift gears mid-career and sound like you've been doing it all your life.

 Track listing:

1. "Transformation" – 5:53
2. "Electric Eye" – 5:20 (Judas Priest cover)
   • Originally released on the Screaming for Vengeance album.
3. "Fear Of Flying" – 5:10
4. "Money" – 5:13 (Pink Floyd cover)
   • Originally released on the The Dark Side of the Moon album.
5. "Both Feet In" – 5:28
6. "Scorch" (Featuring Charlie Hunter on 8-string guitar)^[1] – 7:17
7. "Blackout" – 5:03 (Scorpions cover)
   • Originally released on the Blackout album.
8. "IMV/The Trooper" – 5:18 (The Trooper is an Iron Maiden cover)
   • "The Trooper" was originally released on the Piece of Mind album.
9. "No Fly Zone" – 4:27
10. "Don't Talk To Strangers" – 6:00 (Dio cover)
    • Originally released on the Holy Diver album.
11. "Highway Star" – 6:30 (Deep Purple cover)
    • Originally released on the Machine Head album.

Personnel: 

Alex Skolnick (vocals, guitar)
Nathan Peck (vocals, acoustic bass, double bass)
Matt Zebroski (vocals, drums, percussion)
Dave Eggar (cello). 

J.D. Blackfoot - 1970 [1996] "The Ultimate Prophecy"

J.D. Blackfoot's first LP -- recorded when future Pure Prairie League member Craig Fuller was in the lineup -- was a curious affair that very much reflected prevalent trends in the world of album-oriented rock in 1970. The songs were diverse enough that they sounded as if they could have been the work of several bands, and emulated more famous acts in both good and bad ways. The first side of the album was definitely the more song-oriented one, and while the better tracks are derivative, they're pretty good derivations. Fuller's "One Time Woman" is very much in the mold of journeyman Creedence Clearwater Revival; "Angel" quite credibly approximates the kind of light, wistful folk-rock that Jesse Colin Young sang with the Youngbloods; and "I've Never Seen You" brings to mind the lightest, sweetest material of the young Neil Young. The second side, however, takes a turn for the more bombastically progressive, offering a song suite of sorts with much of the pretentious lyricism-mysticism to which this genre was particularly prone. The multi-movement structure used by some British art rock bands of the time is dusted with some West Coast psychedelic-influenced guitar arrangements, and the lyrical vision dragged down by such passages as (in "Cycles") "for my mind is but the sperm, and this earth be the womb," spoken à la some of the Moody Blues' portentous narrations. 

The Ultimate Prophecy album was recorded in 1970 on the Mercury label and received a spotlight pick in Billboard, Cashbox, and Record World magazines.
It was a huge selling album in markets like St. Louis, MO and Columbus, OH, staying at the #1 position for nine straight weeks on the WCOL- AM Columbus chart. It was released in 22 countries and had great success in Germany and several other European countries.
The title track “The Ultimate Prophecy” is comprised of 5 songs that tell a philosophy of our life, death, and rebirth back into this universe. In his book, titled “Stairway to Hell”, music critic Chuck Eddy listed “The Ultimate Prophesy” at number 374 of the top 500 heavy albums of all time.  This cover art was discontinued when the CD version was re-released on the Yonder label in 2007.

Not sure about all the different releases brought up in this listing, but mine is the original 1970 release with the Rene Magritte looking cover design with the guy in the bowler hat. This has long been a favorite album of mine. Pure 70's rock with a country rock flavor and some psychedelia thrown in for good measure.

Twangy guitars in a somewhat rough-edged garage band sound. The songs are all pretty good if not downright interesting. Side one is a collection of standard sounding rock songs all nicely presented with enough intricacy to keep the listener's attention. Side two is a wild pseudo-religious excursion into a mind tripping musical display. I'm not sure what the connotations of this song cycle epic are since there is no specific religious dogma espoused, but it's an "Ultimate Prophecy" so I guess it's supposed to be profound.

Profound or not, this is all fun listening with a ton of energy behind. I can imagine this group probably put on a terrific live show in their day. The vinyl release that I have doesn't include the live set that's described for the CD, but I'll bet that's worth hearing as well.

This is an excellent rock release from an artist/band that I suppose has a certain amount of cult status, but never made it to the really big time. Though the line-up includes Craig Fuller who appeared later with Pure Prarie League among other groups. His song "Angel" on this album later was released with Pure Prarie League.

Fans of psychedelic music should be highly appreciative of what J.D. Blackfoot has to offer on "The Ultimate Prophecy".

" The Ultimate Prophecy " is a must buy. This C.D not only comes with the original album release, but a full live rendition of "the Ultimate prophecy " all movements, complete with keys, slide bar guitar and backing vocals. Full color multi page insert, chock full of information about the making of the album, and live show. Fantastic. If you have not heard this, and enjoy a concept, album that combines fantastic music with brilliant lyrics , like the Who's " Tommy", Pink Floyd's " Dark side of the moon", Yes's "close to the edge" , Rush's " 2112", "hemispheres" , & "fountain of Lamneth" , just buy this. It stands side by side with all those great albums. Not only that, but you will be directly supporting the artist, as J.D Blackfoot bought back all the rights to his music.

 Track listing:

1     One Time Woman     3:42
2     Angel     3:47
3     We Can Try     4:06
4     Good Day Extending Company     4:41
5     I've Never Seen You     3:15
6     The Ultimate Prophecy     4:57
7     Death's Finale     3:38
8     Cycles     3:29
9     Waiting To Be Born     5:03
10     Pink Sun     5:20

Personnel:

J.D. Blackfoot     Primary Artist, Vocals
Warren Dewey     Engineer, Remixing
Dale Frashuer     Drums, Producer
Craig Fuller     Guitar
Sterling Smith     Organ
 

Eric Clapton - 1973 [1986] "Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert"

Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert is a live album by Eric Clapton, recorded at the Rainbow Theatre in London on 13 January 1973 and released in September that year. The concerts, two on the same evening, were organised by Pete Townshend of the Who and marked a comeback by Clapton after two years of inactivity, broken only by his performance at the Concert for Bangladesh in August 1971. Along with Townshend, the musicians supporting Clapton include Steve Winwood, Ronnie Wood and Jim Capaldi. In the year following the two shows at the Rainbow, Clapton recovered from his heroin addiction and recorded 461 Ocean Boulevard (1974).

The concert was held at the Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park, north London, on 13 January 1973. The venue was popular during the 1960s and early 1970s; musicians such as The Beatles, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull and Queen performed there. The concert was recorded using Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio.

As 1972 came to a close, Eric Clapton had been musically inactive for nearly two years. The guitarist, singer and songwriter had enjoyed a burst of activity in 1969, a period during which he played live and in the studio with Blind Faith, John Lennon (documented on Live Peace in Toronto 1969) and Delaney & Bonnie and Friends (showcased on the duo’s On Tour with Eric Clapton). Near the end of that year, he took part in a one-off celebrity concert in London with Lennon, George Harrison and others to benefit UNICEF.

In 1970 Clapton played on sessions including Harrison’s All Things Must Pass triple-album. He continued his creative and productive streak with the landmark Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, crediting the release to Derek and the Dominos. That same year, the group, not including guest guitarist Duane Allman, toured and recorded a live album, In Concert; that double LP would eventually be released in 1973.

Clapton did surface briefly in the summer of 1971 in New York City to appear as a backing musician for George Harrison’s all-star benefit Concert for Bangladesh. But other than that admittedly high-profile project, Clapton was absent from the music scene for the better part of 1971 and 1972.

Ronnie Wood, Eric Clapton and Pete Townshend at the Rainbow Concert in 1973

The primary reason for Clapton’s disappearance was his descent into the throes of heroin addiction. His condition was partly the result of (or exacerbated by) his unrequited love for Pattie Boyd Harrison, wife of his friend George.

Another friend, Who guitarist Pete Townshend, knew of Clapton’s plight and urged him to return to active musical duty. To that end, Townshend organized a pair of concerts—a matinee and an evening performance—to be held January 13, 1973, at London’s Rainbow Theatre.

Townshend assembled an ad-hoc band to back Clapton for the two shows. Ronnie Wood of Faces (and later of the Rolling Stones) provided support on guitar and vocals, as did Townshend, with Clapton playing lead guitar and (mostly) singing lead.

Two recent associates of Clapton also came to his aid for the Rainbow Concert: singer and multi-instrumentalist Steve Winwood and bassist Ric Grech had only recently concluded their time as band mates with Clapton in Blind Faith. And Winwood brought along some of his Traffic band mates, drummer-vocalist Jim Capaldi and Ghanian percussionist Rebop Kwaku Baah (the latter is credited on the original Rainbow Concert LP simply as “Rebop”). Adding even more percussive foundation to the performances was Jimmy Karstein, late of Delaney & Bonnie and Friends as well as J.J. Cale’s 1972 album, Really.

In a form in which individual instrumental feats are often self-indulgent and superfluous, Eric Clapton’s music remains an anomaly. His greatest guitar playing has been as passionate as Otis Redding’s best singing and as articulate as Bob Dylan’s best songs. Clapton at his peak is as good as it gets.

His music has always been autobiographical, even when he was working off older approaches rather than creating new ones. His frequent modifications of styles and roles, alternately pushing him into the spotlight and moving him into the background, suggest a fragile, idealistic man, vacillating between hopefulness and disillusionment.

If Derek and the Dominos’ In Concert, recorded at the outset of the group’s lone American tour three years ago and released only this year, showed Clapton on the upswing, then Rainbow Concert explores the lower reaches of his psyche. The Rainbow performance was his attempt at starting all over again, but done without the exuberance that was the hallmark of the early Domino period (as a back-to-back listening to the two albums illustrates).

Rainbow Concert is a recording of monolithic melancholy. One might suppose that hard rock and despair are antithetical but Clapton, aided by Townshend, Winwood and Wood, as well as an able supporting cast, makes the union viable and compelling. But not fun.

Disregarding a few awkward moments in which the musicians betray their short rehearsal time, the music is rich in its make-up and sad in tone its mood remains exceptionally elusive. Townshend’s and Wood’s guitars and Winwood’s organ surround Clapton in a protective aural capsule. He, in turn, works cautiously, but caution isn’t Clapton’s way — his art is founded on risk-taking in its absolute form, spontaneity. The kid glove approach may have been necessary: Clapton is occasionally indecisive and confused. But he also cuts loose as much as his setting allows in “Badge,” and he’s solid, if not inspired, for most of the show.

The material contributes to the pervasive melancholy. The six songs chosen from the evening’s longer program are either moody, slow-paced or both. Even “Roll It Over” and “After Midnight” get moderate, deliberate treatments. The album’s excitement, such as it is, comes from the layered instrumental textures, the solemn measured movement into climaxes that are majestic if not explosive, and the nuances of Clapton’s restrained singing and playing. In these respects, the first and last tracks, “Badge” and Hendrix’ “Little Wing,” are most impressive.

A remastered expanded edition of the album was released on 13 January 1995, the 22nd anniversary of the concert.

Track listing:

1 Badge 3:29
2 Roll It Over 6:53
3 Presence Of The Lord 5:37
1 Pearly Queen 6:58
2 After Midnight 5:11
3 Little Wing 6:32

Personnel:

Eric Clapton – guitar (lead) & vocals
Pete Townshend – guitar (rhythm) & vocals
Ron Wood – guitar (rhythm and slide) & vocals
Ric Grech – bass guitar
Steve Winwood – keyboards & vocals
Jim Capaldi – drums & vocals
Jimmy Karstein – drums
Rebop Kwaku Baah – percussion

Steve Hackett - 1980 [1989] "Defector"

Defector is the fourth solo album from former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett. It was released in 1980 on the Charisma label.

In 2005, Defector was remastered and re-released on Virgin Records. The new edition features updated liner notes and five bonus tracks. A surround upmix of the album is included in Premonitions: The Charisma Recordings 1975-1983 [10-CD/4-DVD Boxed Set] (2015).

Steve Hackett had exited from success a few years prior by leaving the band Genesis. A band who had unexpectedly grown in popularity since the departure of their lead singer Peter Gabriel. Hackett felt that there was more music in him than was being allowed to shine in the band and his creativity was being stifled. He had released his first solo record (Voyage of the Acolyte) while still in the band, and that had caused a bit of dissension from some of the others. It was time for him to leave after the tour to support 1976’s Wind and Wuthering, and Defector is his third solo effort after the departure from Genesis. This showed him to actually be more prolific than Genesis!
Hackett had assembled a band to support 1978’s Please Don’t Touch on tour, and was so pleased with the arrangement he used them for the following record Spectral Mornings and this one Defector. It was on these last two records that Hackett really found the clarification of his sound, with a crack band backing him, moving towards a more progressive area than his former band was at the time and becoming even more proficient as a guitarist. Heavy metal shredders were using Hackett as an influence, even though he was not playing anything close to hard rock here.

Defector opens with the heavy and ominous “The Steppes,” to begin the proceedings. This leads to “Time To Get Out” with its bright, sprightly beat and slightly dissonant vocal harmonies. The album is a mixture of smart instrumentals and pleasant vocal pieces featuring Pete Hicks as lead vocalist, though Steve himself would take the odd vocal now and then. A foretelling of the future, as he would find himself more comfortable with his voice on future recordings.

Steve makes excellent use of the Roland GR500 guitar synthesizer, which gives the impression at times of several guitarists playing in harmony like the twin guitar leads of Thin Lizzy or Wishbone Ash. He can also mellow out on songs like “Two Vamps As Guests” and “Hammer In the Sand,” the latter featuring lovely piano work by Nick Magnus.

Favorite cuts of mine here are the powerful instrumental “Jacuzzi,” the easy and sleepy “The Toast,” and the wonderful and bass heavy synth-rocker “The Show.” There is also a witty and clever ode to the 1940’s big band era, “Sentimental Institution.”

Defector is Steve Hackett’s last really good album for quite a while, and although not quite as strong as the previous three, it is well worth having in anyone’s Genesis-centric collection.

Former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett stepped out on his own in the late '70s with several solo releases, including Defector. The 1980 release doesn't stray far musically from early Genesis, containing a healthy (or unhealthy, depending on your tastes) dose of progressive rock. Five flute- and keyboard-heavy instrumentals appear, as well as five vocal numbers with Hackett taking the singing chores. Of the vocal numbers, "The Toast" sounds a bit like Pink Floyd.

Many Hackett fans consider "Defector" to be the last album from his classic solo period. The album is another solid effort from Hackett featuring a nice mix of vocal and instrumental songs. The emphasis here is still on progressive rock in the classic 70's style, but you also hear the beginning of some more adventurous experimentation which would permeate Hackett's later releases. "Defector" would be the last Hackett album to feature someone other than himself on lead vocals. The guitar is the main instrumental focus on much of this album, as it should be, and Hackett pulls of some really nice work throughout the disc. The album opener "The Steppes" has become a live classic with other tracks like "Slogans", "Time To Get Out"; "Leaving" and "The Toast" are all strong ones. Hackett even takes a stab at a rocking commercial single with "The Show" which is almost funk / disco in nature, and actually works much better than you might think it would. The album closes with a novelty 1920's style ditty called "Sentimental Institution" which reminds me of some of the stuff Freddy Mercury used to do with Queen. Overall I don't think this is Hackett's best album, but it is another solid release from a guitarist who has been sadly overlooked by the mainstream over the years.

Track listing:

1. The Steppes (6:04)
2. Time To Get Out (4:11)
3. Slogans (3:42)
4. Leaving (3:18)
5. Two Vamps As Guests (1:58)
6. Jacuzzi (4:35)
7. Hammer In The Sand (3:09)
8. The Toast (3:41)
9. The Show (3:40)
10. Sentimental Institution (2:32)

Total Time: 36:50

Personnel:

Steve Hackett – guitar, vocal, optigan, roland GR500
Nick Magnus – keyboards
John Hackett – concert and alto flute
Pete Hicks – vocal
John Shearer – drums and percussion
Dik Cadbury – bass, vocal

Vocal Credits:
"Time To Get Out" and "The Toast" are sung by Pete, Dik & Steve together. "Leaving" and "The Show" are sung by Pete with the others adding harmonies. "Sentimental Institution" and the bonus track "Hercules Unchained" are sung by Pete alone. This is the only Steve Hackett album with vocals on which none of the lead vocals are by Hackett himself.

Deep Purple - 1972 [1990] "Machine Head"

Machine Head is the sixth studio album released by the English rock band Deep Purple. It was recorded through December 1971 in Montreux, Switzerland, and released in March 1972.

Machine Head is often cited as a major influence in the early development of the heavy metal music genre. Commercially, it is Deep Purple's most successful album, topping the charts in several countries following its release. The album reached number 1 in the United Kingdom and stayed in the top 40 for 20 weeks. It reached number 7 in the United States, remaining on the Billboard 200 for 118 weeks.

Deep Purple initially planned to record Machine Head in December 1971, at Montreux Casino in Switzerland. A mobile recording studio owned by the Rolling Stones had been booked and hotel reservations made, but lead singer Ian Gillan contracted hepatitis. Cancelling a forthcoming tour of America, the band placed all their plans on hold, and Gillan was advised by his doctor to spend the next few months recuperating. Nevertheless, enthused by the new project, the band travelled to Switzerland to begin recording. The Casino was a large arena built in a complex of casinos, restaurants and other entertainment facilities. The band had performed there in May 1971 and enjoyed both the location and Claude Nobs, founder and general manager of the famous Montreux Jazz Festival. Amongst others, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath had all performed there. The Casino closed for refurbishments each winter, and so the band arrived there on 3 December. One last concert date remained, following which they were to have the location to themselves.

Frank Zappa's concert of 4 December at the Casino was made infamous when a member of the audience fired a flare into the building's roof. Although there were no fatalities, the resultant fire ruined Deep Purple's plans. Nobs relocated the band to a nearby theatre called the Pavilion, where they recorded the basic tracks for a song provisionally named "Title No. 1". Bass player Roger Glover said he woke up one morning saying the title "Smoke on the Water" out loud. Later Gillan, based on the title, wrote the lyrics describing the band's experience in Montreux, recording the Machine Head album. A photograph of the burning Montreux Casino would ultimately be included in the gatefold of Machine Head's album cover.

Led Zeppelin's fourth album, Black Sabbath's Paranoid, and Deep Purple's Machine Head have stood the test of time as the Holy Trinity of English hard rock and heavy metal, serving as the fundamental blueprints followed by virtually every heavy rock & roll band since the early '70s. And, though it is probably the least celebrated of the three, Machine Head contains the "mother of all guitar riffs" -- and one of the first learned by every beginning guitarist -- in "Smoke on the Water." Inspired by real-life events in Montreux, Switzerland, where Deep Purple were recording the album when the Montreux Casino was burned to the ground during a Frank Zappa concert, neither the song, nor its timeless riff, should need any further description. However, Machine Head was anything but a one-trick pony, introducing the bona fide classic opener "Highway Star," which epitomized all of Deep Purple's intensity and versatility while featuring perhaps the greatest soloing duel ever between guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and organist Jon Lord. Also in top form was singer Ian Gillan, who crooned and exploded with amazing power and range throughout to establish himself once and for all as one of the finest voices of his generation, bar none. Yes, the plodding shuffle of "Maybe I'm a Leo" shows some signs of age, but punchy singles "Pictures of Home" and "Never Before" remain as vital as ever, displaying Purple at their melodic best. And finally, the spectacular "Space Truckin'" drove Machine Head home with yet another tremendous Blackmore riff, providing a fitting conclusion to one of the essential hard rock albums of all time.

Released in 1972, Machine Head become the benchmark against which everything that followed would be judged against. In the canon of heavy rock this is an album replete with classic tracks. Concise in nature, killer punches are only ever a minute away no matter which song you play. Vocalist Ian Gillan excels himself on “Highway Star,” and “Never Before”, the latter an excellent single, released ahead of the album covering both pop, rock and some righteously funky turn-arounds. Blackmore dominates the album turning in some of his most understated and reflective playing on “When A Blind Man Cries” (the b-side to the single and not included on the original album) and of course, “Smoke On The Water.”

Its devastating simplicity is the foundation stone of the whole record and one of rock’s most archetypal riffs. Not only heavy as hell, it was insanely catchy and the long-haired denim-wearing world grasped it to their bosom without a moment’s hesitation. Detailing the burning of the casino near Lake Geneva (which caused yer actual smoke on the water), the lyrical content perhaps presaged the internal fires that would consume the group.

Released in May it went straight to number one but by August Gillan had resigned. Though he would stay on to record the live Made In Japan and the lack-lustre, Who Do We Think We Are, the mark II line-up was all over bar the shouting – and there was going to be plenty of that. Machine Head however remains their finest hour.

Tracks Listing:

1. Highway Star (6:05)
2. Maybe I'm A Leo (4:51)
3. Pictures Of Home (5:03)
4. Never Before (3:56)
5. Smoke On The Water (5:40)
6. Lazy (7:19)
7. Space Truckin' (4:31)

Line-up / Musicians:

- Ian Gillan / lead vocals, harmonica
- Ritchie Blackmore / guitars
- Jon Lord / keyboards
- Roger Glover / bass
- Ian Paice / drums, percussion