I worked with Richard van Kralingen for years at a.s.r. insurance. Besides sharing a hobby for old Italian cars, we also share a love for music on vinyl. I love Pink Floyd (I saw The Wall by Roger Waters in 2011 at the Gelredome), but Richard is a true fan. Tell us, Richard!
"For me, the most important British band to emerge from the psychedelic '60s. Marked by many problems. The tragic collapse of Syd Barrett, the deep creative tensions, and ultimately the departure of the linchpin Roger Waters. The fact that such losses had no impact on the band's popularity already shows that the band—and the Pink Floyd brand—is infinitely greater than the sum of its parts. Greed, madness, isolation, and loss are dominant themes in the five decades during which Pink Floyd brought great original and inventive rock music to the world.
Only 15 albums, spread over these five decades, chart the band's development from psychedelic space-rockers to sublime purveyors of stately melodicism. No other band, for me, is able to ensure with every first note a trip down memory lane."
On 2 February 2020, the album "Atom Heart Mother" was spinning on our turntable during Sunday Morning Classics.
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd was an English rock band that gained international recognition for its progressive psychedelic rock music. The group evolved into pioneers of progressive rock and symphonic music. Pink Floyd is known for its philosophical lyrics, classic rock compositions, experiments with sound, innovative graphic and artistic cover designs, and not least for many spectacular live concerts.
As one of the most successful and influential bands in rock music, Pink Floyd sold over 300 million albums worldwide. Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, and later band member David Gilmour knew each other from school in Cambridge, while the other members Mason and Wright studied architecture together with Roger Waters at the Polytechnic in Regent Street, London.
In the late 1960s, Pink Floyd initially had modest success as a psychedelic band then led by Syd Barrett. Barrett's increasing unreliability and difficult behaviour forced the other band members to add a new guitarist and lead singer. That was David Gilmour, who later completely replaced Syd Barrett. After Barrett's departure, singer and bassist Roger Waters gradually became bandleader and main songwriter. This led to several globally famous albums such as The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977), and The Wall (1979).
During the recordings for The Wall, the first cracks appeared in the group. The next album, The Final Cut, was essentially a solo project by Waters, with some assistance from Gilmour. In 1985, Waters quit and it seemed over, but in 1986 Gilmour and Mason decided to continue, and later Wright joined them. This was very much against Waters' wishes, leading to lawsuits over the use of the Pink Floyd name. Waters lost.
The remaining trio made the albums A Momentary Lapse of Reason in 1987, The Division Bell in 1994, both followed by tours, and The Endless River in 2014.
Bob Geldof managed to bring the group including Waters together in 2005 for a performance at the London Live 8 concert. This was the first performance with the full lineup in 24 years. In February 2006, Gilmour stated in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica that the band would no longer release new material or tour. However, the individual band members did not rule out continuing to make music solo or in small collaborations, but the death of Richard Wright in 2008 made a reunion of the classic lineup impossible.
Despite Gilmour's denial in 2006, The Endless River followed, a studio album announced in July 2014 and released in November 2014.
source: Wikipedia photo: Tim Duncan and public domain
