Pink Floyd... A history6054762

Immediately after a modest success as a psychedelic outfit within the 1960s under surreal wild man Syd Barret. Pink Floyd dumped him for guitarist David Gilmour  and went on to come to be a single on the world's most thriving bands ever, promoting greater than 200m albums worldwide.

Their Dark Side Of The Moon  album was initially to hit mega sales in 1973 followed by monster album hits with Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979). In 1986 singer Roger Waters declared the band finished although the other individuals continued without having him and with considerable results. Waters then rejoined them for the 2005 Reside Aid concert and there had been hopes of an album release, but in 2006 Gilmour recommended the band would no longer tour or generate records - so effectively dead then.

Pink Floyd's debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, with the majority of the songs by Syd Barret, is today regarded and a single with the greatest examples of British psychedelia. The comply with up album A Saucerful Of Secrets  consisted largely of noise, feedback, loud bangs, oscillators and tape loops and was a disaster. Wayward experiments in atonal, jarring, meandering pieces with extended percussion solos typified their output until the 70s once they ditched the 'psychedelic' nonsense to get a a lot more mellow sound, polished overall performance and pieces of epic length.

This is the era numerous contemplate the finest with two good albums, The Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here. The initial was a watershed providing them their 1st significant break within the US staying #1 for an unbelievable world record breaking 741 weeks, the other the first Pink Floyd album to reach #1 in UK and US charts.

Within the late 70s, jazzy keyboard and sax lines had been dropped as the band turned more 'orchestral' and moans grew at the pretentious lyrics and tediously extended songs. The criticism was stemmed celebration by the release of your rock opera The Wall in 1982 which sold more than 30 million copies globally, became the third-best selling album of all time in the US and currently certified 23x platinum though it only ever produced #3 inside the UK.

A movie Pink Floyd: The Wall grossed $14m in the US. Within the wake of such acclaim the band did what most bands do when fame reaches astronomical levels - they went their separate techniques. Gilmour and Waters released solo albums as well as other opted for collaborations with other artists.

In 1986 Walters announced he was quitting the band prompting a bitter legal wrangle over the Pink Floyd name and song credits. The band (ex Walters) released A Momentary Lapse of Cause which was pretty nicely just that, in accordance with the critics, though it hit #3 inside the UK and US. In 1987 came a double live album plus a concert video taken from some 1988 shows, named Delicate Sound of Thunder followed by a nine disc box set release of Shine On that included re-releases of your studio albums.

Pink Floyd were in danger of becoming empty and formulaic although it did not quit the 1994 The Division Bell hitting #1 within the UK and US. It turned out to be the last studio album to become released. There was the splendid Echoes album in 2001 - an incredible career compendium and some recordings of live shows and remastered disc releases.Hopes that the band's Live 8 appearance would trigger a reunion tour failed to materialise regardless of rumours of a $250 million tour deal.

In January 2006 Gilmour issued a joint statement for the group stating that they had no plans to reunite. Gilmour plugs away with solo releases. Waters and Wright are each reported to be working on solo albums. For all their achievements they never escaped the extended shadow of loony Syd Barrett who died in 2006.

Using music by Floyd to interpret the passion of Christ is unlikely to turn quite a few none-believers, but it is essential to note that Christians need to see anything deep within the music which nonetheless sets my pulse racing soon after all these years.

Pink Floyd best album: Dark Side Of The Moon (1973)

Pink Floyd rated albums:

Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (1987), Wish You Were Here (1975), The Wall (1979), Echoes (2001)

Pink Floyd missable albums:

Atom Heart Mother (1970), Delicate Sound Of Thunder (1988), The Division Bell (1994), Pulse (1995), Is Anyone Out There? The Wall: Live (2000)