Even though the band has not released an album since 1994 (and for some, 1983, when Roger Waters left the group), Pink Floyd's music continues to influence and be among the greatest songs ever written. Roger Waters is getting ready to hit the road on September 15th for "The Wall Live Tour" and will be touring the Northern hemisphere for almost a year. After seeing David Gilmour live in 2006 (which was the best concert I have ever seen) and Roger Waters in 2007, I am eagerly awaiting this experience. In anticipation, I felt it prudent to give a little lesson in the legendary bands record catalog and rank their studio albums. Call it "Pink Floyd for Dummies".
14. "More" (1969)
-Recorded as a soundtrack for the little seen movie of the same name, "More" is a very experimental album (even by Pink Floyd's standards). Even though founding member Syd Barret had left the band, his trademark psychedelic sound still can be heard throughout the record. 'Green Is The Colour' is definitely the standout track as much of the remaining album is for die hard fans only.
13. "Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" (1967)
-Speaking of die hard fans, most would find this ranking blasphemous, as Pink Floyd's debut album is felt to be by some their crowning achievement. Even though I respect Syd Barrett (as you will read later), his music on this record is too kaleidoscopic and whimsy for my tastes. The album has a childish, pop feeling and is likely best appreciated on a heavy dose of LSD. The album has its highlights with the fantastic tracks 'Interstellar Overdrive' and 'Astronomy Domine'. For fans of psychedelia, this album is a must.
12. "The Final Cut" (1983)
-The last album released while founding member Roger Waters remained in the band, "The Final Cut" is somewhat of a sequel to "The Wall". The music and production are all very similar and it lacks the variety its preceding album had. Each song sounds way to similar to the next. The writing was on the wall (no pun intended) for Waters exit as he became more and more a one man show with the release of this album. Every track was written by him and only him, hence the repetitive sound. Choice cuts include 'The Gunner's Dream', 'Not Now John' and 'The Fletcher Memorial Home'. For fans of Roger Waters solo albums.
11. "A Saucerful Of Secrets" (1968)
-Back to 60s, psychedelic Pink Floyd. The last album to feature Syd Barrett (on one track 'Jugband Blues') before his departure due to psychotic behavior. Saucerful was the first to feature guitarist David Gilmour who was asked to tour with the band due to Barrett's unreliability. Gilmour's influence can be felt as the albums sound becomes more familiar to progressive rock than PATGOD's psychedelia. The self titled track is the best song on the album and was also co-written by Gilmour. Other great songs include 'Let There Be More Light' and 'Remember A Day'.
10."The Division Bell" (1994)
-The last studio album to be released. At this time, the band consisted of only David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright (RIP). This was the only Pink Floyd album to earn the band a Grammy with the instrumental 'Marooned', however this is far from the standout track. Following in the same vein as "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason", "The Division Bell" is a melodic album with songs that can be played by themselves as opposed to written around a common theme. Most PF albums need to be listened to as a whole. Gilmour's wife, Polly Samson, helped write some of the lyrics and Gilmour continued to be the main songwriter. The album spawned the "Pulse" album and tour. Check out 'High Hopes', 'Take It Back' and 'Lost For Words'.
9. "Ummagumma" (1969)
-This double disc album consists of a live album and studio album. The studio album contains tracks written by the individual band members and plays like a bunch of solo projects. The studio album is unfortunately NOT the highlight and more of an experimental project. The live album consists of four songs, primarily from the first two albums; "Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" and "A Saucerful Of Secrets". For me, this is the best live album Floyd has released and the live tracks are better and have more weight than the songs from the studio albums. The song 'A Saucerful Of Secrets' (which remains one of my favorite tracks) is brilliant, especially the Gilmour vocals which closes the album. For those who love this album, check out the DVD "Live In Pompeii".
8. "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason" (1987)
-The first album without Roger Waters, "AMLOR" has been penned more of a Gilmour solo project. Following a heated legal battle, Gilmour and Co. were able to release the album under the Pink Floyd moniker (I think more due to the studio pushing for another Pink Floyd release). Again, this album consists of mainly separate tracks and Waters influence has disappeared. The first half of the album is fantastic and contain the standout tracks 'On The Turning Away', 'Learning To Fly', 'One Slip' and 'The Dogs Of War'. The very successful live tour and album "A Delicate Sound Of Thunder" was recorded with tracks from this album as the highlight.
7. "Atom Heart Mother" (1970)
-Some of the band members have commented on being disappointed by this album and feeling it was one of their worst, however I have to disagree entirely. The album again has a very experimental sound. The title track is a complex orchestral arrangement which is also the bands longest recorded studio track, clocking in at 23:44. Waters, Wright and Gilmour each contribute a song in the middle of the album and each has a different vibe. The Waters track has his vintage vocals, the Wright song has a psychedelic funk horn section at its core and the Gilmour outing sounds like a great folk tune at times. There is not a single bad track on this album and after repeated listens gets better and better. The albums closes with 'Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast' which includes sounds of bacon cooking and a gentleman talking over what is most likely tea (and possibly crumpets?)
6. "Dark Side Of The Moon" (1973)
-Thought to be Pink Floyd's crowning achievement. "Dark Side Of The Moon" is Floyd's highest ranking album on Rolling Stone magazines 'Greatest Albums Of All Time" list at number 43. DSOTM remained on the Billboard charts for 741 weeks from 1973 to 1988, longer than any other album in history and has sold an estimated 45 million copies. The albums main theme deals with mental illness and was reportedly inspired by PF's founding member Syd Barrett. The album, like most Pink Floyd releases, is best ingested as a whole, however amazing songs include 'Time', 'Money', 'Us And Them' and 'The Great Gig In The Sky'. Some may consider listing this album at number 6 as sacrilege, but check out the top five for argument sake.
5. "Obscured By Clouds" (1972)
-Another album created as a soundtrack. "Obscured By Clouds" was written for the French film "La Vallee" directed by Barbet Schroeder (who also directed the Oscar winning "Reversal Of Fortune" and "Barfly"). By far the most underrated Pink Floyd album, "OBC" was written at the same time songs were being compiled for DSOTM. The record plays as a folk recording at times and a blues-rocker at others. It is highlighted by the songs 'Childhood's End', 'Wot's... Uh The Deal', 'The Gold Its In The...' and 'Free Four'.
*WARNING* The upcoming albums are flawless. The order of preference below could change at a moments notice, but for now, is as follows.
4. "Meddle" (1971)
-"Meddle" contains the greatest song ever written, 'Echoes'. I got the opportunity to see David Gilmour play this track live in its glorious 23 minute and 27 second entirety. The song starts slow with an ambient, space trance sound and builds into an absolute opus. Originally, the track was the entire B side of the album. The album starts with 'One Of These Days', a dark, heavy song which features Gilmour on an electric slide guitar which should single-handedly put him among the greatest guitarists of all time. The track is primarily an instrumental with the only lyrics being "One of these days I'm going to cut you into little pieces". The song, and album for that matter, has been sited as an influence for many progressive rock, indie and death metal bands. Other tracks such as 'Fearless' stand out and should be played on more classic rock radio. This is a must have for all Pink Floyd fans whether casual or fanatic.
3. "The Wall" (1979)
-Originally written as a Roger Waters solo album, "The Wall" is a classic PF album. Gilmour eventually co-wrote many of the radio friendly tracks (something that was missing from "The Final Cut"). The album is a 2 disc (4 vinyl) album that has more than stood the test. It ranks #4 among the greatest selling albums of all time in the US behind MJ's "Thriller", Eagles "Greatest Hits" and Led Zeppelin "IV". The concept of the album revolves around it's central character Pink and deals with personal isolation during WWII. It has spanned some of Pink Floyd's most memorable songs such as 'Comfortably Numb' (number 314 on Rolling Stone's Greatest Songs Of All Time), "Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2" (number 375), "Run Like Hell", "Hey You", "Young Lust" and "Mother". Frequently sited as the last great Floyd album, "The Wall" is immaculate.
2. "Animals" (1977)
-The album that started it all for me, "Animals" was the first Pink Floyd record I listened to in its entirety. I was instantly hooked. Reminiscent of George Orwell's novella "Animal Farm", "Animals" contains 5 tracks entitled 'Pigs On The Wing' (Part one opening and Part two closing the album), 'Dogs', 'Pigs (Three Little Ones)', and 'Sheep'. In an excerpt from Mark Blake's 2008 book entitled "Comfortably Numb — The Inside Story of Pink Floyd' and as "Animal Farm" had depicted, the animals in the record deal with people and society; "Dogs as enforcers of the law, Pigs as ruthless leaders, and Sheep as the mindless pawns. Whereas the novella focuses on communism, the album is a critique of the worst aspects of capitalism, and although both advocate a democratic socialist ideal the album differs again in that the sheep eventually rise up to overpower their oppressors." The album cover remains my favorite of all time with a picture of the Battersea Power Station with a 30 foot pig-shaped balloon (known as Algie) flying above the ziggurat.
1. "Wish You Were Here" (1975)
-Another example of how Syd Barrett continued to influence the band long after his departure, "Wish You Were Here" was written with Syd being the bands muse. Similar to DSOTM, Barrett's influence on the band proves to be greater as inspiration than as a member. The opening and closing track, 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' was written for the founding bandmate who was struggling with schizophrenia. The two tracks combined play for over 26 minutes and remain a staple for both Waters and Gilmour on tour. The self titled track is also one of Pink Floyd's most recognizable songs with the lyrics "Two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year" and ranks #316 on RS greatest songs.
Please do yourself a favor and get these albums. If nothing else, purchase the top four or a select number of tracks you may not already have. Remember, most of Pink Floyd's music is best ingested as whole albums. They may change how you view music.
My favorite Pink Floyd tracks include:
10. Fat Old Sun [Atom Heart Mother]
9. Time [Dark Side Of The Moon]
8. Wish You Were Here [Wish You Were Here]
7. Fearless [Meddle]
6. A Saucerful Of Secrets [Ummagumma]
5. Comfortably Numb [The Wall]
4. Pigs (Three Little Ones) [Animals]
3. Childhood's End [Obscured By Clouds]
2. Shine On You Crazy Diamond [Wish You Were Here]
1. Echoes [Meddle]
