Production
The third movement of The Endless River thus opens with an instrumental credited to Rick Wright alone. Classifiable as ambient music, this short piece begins with floating synth pads that are again reminiscent of the intro to “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” (Wish You Were Here), all the more so as David Gilmour plays a clear-toned Stratocaster exactly as he does on the 1975 track. A river is heard flowing and birds singing, giving “The Lost Art of Conversation” a highly meditative feel. Wright then picks out a few notes on an acoustic piano in that unmistakable style of his. Gilmour reinforces the ethereal mood with chords that are treated to volume pedal and drenched in distant, Dantesque reverb. Despite the generally cosmic atmosphere, the Floyd keyboardist is unable to conceal his love of African American music, and the second part of the his composition develops a more bluesy, more jazzy feel. On the other hand, Gilmour takes it upon himself to add orchestral timpani, which can be heard toward the back of the mix (at 1:23). Finally, it is worth noting that the transition to the next track, “On Noodle Street,” is one of the most successful and natural sounding on the album.
On Noodle Street
David Gilmour, Richard Wright/1:42
Musicians
David Gilmour: electric lead guitar
Rick Wright: Fender Rhodes
Nick Mason: drums
Jon Carin: synthesizers
Guy Pratt: bass
Recorded
Britannia Row, Islington, London: January 1993
Medina Studio, Hove: November 2013
Astoria, Hampton: 2013–14
Olympic Studios, London: 2013–14
Technical Team
Producers (1993): Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour
Producers: David Gilmour, Phil Manzanera, Youth, Andy Jackson
Sound Engineers: Andy Jackson, Damon Iddins, Phil Taylor (Britannia Row)
Genesis
“On Noodle Street” is one of the many pieces to emerge from the long jam sessions by David Gilmour, Rick Wright, and Nick Mason at Britannia Row Studios in 1993. The title raises a number of questions. Is it an example of Floydian humor? What kind of noodle is meant here? The edible sort? The intellectually challenged sort? The improvisatory sort?
Production
Although the transition from the preceding track, “The Lost Art of Conversation,” is perfect, it has to be acknowledged that this improvisation is of relatively minor interest, other than as part of the overall instrumental concept. Nick Mason plays the same rhythmic figure from bar five without any pickup or variation and could almost be a loop. He is supported by some rather apathetic bass playing from Guy Pratt, who showed greater inspiration on the previous album. David Gilmour, who generally excels with radiant interventions on his various guitars, seems to have deliberately remained in the background, delivering a semi-funk, semi-rock accompaniment devoid of any particular brio—in other words exactly the kind of thing a guitarist cooks up on his instrument during interminable jam sessions. The only contributions that succeed in enlivening the overall atmosphere are Jon Carin’s synths, with their great chord-based swells, and above all Rick Wright’s Fender Rhodes, with its colorful accompaniment sounding not unlike the vibraphone, an instrument he played on Pink Floyd’s first few albums. In the group’s defense, it should be pointed out that “On Noodle Street” needs to be considered from a global point of view rather than as a piece in its own right. It should be seen as just piece of the puzzle—the final assembled image being the third movement of The Endless River.
Night Light
David Gilmour, Richard Wright/1:42
Musicians
David Gilmour: guitars, acoustic guitar (with and without EBow)
Rick Wright: synthesizers
Recorded
Britannia Row, Islington, London: January 1993
Medina Studio, Hove: November 2013
Astoria, Hampton: 2013–14
Olympic Studios, London: 2013–14
Technical Team
Producers (1993): Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour
Producers: David Gilmour, Phil Manzanera, Youth, Andy Jackson
Sound Engineers: Andy Jackson, Damon Iddins, Phil Taylor (Britannia Row)
Genesis
This is ambient music in the spirit of Brian Eno or Vangelis, but benefiting from the added elegant virtuosity of David Gilmour, who once again reveals himself to be a big fan of the EBow. Meanwhile the keyboards, and more precisely the evanescent synth pads, are classic Rick Wright and have been an integral part of the Pink Floyd style ever since A Saucerful of Secrets.
Production
“Night Light,” which to some extent recalls the intro to “Keep Talking” on The Division Bell, represents a dab of additional color in the sonic palette that constitutes the third movement of The Endless River. It may seem difficult to justify the individual constituent pieces of this movement, but by listening to them all together, their full impact can be appreciated. Rick Wright uses imposing synth pads, in which it is possible to discern sonorities ranging from strings to the organ, to generate a mood of serenity that would be the envy of many a Tibetan monk. David Gilmour accentuates this Zen atmosphere even further with guitar passages played with the EBow. His notes and effects are sustained by a delay with infinite repetitions, and are drenched in cosmic reverb. He seems to be playing a Gibson J-200 acoustic, but various guitar effects blend with his phrases, making it difficult to identify the instrument. Gilmour can nevertheless be credited with the ingenious idea of combining the sonorities of the EBow with an ethereal and meditative style of music. The result is pure magic, even if this type of instrumental piece, which relies overly on improvisation rather than on carefully thought-through composition, presents a number of weaknesses.
Allons-y (1)
David Gilmour/1:57
Musicians
David Gilmour: electric rhythm and lead guitar, lap steel
Rick Wright: Hammond organ
Nick Mason: drums
Jon Carin: synthesizer, percussion loop
Bob Ezrin: bass
Recorded
Britannia Row, Islington, London: January 1993
Medina Studio, Hove: November 2013
Astoria, Hampton: 2013–14
Olympic Studios, London: 2013–14
Technical Team
Producers (1993): Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour
Producers: David Gilmour, Phil Manzanera, Youth, Andy Jackson
Sound Engineers: Andy Jackson, Damon Iddins, Phil Taylor (Britannia Row)
Genesis
Although this composition is credited to David Gilmour alone, it contains a number of allusions to the concept album The Wall, which at the same time demonstrate the multifaceted talent of the guitarist. Here, Gilmour is both soloist and creator of moods, one of the trademarks of Pink Floyd and a key to its success since the end of the sixties.
Production
Worked on during the rehearsals at Britannia Row Studios in January 1993, it is not difficult to see why “Allons-y (1)” was not used on The Division Bell. What David Gilmour has come up with here is a kind of pastiche of “Run Like Hell.” So why did he include it in The Endless River? It remains a mystery. “Allons-y (1)” begins in similar fashion to the earlier piece, with Gilmour playing a guitar rhythm (the sound sustained by delay), each of whose triad chords has a powerful percussive snap. Nick Mason provides solid support on drums, exhibiting the sheer drive that has characterized his playing ever since the early days. He is supported in turn by Bob Ezrin on bass guitar. This is Ezrin’s first contribution on bass for Pink Floyd, demonstrating (should any further proof be needed) the breadth of his musical talent. Rick Wright is on Hammond organ, displaying his customary superb command of this legendary keyboard. Meanwhile, Jon Carin is responsible for a range of synths and effects. The liner notes credit him with a percussion loop, although this is very difficult to make out. Concerning the various guitar parts, Gilmour plays a distorted solo (from 0:41), presumably on his �
�Red Strat” and most probably recorded in 1993. On the other hand, the particular sound of his contributions on the Fender Deluxe lap steel (listen from 0:21, toward the left of the stereo field) and the absence of this specific instrument from The Division Bell suggest that they were added during the 2013–14 sessions. Finally, in the bridge and at the end of the piece, Gilmour also plays a number of slightly Spanish-sounding phrases, apparently on his Fender Telecaster Baritone, with distortion and colored by vibrato. “Allons-y (1)” is a difficult piece to appraise, a task not helped by the existence of “Run Like Hell,” which has admittedly been around since 1979…
For Pink Floyd Addicts
“Allons-y” is the second title in the Pink Floyd catalog that pays tribute to the language of Molière. The first, despite its somewhat Hispanic spelling, was “San Tropez” on Meddle.
Autumn ’68
Richard Wright/1:35
Musicians
David Gilmour: electric lead guitar
Rick Wright: the Grand Organ of the Royal Albert Hall
Nick Mason: gong
Damon Iddins: additional keyboards
Recorded
Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London: June 26, 1969
Medina Studio, Hove: November 2013
Astoria, Hampton: 2013–14
Olympic Studios, London: 2013–14
Technical Team
Producers (1993): Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour
Producers: David Gilmour, Phil Manzanera, Youth, Andy Jackson
Sound Engineers: Andy Jackson, Damon Iddins, Phil Taylor (Britannia Row)
Genesis
“Autumn ’68” takes us back to the early years of Pink Floyd, which probably helps to make this piece the most moving on The Endless River. It was recorded by Rick Wright on June 26, 1969, on the Grand Organ of the Royal Albert Hall, a few hours before the quartet performed The Final Lunacy (in other words the musical concept The Man and The Journey) there. The composition was originally around twenty minutes long. “I think at that point, Rick was toying with ideas for writing a symphony,”167 explains Youth, whom the group entrusted with the production of their final album in 2013. Youth took the Royal Albert Hall tapes to his studio in Spain in order to listen to them and rework them and identify places where he thought Gilmour’s guitar could be introduced. Interviewed in 2014, Youth revealed that at the time he “was fighting a severe parasitic infection: I thought, ‘Even if I die in a week, or a day, I’ve gotta finish this before I go—and don’t hold back!’”167
Phil Manzanera has also shared an anecdote in connection with “Autumn ’68,” the title of which clearly echoes Rick Wright’s “Summer ’68” on the second side of the LP Atom Heart Mother: “At the time, playing the organ at the Royal Albert Hall was very controversial. When the Mothers of Invention played there, Don Preston went up and played ‘Louie Louie’ on the organ and it was considered sacrilege! It was a great moment of rebellion. It sounds silly, doesn’t it? But it was a big deal for a rock band to get into the Royal Albert Hall.”172
Production
When Pink Floyd gathered at the Royal Albert Hall in London for the last gig of their UK tour, Wright would take advantage of a break before the show to improvise on the Grand Organ. Andy Jackson explains how his playing came to be caught on tape: “There was a Revox and some mics going in, so it was recorded. Damon [Iddins, engineer] is also our librarian, and he tracks all the things that are coming through, and he went, ‘Oooh, I’ll tell you what I’ve got! This is great!’ It’s a great sound.”170 Thus it was that forty-four years later, “Autumn ’68” (recorded in 1969, despite the title) resurfaced and was dusted down and enhanced by the organist’s two traveling companions.
What can be said about these ninety-five seconds? They clearly possess a certain emotional charge, not least because they date back to a time when Pink Floyd was still on the verge of an incredible career. Ninety-five seconds out of a total of twenty minutes. What does the rest of the recording hold? Was this really a work in the making or was it a simple improvisation with no intended future? There are a lot of questions that “Autumn ’68,” in its current form at least, is unable to answer. Nick Mason’s gong crashes in the introduction and intermittently throughout the piece, there are some contributions on the synthesizer from Damon Iddins, and David Gilmour plays a number of licks on electric guitar. The results are on the harrowing side. The whole thing is something of a puzzle, and all the more so as this quasi-mystical piece is sandwiched between the two versions of “Allons-y.” Whatever we might think of this short piece, however, credit must be given to Gilmour and Mason for having the generosity of spirit to revive this short testimony from a time when Rick Wright’s future lay before him.
Pink Floyd was joined onstage at the Royal Albert Hall concert of June 26, 1969, by members of the brass section of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Ealing Central Amateur Choir, conducted by Norman Smith. The show culminated in the firing of two Waterloo cannons and the detonation of a gigantic pink smoke bomb. This magnificent finale earned Pink Floyd a lifetime ban from the Royal Albert Hall. Nonetheless, the group was allowed back into the hall seven months later, on February 7, 1970.
For Pink Floyd Addicts
The Grand Organ of the Royal Albert Hall boasts nearly ten thousand pipes and 147 stops, making it one of the largest organs in the world. It was designed and built by the famous English organ builder “Father” Henry Willis in 1871.
Allons-y (2)
David Gilmour/1:32
Musicians
David Gilmour: electric rhythm and lead guitar, lap steel
Rick Wright: Hammond organ
Nick Mason: drums, gong
Jon Carin: synthesizer, percussion loop
Bob Ezrin: bass
Recorded
Britannia Row, Islington, London: January 1993
Medina Studio, Hove: November 2013
Astoria, Hampton: 2013–14
Olympic Studios, London: 2013–14
Technical Team
Producers (1993): Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour
Producers: David Gilmour, Phil Manzanera, Youth, Andy Jackson
Sound Engineers: Andy Jackson, Damon Iddins, Phil Taylor (Britannia Row)
Genesis and Production
“Allons-y (2)” is a reprise of “Allons-y (1),” again featuring the Pink Floyd trio plus Bob Ezrin on bass and Jon Carin on synthesizer. The transition between “Autumn ’68” and “Allons-y (2)” is subtly done, with synth pads taking over from Rick Wright’s organ. Nick Mason’s gong rings out, after which the drummer turns his attention to his bass drum, on which he marks each beat of the bar. The piece then takes up the rhythm and theme of “Allons-y (1),” enabling David Gilmour to launch into a solo split between two guitars, one answering the other. The bridge again introduces a Spanish touch, with a number of different guitars competing to underline the main motif. It is not until the finale that we are eventually able to make out the percussion loop programmed by Jon Carin. A synth pad, gradually increasing in volume, ushers in the next track, “Talkin’ Hawkin’.” In truth, the two parts of “Allons-y” earn their places as a means of integrating “Autumn ’68.” The first part ends with a Spanish color that announces Rick Wright’s organ harmonies, while the reprise restores a certain impetus to the ensemble. “Autumn ’68” can therefore be seen as serving as a kind of instrumental bridge between the two parts of “Allons-y.” The only drawback is the excessive resemblance of the French-titled composition to “Run Like Hell.”
Talkin’ Hawkin’
David Gilmour, Richard Wright/3:29
Musicians
David Gilmour: acoustic rhythm guitar, electric rhythm and lead guitar, lap steel, backing vocals
Rick Wright: piano, Farfisa organ, synthesizer
Nick Mason: drums
Guy Pratt: bass
Durga McBroom: backing vocals
Stephen Hawking: electronic voice
Recorded
Britanni
a Row, Islington, London: January 1993
Medina Studio, Hove: November 2013
Astoria, Hampton: 2013–14
Olympic Studios, London: 2013–14
Technical Team
Producers (1993): Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour
Producers: David Gilmour, Phil Manzanera, Youth, Andy Jackson
Sound Engineers: Andy Jackson, Damon Iddins, Phil Taylor (Britannia Row)
Genesis
This composition continues the idea of “Keep Talking” on The Division Bell. In it, the Pink Floyd guitarist once again turns to statements made by scientist and author Stephen Hawking. The following words are quoted in this track: Speech has allowed the communication of ideas, enabling human beings to work together to build the impossible. Mankind’s greatest achievements have come about by talking. Our greatest hopes could become reality in the future. With the technology at our disposal, the possibilities are unbounded. All we need to do is make sure we keep talking.
Production
This concluding instrumental of the third movement of The Endless River opens with effects realized on a synthesizer, possibly the VCS3. The piece begins properly with a piano riff played by Rick Wright, supported by the very good bass of Guy Pratt and some excellent drumming from Nick Mason, whose ride cymbal reinforces the aerial, floating quality of the music. Before long, David Gilmour joins the others on his Fender Deluxe lap steel, which was apparently added during the 2013–14 sessions. An initial bridge provides him with an opportunity to play solo phrases on what is almost certainly one of his Strats, and to throw off some chords on his acoustic (which he doubles), but also to provide some ethereal backing vocals alongside Durga McBroom, who had been touring with Pink Floyd since the 1987 “Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour.”
Pink Floyd All the Songs Page 78
