Pink Floyd - What am I missing?

[up-the-dubs]

Being too young to remember Floyd at their best (I'm 27) I still know a couple of their songs from the radio. However, their performance at Live 8 last Summer really struck a chord and I was to do something about it, i.e. add them to the collection. Somehow I never got round to it, but driving home from a cycle in the mountains a few weeks ago "wish you were here" came on and I was hooked again (caught me in a moment). I bought a "best of" 2 disc set purely because wish you were here was on it along with Money and We don't need no education (can't remember the sets name).

But I'm unimpressed with the rest of it . I think I may have inadvertantly bought the wrong album (sounds like a compilation of mellower music). Live 8 was great, this isn't.

I know there are quite a few fans of Floyd here, and I know they do have great songs, but is there an album out there of hits that would be a bit more "live" and a little less "unplugged/mellow sessions"? I don't know enough of them to know which album is better, and would only end up cleaning out HMV before finding something I could listen to.

[Matthew C]

I imagine their music doesn't work as well as a compilation - the music of theirs that I've got seems to work much better as an album than I imagine the songs would individually. One of the frustrations I found is that their albums seem to be quite expensive compared to other bands - the wall could have cost me over £30. Certainly some of their albums I've had to listen to a few times to 'get'. Do you know anyone with some of their albums you could try?

[charlescrawley]

Buy "A Delicate Sound Of Thunder" live album. Awesome. Then buy "Dark Side of the Moon". Then realise you need to buy everything else!

Seriously, start with the first one I mentioned, it's one of the best live albums ever made.

[jonesgm]

I am a big Floyd fan and that album IS Rubbish. Get the albums 'Dark Side of the moon', 'wish you where here' would be a good start, sure there will be more to follow.

[tallbloke]

Their stuff is a bit intense and obscure.

Try Ummagumma, Obscured by clouds, and meddle, for early middle period stuff

Animals is very dark anti-capitalistic depressed stuff but links the Dark side of the moon - wish you were here golden age to the later waters stuff.

[gretchen]

charlescrawley said:

Buy "A Delicate Sound Of Thunder" live album. Awesome. Then buy "Dark Side of the Moon". Then realise you need to buy everything else!

Seriously, start with the first one I mentioned, it's one of the best live albums ever made.

^Yeah, that^

Money is one of the only tracks I'm not keen on. Love When The Tiger Broke Free. The Wall is an excellent album too. Goodbye Blue Sky and Comfortably Numb.

[DinkyToy-Boy]

I dunno what tracks are on your comp.CD, but the basis of what Floyd are about are Shine on you crazy diamond/Run like hell/all of "Dark Side"../Comfortably numb/astronomie/Live at Pompeii album...

they should see you right.. But P.Floyd are all about atmosphere

[jonesgm]

don'y you have to be weened onto Ummagumma, bit heavy going. Reminds me of our History teacher, he brought that album into class played it all the way through, then we had to write about it - all I seem to remember is that scottish bloke, things you remember - weird (41 now)

[Glassman]

The first time I heard PF, I didn't like what I heard. Someone suggested that I watch The Wall. I did and it helped me open my mind to them. Then I saw a live DVD of them in Venice (I think) and it made me think again, cue: purchases of:

Dark Side of the Moon and Division Bell. I grew to like PF a little but what really made me want to go and see them was their live double album, PULSE.

Personally, I prefer the live stuff to some of the studio recordings.

[allnighter]

Ok , you are a novice and need initiation, but you have to be patient inorder to appreciate Pink floyd.
The concept of "the album" works better as a whole entity rather than fishing out songs from it ,is true.
Start you Floyd experience with "The Dark Side of The Moon" album.Then try "Wish You Here" album.After that test drive the superb "Meddle", followed by "Animals" album.
Finally spend a day listening to the epic double album "The Wall".After that you will appreciate the cutting "final Cut" album.

You need to be in the mood to listen to Pink Floyd.Either you'll love it or hate it.

[fozzi]

DinkyToy-Boy said:

But P.Floyd are all about atmosphere

.... dark room, candles, incense, jack daniels or other!

[gretchen]

fozzi said:

DinkyToy-Boy said:

But P.Floyd are all about atmosphere

.... dark room, candles, incense, jack daniels or other!

Has anyone been to any of the tribute band concerts? I really would like to take my kids to the ones with the light displays/fireworks, etc. Are they any good?

[up-the-dubs]

Hmmmmm..... I've been listening to the cds for a good 3 weeks now on the drive to and from work - the only time I listen to music. I'll try the live album mentioned above and maybe the Wall seems to be getting votes too. I'm not really into the "fill your senses" type of music, maybe the Live 8 gig mislead me into thinking they were something that they weren't.

I'll persevere . Anything rock is good .

Edit: A Delicate Sound Of Thunder - Good title at least .

Edited by up-the-dubs on Saturday 24th June 01:27

[gretchen]

You're not prepared to do the whole Wizard of Oz thing yet then?

[8Pack]

Heard in a bar when in L.A. in the early 80's.....played by a local band..



We don't need no Ronald Reagan,..................We don't need no arms control!...



I ain't kiddin' ya'.....it's true folks!

[allnighter]

I saw the Australian Pink Floyd Live in The Plymouth Pavillion a few months ago, and they were superb, and played them note for note perfect.It was the best 3 hours of my life.

[Kinky]

Brian,

As suggested above by plenty of folks, as an introduction to PF, I would go for:
Dark Side of the Moon (black cover with the prism on it)
Delicate Sound Of Thunder (double live album)

Then I'd go for 'Wish you were here' - but the 2 above are the key ones.

Just my tuppence worth - but seems to be the same money as most others!

K

[speedtwelve]

Went to see Aussie Floyd in Oxford recently. Can't be that far from the real thing, stage/light show was fabulous. Pretty much the best gig I've ever seen (and I've seen loads).

Agree with the 'recommended listening' for ab-initio Floyd fans. Make sure you have a proper kick-arse hi-fi, turn the lights off and stick on 'Wish you were here'. Marvel at the way 'Shine on, you crazy diamond' causes the structural integrity of your house to fail...

[knight]

Saw them play Earls Court back in 1994 I think, it was like a religious experince, absolutely blown away with the whole show Haven't listened to Delicate sound of thunder for ages but I reckon I'll be listening to it later on today Normally just listen to Wish you were here, Animals or Meddle, sometimes Dark side as well, as for Pulse, I seem to have lost one of the discs

[Parrot of Doom]

PF compliations are crap. Chuck it in the bin.

Buy:

Dark Side of the Moon
Wish You Were Here
The Wall

In that order. Listen to the first 2 in a darkened room, on your own, with no interruptions. I personally guarantee that once your mind has recovered from the shock of listening to beautiful harmony for the first time, you'll be just about ready for The Wall.

Don't bother with any other Floyd stuff until you're aquainted with those 3 albums. Oh and the ones to avoid are The Final Cut (average) and anything before Meddle (spaced out loony-tunes).

Oh, and if you've got a decent hi-fi, keep an eye out on Ebay for 'Mobile Fidelity' original re-masters, because they are TEH DADDEH.