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Verhalen: The Big Listen – review of Pink Floyd’s "The Endless River" door Julie

Geplaatst op Friday 14 November @ 13:56:02 GMT+1 door floydiantheo

Julie Gunn is een Engelse singer/songwriter/guitarist met Pink Floyd als haar leermeester, dat duidelijk herkenbaar is in haar eigen muziek.

N.a.v. het nieuwe Pink Floyd album "The Endless River" heeft zij een review geschreven, dat ik in haar volledige schoonheid (in het Engels dus!) hier plaats. Ik maak hier graag een uitzondering op de regel, dat wij een Nederlandstalige fansite zijn. Elke vertaling zou inbreuk op de schoonheid zijn, waarin zij het, uit haar hart en vol emotie, heeft geschreven.


The Big Listen – review of Pink Floyd’s "The Endless River"

I put the CD into my player and am greeted straight away with spine tingling beauty that is ‘Things Left Unsaid’. I am floating on tears and hear a touch of ‘Take It Back’ in this track. A beautiful piece which has me soaring above the clouds and straight into…

….’It’s What We Do’ an alternative ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ intro which in turn looks towards the end of the ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ opus. Tears are still flowing and David Gilmour sounds fantastic. His trademark licks cut through the clouds and shine like beams of sun rays and a bit of ‘Sheep’ guitar licks sneak in too.

‘Ebb and Flow’ I must confess, I had to listen to twice…it has that mixture of ‘Cluster One’ and ‘Sheep’ piano hints with an ‘Absolutely Curtains’ type of climax with a solar wind…

…which takes me into ‘Sum’ and a flying saucer journey which resembles ‘Cluster One’. The space ship is descending down with a touch of ‘Astronomy Domine’ and a ‘Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun’ bass line. This track then shoots off into a galactic tangent as if an alien is having a laser battle with Doctor Strange and the track also visits ‘When You’re In’ from ‘Obscured By Clouds’.

With ‘Skins’ the laser beam battles are still taking place with some fantastic ‘Saucerful of Secrets’ drumming going on by Nick Mason, the unique drum patterns which I adore. I cannot control the goosebump invasion which has taken over me and I love the ambience of this track.
With ‘Unsung’ David’s guitar weeps in loneliness bringing the listener neatly into…

….’Anisina’ which is like a revisit to ‘Us and Them’ which appeases David’s lonely guitar which, in turn, sings in answer to the saxophone. David’s guitar is very melodoic and ethereal in this track and it is refreshing, yet heart breaking, to hear Richard Wright playing piano.

‘The Lost Art of Conversation’ is a perfect title as no words come to mind except that it is a meditative piece of Zen "nothingness".

The same impression with ‘On Noodle Street’ another meditative doodle which has potential of becoming something more.

‘Night Light’ is a like dramatic flavour of ‘Take It Back’ with it’s trademark backward guitar track. This would be good for a movie soundtrack.

‘Allons-y (1)’ is like an allusion to ‘Run Like Hell’ with a great driving beat. This track would be a great motorway driving song but it is not long enough…

‘Autumn ‘68’ oh my word, I am now standing in a cathedral and the clouds open revealing in the light, Richard playing the mighty church organ. And in this light he is playing with the sun shining so bright that the notes lift one into the outer reaches of space…

…which neatly brings us to ‘Allons-y (2)’. Funny, I thought that Part One was too short. However, a track being divided in two is nothing new in the Pink Floyd formula.

‘Talkin’ Hawkin’ has some really lovely drums by Nick Mason with his signature ride cymbal work. It is also wonderful to hear fellow Cambridge man, Stephen Hawking, the world’s biggest brain, adding his voice with the band again. Then the track takes us into an intergalactic tangent with…

…’Calling’ is rather haunting with it’s tubular, almost Jean Michel Jarre touch with it’s melancholy spaceship wondering aimlessly in space. At the same time, the solar rays seem to push on through the clouds…radiating warmth and adding drama and sadness to the track.

‘Eyes to Pearls’ has lovely guitar arpeggios and this track could be something big, but it is not long enough. It also has a flavour of ‘Lucifer Sam’ and includes Nick’s fantastic trademark late 60s drumming like ‘Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun’.

‘Surfacing’ reminds me of one of my favourite songs called ‘Poles Apart’. Then an ethereal tangent takes us levitating above the clouds again, with Nick’s almost ‘Dogs’ in style drums and ride cymbal playing. I love that snare, bass drum and ride cymbal combination.

‘Louder Than Words’ – with it’s ‘Cirrus Minor’ nightingale birdsong, ‘Fat Old Sun’ church bells which were also used in ‘High Hopes’ sets us up into a nostalgic mood. The guitar arpeggios remind me of Roger Waters’s ‘Each Small Candle’. This is also signature early ‘70s in flavour like ‘Country Song’ from ‘Zabrisikie Point’. I do like this song, it is very retrospective and I already find myself singing along with it’s catchy chorus. I am also air drumming but then David’s guitar drips with emotion which duly interrupts my flow and throws me on the floor into a heap of crying mess.

Then the mighty ship takes to flight and soars off into the universe………..when I just typed that…last sentence…the realisation of my teachers retiring has upset me greatly. Thank you for your wonderful work….your legacy will live on…you have reached immortality.

Julie Gunn, Birmingham 14 november, 2014

(c) by Julie Gunn - used by permission. niets van deze tekst mag zonder toestemming van de schrijfster op welke wijze ook, gepubliceerd worden.








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Re: The Big Listen – review of Pink Floyd’s "The Endless River" door Julie (Score: 1)
door Biobijl op Saturday 15 November @ 11:21:01 GMT+1
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Julie, goosebumps! You left me breathless and speechless. What a brilliant way to honour our friends efforts to create this fabulous work of art. Thank you Jullie!