The conclusion has been reached: too much importance is afforded to a band’s final statement. Had ‘The Endless River’ been a thunderous dud, which it isn’t, then Pink Floyd would still have ‘Wish You Were Here’ and ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ to parade around as medals. It’s better to think of this record as the late Rick Wright’s 'swansong', as the band have done, rather than the end of something that was, at one point, all consuming in in its scope and popularity.
With help from producers Phil Manzanera, Andy Jackson and Youth, David Gilmour and Nick Mason have cracked open the door to the archives and, utilising material from sessions surrounding ‘The Division Bell’, sought to craft a monument to Wright’s contribution to Floyd’s history, which is often overlooked given the circumstances of his exit as ‘The Wall’ was being built.
‘The Endless River’ is a record that meanders and swirls, carried largely by Wright’s keyboards and injections of unmistakable guitar from Gilmour. Mason, too, has a good outing and the subtleties of his jazz-inflected style are front and centre on the nebulous Skins.
It’s a record that is rooted in both past and present as, though the sessions are 20 years old, it remains the first ‘new’ Floyd album since the mid-’90s. But its anachronistic tendencies run deeper than that. As It’s What We Do, the second song on the first of the album’s four sides, seeps from the speakers, the clock ticks backwards to the band’s mid-’70s prog pomp.
The similarities to Shine On You Crazy Diamond, itself an ode to an absent friend, are immediate, while Wright’s keys, so terribly old fashioned in many ways, are tremendously evocative. Gilmour’s guitar sweeps, too, are familiar and deeply nostalgic, while he opens up on Allons-y (1) in a style not too far removed from the drive of Run Like Hell.
As the ambient intro rolls into more expressive territory - see Anisina’s over-the-top splurge of melody or Gilmour finally giving in and wailing on Unsung - the threads begin to fray. Side four, despite featuring the album’s only vocals on the ‘needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few’-themed Louder Than Words, is its least effective and reliant on Gilmour to carry the load.
‘The Endless River’ will delight many Floyd fans and disappoint others, who will no doubt have wanted the band to sign off with a final, grand statement. It’s a document of the parts that made up the whole and a fitting farewell to Wright, though, who’s truly the star of its best moments. A few records with dusty jackets still represent this band’s greatest achievements, but as goodbyes go this is one with dignity intact.
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
.jpg)
