Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to the Dark Side of the Moon

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Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to the Dark Side of the Moon

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In celebration of the 45th anniversary of The Dark Side of the Moon, Bill Kopp explores the ingenuity with which Pink Floyd rebranded itself following the 1968 departure of Syd Barrett. Not only did the band survive Barrett’s departure, but it went on to release landmark albums that continue to influence generations of musicians and fans. Reinventing Pink Floyd follows the path taken by the remaining band members to establish a musical identity, develop a songwriting style, and create a new template for the manner in which albums are made and even enjoyed by listeners. As veteran music journalist Bill Kopp illustrates, that path was filled with failed experiments, creative blind alleys, one-off musical excursions, abortive collaborations, general restlessness, and—most importantly—a dedicated search for a distinctive musical personality. This exciting guide to the works of 1968 through 1973 highlights key innovations and musical breakthroughs of lasting influence. Kopp places Pink Floyd in its historical, cultural, and musical contexts while celebrating the test of fire that took the band from the brink of demise to enduring superstardom.

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Music journalist Kopp debuts with a succinct look at Pink Floyd's work from 1968 to 1973, focusing on the musical rather than the personal developments that led to the creation of The Dark Side of the Moon. Kopp expertly analyzes how the band developed from the idiosyncratic yet "concise pop songwriting" of its founder Syd Barrett, through a range of "musical excursions" including electronic experiments and film soundtracks, to more conceptual albums such as Ummagumma and Atom Heart Mother. By offering detailed evaluations of songs such as "Echoes"- "a glacial and majestic twenty-three-plus minute piece of music that distills all of Pink Floyd's accumulated musical virtues circa 1971 into a fully realized work"- Kopp shows that nearly "everything the band did would, in one way or another, provide clues to the band's eventual and wildly successful direction." He also provides new insights into how Dark Side was crafted into "a unified work" through live performances and studio sessions. Hard-core Floyd fans will delight in Kopp's sensitivity to the intricacies of the band's work, while people only familiar with Dark Side will be alerted to the often "overlooked development of Pink Floyd's music" that led directly to that masterpiece. Kopp's smart and well-researched history is a welcome addition to the Pink Floyd library

With song titles like "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" and "Brain Damage," Pink Floyd always chartered its own idiosyncratic course in the pop universe. Founded by Syd Barrett, an enigmatic (and, later, increasingly unhinged) guitar student from Cambridge, the band released its debut single, "Arnold Layne," in March 1967. In this finely detailed account of the band's career, from its debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, to the release of its masterpiece, The Dark Side of the Moon, Kopp focuses with laser-sharp attention on a specific time period: from early 1968-when Barrett, the leader, public face of the band, and chief songwriter, left-to spring 1973, when Dark Side was released. Within a few years, as Kopp notes, the Pink Floyd lineup of David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright that fans know so well emerged. Kopp discusses at length the pre-Dark Side albums, including A Saucerful of Secrets, Ummagumma, and Atom Heart Mother; their performances on BBC radio; their contributions to motion-picture soundtracks, such as Michelangelo Antonioni's Zabriskie Point; and the development of the band's distinctive sound, culminating in the live performances and release of The Dark Side of the Moon, in 1973. Pink Floyd fans will savor every word. With a foreword by Jerry Shirley, former drummer of the band Humble Pie

Music journalist Kopp tells the story of how Pink Floyd developed their iconic sound from The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967) to The Dark Side of the Moon (1973). He interviews engineers and others involved with these early albums to get firsthand accounts... Kopp, who's also a musician, describes each of the songs from the earliest albums using some music theory (e.g., chord progression and root notes)...The group's original songwriter, Syd Barrett, his dismissal from the band and replacement by David Gilmour (as well as other band drama) are covered, but not in great detail since the focus is on the actual music rather than the musicians. The author often mentions the 2016 release of The Early Years 1965-1972 box set, so patrons may ask about this. VERDICT Pink Floyd fanatics will appreciate the in-depth exploration of how the band developed their distinct sound

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