Overhead the albatross Hangs motionless upon the air,
And
deep beneath the rolling waves in labyrinths of coral caves
The echo of a distant time comes willowing across the sand,
And everything is green and submarine And no one showed us to the land,
And no one knows the where's or why's, And something stirs and something tries
And starts to climb toward the light
- Echoes by Pink Floyd
The band......
Roger Keith(Syd) Barrett.
Nicholas Berkeley Mason.
Richard William Wright.
George Roger Waters.
David Jon Gilmour.
The name.....
Initially called "Sigma 6". Changed to "The Meggadeaths", "The Architectural Abdabs" and then simply "The Abdabs". The name Pink Floyd came from the names of the two blues artists, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council from Syd Barrett's Record collection.
The beginning.....
"Arnold Layne," released in Mar'1967. Next in the line was "See Emily Play". First LP - Pipers at the gates of the Dawn.
Claim to fame......
Their 1973 album "The Dark Side of the Moon" featuring some of their
greatest works like "Time", "Money" and "Brain Damage". The album won the
hearts of both the audience as well as the critics when it was first played at
the Bristol Show.
Next and the biggest was 'The Wall" released in 1979. The album catapulted the band into the league of the greatest Rock bands ever. The song "Another Brick in the wall Part II" became an anthem for the teens burdened by Pedagogy. The success of the album prompted Pink Floyd to make a movie "The Wall". Through the movie the band tried to show the hardships of everyday life through the story of an esoteric character named Pink Floyd.
Pink Floyd were also known for spending enormous amount of time on their live performances. The most memorable live show is "The Wall Live" in which there was a huge wall constructed onstage and the group performed behind the wall for major part of the show. The mindblowing and unmatched onstage pyrotechnics of lasers of a Pink Floyd show also meant that a major chunk of their income was spent on their tours.
The discography.......
Regular albums....
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn(1967)
Syd Barrett dropped and David Gilmour taken as additional guitarist.
A Saucerful of Secrets (1968)
More (1969)
Ummagumma (1969)
Atom Heart Mother(1970)
Meddle (1971)
Obscured by Clouds (1972)
The Dark Side of the Moon(1973)
Wish You Were Here (1975)
Animals(1977)
Rick Wright forced out of group during the pre-Wall sessions. The rift
between Roger Waters and David Gilmour increases and so does the the question
mark on the bands future.
The Wall(1979)
The post-Wall success sees the turmoil heightening with both Roger waters and David Gilmour releasing their solo albums. Waters officially leaves the band. Mason and Gilmour continue recording under the Pink Floyd name.
The Final Cut (1983)
A Momentary Lapse of Reason(1987)
Delicate Sound of Thunder(1988)
The Division Bell (1994)
Present.....
The latest Pink Floyd album available in the music stores is
their greatest hits album titled 'Echoes'. A live
version album - "Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980-81" with no new
songs is the last Live album released by Pink Floyd. There were rumors that the band will get together and release an album
in 2002.....its been three years since then, and Floyd fans still wait
Roger Waters releases a new album eight years after the release of "Amused to Death" (1992) -"In the Flesh" — this 2-CD set contains only one new number and contains live versions of songs from previous albums of Pink Floyd as well as his solo works. Roger Waters is currently on his "In the Flesh 2002" tour. I was an "Amused Attendee" of the Roger Waters show at Bangalore, India.
Links to some popular Pink Floyd sites.....