ALBUM REVIEW: Pink Floyd 'The Endless River'

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Sending a fond farewell to keyboard player Rick Wright who died of cancer in 2008, The Endless River takes recordings made during sessions in 1993 and re-works them into the final chapter of the Pink Floyd story. Originally intended as an ambient, sister album to The Division Bell (1994), the tracks were locked away for twenty years until Dave Gilmour and Nick Mason teamed up with producers Youth and Phil Manzanera to finish the project. It’s generated a huge amount of interest, become Amazon’s biggest ever pre-order and given the old pals a chance to create a cathartic goodbye, but whether it is the grand emotional opus they were hoping for, or merely microwaved scraps is debatable.

Described by Gilmour as “an endless flow of music that builds gradually over four separate pieces,” it’s an instrumental voyage that glides back to the early Floyd philosophy of free-form, improvised soundscapes. Like a comfy pair of old slippers, the spacey laments are gentle, glacial daydreams that swell into meteoric, spectral epics. The chaps get lost in a graceful world of meandering symphonic moods, and at heart are still cosmic, psychedelic hippies, as maverick and free-thinking as ever despite Mason reaching the grand old age of 70 and Gilmour not being too far off.

All reverence should be paid to these great classic rock lords who changed the face of music and continue to inspire generations of the most cutting edge innovators. Their genius is undisputable (unless you’re Johnny Rotten)… but I can’t help thinking that ‘side 1’ sounds like the Bergerac theme tune crossed with the classic scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Getting the image of John Nettles piloting one of those big bobbing space crafts is hard to shake.

Other bygone legends have proved capable of some startling turns in their twilight days. Johnny Cash worked with Rick Rubin on the incredible American Recordings series, Lou Reed made one almighty racket with Metallica, Bowie still sends the music industry into a tizz whenever he feels fit and Scott Walker’s collaboration with Sun O))) earlier this year was a remarkable sound clash. It’s a little sad then to see a band who once sounded so mind-blowingly futuristic stuck in a Tomorrow’s World episode of Sinclair C5 cars, hover boards, new age crystals and pan pipes. Maybe Roger Waters had it right when he stomped off in 1984 and declared the band “a spent force”.

Gilmour’s trademark soaring guitar licks say otherwise. Intertwining with Wright’s re-surfaced keyboard synths and Mason’s shuffling rhythms, the album is a celebration and reprise of the unspoken bond and musical understanding the three softly spoken introverts so naturally shared. Stand out tracks Sum (a dark, stormy, rumbler) and Anisina (a cerebral saxophone wail) crash into a heavenly chorus of atmospherics and reverb, whilst Talkin’ Hawkin’ has Stephen Hawking lecturing on the importance of communication over a barrage of chaotic prog awe.

The only vocal ‘song’ on the album, Louder Than Words, acts as one last attempt to muster up another Comfortably Numb or Shine On You Crazy Diamond from the back of the sofa – and they come close. Penned by Gilmour’s wife Polly Samson, it’s a fitting epitaph that captures the underlying key to the trio’s relationship and fondly glances back down the road they’ve travelled together. Loyal fans will no doubt enjoy this closing glimpse of their greatness, and it’s a testament to their vision and talent that they can still generate a sound so vast, stellar and cinematic. Ultimately though, The Endless River sits as an elegant, lilting coda to their career rather than a bombastic grand finale.

Kevin Irwin