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Episode 38 covers the fourteenth Pink Floyd studio album, 1994’s “The Division Bell.” The second Pink Floyd album recorded without founding member Roger Waters, The Division Bell was written mostly by guitarist and singer David Gilmour and keyboardist Richard Wright. It features Wright’s first lead vocal on a Pink Floyd album since The Dark Side of the Moon (1973). Gilmour’s fiancée, novelist Polly Samson, co-wrote many of the lyrics, which deal with themes of communication. It was the last Pink Floyd album recorded with Wright, who died in 2008. Mark, Kevin, Alex, and Chris take you on a historical journey surrounding the album as well as share our favorites and not-so favorites from the record. We go on a deep dive track-by-track listen of this progressive rock album as well as share personal stories of discovering Pink Floyd’s “The Division Bell.” Tune in next week for Episode 39 covering the fifteenth and final Pink Floyd studio album “The Endless River.”
Subscribe, Rate, and Review:
Quick Reviews
Mark An album better in isolation than in linear exploration like we do here. A little tired of the outro solo.
Chris Great individual moments, but it does meander a little bit too long in the ambient. Album just doesn’t have the muscle that Momentary had. Simply okay and nothing more.
Alex Back to a collective “Pink Floyd” album vs. a Dave/Roger solo project which arguably we had on the past two albums. Strong top and bottom but middle sags. A good way to go out.
Kevin An amalgamation of the “classic” era of Pink Floyd, albeit with a higher percentage of Dave.
Love It or Flush It
| M | C | A | K | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Cluster One" | 5:56 | F | L | F | T | |
| 2 | "What Do You Want from Me" | 4:21 | T | L | L | L | |
| 3 | "Poles Apart" | 7:03 | B | L | L | L | |
| 4 | "Marooned" | 5:29 | L | F | F | F | |
| 5 | "A Great Day for Freedom" | 4:17 | F | F | F | L | |
| 6 | "Wearing the Inside Out" | 6:49 | L | T | F | B | |
| 7 | "Take It Back" | 6:12 | L | B | L | L | |
| 8 | "Coming Back to Life" | 6:19 | L | L | B | L | |
| 9 | "Keep Talking" | 6:10 | L | L | L | L | |
| 10 | "Lost for Words" | 5:13 | F | L | T | B | |
| 11 | "High Hopes" | 8:34 | L | L | L | L |
Love It or Flush It Legend
L = Love. As many as you like.
F = Flush. Must flush at least one track per album.
B = Buy. Purchased for the ultimate LTS “Best Of” playlist for each of us. One per album.
T = Terminate. Should have never even existed. One per album.
The Rules
Each of us must Love, Flush, Buy, and Terminate AT LEAST ONE track on an album, no matter how great or terrible the album is. Whoever wins the “7 for the Buy” section gets an extra Buy or Terminate to use on the album. Because Chris hosts this section and thus cannot win, he gets an extra Buy or Terminate every 4 albums.
Album Information
The Division Bell is the fourteenth studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released on 28 March 1994 by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and on 4 April by Columbia Records in the United States.
The second Pink Floyd album recorded without founding member Roger Waters, The Division Bell was written mostly by guitarist and singer David Gilmour and keyboardist Richard Wright. It features Wright’s first lead vocal on a Pink Floyd album since The Dark Side of the Moon (1973). Gilmour’s fiancée, novelist Polly Samson, co-wrote many of the lyrics, which deal with themes of communication. It was the last Pink Floyd album recorded with Wright, who died in 2008.
Recording took place in locations including the band’s Britannia Row Studios and Gilmour’s houseboat, Astoria. The production team included longtime Pink Floyd collaborators such as producer Bob Ezrin, engineer Andy Jackson, saxophonist Dick Parry, and bassist Guy Pratt.
The Division Bell received mixed reviews, but reached number one in more than 10 countries, including the UK and the US. It was certified double platinum in the US the year it was released, and triple platinum in 1999. It was followed by a tour of the US and Europe. Some of the unused material from the Division Bell sessions became part of Pink Floyd’s next album, The Endless River (2014); some material was also released in The Later Years box set (2019).
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