Inside Out: A verdadeira história do Pink Floyd

by Nick Mason

O autor, ex-baterista do Pink Floyd e único membro que esteve em todas as formações da banda, conta a história dos quarenta anos em que ela esteve em atividade. As memórias são acrescidas por pesquisas e entrevistas. Traz, ainda, imagens provenientes do arquivo pessoal do autor.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Memoir, History, Biography Memoir

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Drummer in Pink Floyd

Reviews

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike the previous books about the band, Mason's "Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd" book takes on a more personal and light-hearted approach to the history of the band. Mason states "It's hopefully a rather funny book about a serious band.".

Working on the book for ten years, Mason drew from his personal observations and memorabilia, as well as the recollections of band members, associates and friends. "When I started it," he recalls, "I thought this was going to be the official band history, and it just became apparent that whatever I wrote was never going to be acceptable to everyone in the band. It was resolved by calling it 'a personal history.' With the publication of the book I didn't lose the friendship of Roger, David or Richard Wright."

In the book, Mason writes candidly of the moment when the other band members decided not to pick up their singer Syd Barrett, who had a drug-induced breakdown, en route to a gig in 1968, thus effectively kicking him out of the band.

Mason describes how "Dark Side Of The Moon" and it's phenomenal success, the 1973 album is the longest charting album in history, made for strained relationships in the band. Mason sais "It wasn't so much that Roger took over. It was more of a sense that the songwriters had more control of their individual songs."

Mason also has a fair depiction of the band's former creative force, Roger Waters, who tried unsuccessfully in 1986 to dissolve the band and to prevent Mason and Gilmour from using the "Pink Floyd" name.

This is an interesting book for those who seek information and history of the band.

[Semjon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drummer Nick Mason is Pink Floyd's only member from the beginning to the present. The band has experienced many ups and downs, so there's plenty to tell for Mason in this personal story of the band, which was published after many corrections by the other three musicians in 2004. My interest in Nick Mason raised, when I saw him with his band A Saucerful of Secrets last autumn. They played all the psychodelic music from beginning of the band. It was amazing, how powerful this kind of rock music still is, when you see the old men live on stage.

Mason has no literary ambitions, his retrospective is strictly chronological and he likes to tell anecdotes on important events. This unnecessarily lengthens the book in some chapters, especially when Mason has to tell all the names of crewmembers, fellow musicians, and producers. The first half of the book, the founding, the creative phase of Syd Barrett and the enormous success at the beginning of the 70's with Dark Side and Wish You Were Here were very interesting. A great chronicle of one of the best rock bands with a lot of information for nerds and nice pictures. Shine On.

[Amir · Rating 4 out of 5]

قسمت هیجان‌انگیز ول‌گردی توی کتاب‌‌فروشی‌های پیزوری اینه که بی‌خبر و ناگهان، چشم تو چشم کتابی بشی که انتظار دیدنش رو نداری؛ یه چیزی مثل غافل‌گیر شدن با چشم‌های هار معشوق. از اون کتاب‌ها که تا از قفسه می‌کشی بیرون می‌دونی مال توئه. از اون‌هایی که وحشی نگاهش می‌کنی... بی‌پلک زدن. خیره میشی به جلد سیاهش. به عکس سیاه و سفید پشت جلد. به عکس پنج نفره‌شون. به سید برتی که اون ته‌مه‌ها محو و مبهم هست. کتاب رو زیر و رو می‌کنی. کاغذهای گلاسه‌اش رو ورق می‌زنی و خیره می‌شی به عکس‌هایی که هیچ‌وقت ندیدی. به راجر واترز، به دیوید گیلمور. به پشت و رو: تاریخچه‌ی خصوصی پینک فلوید. راوی هم آشناست؛ نیک میسون. تنها عضو گروه که توی این مسیر پر پیچ و خم قهر و آشتی همیشه بوده و نواخته. چی بهتر از این؟

[Sean Peters (A Good Thriller) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly I grew up as a teenager listening to Pink Floyd.

I remember to this day playing "Dark Side Of The Moon" to my mum and Dad, they said well not sure about this music, but it grew on them as well. I was a 70's teenager, love glam rock.

I love my music, and great to read about their lives, the work involved in making an album, the difficulty of working with some large egos, the finances, the arguments, the travelling, the disagreements.

The sad ending of two members of Pink Floyd, it makes me realise I am getting older.

So you may ask why only three stars for a book/group I loved and to still listen too.

The book sometimes becomes a little heavy, especially with names, names of every crew member, manager, agent, lightning and all sorts of team members including Tom, Dick and Harry....

Nick Mason does give an interesting semi-independent opinion of the battles within the group, the egos, the finance set up. How much travelling is involved every time you release an album.

Part of this book is that due to the respect of other members of the group, the manuscript for this book was passed and approved by all members of Pink Floyd but their is an open honesty from Nick Mason.

Nick also loved motor racing, cars, and has four children who supported his role in Pink Floyd.

So interesting but sometimes a bit slow and heavy, but love Pink Floyd you will still enjoy this book

I do think Nick Masons comes across as a true English gentleman with wit, who does border on the safe side.

Three stars

[Adam Light · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and quite humorous history of Pink Floyd. One of my favorite bands, so I was really pleased with it. Well done and recommended, if this kind of thing is your cup of tea.

[Evgen Novakovskyi]

в цілому, я все розумію, в усіх свої проблеми. у когось дах тече. хтось ірраціонально невпевнений в собі. ще в одного амплітуда амбіцій їбейше коливається. інший не мав бажання розбиратись в низьких матеріях типу британської податкової системи, а тепер мусить. в останнього скрутні життєві обставини поведінку до невпізнання модифікують. різне трапляється, і, як наслідок, ніхто, жодна жива людина, дружина, родина, звукоінженер, представник лейблу, технік, електрик не подужав донести до Роджера Вотерса, що його матеріал для “The Final Cut” — це якесь неймовірне лайно і з цим не варто рухатись далі. як сольник — та будь ласочка, але як окремий альбом Pink Floyd — це вже занадто. я серйозно, ви це слухали? отак щоб прям цілеспрямовано вухами, а не фоном під прибирання чи пересування клітинок в екселі. досі не можу осягнути: це зробив автор “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun”, “Money” та “Have a Cigar”. отже, особисто для себе промаркую другу половину 1982 року водорозділом попайки нешановного пана Вотерса. нагадаю, що з початку повномасштабного вторгнення він (ймовірно) сидить на зарплатні в росіян та (фактологічно доведено) розповсюджує проросійські наративи. найвлучніше про нього сказав наш слоняра пан Кислиця ще у 2023 році: “…just another brick in the wall — the wall of Russian disinformation and propaganda.” дуже сумно.

так, а що книжка? виділю аж дві речі:

— доволі сухо написана. гострайтер, котрий в кредітсах вказаний як “редактор”, у Ніка Мейсона так собі. текст зовсім механічний і лише під кінець стає трошки людянішим. хоча, можливо, причина банально в щемких подіях останніх років.

— переклад посередній. наприклад, “The door to the studio swung open, revealing Bryan and his two henchmen. These three characters were clearly part of London’s underworld rather than underground.” перетворилось на “Відчинилися двері студії — і ми побачили Браяна й двох його поплічників. Ці троє були радше частиною лондонського підземного світу, ніж андеґраунду.” йшлося про те, що Браян і його посіпаки були гангстерами, бо London’s underworld це не буквально підземний світ каналізацій та метрополітену, а тіньовий, кримінальний бік Лондона. таке собі, Лабораторія вміє набагато краще.

що у підсумку? хз, бо в мене для вас є тільки рефлексія:

вкотре замислююсь чи взагалі має сенс читати книжки про життя музикантів, бо тоді із цих міфічних істот, що несуть вогонь мистецтва, вони перетворюються на м’ясні мішки, котрі плюють в фанатів зі сцени, ігнорують погіршення фізичного та психічного стану своїх друзів і ницо абстрагуються, щойно стає важко з ними поратись, та й взагалі можуть собі дозволити посеред запису альбому вигнати “на мороз” одного із ключових бандмейтів після купи годин спільних турів, сімейних вечер та пляжних вакацій. може, глибоко всередині я б і справді хотів, аби ці пани назавжди залишилися ефемерними небесними створіннями, бо велична “Echoes” вже навряд колись звучатиме для мене так само незаплямовано, як у ті блаженні часи незнання. деяким велетням краще залишатись похованими.

[Michael Bohli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Die Geschichte von Pink Floyd, was glaubt man nicht alles darüber zu wissen. Spätestens wenn man mehrere Jahre Magazine wie "Eclipsed" abonniert hatte und die Musik unzählige Male im Wohnzimmer erklingen liess, gab es wohl keine wirklichen Geheimnisse mehr. Oder doch?

Mit "Inside Out" hat Schlagzeuger Nick Mason zu Beginn der 2000er seine Erinnerungen an seine Zeit in der grössten Psychedelic-Prog-Art-Rock-Band der Geschichte auf Papier gebracht. In angenehmer Sprache lässt er Fans und Neugierige somit von den ersten Treffen der Musiker bis zum allerletzten gemeinsamen Auftritt bei Live 8 teilhaben. Dabei werden nicht viele Schockmomente aufgedeckt, sondern eher offenbart, dass sich bei Pink Floyd eigentlich um eine nicht sehr abenteuerliche Gruppe handelte.

Es ist aber trotzdem schön, gewisse Gerüchte endlich mal entkräftet und bestätigt zu kriegen, in die Schaffensprozesse Einblick zu erhalten und natürlich ganz viele tolle Bilder anschauen zu dürfen. Besonders im (leider schon lange ausverkauften) Hardcover-Format ist "Inside Out" wirklich ein tolles Buch über eine immer noch wegweisende Band aus England.

[M. Sarki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nick Mason has written an appropriately exhaustive memoir of his experience as a lifetime member of Pink Floyd. Though a bit too self-deprecating and to a fault unpretentious, this historical accounting of one of the great British rock bands of all-time will prove to be foremost as biographical standard. Well-written and informative, persons interested in all things Pink Floyd will not be disappointed.

[arterialturns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Admittedly I'm a very biased Pink Floyd fan since 1971 or so (!), but this is a very well written book. A humorous, thoughtful, self-deprecating and not-at-all-pretentious inside look at a band with an interesting history. Nick Mason comes across better than probably anyone else in the band could, given the divisive feelings between the rest of them. Also, it's a fan's dream: an unbelievable amount of great photos and graphics, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, candid recollections-all around great stuff.

[Ted Cross · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have loved Pink Floyd for decades, and I'm proud that I got to see one of their very last shows in 1994 in London. It was gorgeous. This book is competently written and gives an interesting history of the group. I only wish it could have had more character depth between the main members. I would have loved to hear more of the details that went on between them all as they were creating their spectacular albums.

[Sandra Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A likeable account of the rise and rise of Pink Floyd. Nick Mason is a master raconteur, but I came away wishing I knew more about the band members themselves. Very enjoyable, though and Mason's contribution of the roadies, is somewhat gracious.
For a rock and roll drummer, Nick Mason tells a good story. He does talk about Syd Barret leaving the band and some of their concerts and rigging. The making of Dark Side of the Moon was interesting.

[Conrad Zero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly pleasant.

[Кремена Михайлова · Rating 5 out of 5]

Преоткрих Пинк Флойд чрез тази книга. Винаги са ми били най-най любими, но сега ги заобичах още повече и книгата ме накара отново да чуя всеки един техен албум поотделно, да прочета текстовете на песните. Още повече - да нарисувам всяка песен от The Dark Side of the Moon!

Като факти научих някои нови неща и видях неизвестни снимки. Има детайли за създаването на песните и албумите. По-важното беше, че имах много емоционално преживяване - като личности ги опознах повече четиримата/петимата музиканти. Това ме провокира да търся още информация за тях в интернет и техни мнения и интервюта.

Видях в по-друга светлина Сид Барет, опознах повече по-незабележимия в групата Ник Мейсън, направо се влюбих в Рик Райт като обърнах внимание на приноса и излъчването му и ми стана мъчно, че го няма вече... "Простих" на Роджър Уотърс, по инерция обвиняван за разрива в групата, затвърдих обожанието си към Дейвид Гилмор...

Най-вече ми допадна откровеното, интелигентно разказване на Ник Мейсън и приятното му чувство за хумор, трезвите му оценки. Разказът наистина е „отвътре” и истински вълнуващ. След като я свърших, многократно я отварях и разлиствах пак.

[Vilmos Kondor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I generally dislike and distrust books about my favorite bands, artists and writers. Therefore I read only a couple of them with my view being: the creation (the music, the text, the picture) should speak for itself. Nevertheless I found myself once again listening to Pink Floyd and somehow I caught glimpse of this book. I gave it a perfunctory try but then realized that I couldn't put it down. Nick Mason is a great storyteller who tries to speak for the band and the members and does this with huge amounts of irony and humor. A great book about a fantastic band. It made me listen again with "new ears" to the almost forgotten items in their catalog and for this only I am grateful. He also put the feud between David Gilmour and Roger Waters in perspective and I needed to hear a sober version of the story.

All in all, either you are a fan or are about to become one, this is the one and only book about Pink Floyd that is worth reading. Kudos to Mr. Mason for achieving the impossible.

[Lukasz Pruski · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Pink Floyd emerged from two overlapping sets of friends: one was based around Cambridge, where Roger [Waters], Syd Barrett, David Gilmour and many future Floyd affiliates hailed from. The other - Roger, Rick and myself - came together in the first year of an architecture course at the Regents Street Polytechnic in London, which is where my recollections of our common history begin."

When I talk with people about Pink Floyd, everybody seems to like them. "Yes, yes, a great band," I invariably hear. And then most people drop the names of albums, such as The Dark Side of the Moon (one of the best-selling records in the history of music) or The Wall. My problem is that I do not like these records; I find them cheap, completely commercial, and musically limited. I love Pink Floyd's early oeuvre, roughly until their Atom Heart Mother album (1970). Basically, I am only into their psychedelic and sort of avant-garde rock music.

I find Nick Mason's Inside out. A Personal History of Pink Floyd an excellent read. Mr. Mason, the band drummer, has been the only constant member of the band for their entire 56-year history. Inside Out (2017) is an extremely detailed and thorough history of the band, a comprehensive account of all their recordings, major performances, and personnel changes, all shown on the backdrop of the music scene evolution between the mid-1960s and the late 2010s.

Obviously, for me, the most interesting are the beginning chapters of the book that focus on the mid- and late 1960s, particularly the times of the intellectual underground movement centered around the Indica Bookshop and the London Free School. These were the times of joint performance with Soft Machine, the times of recording Pink Floyd's first album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, the times when Syd Barrett was the most important member of the band.

In 1967, Syd Barrett begins to unravel, likely an effect of psychedelic drugs overuse. David Gilmour replaces Barrett in 1968, and, as Mr. Mason writes:

"[...] there was, and still is, a school of thought that Syd's departure marked the end of the 'real' Pink Floyd, a point of view I can understand, even if I don't concede it."

Then come two other great albums, A Saucerful of Secrets and Ummagumma, and the band closes their psychedelic, Barrett-influenced period with Atom Heart Mother:

"[...] an ambitious piece we have [...] recorded complete with French horns, tuba, trumpets, trombones, a solo cello and a twenty-strong choir - the kitchen sink must have been unavailable for session work."

The fans of Dark Side will find detailed analyses of individual pieces on this album. The fans of rock music presented as a theatrical spectacle will find detailed accounts of various opulently staged performances and descriptions of the band's famous stage decorations (flying pigs, etc.)

I like the author's muted, balanced, and unsensationalistic coverage of the well-publicized conflict between Roger Waters, one of the founding members, and David Gilmour. In general, I admire the author for omitting the so-called juicy details so characteristic of any famous rock band's history. Almost nothing about debauchery, and precious little about drugs. Well done!

I love Mr. Mason's admission that there existed many bands with better musicianship than Pink Floyd (oh yes; Soft Machine immediately comes to mind!) I love the generous helpings of understated, British humor, very helpful in reading the rather dense text. But most of all, I commend the author for displaying an unusually sympathetic attitude toward everybody featured in the story, toward every single person he writes about. No personal sniping; all criticisms are expressed nicely and with a dose of humor, whenever possible.

Very highly recommended book, for all fans of rock music.

Four stars.

(I also recommend my review of Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey by Nicholas Schaffner.)

[Aditya आदित्य]

It was in 2006 when I got the first taste of Pink Floyd. I double clicked an audio file titled 'money' on my computer - its a mystery as to how it got there in the first place - but that distinctive bassline, the sharp saxophone and the quirky lyrics all melted together in my ears into a memorable musical experience which I would attempt to recreate for the rest of my life. I was reintroduced to the band in college by my stoner buddy although I've always enjoyed the Pink Floyd sound while being absolutely sober. On being told of many myths and legends of Roger and David, about Syd Barrett and about the history behind the lyrics I was awed, intrigued and hungry for more.

The book in question is the definitive answer to all my curiosities. Having spent a lot of time nerding over Pink Floyd on the internet - scouring through reddit posts and youtube comments - I was relieved that this had enough exposition to keep me hooked. The band has humble beginnings in stark contrast to the international phenomena that it eventually became. The years of grind on the road in decrepit vehicles with subpar equipment, playing at unknown locations in front of uninterested, inebriated and sometimes violent audiences makes for a eye-opening read. The book maintains a good momentum dishing out tours and albums in every chapter with the introduction of hundreds of engineers, technicians, crew members, wives, girlfriends, offsprings and an odd pet or two.

Nick Mason was perhaps the best person to have written this memoir. He doesn't take himself too seriously and was more interested in racing rather than drumming, but he is indeed the longest serving member of the band. The writing could have been hagiographic or repentant but Nick chose to write this book humorously. He records intricate details (some quite pointless) and also relies on the memory of those involved with the band through the years. His job was made much easier by the unfolding events and the surprising reunion with Roger for the Live 8 performance makes for a satisfying denouement. An emotional epilogue reminded me that the band was formed even before the birth of my parents and is a testament to the music created by Pink Floyd.

As an endnote I'd like to quote the excerpts of a letter written by Nick on the passing of their long time manager Steve O'Rourke. These lines form a succinct summary and also offers a flavour of Nick's writing:

On the good ship “Floyd” Steve and I worked together for over thirty years – mainly before the mast. We served under harsh captains. Mad Cap’n Barrett was the first; his gleaming eyes with tales of treasure and strange visions nearly led us to disaster, until mutiny put us under the domination of the cruel (Not So Jolly) Roger… Later Roger was to carelessly walk his own plank to be replaced by Able Seaman Gilmour.

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Drummer Nick Mason is the only constant member of Pink Floyd throughout the years and has been there from the very beginning, so he was probably the most adequate person to write this account of the inner workings of the band. Mason takes a light-hearted approach and, with an unpretentious style, he recounts the most important facts of the Floyd's long career peppering the story with funny bits and anecdotes.

I liked that he never took himself or the band seriously, but I was a bit frustrated by the fact that he glosses over many important moments which had a significant impact on Pink Floyd's history, namely Syd Barrett's forced departure in 1968, the thorny relationship between the four bandmates during the making of The Wall in 1979, or the legal battle that took place after bassist and main lyricist Roger Waters left the band and subsequently sued his former bandmates in the mid 80s.

Mason admits that as Barrett's friends they utterly failed him when he needed their help and only saw him as an obstacle in their path to success, but that's the deepest reflection we get. He never goes in depth about the dynamics between the band members and instead focuses on the names of crew members and other technical details that are not really important. I know that the band have always liked to keep a low profile and thus it's understandable that the other members had veto power over what Mason wrote, but after reading the book I don't have the feeling of having discovered anything particularly relevant or interesting. Pink Floyd remain as nebulous as always for me, but maybe it's better that way (you know, never meet your heroes).

Would I recommend it? Well, yes. It's an easy read and Mason's sense of humor makes sure that it never gets boring, but don't expect much depth. If you like Pink Floyd you should definitely give it a try.

[Antonio Rosato · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sì, Syd poteva essere disturbato, forse anche pazzo, ma forse eravamo noi a causare questo problema, inseguendo il nostro desiderio di successo e forzando Syd ad allinearsi alle nostre ambizioni. Forse era Syd a essere circondato da pazzi".
Inside Out non è altro che la storia dei Pink Floyd, il mio gruppo musicale preferito, vista dalla parte di Nick Mason, il loro batterista. Bel libro: onesto e schietto, a tratti anche divertente. Anche se, per dirla tutta, manca del tutto qualche riflessione su Syd Barrett. Senza contare il fatto che tutto il periodo della "contesa" (anche legale) tra Roger Waters ed il resto della band è descritto in modo un po' troppo "diplomatico".
[https://lastanzadiantonio.blogspot.co...]

Vedi anche questo: https://lastanzadiantonio.blogspot.co...

[Glenn Portman · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay bio on Pink Floyd but not the one we really want to read. It was neutered by Nick allowing both Roger and David to delete any sections they felt they didn't like, so what remains is a watered down mediocre book. I also found myself becoming disinterested once we reach the part in the narrative where they initially split up.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting, but the mark blake biography is more intense and more insightful...

[Mario · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nick Mason can write and has a dry sense of humour so it’s such a shame that he’s produced something so un-revealing. I got the feeling that his lack of input into the creative side of the band meant that he wasn’t able to go into the vision behind the songs that Gilmour or Waters would have been able to. When Meddle was released for example the ideas were covered in no more than a couple of paragraphs and suddenly Pink Floyd were on the road to being a huge band. The same can be said for Dark Side, Wish You Were Here and Animals which just seemed to appear from nowhere.
Also he is obviously very wary about discussing his band mates. Syd Barrett’s decent into mental illness is covered but not with any real insights into how it effected his life or the band. The same could be said of Roger Waters. It’s clear that there was a great deal of tension caused by his need to have things his own way which again felt very glossed over. Rick Wright hardly gets a mention considering he was such a major part of the band.

Ok but no more than 5 out of 10

[Anna Ivanchenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Загалом сподобалося, хоча звісно, в оригіналі читати було б природніше. Можливо, Нік Мейсон просто той ще пофігіст, але мені здалося, що ніяких страшних непримиренних конфліктів між учасниками не було. Хоча в кожного своя правда, звісно. Окремо потішила прикінцева хронологія, де крім визначних дат для групи подано ще й мішанку з різних світових подій - наприклад, коли в "Докторі Хто" вперше з'явилися далеки.

[Rjurik Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a teenager, I was very much into Pink Floyd. There were a number of reasons. First that they had, pretty much, ended their careers by the time I discovered them and so had the exotic feel of a band from more interesting times. Band leader and bassist Roger Waters' particular brand of alienation - 'we don't need no education' - appealed to my anarchist tendencies. Dave Gilmour seemed like a magical guitarist. At a certain point that changed, partly from overlistening, partly because I outgrew them. Nowadays I can only really listen to their earlier albums - Meddle most of all - before they get too ponderous, and some might say pretentious.

Luckily, Mason's memoir isn't ponderous at all, and he has that breezy type of wry English humour one associates with someone like Michael Palin. Mason seems like a nice chap, the kind you might have been friends with had you known him. Like a good middle class boy, he's a pretty good writer too. The writing is lively and full of illuminating detail. The history of the band, like the music itself, tends to become less interesting as time passes. Really, it's the early years, when they are at the head of a particular zeitgeist that is most interesting. Still, rather than any of Mason's observations, it was my own reflections that tended to dominate the experience of reading the book, and I may as well record those here.

To begin with, I was struck by just how young they were when they made it 'big'. Their first album, 'Piper at the Gates of Dawn,' was mostly composed by their first lead man - Syd Barrett - who was probably their only true genius, at the age of of 20-21. Youth is par for the course for popular music, but that's still young to produce something so unique. Had Barrett not suffered a breakdown under the influence of industry pressure and drugs, and subsequently been ejected from the band, one can only imagine the work they might have produced a decade later. On the subject of youth, the band were all about 28-29 when they recorded their next big hit, Dark Side of the Moon. That's about right for bands, but there are plenty of people who at 28 still don't know what they want to do with their life, let alone go about producing one of the greatest albums of all time.

This had me reflecting on the vicissitudes of fate. Being in the right place at the right time -- this seems to be a crucial factor in any success. Release an album (or book) too early or too late and it may sink. Collaborate with the right person, and they might drag you - as in this case - into the big-time. In this sense, Mason seems to have led a charmed life. Neither he nor Waters were really very good musicians, though Waters did later become an excellent songwriter. They just happened to have been lucky enough to be friends with Barrett. Barrett essentially gifted the other three (and then four when Dave Gilmour replaced him) a career. As Mason and Waters have said themselves, there would have been no Pink floyd without Barrett.

But once they had their start - and this was another of my ruminations - they gripped on for dear life. They toured incessantly, recorded a lot. Waters taught himself to become a great songwriter almost by force of will, but more importantly, the band seemed to bring out the best in each other. Each member had their own particular skills that they brought. The whole was more than the sum of the parts. I would have liked more of Mason's reflections on the musical side of things, but as he was mostly an 'active passenger' in this, maybe he isn't the right person for this.

You don't get much reflection really on any of these larger questions - fame, genius, luck - from Mason in the book, which has more of an everyday approach to it. But you do get a sense of the dynamics of the band, their demanding schedule, the later acrimonious split, and their final reunion for Live 8. Mason is a genial guide to all of the events, and that makes it one of the better rock memoirs.

[Iulia Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Am ascultat pentru prima dată un album Pink Floyd, cap-coadă, prin clasa a VII-a; mi-a schimbat relația cu muzica. Nu mă pot numi „fan”, nu am făcut niciodată pasiuni arzătoare pentru un singur muzician sau o trupă anume. Însă Pink Floyd și-a ocupat și păstrat un loc de cinste în viața mea interioară muzicală. Citind cartea, mă gândeam că sunt oameni care au ascultat mai puțin din muzica lor și știu mai multe despre membrii trupei, despre ce i-a adunat, ce i-a dezbinat, decât știam eu. Eu care știam, de fapt, cam nimic, înainte de-a citi Inside Out. Pentru cei care știu și mai puțin decât știam eu: Nick Mason a fost bateristul formației și, de-acolo, din spatele tobelor, și-a construit propria istorie Pink Floyd, pe-un ton glumeț și autoironic, privind cu onestitate la oamenii și forțele creative ale acestei formații.

Nu știam că și-au primit și ei, la începuturi, doza de „ce cântați voi nu e muzică”. Sau că, deși aveau publicul lor fidel, restrâns, au fost numeroase concerte dezamăgitoare, concerte în care li s-a turnat alcool în cap sau în care s-a aruncat după ei cu diverse obiecte. Faptul că au continuat să facă muzică, de fiecare dată, spune multe despre ei, ca oameni. Îmi vine greu să văd cum ar gestiona trupele de acum astfel de reacții agresive și de respingere clară din partea publicului.

Cartea nu este o capodoperă, însă este exact ce te-ai (m-aș) aștepta de la o (auto)biografie a unei trupe. Nick Mason vorbește deschis, fără rețineri, despre începuturile trupei, despre bâjbâielile specifice și chiar despre carențele lor muzicale – deși e greu să îți dai seama cât poți să-l crezi, căci muzicienii au tendința să fie și foarte critici cu propriile lor abilități. Înțelegi treptat acea nevoie de explorare muzicală a membrilor trupei, o caracteristică definitorie a lor, prezentă acolo de la bun început.

Discută deschis, gradual, și despre rolul lui Syd în Pink Floyd, despre starea de negare în care se aflau toți, despre cum au ignorat problemele evidente cu care fostul solist, compozitor și chitarist al trupei se confrunta. Despre acea primă ruptură în fluxul creativ al formației. Nu cred că e ușor să privești în urmă și să admiți, cu sinceritate, că nu ai vrut să vezi, că îți doreai atât de mult să reușești pe scena muzicală, încât ai ignorat semnalele de alarmă care-ți spuneau că unul dintre voi nu era bine. Dinamica dintre Roger și David, pe parcursul anilor, de la un album la altul, a fost interesant de urmărit.

Cred că poate fi o dezamăgire pentru unii oameni să descopere că cei care au făcut o muzică atât de profundă, pe care ei o iubesc, sunt și ei... oameni, oameni care se comportau uneori mizerabil, care aveau diverse ambiții financiare, care se lăsau prinși într-o luptă de putere (creativă). Sinceritatea și ușurătatea cu care Nick Mason vorbește despre toate astea au fost reconfortante pentru mine, iar marea mea surprindere și nu a fost că hei, erau oameni cu defecte și orgolii sau că s-au certat și dezbinat, ci că în ciuda tuturor acestor tensiuni au produs atât de multă muzică bună. Aș îndrăzni să spun, totuși, că nu în ciuda tensiunilor, ci tocmai datorită lor. Trebuie că își doreau mult să producă muzică.

Să nu uit: nu prea mai conștientizăm în prezent cât de multe limitări existau în urmă cu 50 de ani în procesul de înregistrare, limitări care provocau din plin firea creativă și tehnică a muzicienilor. Am apreciat meticulozitatea și eforturile pe care le făceau pentru a înregistra cel mai mic sunet (nu existau sunete de stoc pe vremea aia, decât foarte puține; dacă voiau să se audă pe fundal un ceas, îl înregistrau chiar ei).

Le-am ascultat toate albumele, pe măsură ce am citit cartea. Recomand. E tare satisfăcător să asculți, în timp real, muzica despre a cărei creație citești. 🖤

[Zella Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I took so long to get around to reading this, but it's easily the most enjoyable celebrity memoir I've ever read. It's also one of the only ones I'd ever bill genuinely charming.

Mason is the only member of Pink Floyd to have stayed throughout its tumultuous history, and his book about the band is insightful and informative while also remarkably entertaining, witty, and literary.

Mason never takes himself or the band too seriously but manages to do so without being flippant. He's also remarkably fair-minded, readily admitting when he was not at his best and diplomatically pointing out the same for his bandmates at times (while also not skimping with praises for the others when credit is due) but without ever feeling like he's throwing anyone under the bus or brownnosing.

No wonder he's the only member of the band who's on speaking terms with both sides of the Pink Floyd wars.

[George Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book a lot. Nick has a sense of humor that comes through in the writing.

Though I wasn't overly interested in the Syd days, the remainder of the book was a fun read. I loved reading his remembrances of tours and albums while recalling what I was doing during that same time.

Nick covered the friction of Roger's departure diplomatically. Frankly, I land squarely in David's camp on that issue.

Nick's words regarding Rick Wright's passing were wonderful. I'm glad to see Rick get credit for his contributions, even if it's posthumously.

If you're a Pink Floyd fan, I heartily recommend reading this book.

[Tzeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Една от най-добре написаните книги от музикант. Много лично разказана история на една от най-великите банди в света на музиката. Първата част ми беше особено интересна, тъй като за сайкъделичния им период бях чел и знаех съвсем малко, а тъкмо там Мейсън като че ли се беше разпрострял в най-подробни детайли. Истинско блаженство за всеки фен на Флойд и почитател на хубавата музика изобщо. Подплатена с богат снимков материал и луксозно, правещо непрестанни комплименти на сетивата оформление. 80 лева все пак :)

[Ioan-Calin Biris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Istoria trupei povestita prin ochii tobosarului prezinta o cronologie a evenimentelor, pieselor, albumelor si concertelor. Cartea este scrisa precaut, sa nu raneasca pe nimeni si probabil din motivul acesta parca ii lipseste sarea si piperul. Din pacate nu m-a captivat foarte mult si am lasat-o de 2 - 3 ori pana sa ajung sa o termin. O recomand cu caldura celor pasionati de rock clasic si care viseaza la a deveni celebrii in muzica.

[Shahryar · Rating 5 out of 5]

کتاب تموم شود و همه‌ی این هفت روزی که مشغول خواندن بودم، مثل این بود که سوار ماشین زمان شدم و به اون سالهایی که ازش صحبت می‌شد سفر کردم. علاقه‌ی غیرقابل توصیفم به پینک فلوید باعث شده بود کلمه به کلمه‌ی کتاب رو درک کنم و از نکاتی که ازشون بی اطلاع بودم لذت ببرم.
و در انتها، نمیدونم دلیل بغضی که موقع خواندن خط‌های پایانی کتاب داشتم چی بود...

[zed · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Ok read from Nick. He had a great time of it but if anything came out of this for me it was that Roger is a bit of a twat at times. For the fan.