The Endless Journey: 50 Years of Pink Floyd

by Mick Wall

Mick Wall is the UK’s best-known rock writer, author and TV and radio programme maker, and is the author of numerous critically-acclaimed books, including definitive, bestselling titles on Led Zeppelin (When Giants Walked the Earth), Metallica (Enter Night), AC/DC (Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be), Black Sabbath (Symptom of the Universe) and Lou Reed (The Life).
Earlier this year he published the Kindle-only No.1 bestseller, Paranoid, a dark, twisted and frequently hilarious memoir of his time working at the heavy end of the music business in the 1970s and 80s.
Now comes his sensational Kindle-only biography of Pink Floyd, The Endless Journey: 50 Years Of Pink Floyd. Timed to coincide with The Endless River, the first all-new Pink Floyd album for 20 years, this is the book Wall describes as “The one I’ve been waiting all my life to write.”
As the book explains, ‘Spread across four sides of music The Endless River is very much a Pink Floyd album in the historic, legendary sense. One meant to be listened to as one, long continuous, flowing piece.’
As David Gilmour comments on the official Pink Floyd website, “I think the way the three of us, me, Nick and Rick have something when we play together, that has a magic that is louder than words.”
This book is a tribute to that magic. The story of Pink Floyd, then and now, ebbing and flowing, like the tides of the moon, across time and space, to bring you to now.

Genres: Music

76 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 10, 2014

About the author

Mick Wall is an author, journalist, film, television and radio writer-producer, who’s worked inside the music industry for over 35 years. He began his career contributing to the music weekly Sounds in 1977, where he wrote about punk and the new wave, and then rockabilly, funk, New Romantic pop and, eventually, hard rock and heavy metal. By 1983, Wall become one of the main journalists in the early days of Kerrang! magazine, where he was their star cover story writer for the next nine years. He subsequently became the founding editor of Classic Rock magazine in 1998, and presented his own television and radio shows.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating summing up of their career highlights. Starting with Syd Barreett over the Roger Waters years to David Gilmour. If you're a Pink Floyd fan you'll probably know all the facts by heart (but here you'll get the right Echoes). If you're new to one of the most legendary and interesting rock bands this is the ideal starting point. Well written and researched you'll hear about all the major albums and how the band members worked or didn't work together in certain years. It's one of the most complete books about them since it ends with Endless River, their final recording. Pink Floyd indeed are on an endless journey as their music is timeless and never being boring (oops that was The Pet Shop Boys). I'm a big fan and their music accompanies me throughout my life. The Dark Side of The Moon or Wish You Were Here probably are among the best recordings ever made. The author has done an excellent job with this book. Absolutely recommended!

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memories both happy and sad

I have loved the Pink Floyd since I first heard Meddle in a student union common room. Absolutely stunned by it I backtracked furiously through their back catalogue whilst absorbing everything I could grab; new albums, gigs, interviews, films, documentaries, totally addicted. The decline into the suicidal Final Cut broke my heart. The Phoenix rising from those ashes revived my passion. The Endless River a suitable and touching requiem to the late lamented Rick Wright and Their Mortal Remains exhibition at the V&A bringing down the final curtain. This book documents their history album by album and is like looking through a family photo album bringing back bitter sweet memories. Thanks Mick Wall for the memories.

[Bill Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Endless River"

A very "Floydian" narrative through the story of the most creative, brilliantly unique, and finest of all rock bands. I bought a copy of "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" when I was a high school student, and I have followed their work ever since. I began teaching and coaching in 1964, and have passed on my love of Pink Floyd to my gymnasts and students. I consider it a mark of the greatness of Pink Floyd that my last students are guiding their children and students to listen, to imagine, and to love Pink Floyd. And now, we have an intelligent and eminently readable book to lay out the story for these new afficionados

[Nick Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thin and pointless

Apparently Pink Floyd formed argued made some music got famous made more music some good some not argued some more then stopped.
To be honest what I have written above is deeper than this book.
If you know anything about Pink Floyd before you read this you will know less afterwards.
Do not bother.

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a reasonably brief fly through the Pink Floyd history, but what it lacks in depth it makes up in retaining the reader's interest.

Dealing with the Water/Gilmour spats adds little to the already established story, whilst matters pertaining to Syd Barrett do perhaps have a sentimental hue. As is perhaps routine the roles of Mason and Wright are consigned to the fringes. Where this volume registers a success is in telling the story in précis, whilst still covering all the key waypoints.

If you were unaware of the Pink Floyd story before reading this it may well stir your curiosity further. If you have a grounding in Floyd mythology then it will act as useful memory jog.

[Harry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and informative piece written for the release of the 'final'(?) Pink Floyd album The Endless River. It's a brief run through of the history of The Floyd from the first friendships, through Syd Barrett's breakdown and the breakthrough of The Dark Side Of The Moon, ending with the group's slow break up post The Wall. Best read listening to the music itself.

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slight love/hate thing with Mick Wall and his books - he's pumping them out, trying to earn a crust for retirement, clearly. But he does (often) have a wonderful turn of phrase. He's good. Didn't need to read this, didn't learn anything new from it - but it's a succinct telling of the Floyd tale.