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All The Songs
Pink Floyd All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track
The newest addition to the best-selling All the Songs series details the unique recording history of Pink Floyd, one of the world's most commercially successful and influential rock bands.
Since 1965, Pink Floyd been recording sonically experimental and philosophical music, selling more than 250 million records worldwide, including two of the best-selling albums of all time Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. While much is known about this iconic group, few books provide a comprehensive history of their time in the studio. In Pink Floyd All the Songs, authors Margotin and Guesdon describe the origin of their nearly 200 released songs, details from the recording studio, what instruments were used, and behind-the-scenes stories of the tensions that helped drive the band.
Organized chronologically by album, this massive, 544-page hardcover begins with their 1967 debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, the only one recorded under founding member Syd Barrett's leadership; through the loss of Barrett and the addition of David Gilmour; to Richard Wright leaving the band in 1979 but returning; to Roger Waters leaving in 1985 and the albums recorded since his departure, including their 2014 farewell album, The Endless River, which was downloaded 12 million times on Spotify the week it was released. Packed with more than 500 photos, All the Songs is also filled with stories fans treasure, such as Waters working with engineer Alan Parsons to employ revolutionary recording techniques for The Dark Side of the Moon at Abbey Road Studios in 1972 or producer Bob's Ezrin's contribution in refining Water's original sprawling vision for The Wall.
Since 1965, Pink Floyd been recording sonically experimental and philosophical music, selling more than 250 million records worldwide, including two of the best-selling albums of all time Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. While much is known about this iconic group, few books provide a comprehensive history of their time in the studio. In Pink Floyd All the Songs, authors Margotin and Guesdon describe the origin of their nearly 200 released songs, details from the recording studio, what instruments were used, and behind-the-scenes stories of the tensions that helped drive the band.
Organized chronologically by album, this massive, 544-page hardcover begins with their 1967 debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, the only one recorded under founding member Syd Barrett's leadership; through the loss of Barrett and the addition of David Gilmour; to Richard Wright leaving the band in 1979 but returning; to Roger Waters leaving in 1985 and the albums recorded since his departure, including their 2014 farewell album, The Endless River, which was downloaded 12 million times on Spotify the week it was released. Packed with more than 500 photos, All the Songs is also filled with stories fans treasure, such as Waters working with engineer Alan Parsons to employ revolutionary recording techniques for The Dark Side of the Moon at Abbey Road Studios in 1972 or producer Bob's Ezrin's contribution in refining Water's original sprawling vision for The Wall.
- GenresMusicNonfictionBiography
592 pages, Hardcover
First published October 24, 2017
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539 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
September 10, 2018
What a great big beautiful book! Obviously something to enjoy in paper, not electronically! For Pink Floyd enthusiasts, a great read, perhaps even a must read. I'm a fan of the band, but the book helped fill in "the rest of the story" on a lot of the drama within the band and what really happened. It also gets very technical with how each song was made, to include where the various sound effects came from. It is carefully end noted and well-sourced. That said, it seems to rely only on other secondary sources, the authors not having done their own interviews to fill in the many missing pieces they also identified (was that the black Strat, or...?). Also, they don't always show the album art, which for such a big beautiful book, seems a shame. Perhaps they ran into licensing problems or exorbitant fees? The authors tend to gush about the band (I mean, I get it, I love 'em too!), so there are the songs that are totally awesome, then there are the songs that are more awesome! If anything, the book (perhaps like the band?) ended rather abruptly. I would have liked to have seen a short postscript with what happened after, where are they now, that sort of thing, especially maybe just a quick note about Roger Waters and where his path took him after leaving the band.
The breakdown into albums (in chronological order) makes the big book more digestible, with natural break points between albums. Anyway, it's not exactly small print and there's lots of nice pictures, so don't be too intimidated by the size. A good book, if it had interviews of its own to fill in the blanks noted, it could have been great. Still a fine addition to any fan's bookshelf or coffee table.
The breakdown into albums (in chronological order) makes the big book more digestible, with natural break points between albums. Anyway, it's not exactly small print and there's lots of nice pictures, so don't be too intimidated by the size. A good book, if it had interviews of its own to fill in the blanks noted, it could have been great. Still a fine addition to any fan's bookshelf or coffee table.
January 9, 2022
I'm dazed.. I honestly am. I'm dazed than I was when we were stoned out of our minds on top of the mist covered mountains and was listening to Echoes for an uncountable length of time.
Pink Floyd was formed and lived it's best before I was born. Yet, they became somewhat of a foundation to the music taste I developed later in life. I wasn't thinking straight when I picked up this book. It was there, dazzling and smiling and looking at me like, 'oi, take me home, you need me' and I did. I never thought I'll get so sucked into it once I started reading it. There was so much I didn't really know about some of my favorite tracks, some that really helped me get through certain periods in life. And this book gives an honest account of all those stories hidden behind all those tracks.
Not only that, the book gives a small account of Pink Floyd from start to the end but in digestible chunks in between the main focus.
for anyone who treasures Floyd, this is a brilliant book to have. The only thing that pissed me off was not including the album covers. They should've done that. Would've been absolutely amazing.
Book #02 of 2022.
Around The Year in 52 Books: A book with fewer than 5000 ratings on Goodreads
Pink Floyd was formed and lived it's best before I was born. Yet, they became somewhat of a foundation to the music taste I developed later in life. I wasn't thinking straight when I picked up this book. It was there, dazzling and smiling and looking at me like, 'oi, take me home, you need me' and I did. I never thought I'll get so sucked into it once I started reading it. There was so much I didn't really know about some of my favorite tracks, some that really helped me get through certain periods in life. And this book gives an honest account of all those stories hidden behind all those tracks.
Not only that, the book gives a small account of Pink Floyd from start to the end but in digestible chunks in between the main focus.
for anyone who treasures Floyd, this is a brilliant book to have. The only thing that pissed me off was not including the album covers. They should've done that. Would've been absolutely amazing.
Book #02 of 2022.
Around The Year in 52 Books: A book with fewer than 5000 ratings on Goodreads
August 11, 2025
I did not enjoy this book. At times, I was almost hate-reading it. Some of that's on me - Guesdon goes into way more detail than I want - I'm not a musician, so reading a description of all the instruments and gear used doesn't do that much for me. And I don't love Pink Floyd - I really like three albums Saucerful of Secrets, The Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here. I find a lot of their other stuff fine but a little boring, and I dislike Animals and The Final Cut. I also find The Wall has its moments, but is too long and would have been better shorter. So I'm perhaps not the ideal audience for this book.
I started reading it, and after almost giving up on it early on, eventually persisted, because years ago I had flipped through another book on Pink Floyd song-by-song, and never finished it, and always wanted to go back and do so. That book, however, was focused on the themes (lyrics) of the songs, and not on the recording process.
So all that said, it was probably no surprise that I didn't really enjoy this book. However, I will give blame where blame is due, and mention the poor writing/editing - place the blame where you will - that is rife throughout the entire book.
First of all, Guesdon writes like he gets paid by the word. Throughout the work, especially early on, Guesdon feels the need to list the members of the band. An example, from the chapter on More "Because More was not an EMI project, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Rick Wright and Nick Mason has no access to Abbey Road Studios." Why not "... Pink Floyd had no access ...?" This book is long enough as it is without listing every member of the band countless times. It reminds me of an essay I wrote for French class in high school where I had to hit a certain word limit (1500?). I was writing about the Montreal Canadiens, and realized that every player I listed was two words! Boy, did I work that!
And it's not like Pink Floyd is one of those bands like Deep Purple with a constantly evolving lineup. There were four guys for the first album, then one member changed for the second album, and the same four guys for the next eleven years. Even when someone left, they didn't bring new members in, they just reduced the number in the band. If you can't keep track of their lineups, this book is probably not for you.
Guesdon also likes to repeat information. When he first introduces producer Bob Ezrin, he lists his credits - Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, Aerosmith and Peter Gabriel. Then, later, when he's talking about the track "In the Flesh" from The Wall, he writes "In this it is possible to detect the influence of Bob Ezrin, the distinguished producer who had brilliantly overseen LPs from Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, and Lou Reed." When he mentions Raphael Ravenscroft, who plays saxophone on The Final Cut, he mentions twice that he played saxophone on Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street." He mentions four times in the initial piece about the Final Cut that they used eight studios to record it. He mentions twice that Bleu Ocean directed 35 snare drummers in the studio before we find out that it was on The Wall (the album under discussion) that this was done. I kept wondering "is it for this album, or is this just Bleu Ocean's claim to fame?"
He does this countless times. At the end of the article on "Outside the Wall," he included this information: "On February 18, 2014, Roger Waters unveiled a memorial erected in Aprilia in Italy (near Anzio)in memory of his father and all his comrades of the Z Company who died in the battle with the Germans there 70 years before." Then, not long after, when he talks about the single "When the Tigers Broke Free," he says "In February, 2014, seventy years after his father was killed at Anzio, Roger Waters inaugurated a monument near the site of the battle in memory of Z Company." I didn't know if I had accidentally read the same thing twice, but I hadn't. Blame it on him, or blame it on atrocious editing, this shouldn't have been repeated.
In "Poles Apart," when it is revealed that the first verse references Syd Barrett, and the second verse Roger Waters, Guesdon proceeds to give each one's resume - Barrett "the avant-garde genius that presided over the recording of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, " Waters "the architect of The Wall and The Final Cut. Could someone get to this point in the book without realizing who these two are? Who picked up this massive tome and skipped ahead to The Division Bell? This is really superfluous, especially so late into the book.
This book also reminded me of the old saw "writing about music is like dancing about architecture." Guesdon will take you moment by moment through a song, which is excruciating. I listened to The Dark Side of the Moon while I was reading that part of the book, and it took me less time to listen to the album than to read Guesdon's description. It's too much. And when there's a movie involved - any of the soundtracks they scored, or The Wall - forget about it! The progress slows to a glacial pace.
Guesdon also takes time out to praise how fantastic each musician is. Almost every Gilmour solo is accompanied by a comment on how great it is. He uses the word "superb"66 times in this book, and "excellent" 81. We get it - they're great musicians. Enough with the superlatives!
Finally, in a book that takes such pains to get every instrument used just right, I find it interesting that Guesdon spends a lot of time speculating what the lyrics are about. He obviously hasn't talked to any of the members, and even when he has an explanation like with David Gilmour on "Coming Back to Life," he still gives an alternate explanation for the song. This is what I came to this book for, and this is where it falls short.
Overall, a disappointing book. I should have given up on it early on, but you get to a point where there's no turning back, and you just have to suck it up and finish it. I gave it two stars because there is a lot of information here, even if I didn't appreciate it.
I started reading it, and after almost giving up on it early on, eventually persisted, because years ago I had flipped through another book on Pink Floyd song-by-song, and never finished it, and always wanted to go back and do so. That book, however, was focused on the themes (lyrics) of the songs, and not on the recording process.
So all that said, it was probably no surprise that I didn't really enjoy this book. However, I will give blame where blame is due, and mention the poor writing/editing - place the blame where you will - that is rife throughout the entire book.
First of all, Guesdon writes like he gets paid by the word. Throughout the work, especially early on, Guesdon feels the need to list the members of the band. An example, from the chapter on More "Because More was not an EMI project, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Rick Wright and Nick Mason has no access to Abbey Road Studios." Why not "... Pink Floyd had no access ...?" This book is long enough as it is without listing every member of the band countless times. It reminds me of an essay I wrote for French class in high school where I had to hit a certain word limit (1500?). I was writing about the Montreal Canadiens, and realized that every player I listed was two words! Boy, did I work that!
And it's not like Pink Floyd is one of those bands like Deep Purple with a constantly evolving lineup. There were four guys for the first album, then one member changed for the second album, and the same four guys for the next eleven years. Even when someone left, they didn't bring new members in, they just reduced the number in the band. If you can't keep track of their lineups, this book is probably not for you.
Guesdon also likes to repeat information. When he first introduces producer Bob Ezrin, he lists his credits - Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, Aerosmith and Peter Gabriel. Then, later, when he's talking about the track "In the Flesh" from The Wall, he writes "In this it is possible to detect the influence of Bob Ezrin, the distinguished producer who had brilliantly overseen LPs from Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, and Lou Reed." When he mentions Raphael Ravenscroft, who plays saxophone on The Final Cut, he mentions twice that he played saxophone on Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street." He mentions four times in the initial piece about the Final Cut that they used eight studios to record it. He mentions twice that Bleu Ocean directed 35 snare drummers in the studio before we find out that it was on The Wall (the album under discussion) that this was done. I kept wondering "is it for this album, or is this just Bleu Ocean's claim to fame?"
He does this countless times. At the end of the article on "Outside the Wall," he included this information: "On February 18, 2014, Roger Waters unveiled a memorial erected in Aprilia in Italy (near Anzio)in memory of his father and all his comrades of the Z Company who died in the battle with the Germans there 70 years before." Then, not long after, when he talks about the single "When the Tigers Broke Free," he says "In February, 2014, seventy years after his father was killed at Anzio, Roger Waters inaugurated a monument near the site of the battle in memory of Z Company." I didn't know if I had accidentally read the same thing twice, but I hadn't. Blame it on him, or blame it on atrocious editing, this shouldn't have been repeated.
In "Poles Apart," when it is revealed that the first verse references Syd Barrett, and the second verse Roger Waters, Guesdon proceeds to give each one's resume - Barrett "the avant-garde genius that presided over the recording of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, " Waters "the architect of The Wall and The Final Cut. Could someone get to this point in the book without realizing who these two are? Who picked up this massive tome and skipped ahead to The Division Bell? This is really superfluous, especially so late into the book.
This book also reminded me of the old saw "writing about music is like dancing about architecture." Guesdon will take you moment by moment through a song, which is excruciating. I listened to The Dark Side of the Moon while I was reading that part of the book, and it took me less time to listen to the album than to read Guesdon's description. It's too much. And when there's a movie involved - any of the soundtracks they scored, or The Wall - forget about it! The progress slows to a glacial pace.
Guesdon also takes time out to praise how fantastic each musician is. Almost every Gilmour solo is accompanied by a comment on how great it is. He uses the word "superb"66 times in this book, and "excellent" 81. We get it - they're great musicians. Enough with the superlatives!
Finally, in a book that takes such pains to get every instrument used just right, I find it interesting that Guesdon spends a lot of time speculating what the lyrics are about. He obviously hasn't talked to any of the members, and even when he has an explanation like with David Gilmour on "Coming Back to Life," he still gives an alternate explanation for the song. This is what I came to this book for, and this is where it falls short.
Overall, a disappointing book. I should have given up on it early on, but you get to a point where there's no turning back, and you just have to suck it up and finish it. I gave it two stars because there is a lot of information here, even if I didn't appreciate it.
June 17, 2025
Where the fuck is yellow submarine
April 11, 2024
Set up an appointment with your optometrist for a year after you start.
First of all, you will need to go to the gym to build up the strength to hole this 592-page book. Then no fair looking in the back of the book to see who-dun-it. It is not that sort of a book.
I only had a cursory interface with Pink Floyd and the album “The Dark Side of the Moon” Now it is time to find out about the real thing in chronological order. Talk about comprehensive; I am beginning to think of him as part of the family. You think about what you were doing at the time. I was on the other side of the world when they were forming (Vietnam.)
The book takes the music chronologically with the table of contents displaying albums in order. Even with the size of the book you will still need a magnifying glass for the table of contents.
You will need to be somewhat familiar with other performers and the music industry at the time. Yet even then the book is quite comprehensive. There are plenty of pictures from each era and pictures of post-it type notes to fill the margins.
When you have finished going from to back, then this will make a great coffee table book. Your table better has strong legs.
I am now in the process of picking up some of the albums I have missed over half a century.
First of all, you will need to go to the gym to build up the strength to hole this 592-page book. Then no fair looking in the back of the book to see who-dun-it. It is not that sort of a book.
I only had a cursory interface with Pink Floyd and the album “The Dark Side of the Moon” Now it is time to find out about the real thing in chronological order. Talk about comprehensive; I am beginning to think of him as part of the family. You think about what you were doing at the time. I was on the other side of the world when they were forming (Vietnam.)
The book takes the music chronologically with the table of contents displaying albums in order. Even with the size of the book you will still need a magnifying glass for the table of contents.
You will need to be somewhat familiar with other performers and the music industry at the time. Yet even then the book is quite comprehensive. There are plenty of pictures from each era and pictures of post-it type notes to fill the margins.
When you have finished going from to back, then this will make a great coffee table book. Your table better has strong legs.
I am now in the process of picking up some of the albums I have missed over half a century.
February 25, 2018
As a ridiculously obsessed fan of this band, it was only necessary that I would eventually read a book that discussed every single song that they made. I really enjoyed the structure of this book. The authors first give an introduction section to each album where they discuss the history of the band to that point, the context of the album, the instruments used, where it was recorded and produced, etc. After that, they dive into each song on the album and give its genesis and production history. Although the book does provide countless facts about the band that I never knew, it was also repetitive and the author's seemed to fluff up passages for songs in order to fill space. Nevertheless, this is a great addition to any Pink Floyd fan's library.
August 30, 2024
absolut crazy digga. wirklich ein highlight meiner lesekarriere. hab das gefühl ich hab primär lesen gelernt, um dieses buch zu lesen. hat mich über das ganze sommersemester begleitet und ich hab diverse male ein paar tränchen verdrücken müssen, weil ich so glücklich und gerührt war. bisschen doof ist nur, dass ich jetzt wo ich es fertig gelesen habe und zu jedem song eigentlich weiß was er aussagt oder wie er gemacht wurde, das gefühl hab, es gibt nichts mehr an pink floyd was ich noch nicht weiß. aber das schmälert die freude die ich beim lesen hatte und die freude, die ich empfinde, wenn ich pink floyd höre, überhaupt gar nicht und ich bin einfach nur zufrieden, dass ich das privileg hatte dieses buch lesen zu dürfen.
March 15, 2023
Fourth read of mine in the series (Beatles, Stones, Springsteen) and I can't recommend it highly enough. A literal song-by-song, album-by-album, in-order-of-release anthology that any music fan could learn from.
The biography of the band (with only minor anecdotes for the personal life of members if that impacts the music) with intricate instrument details, lyrical interpretations and credits, as well as fantastic photos that illustrate the band working, their look, and their instruments in isolation, this series has it all. If you are obsessed by an artist or band, this series will be the go-to for years. Intellectually stimulating and fun.
The biography of the band (with only minor anecdotes for the personal life of members if that impacts the music) with intricate instrument details, lyrical interpretations and credits, as well as fantastic photos that illustrate the band working, their look, and their instruments in isolation, this series has it all. If you are obsessed by an artist or band, this series will be the go-to for years. Intellectually stimulating and fun.
August 20, 2022
A mammoth track-by-track companion to the Floyd's output, filled with interesting anecdotes and technical specs. There are a handful of odd proofing errors, but nothing that impacts the book significantly. It takes Gilmour and Mason's insistence that The Endless River would be the last PF statement seriously -- which is a bit humorous in 2022, given that the "Hey Hey Rise Up" / "A Great Day for Freedom" single came out only a few months ago -- but one can't really blame Guesdon and Margolin for that. Essential for any dedicated PF fan.
February 28, 2018
Certainly lives up to its promise. How much Floyd do you need? If the answer is ALL THE FLOYD, this is the book for you. I reviewed Pink Floyd All the Songs for The Current.
September 3, 2020
Un bon pavé, analysant une par une chacune des chansons de Pink Floyd, de manière très (trop?) fouillée, des paroles jusqu'aux détails techniques de la réalisation. À recommander à tous les mordus du groupe.
January 25, 2022
Pretty much the title tells all. More info than the average fan probably needs, but for those of us who can't get enough, well this is biblical. I noticed a few minor errors here and there, but this is otherwise perfect.
January 2, 2022
An absolute must for any Pink Floyd fan. It was incredibly interesting to see not just how the songs came to be constructed but how they were recorded and produced. What a brilliant book.
January 24, 2023
Overall good, but there's a lot in it that is speculation.
June 11, 2023
Great read with lots of great details
Would read again as every chapter has a ton of info.
Recommend to anyone interested in pink Floyd's music and bio.
Would read again as every chapter has a ton of info.
Recommend to anyone interested in pink Floyd's music and bio.
December 30, 2024
The story behind every song in the band's legendary career
May 9, 2025
A total music nerd book. I thought it was great. I've been listening to Pink Floyd for well over 40 years, and there was a lot that I learned about the various songs that I had never heard.
November 27, 2025
This was a great book. Lots of info about the band I never knew. It made me appreciate the band all the more. Also gave me a new appreciation of Richard Wright.
December 31, 2025
best part is The Wall
November 9, 2025
An impress read for hard-core Pink Floyd fans. Jean-Michel's knowledge of music is phenomenal and I very much enjoyed listening to each album, whilst reading the background behind the tracks. I have changed my views on some of the albums after re-listening several times whilst going through this book.
A worthy read, but you do need to be a serious fan of Pink Floyd to get the most of this book as it does go into the weeds.
A worthy read, but you do need to be a serious fan of Pink Floyd to get the most of this book as it does go into the weeds.
April 9, 2021
Als ich zum ersten Mal dieses Buch in Händen halte, bin ich fast ein wenig ehrfürchtig, denn es ist mit seinen 592 Seiten im Format 19 x 24,2 cm ein echtes Schwergewicht. Beim ersten Durchblättern fällt mir im Gegensatz zum Buchcover eine ansprechend dezente Farbgestaltung der Seiten mit zahlreichen Fotos und Abbildungen auf. Mir ist sofort klar, dass ich dieses Buch feiern werde, denn Pink Floyd ist eine meiner Lieblingsbands und ich habe große Lust darauf, mehr über sie zu erfahren. Zwar bringt allein schon der Anblick dieses Buches ihre Musik in mir zum Klingen, aber ich ich verstehe den Titel „Pink Floyd – Alle Songs“ auch als Aufforderung mir diese gleich beim lesen der Geschichten hinter den Tracks auch noch einmal ganz in Ruhe anzuhören. Allerdings habe ich meine Plattensammlung vor knapp 20 Jahren komplett aufgelöst und nicht mehr alle Pink-Floyd-Alben als CDs nachgekauft. Glücklicherweise finde ich jedoch bis auf wenige Ausnahmen alle Lieder bei Spotify und so sind in den darauf folgenden Wochen meine Tage mit Zeitinseln versehen, die gleichermaßen dem Lesen und dem Musikhören gewidmet sind. Eine wundervolle Zeit, die ich keinesfalls missen möchte!
Denn dieses Buch beinhaltet satte 50 Jahre Rock-Geschichte, von der Gründung Pink Floyds im Jahr 1965 bis hin zu ihrem Ende 2015. Es beginnt damit, wie sich die Band-Mitglieder kennenlernen und zeigt den Werdegang von Pink Floyd in unterschiedlichen Besetzungen auf, nicht ohne dabei auch die musikalischen Einflüsse zu nennen, die prägend waren. Es fühlt sich an wie eine Zeitreise durch ein Stück Musikgeschichte, wenn beispielsweise die Stones, die Beatles oder Alan Parson Erwähnung finden und man sich doch darüber freuen darf, dass Pink Floyd ihren ganz eigenen Stil entwickelt haben, der sich aus Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Blues und Jazz zusammensetzt und noch Einflüsse aus der klassischen und der neueren Musik mit aufnimmt.
Album für Album, inklusive der Singles, wird diese Entwicklung nachgezeichnet und auch für die Band relevante private und politische Einflüsse werden nicht ausgelassen, ohne jedoch dabei reißerisch zu wirken. Jedem Album wird einleitend die Entstehungsgeschichte einschließlich der Covergestaltung vorangestellt und der technische Stand inklusive der verwendeten Instrumente der Musiker offengelegt. Weiter geht es im Anschluss mit den einzelnen Titeln und ihrer Vorgeschichte, worin sich auch mögliche Interpretationen der Liedtexte finden, noch ausführlich ergänzt um die technischen Einzelheiten der Aufnahmen. Hier findet sich auch viel von dem Zeitgeist der Bandjahre wieder.
Das alles liest sich für mich wie eine spannende Geschichte, bei der ich mich noch grob an Einzelheiten erinnere, die aber nun um interessante Details ergänzt werden. Allerdings fehlen mir für die technische Seite der Musik die nötigen Kenntnisse, so dass ich diesbezüglich umfangreiche Textstellen auch einfach nur überfliege, ohne sie trotz Glossar gänzlich zu verstehen. Fast bedaure ich dies, könnte mir jedoch vorstellen, dass für Musiker hier viel Interessantes zu finden ist. Da ich mir die Lieder jedoch beim Lesen gleichzeitig anhöre, kann ich manches doch in gewisser Weise nachvollziehen, bin überrascht davon, wie manche Effekte erzielt werden und spüre bei Vielem zumindest was gemeint ist.
Ergänzend finden sich in dem Buch zahlreiche Fotos und Abbildungen der Instrumente und des Studioequipments der Bandmitglieder, aber auch von ihren Auftritten und aus dem Proberaum. In kleinen Randnotizen gibt es noch Zusatzinformationen, nicht nur für „Pink Floyd Addicts“, so dass man in der Musik schwelgen und gleichzeitig die Augen durchs Buch wandern lassen kann. Natürlich schweifen bei manchen Liedern auch die Gedanken ab und entführen in die Zeiten, in denen die Musik Pink Floyds zum Soundtrack des eigenen Lebens gehört hat und manche Lieder und Ereignisse sich unzertrennlich miteinander verbunden haben. Ein besonderes Erlebnis für mich, jetzt nochmal chronologisch durch Musik und Jahrzehnte zu reisen, die Spotify-Playlist mit Lieblingssongs zu füllen und dabei auch einige neu entdecken zu können, weil ich eben doch nicht alle Alben und Lieder kannte – „More“ und „Obscured by Clouds“ waren mir beispielsweise irgendwie entgangen.
Erwartet hatte ich eigentlich, in diesem Buch die kompletten Songtexte abgedruckt zu sehen, fand diese jedoch ebenso wie die Cover der Alben nur beschreibend und interpretierend behandelt. Dennoch ist dieses Buch ein echtes Schmankerl für Pink Floyd Fans und ich habe die Zeitreise damit sehr genossen. Jedoch hätte ich mir für die Covergestaltung einen Grafikdesigner im Stil von Storm Thorgerson gewünscht und unbedingt ein Korrektorat.
Denn dieses Buch beinhaltet satte 50 Jahre Rock-Geschichte, von der Gründung Pink Floyds im Jahr 1965 bis hin zu ihrem Ende 2015. Es beginnt damit, wie sich die Band-Mitglieder kennenlernen und zeigt den Werdegang von Pink Floyd in unterschiedlichen Besetzungen auf, nicht ohne dabei auch die musikalischen Einflüsse zu nennen, die prägend waren. Es fühlt sich an wie eine Zeitreise durch ein Stück Musikgeschichte, wenn beispielsweise die Stones, die Beatles oder Alan Parson Erwähnung finden und man sich doch darüber freuen darf, dass Pink Floyd ihren ganz eigenen Stil entwickelt haben, der sich aus Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Blues und Jazz zusammensetzt und noch Einflüsse aus der klassischen und der neueren Musik mit aufnimmt.
Album für Album, inklusive der Singles, wird diese Entwicklung nachgezeichnet und auch für die Band relevante private und politische Einflüsse werden nicht ausgelassen, ohne jedoch dabei reißerisch zu wirken. Jedem Album wird einleitend die Entstehungsgeschichte einschließlich der Covergestaltung vorangestellt und der technische Stand inklusive der verwendeten Instrumente der Musiker offengelegt. Weiter geht es im Anschluss mit den einzelnen Titeln und ihrer Vorgeschichte, worin sich auch mögliche Interpretationen der Liedtexte finden, noch ausführlich ergänzt um die technischen Einzelheiten der Aufnahmen. Hier findet sich auch viel von dem Zeitgeist der Bandjahre wieder.
Das alles liest sich für mich wie eine spannende Geschichte, bei der ich mich noch grob an Einzelheiten erinnere, die aber nun um interessante Details ergänzt werden. Allerdings fehlen mir für die technische Seite der Musik die nötigen Kenntnisse, so dass ich diesbezüglich umfangreiche Textstellen auch einfach nur überfliege, ohne sie trotz Glossar gänzlich zu verstehen. Fast bedaure ich dies, könnte mir jedoch vorstellen, dass für Musiker hier viel Interessantes zu finden ist. Da ich mir die Lieder jedoch beim Lesen gleichzeitig anhöre, kann ich manches doch in gewisser Weise nachvollziehen, bin überrascht davon, wie manche Effekte erzielt werden und spüre bei Vielem zumindest was gemeint ist.
Ergänzend finden sich in dem Buch zahlreiche Fotos und Abbildungen der Instrumente und des Studioequipments der Bandmitglieder, aber auch von ihren Auftritten und aus dem Proberaum. In kleinen Randnotizen gibt es noch Zusatzinformationen, nicht nur für „Pink Floyd Addicts“, so dass man in der Musik schwelgen und gleichzeitig die Augen durchs Buch wandern lassen kann. Natürlich schweifen bei manchen Liedern auch die Gedanken ab und entführen in die Zeiten, in denen die Musik Pink Floyds zum Soundtrack des eigenen Lebens gehört hat und manche Lieder und Ereignisse sich unzertrennlich miteinander verbunden haben. Ein besonderes Erlebnis für mich, jetzt nochmal chronologisch durch Musik und Jahrzehnte zu reisen, die Spotify-Playlist mit Lieblingssongs zu füllen und dabei auch einige neu entdecken zu können, weil ich eben doch nicht alle Alben und Lieder kannte – „More“ und „Obscured by Clouds“ waren mir beispielsweise irgendwie entgangen.
Erwartet hatte ich eigentlich, in diesem Buch die kompletten Songtexte abgedruckt zu sehen, fand diese jedoch ebenso wie die Cover der Alben nur beschreibend und interpretierend behandelt. Dennoch ist dieses Buch ein echtes Schmankerl für Pink Floyd Fans und ich habe die Zeitreise damit sehr genossen. Jedoch hätte ich mir für die Covergestaltung einen Grafikdesigner im Stil von Storm Thorgerson gewünscht und unbedingt ein Korrektorat.
August 14, 2021
Je hoeft geen liefhebber te zijn (geweest) van Pink Floyd, om door het verhaal van de 179 songs in de nummers te worden aangetrokken. Het bleek voor deze muziekliefhebber een aangename trip om het oeuvre opnieuw te beluisteren en te lezen hoe de nummers zijn opgebouwd.
Interstellar overdrive, one of these days, the great gig in the sky, wish you were here, dogs, comfortably numb. Het brede spectrum aan muzikale stijlen komt aan bod, van instrumentale stukken van de hele band (any colour you like) tot akoustisch solowerk van Waters (mother, pigs on the wing).
Ooit (40 jaar geleden) liep ik met een wijde boog om Pink Floyd heen, de tijd heeft deze mening en houding ingehaald.
Interstellar overdrive, one of these days, the great gig in the sky, wish you were here, dogs, comfortably numb. Het brede spectrum aan muzikale stijlen komt aan bod, van instrumentale stukken van de hele band (any colour you like) tot akoustisch solowerk van Waters (mother, pigs on the wing).
Ooit (40 jaar geleden) liep ik met een wijde boog om Pink Floyd heen, de tijd heeft deze mening en houding ingehaald.
November 1, 2024
It’s alright, but it’s really mostly interested in the recording and production, rather than trying to bring the song to life. So it’s a bit dry and not very engaging.
April 5, 2019
‘Pink Floyd Compleet’ - Jean-Michel Guesdon en Philippe Margotin
Genre: Naslagwerk Muziek
Uitgeverij: W Books
ISBN: 9789462582736
Uitvoering: Hardcover gebonden
Aantal pagina’s: 592
Verschijningsdatum: november 2018
Met dank aan W Books voor het recensie-exemplaar.
Inhoud
De complete muziekgeschiedenis van Pink Floyd wordt verteld aan de hand van hun 179 songs. Met veel achtergrondinformatie en uniek fotomateriaal. Een zwaarlijvig exemplaar.
Mijn mening
Als recensent en groot muziekliefhebber bestond een van de hoogtepunten van een boekenrijk 2018 uit het ontvangen van een aantal kilo’s Pink Floyd. Alle cd’s en albums staan in de kast en ik denk aardig wat te weten van deze band. En dan staat de postbode met dit boek voor de deur.
Rugklachten. Ik heb ze al, lig veel op bed, en dan is dit boek geen sinecure. Het boek is een kleine zeshonderd pagina’s dik en bevat naast een breed scala aan foto’s uit vijf decennia een uitgebreid achtergrondverhaal per nummer. Informatie over het idee, de opname, de teksten, de versies. Maar ook over de bezetting, uitgebrachte datum, instrumenten en de lyrics (teksten). Ik word getriggerd wanneer er met grote letters “Compleet” staat. Ik krijg dan de nare neiging om te zoeken naar bewijs van het tegendeel. Ik heb niets kunnen vinden. Pink Floyd is écht compleet.
En meer dan dat. Tevens zijn alle liveconcerten en live versies opgenomen in dit boek. En ook de bootlegs (onofficiële uitgaven) staan er gewoon in.
Superlatieven tekort om de inhoudelijke kwaliteit van deze uitgave te beschrijven. Kan dan echt niets beter? Bijna niets. Persoonlijk had ik gekozen voor glanzend papier. Hierop waren de talrijke en magnifieke foto’s nog beter uitgekomen. Het is daarnaast ook geen boek dat je gemakkelijk op bed of in de bank leest. Zo’n boek is het ook eigenlijk niet. Wat ik in handen heb is een oogstrelend koffietafelboek. Iedere dag een nieuwe pagina. En ondertussen luisteren naar de hypnotiserende klanken van Pink Floyd.
Eindoordeel
Roger Waters en David Gilmour zullen het over een ding wel eens zijn: Dit is een geweldig document. Uitgever, auteurs en vertalers hebben een geweldige klus geklaard. Mijn complimenten. Het maakt mij nu ook nieuwsgierig naar de boeken over Bob Dylan en The Rolling Stones die zij op identieke wijze hebben uitgebracht.
Het enige minpunt is het gewicht en de omvang van dit totaaloverzicht en laat dat nu ook twee van de grote voordelen zijn. Wanneer je ‘Time’ and ‘Money’ hebt, laat dit dan jouw volgende aankoop zijn. Ik geef Pink Floyd Compleet vier hele dikke zware roze sterren!
Peter van Bavel - recensent De Perfecte Buren
Mijn persoonlijke songtekst
‘And if you see don't make a sound
Pick your feet up off the ground
And if you hear as the warm night falls
The silver sound from a time so strange
Sing to me, sing to me
(Pink Floyd – Fat Old Sun)
Genre: Naslagwerk Muziek
Uitgeverij: W Books
ISBN: 9789462582736
Uitvoering: Hardcover gebonden
Aantal pagina’s: 592
Verschijningsdatum: november 2018
Met dank aan W Books voor het recensie-exemplaar.
Inhoud
De complete muziekgeschiedenis van Pink Floyd wordt verteld aan de hand van hun 179 songs. Met veel achtergrondinformatie en uniek fotomateriaal. Een zwaarlijvig exemplaar.
Mijn mening
Als recensent en groot muziekliefhebber bestond een van de hoogtepunten van een boekenrijk 2018 uit het ontvangen van een aantal kilo’s Pink Floyd. Alle cd’s en albums staan in de kast en ik denk aardig wat te weten van deze band. En dan staat de postbode met dit boek voor de deur.
Rugklachten. Ik heb ze al, lig veel op bed, en dan is dit boek geen sinecure. Het boek is een kleine zeshonderd pagina’s dik en bevat naast een breed scala aan foto’s uit vijf decennia een uitgebreid achtergrondverhaal per nummer. Informatie over het idee, de opname, de teksten, de versies. Maar ook over de bezetting, uitgebrachte datum, instrumenten en de lyrics (teksten). Ik word getriggerd wanneer er met grote letters “Compleet” staat. Ik krijg dan de nare neiging om te zoeken naar bewijs van het tegendeel. Ik heb niets kunnen vinden. Pink Floyd is écht compleet.
En meer dan dat. Tevens zijn alle liveconcerten en live versies opgenomen in dit boek. En ook de bootlegs (onofficiële uitgaven) staan er gewoon in.
Superlatieven tekort om de inhoudelijke kwaliteit van deze uitgave te beschrijven. Kan dan echt niets beter? Bijna niets. Persoonlijk had ik gekozen voor glanzend papier. Hierop waren de talrijke en magnifieke foto’s nog beter uitgekomen. Het is daarnaast ook geen boek dat je gemakkelijk op bed of in de bank leest. Zo’n boek is het ook eigenlijk niet. Wat ik in handen heb is een oogstrelend koffietafelboek. Iedere dag een nieuwe pagina. En ondertussen luisteren naar de hypnotiserende klanken van Pink Floyd.
Eindoordeel
Roger Waters en David Gilmour zullen het over een ding wel eens zijn: Dit is een geweldig document. Uitgever, auteurs en vertalers hebben een geweldige klus geklaard. Mijn complimenten. Het maakt mij nu ook nieuwsgierig naar de boeken over Bob Dylan en The Rolling Stones die zij op identieke wijze hebben uitgebracht.
Het enige minpunt is het gewicht en de omvang van dit totaaloverzicht en laat dat nu ook twee van de grote voordelen zijn. Wanneer je ‘Time’ and ‘Money’ hebt, laat dit dan jouw volgende aankoop zijn. Ik geef Pink Floyd Compleet vier hele dikke zware roze sterren!
Peter van Bavel - recensent De Perfecte Buren
Mijn persoonlijke songtekst
‘And if you see don't make a sound
Pick your feet up off the ground
And if you hear as the warm night falls
The silver sound from a time so strange
Sing to me, sing to me
(Pink Floyd – Fat Old Sun)
Read
May 20, 2021Every Pink Floyd album track and single dissected with information on the track's genesis and production with lots of snippets of other info. I've used it to play through the back catalogue while reading about the song I'm listening to. A must for any Pink Floyd fan.
January 9, 2019
Superb big fat book !!!
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