New from old (caution: "Endless Review" ;-))

Okay, now I will also speak on the new Pink Floyd album. Generally, I have not considered it necessary to review Pink Floyd (even if I home the entire back catalog and know by heart), because, unlike many of my favorite bands are PF when it comes to reviews here on Amazon, already quite well covered. Also, there were already about this, recently published work shortly after the release already plenty of reviews. But therein lies the problem in my eyes. How So? Pink Floyd were never as yet made the band whose albums opened up during a single hearing. Especially not in their progressive discovery phase, later perhaps more, but also works like "Animals" or "The Final Cut" were surely due to their bulkiness nothing that could be classified according to a listening test. That's why I decided to review immediately but me a little longer to deal with the album. After only a few Hördurchgängen I feel confirmed in this theory because some passages have not fired me immediately. Shame the quick fixes!

What sounds "The Endless River"? Sure, by Pink Floyd. But there are other Pink Floyd as the one that was known previously. The subversive, critical element that Pink Floyd without Roger Waters still dwelt, this tension and gloom, in which soundscapes and lyrics combine, all the missing at a time and opens the way for the musical core of the band, at least the band Syd Barrett's exit. The DNA of what Pink Floyd accounted for in its heyday. The band's music is also the theme of "Louder Than Words", the only track with vocals on this album. Also spherical or abstract soundscapes are of course for Floyd sound. You remember things like "A Saucerful Of Secrets", much of the "Ummagumma" -Studioplatte or the middle part of "Echoes". So far so good. However, "The Endless River" formulated only in a few places. This is of course the fact that the existing tracks back to those jam sessions, which also already part of "The Division Bell" had arisen. At that time, Rick Wright still alive and with a few exceptions (parts of "Cluster One") were the ideas and sketches into finished pieces of music (mostly with text) elaborated and then recorded as normal in the studio. That was no longer here. Or would David Gilmour and Nick Mason does not it? The band had indeed played since the mid-nineties with the idea to publish an instrumental partner to the "Division Bell" album, which was to consist primarily of ambient passages and psychedelic improvisations. At that time the whole thing was under the title "The Big Spliff" talking. Now Gilmour and Mason have indeed completed tracks and the material (which was selected by Phil Manzanera of the twenty (!) Hours) polished to a shine. But even if you pack an unfinished picture in a nice frame, it is still unfinished. On "The Endless River" therefore you can hear the process, not the state. Much remains inconsequential, otherwise is enthralling. The accusation, which you can probably let it pass most likely, is this: The music is a whole little complex and harmonious rather repetitive. What indeed is somehow logical. After all, these pieces have emerged in spontaneous jams, and has not augetüftelt alone up front. Even that many a track modeled on older material, makes sense in the context. Often one has the feeling that the band with a preset such as "Now let's play something in the style of ..." has jammed. One can as well as further development, or as a return point to old strengths. In other words, at the latest in 1977 would be something like "Echoes" but no longer have been possible with Roger Waters.

Although probably contradicts the principle of the album, I want here once for each track (read: section of four 11 to 14-minute suites) give my two cents.

Things Left Unsaid - Only slowly peels the typical Pink Floyd sound out. The music moves in slow motion. An intro that some targeted flows to himself. Striking from the outset the dominance of keyboards.
It's What We Do - "Shine on You Crazy Diamond"! And not in the original, but in the '88s version. Rick Wright uses the same presets here. The piece is of course another, but in similar style. Beautiful and sublime.
Ebb and Flow - birds chirping? A small postscript, with David Gilmour on the ubiquitous e-bow guitar. Beautifully fluent, but now must go to get what Faster ...

Summary Side 1 - The purist side, Rick Wright and David Gilmour shows when creating their famous soundscapes. Aesthetically close to the "Wish You Were Here" album.

Sum - Does the inclined fan already, since excerpts on "The Division Bell" could be heard. A great piece that introduces dissonance in the music and sit up with dramatic guitar leaves. Amazing Masons Tom thunderstorm. Even old VCS3-Synth and the Farfisa organ be unpacked!
Skins - Nick Mason still remembers in top form, one feels best "Pompeii" times. The keyboard staccato is continued, there is more dissonances. In fact, "Skins" is something like a modern "Syncopated Pandemonium".
Unsung - Short, majestic Interlude, which at one point really can stand on one's hair.
Anisina - So I'm doing me still a little hard, mainly because of some getting used to saxophone and clarinet parts of klezmer musician Gilad Atzmon. The play itself is a cross between merwürdige "Us and Them", "Comfortably Numb" and Alan Parsons Project "Nothing Left to Lose". After all, there towards the end of an official, indulgent guitar solo by Gilmour, as we know it. Wright is not represented here, that is, the piece is a new recording, but goes according to Gilmour also back to the early nineties. The backing vocals make it a little cheesy, which has not occurred so far.

Summary Side 2 - The first three pieces are terrific, "Anisina" a bit strange - but not necessarily bad. Very successful and how the keyboard staccato is maintained like a thread all the time.

The Lost Art of Conversation - The title is reminiscent of both the fact that communication was an issue of "The Division Bell", as well as the fact that Gilmour and Wright could communicate great music and that was the basis of many great Floyd moments. Beautiful piano, like "Marooned" or "Cluster One". A particularly strong accentuated tritone in the chord progression (1:18) almost breaks my heart. Really great.
On Noodle Street - The piece with the self-deprecating title is unusual jazzy for Floyd ratios. A Fender Rhodes on a Pink Floyd-piece? To my knowledge, a novelty. In terms of understatement, it is somewhat reminiscent of "Funky Dung".
Nightlight - apt title! Recalls from the atmosphere a little. On Gilmour's "On to Iceland" album These are very vivid soundscapes.
Allons-y (1) - "Run Like Hell"! The chord sequence is different, but the rhythm is similar, and the piece is quite lively and varied, therefore. Fats Hammond ...
Autumn '68 - ... and then a monstrous pipe organ! Had actually "Summer '69" should be called, but that would probably lead to confusion with a certain Mr. Adams. An excerpt from an organ solo by Wright, the excellent fits, though it comes from the late sixties. As Gilmour and Mason responding to Wright's organ motifs (a gong!), Is really high class.
Allons-y (2) - Part two of the probably hardest rocking track of the album and just as good as part one. Very inspired guitar playing of Mr. Gilmour.
Talkin 'Hawkin' - That's Floyd again in its purest form. 3/4-time unusual, hypnotic melody a catchy tune. The chords remind me a little of "Pigs (Three Different Ones)". Whether you have to once again hear Stephen Hawking (for "Keep Talking"), is questionable, but, of course, his words fit the basic message of the album.

Summary Side 3 - from start to finish really succeeded. My favorite "page". The sandwich Medley is clever and well executed.

Calling - This new piece trying to fit into the overall atmosphere, but does not create. For the first time I feel the music as a long-winded, the keyboards sound artificial and the melody is inappropriate. This should have been done differently. Why has waived this mediocre title to another material of '93 sessions, I can not understand. Sounds a bit the piece as part of "a momentary lapse of reason" ("Signs of Life", "Yet Another Movie", "Terminal Frost"), just not as good.
Eyes to Pearls - Again, rather little, but the acoustic guitar is sometimes a welcome change does. Melodie least reasonably catchy.
Surfacing - Sounds like the gloomy brother of "Poles Apart", because of acoustic guitars. Would also fit well on "The Division Bell". Reminds me also about something else, but at what, I currently can not think of ...
Louder than Words - bells! Now it has long been accustomed to the "lack" of singing, then the good Lord Gilmour begins at once to sing! Well, a classic Floyd song "Louder Than Words" all. A slightly lighter version of "Wearing the Inside Out" perhaps, with a nice chord sequence and a typical melody. But the text is not consistently successful, and Dave also does not sound as if he is really happy with the words - at least affects his speech somewhat inhibited. Better than the radio for the abbreviated version of the song is here, however, already. The solo is neat, no career highlight but not bad either. There are mainly defined by the solo chords that impress - and then this captivating final chord ... and finally it stops just as it started ...

Summary Side 4 - Overall probably the "weakest" side, mainly because of "Calling". Sets a decent, but not spectacular finale.

Conclusion:
"The Endless River" is a fitting end; after the song-oriented works "Momentary Lapse" and "Division Bell" is the instrumental antithesis and at the same time a continuation - the sphärischse and quietest Pink Floyd album. The silence between the four suites is a conscious stylistic device. If you like for example "Spirit of Eden" TalkTalk, this album might also like, even though the "outbursts" here are probably much less likely.
The bad reviews here on Amazon are barely comprehensible to me: Who Pink Floyd knows well, who knows that here foregrounded stylistic devices were not only an important part of the PF-sounds, but the band have always lifted by others. You certainly can not appreciate the importance of this publication high enough, they had nevertheless long been accepted that there would be no more music to hear the band.
In addition, the album is great produced (dynamic !!! No Loudness War!) And to the unanimous opinion of other sound even better in 5.1 (not exactly explained I am). The bonus tracks are interesting: Worth listening especially "Nervana" with an unusual rock Gilmour, which would have disturbed the mood of the album, but is great. In addition, you get a good impression must have been like the mood in the former sessions especially in the Video Tracks. With "TBS9" and "TBS14" there are then also two excerpts from the original "The Big Spliff" and under the title "Evrika" that fragment ultimately become a part of "Wearing the Inside Out".
Highlights of the album - even if you have to hear it through to understand it! - Are probably the following titles:
It's What We Do; Sum / skins; Allons-y / Autumn '68 / Allons-y; Louder than Words

UPDATE: I originally had the factory four star missed, because of its postscript-character and the impression of "incompleteness" I had initially. But with each new listening test I am doing more and more difficult in order to maintain this rating, because everything fits so wonderfully with each other and because "the endless river" actually works as a self-contained album. Thus, so now the highest rating for "The Endless River", which at first I was so intended or expected. I am not necessarily saying that it is as good as "Dark Side of the Moon", and the Floyd beginners definitely need other albums, but for the fans (especially the phase '68 - '75), this album is compulsory. I want to on the partly intolerable abuse of this great music and also the band members do not miss more that has (just like many other fans) already gives me enough grief. With objective criticism it has nothing to do.