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| Album
Information |
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| Released:
30 March - April 1994
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| Recorded:
1993 |
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| Genre:
Progressive rock |
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| Length:
66:32 |
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| Label:
EMI (UK) |
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| Columbia
(US) |
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| Producer:
Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour |
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Album Art |
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Background
The Division Bell is the most recent studio album
by Pink Floyd, released in 1994 (March 30 in the
United Kingdom and April 5 in the United States),
and the second album without Roger Waters. It
was recorded at a number of studios, including
guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour's houseboat studio
called The Astoria. It went to #1 in the UK and
debuted at the top of the U.S. Billboard 200 album
charts in April of 1994, spending 4 weeks as the
top album in the country. By contrast, Pink Floyd's
previous album A Momentary Lapse of Reason had
only reached #3. The Division Bell was certified
Gold, Platinum and Double Platinum in the U.S.
in June of 1994 and Triple Platinum in January
of 1999. Its release was accompanied by a successful
tour documented in the P•U•L•S•E
album released the following year.
Before the Roger Waters-led period, David Gilmour
stated that the music and lyrics were in balance,
and the importance of the music was understood.
The Division Bell's atmosphere is spacier, sounding
more like Meddle or Obscured by Clouds than the
grittier and harsher tones of Animals or The Wall.
David Gilmour and Richard Wright stated on "In
the Studio with Redbeard", which spotlighted
The Division Bell (including interviews which
were recorded for The Division Bell's world premiere
special aired one week before its U.S. release)
that the album was the band's best since their
1975 release Wish You Were Here.
This release marks the first time Richard Wright
had sung lead vocals on a Pink Floyd album since
1973's The Dark Side of the Moon, although he
did provide backing vocals for Wish You Were Here,
Animals and A Momentary Lapse of Reason. It also
marks his first songwriting credit on a Pink Floyd
album since Wish You Were Here.
The track "Marooned" was awarded a Grammy
in the category of Best Rock Instrumental Performance
at the Grammy Awards of 1994. This has been Pink
Floyd's only Grammy to date.
EMI concocted an Internet-based "puzzle"
known as the Publius Enigma in connection with
the album's release. Officially, it was never
solved.
Douglas Adams, the author of The Hitchhikers Guide
to the Galaxy series, chose the name of the album,
being a friend of David Gilmour. This came about
because the three band members could not agree
on an album title (with both "Pow Wow"
and "Down to Earth" being suggested)
and Adams said he would give the band a name if
they made a quite large donation to Greenpeace.
The band agreed and the name, taken from a line
in the final track, "High Hopes", was
suggested. The phrase itself derives from the
division bell, which is rung in the British House
of Commons, and some other legislatures, to signal
the commencement of a division (vote) to Members
of Parliament.
Despite no specific over-arching concept, there
is a musical connection between the songs in the
form of a linking theme of communication and the
lack of it. Tracks such as "What Do You Want
from Me", "A Great Day for Freedom"
and "Take It Back" seem chiefly concerned
with communication problems within relationships, while "Keep Talking" is more
generally about the importance of maintaining
a dialogue and the dangers of allowing oneself
to become insular. Samples of Professor Stephen
Hawking (from a telephone company advertisement)
provide the spoken word portions of "Keep
Talking".
While some songs can be interpreted as references
to the then ongoing relationship problems between
Pink Floyd members, especially the long-standing
estrangement between David Gilmour and Roger Waters,
Gilmour denies that the album is an allegory for
the split and acknowledges only "a couple
of hinted mentions that could or could not have
something to do with him [Waters]".
At the end of the album, Gilmour's step-son, Charlie,
can be heard hanging up the telephone on Pink
Floyd manager Steve O'Rourke, who had pleaded
to be allowed to appear on a Pink Floyd album.
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
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