Pink Floyd: the difficult selection of a song for an anthology

During their career which extends for six decades, i Pink Floyd they can boast numerous successes, from the first albums with Syd Barrett Until the time of David Gilmour And Roger Waterswho produced classical works like “The Dark Side of the Moon“,”Animals” And “The wall“However, there are also many shadows that the band prefers ignoring, like”Ummagumma“, The first album with Gilmour, who was not welcomed by the fans, and the latest records made after Waters’ departure, considered of poor quality.

The decline started with “The Final Cut“from 1983, the latest album with Waters and the only one without the keyboardist Richard Wright. After the success of “The wall“, The internal conflicts began to negatively influence the creative process, with Waters that clashed frequently with the other members of the band. His difficult personality made complicated collaboration, and in the end none of the members was satisfied with the final result of the album. After his release, the band entered a four -year break period, until Wright’s return to work with Gilmour and the drummer Nick Mason on”A Momentary Lapse of Reason“.

When it was about selecting the songs for “Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd“In 2001, the band was contrary to represent” The Final Cut “excessively, preferring to celebrate superior quality works in their catalog. However, the need to include at least one song of that difficult period, reaching a compromise. Gilmour clearly expressed his point of view on the inclusion of a song from the album, suggesting that without a democratic agreement between him, Wright and Mason, The Final, The Final. Cut “would not have been represented at all. Gilmour joked saying:” I don’t think you are songs from ‘The Final Cut’ are what people want “. However, among the songs devoted by all three, there was”The Fletcher Memorial Home“.

Gilmour added that that period had been one of the most difficult of his life and that working with Waters had been a nightmare, making him reluctant to listen to “The Final Cut” or anything related to it, but recognized that “The Fletcher Memorial Home“It was a great song. Even if they didn’t want to represent that album, at least he received a recognition, unlike” Ummagumma “.