I was always into Floyd during their classic years. Inexplicably (at least to me), more people than I ever would have imagined prefer the Syd Barrett year(s). Personally, I have enjoyed that music to a certain degree, but I've realized that I would need to be in a perpetually drug-induced state to reap further rewards from it. I've also had this bothersome feeling that they could have been more if they had a drummer who was more "present" than Nick Mason. Nothing against him; he served the music well enough, but he just doesn't go that extra mile if you know what I mean. I've always loved Gilmour's writing and playing. His solo on "Comfortably Numb" still makes my hair stand on end to this day, and his phrasing on "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is truly exemplary. Waters is a great composer, but I find his obsession with the dark side of life disturbing to say the least (I cannot listen to "The Wall" without being transported into his dark little mind), and I found his bass playing and singing to be average at best.
On the subject of "Animals", I love this record, and always felt that it did not receive the radio airplay it deserved because of the length of the songs. Further, it is interesting to learn that both Gilmour and Waters felt the band were done after DSotM, simply because of its success and the fact that they felt that, with it, they had accomplished all that they set out to accomplish. I was further shocked to learn that "Wish You Were Here" (my favorite Floyd record from this period) was basically a hastily put-together hodge podge of songs, and that Roger Waters absolutely hated Roy Harper's vocal on "Have A Cigar".
Edited by JETman, 11 March 2012 - 12:01 PM.
