Aptly put mate. Guitarists can play all fiddly-diddly like Eddie Van Halen or Joe Satriani for too long sometimes, good as they are (and to their ego’s satisfaction), but it gets tiresome. David Gilmour’s playing is like listening to old soul records, like Isaac Hayes in guitar form.
Any particular side…? 
It was a real toss of the coin almost as to which of the next two would make top three. But…
No.4: “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd (1975)
From the legendary artwork filmed at Warner Bros in California by Storm Thorgerson of the design company Hipgnosis to the four songs contained within the grooves of this album Wish You Were Here is a mid-70’s masterpiece. The title track alone is one of Pink Floyd’s most famous songs and on the album it features in two parts (or segments 1-9) forming the introduction and finale to the record. It deals with Syd Barrett and the band’s fondness for their departed lead singer/guitarist from the 1960’s psychedelic era, as does the title song. Strangely, and to spook the band for years was the discovery that Barrett himself was actually present at one of the mixing sessions for this record but was virtually unrecognisable with shaven head and twice the weight he was a mere seven years since they last saw him. None of the band actually plucked up enough courage to speak to him on that occasion though.
The album continues with the great ‘Welcome To The Machine’, which could be an extension of the main topic from The Dark Side Of The Moon with its modern day visions of the planet being taken over by technology. ‘Have A Cigar’ follows, a song which both Waters and Gilmour (and Wright for that matter) found they were unable to sing in a style that would do the track justice. Luckily Roy Harper was also recording at Abbey Road Studios at the time and he was asked to sing lead vocal on the track instead – a nice little earner for him.
The final song before the album continued its reprise of ‘Shine On…’ was the title song ‘Wish You Were Here’, a tremendously well written “ballad” which was all the more superb for the twin acoustic guitar interplay of the opening instrumental introduction.
All in all, Wish You Were Here is a great album by this historic band of musicians.
Sleeve image, other images:
https://d1wtzzt4oxg683.cloudfront.net/images/covers/large/216/113216.jpg
Videos:
Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts 1-5 & 6-9):
David Gilmour: solo acoustic, 2002:
Documentary:
Track listing:
Side one
Personnel:
• David Gilmour – vocals, guitars, lap steel guitar, EMS Synthi AKS, tape effects, additional bass
• Roger Waters – vocals, bass guitar, EMS VCS 3, guitar, tape effects
• Nick Mason – drums, percussion, tape effects
• Richard Wright – Hammond C-3 organ, ARP String Ensemble V, Minimoog, Steinway piano, EMS VCS 3, Hohner Clavinet D6, Wurlitzer EP-200 electric piano, backing vocals
• Dick Parry – tenor and baritone saxophone on “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”[73]
• Roy Harper – lead vocals on “Have a Cigar”[74]
• Venetta Fields – backing vocals on “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”
• Carlena Williams – backing vocals on “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”
No.3: “The Division Bell” by Pink Floyd (1994)
The second album of Pink Floyd’s ‘comeback’ following 1987’s rather good but sometimes flawed A Momentary Lapse Of Reason, The Division Bell was a return to the classic era of Pink Floyd. A full-on, brilliantly performed record of eleven modern progressive songs, it dealt in the main with themes which Pink Floyd usually tackled such as living day to day through the trouble and trauma of life’s occurrences.
The sleeve was typical too of the band’s mysterious artwork commissions by Hipgnosis: Two 18ft steel heads seemingly talking to one another, but if looked at closely it can also be seen as one singular face. This was filmed outside Cambridge, the band’s hometown and further acknowledges the band’s topical theme.
There was perhaps an intention to make the band’s final album though nothing was said at the time (and the surprise addition to Floyd’s catalogue was realised in 2014 with a collection of re-recorded ‘outtakes’ for The Endless River) but The Division Bell was virtually the band finally reaching full circle with the final track ‘High Hopes’ virtually sealing that debated theory. There are some fantastic moments to be found on this album and the record did not disappoint, perhaps only the diehard purists of 60’s era Pink Floyd would find fault in the album.
From the opening spooky notes of instrumental ‘Cluster One’ and through the following songs with such titles as ‘What Do You Want From Me?’, Poles Apart’ and ‘Lost For Words’ many thought this was a further dig at former bandmate and subsequent enemy Roger Waters, with past differences rearing its ugly head again. Gilmour and Mason have always denied this, although most of the lyrics were composed by Gilmour’s wife Polly Samson, who perhaps thought differently…
But all in all, I love The Division Bell and it was a seriously hard task deciding where this album would be placed in my list. In the end I desperately wanted it in the top three and that’s where it eventually rested.
Sleeve image, other images:
Videos:
For more live excerpts from The Division Bell tour see Pink Floyd’s ‘Pulse’ entry (Post #56)
Documentary:
Track listing:
Personnel:
• David Gilmour – lead vocals, acoustic, electric, classical & steel guitars, bass guitar (“Poles Apart”, “Wearing the Inside Out”, “Lost for Words” and “High Hopes”), keyboards, programming, talk box, production, mixing
• Nick Mason – drums, percussion, Church Bell
• Richard Wright – keyboards, piano, lead vocals (“Wearing the Inside Out”) and backing vocals (“What Do You Want from Me”)
• Jon Carin – programming, piano, additional keyboards
• Guy Pratt – bass guitar
• Gary Wallis – percussion
• Tim Renwick – guitars
• Dick Parry – tenor saxophone
• Bob Ezrin – keyboards, percussion
• Sam Brown – backing vocals
• Durga McBroom – backing vocals
• Carol Kenyon – backing vocals
• Jackie Sheridan – backing vocals
• Rebecca Leigh-White – backing vocals
• Professor Stephen Hawking – vocal samples on “Keep Talking”
I now have a lot of work to do on the final two albums. Hopefully they will be ready for posting sometime Friday night.
This,
As a guitarist myself I find both fast playing and playing with lots of overdrive / distortion almost tiresome. Never liked Hendrix for example. Sometimes there is a good inbetween like Thin Lizzy’s guitaring however. I prefer slower and more subtle with some feeling.
The intro to “Coming back to life” for example, is almost mesmerizing, and far more involving than fast but (to me) messy solos.
Does this mean Who’s Next is either number 2 or 1? That and Led Zep 4 (or have we had that one?).
Interesting about Thin Lizzy. I’d also tie in Wishbone Ash with that style too, if a little slower on songs such as Phoenix for example 
No mate, had 'em both…
50-3:
058-WHO-Who’s Next-1971
050-CHRIS REA-Dancing With Strangers-1987
049-DAVID GILMOUR-Live In Gdansk-2008
048-DAVID BOWIE-Blackstar-2016
047-DEACON BLUE-Raintown-1987
046-JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE-Are You Experienced?-1967
045-WHO-Tommy-1969
044-PINK FLOYD-The Endless River-2014
043-NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE-Rust Never Sleeps-1979
042-BEATLES-Rubber Soul-1965
041-MARILLION-Misplaced Childhood-1985
040-MIKE OLDFIELD-Tubular Bells-1973
039-DON HENLEY-The End Of The Innocence-1989
038-PINK FLOYD-Animals-1977
037-DAVID BOWIE-Station To Station-1976
036-GARY NUMAN-The Pleasure Principle-1979
035-JOY DIVISION-Closer-1980
034-DAVID BOWIE-Hunky Dory-1971
033-PINK FLOYD-Meddle-1971
032-MEAT LOAF-Bat Out Of Hell-1977
031-BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN-Born In The USA-1984
030-EAGLES-Hotel California-1977
029-BEATLES-Abbey Road-1969
028-FLEETWOOD MAC-Rumours-1977
027-BILLY JOEL-The Stranger-1977
026-DAVID BOWIE-Low-1977
025-DAVID BOWIE-The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars-1972
024-EAGLES-Hell Freezes Over-1995
023-LED ZEPPELIN-Led Zeppelin IV-1971
022-BEATLES-Sgt. Pepper’s ‘Lonely Hearts’ Club Band-1967
021-DIRE STRAITS-Making Movies-1980
020-ROGER WATERS-The Pros And Cons Of Hitch Hiking-1984
019-RENAISSANCE-A Song For All Seasons-1978
018-DIRE STRAITS-Love Over Gold-1982
017-BLONDIE-Parallel Lines-1978
016-BEATLES-Revolver-1966
015-ALAN PARSONS PROJECT-I Robot-1977
014-BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN-Born To Run-1975
013-NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE-Live Rust-1979
012-BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN-The River-1980
011-SEX PISTOLS-Never Mind The Bollocks…Here’s The Sex Pistols-1977
010-GENESIS-Duke-1980
009-BOSTON-Third Stage-1986
008-ASIA-Asia-1982
007-PINK FLOYD-The Final Cut-1983
006-JOY DIVISION-Unknown Pleasures-1979
005-ALAN PARSONS PROJECT-Eye In The Sky-1982
004-PINK FLOYD-Wish You Were Here-1975
003-PINK FLOYD-The Division Bell-1994
I am in agreement and like solos such as ‘Easy like Sunday Morning’ and 'Life’s been good to me so far. Both done with feeling.
Wishbone Ash - great band.
Love the track “Living Proof”
Re Thin Lizzy.
Have a listen to the album “Live & Dangerous” and the guitaring on the tracks “Dancing in the moonlight” and “the cowboy song”.
My memory is terrible, no surprise when there are 1000 albums. I think I’d have those 2 a little higher but it’s your favourites.
I prefer The Division Bell to a lot of Floyd albums; it has a sense of completeness to it.
Have you any time for Roy Harper, Floydy? I particularly like his albums especially Stormcock. He’s someone who started off as a folkie and went in his own unique direction from there.
Damn - I managed to miss this. Great album, I bought it when I was still at school…
Have you listened to their album “The great rock n roll swindle”?
I have both of these on vinyl.
Classic Album Fender, I was thinking today about which Guitarist was the complete technician and musician, Garry Moore was the geezer, closely followed by Rory Gallagher.
One of my favourites Fender, it’s in this list somehwere
I love the track ‘Still In Love With You’ and the Bob Seger classic ‘Rosalie’ too.
I’d just like to say, I’ve been kicking around on a piece of ground in my home town, waiting for someone or something.
Hi Ffosse.
Yeah no worries about posting anything as a memory jogger mate. I needed to check that Who album myself…I was certain I’d made it a Top 40 album! 
Perhaps I should have exchanged it with Tommy, I dunno?!
Division Bell is marvellous isn’t it? A really special record which sounds good in any surroundings - I’ve played it on my headphones on a treadmill, relaxing on a sun lounger, in the car, anywhere.
There is the Roy Harper album “Folkjokeopus” lower down in my chart, but to be honest I need to seek out more albums by him. I don’t know that much about him really.
Pleased you’re enjoying all this bud
Oh yes mate. It’s in my list somewhere because it’s a soundtrack and not a compilation, so I allowed it. Ties up a lot of loose ends
…to show you the way?
I have a t-shirt with the words “Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day”. Gotta be done
