Description
Label Review.
1994 album. 2011 remaster. Digipak. Also available on CD, and black vinyl.
Our Overview.
Following Roger Waters departure in 1985 and the 'new' Pink Floyd's new album 'A Momentary Lapse Of Reason' and successful comeback tour of 1987-1990, David Gilmour (the new de-facto leader of the band) called a hiatus following their appearance at Knebworth in June 1990. Aware that the aforementioned record wasn't really a band effort but a Pink Floyd album by committee, Gilmour was sure that another long player should be constructed primarily by the band members in order to create something that long-term fans would find more authentic. In 1993, Gilmour, Nick Mason and Rick Wright convened on Gilmour's house boat / recording studio The Astoria to write and record what would be Pink Floyd's final studio album (until 2014's 'The Endless River') 'The Division Bell'. Guy Pratt, their bass player on the previous tour, joined them in the initial creative process. Co-producer of the last album, Bob Ezrin reprised his role on the new record and later the band were joined by various other session musicians and singers, many of whom like Pratt has played with them on the last tour.
Released in March 1994, 'The Division Bell' received mixed reviews but the public pushed them to one side and lapped up the new record which like the last one, attempted to replicate the feel of the albums the band made prior to 'The Wall' whilst mixing in modern production techniques. Lyrically, Gilmour (who never admitted to being a natural poet) was aided by his author wife Polly Samson who contributed to six of the albums eleven tracks. Rick Wright gained his first lead vocal on a Pink Floyd track since 'The Dark Side Of The Moon' on his own "Wearing The Inside Out" whilst also sharing songwriting credits on another four songs.
'The Division Bell Tour' began as soon as the album was released and took in 112 shows over a seven month period, wrapping up with a residency at Earls Court in London concluding on the 29th October 1994 which would be the final full show by Pink Floyd ever although of course no-one knew it at the time. A live album and video were released the following year as 'Pulse'. Although Wright was eager to get back to work on another Pink Floyd project, Gilmour was reticent and effectively semi-retired for the rest of the 1990s to concentrate on his family, indulging in nothing more than session work. Wright instead worked on a solo album: 'Broken China' issued in 1996.