Pink Floyd

The Division Bell

Solid

Review Score:

(8/10)
Any group with a catalog that includes albums such as "Dark Side of the Moon" and "Wish You Were Here" along with their numerous other releases will forever have to live up to that reputation. In the hands of other groups "The Division Bell" would be considered a high-water mark in their repertoire; in the hands of Pink Floyd this is just another competent, beautiful album.

The album opens with the instrumental "Cluster One," featuring the sounds of Mother Earth herself. The music is quiet, thoughtful, an introspective introduction that provides a flavor of things to come, and perhaps reminds you that this CD is a Pink Floyd CD; you can expect art, a touch of this, a touch of that, and it will be tinged with progressive elements.

The stronger elements of "What Do You Want from Me" contrast nicely with the opening piece. The song has elements that date back to "Wish You Were Here" and "Dark Side of the Moon." While the work breaks little new ground for Floyd, it is the reliability and quality of the music and lyrics that make it so addictive. This music is the same while being different. Those contrasting guitar chords are so Floyd. "Poles Apart" follows in a similar vein. However, the power of the lyrics of "Poles Apart" pulls you into the imagery painted by the combination of the music and lyrics. Once again the keyboards reminded me of "Dark Side of the Moon."

The fourth track, "Marooned," is okay. This instrumental track may fit with the theme of the introduction, but is otherwise uninspired. The instrumental is pleasant and mellow, an accompaniment to floating clouds and mellow water surrounded by whispering spring trees; music to get dreamy by.

I have allowed myself to be influenced by another reviewer who stated that David Gilmour took the opportunity to get a few digs at Roger Waters in this CD. At first I heard the lyrics of "A Great Day for Freedom" as relating to the breaking down of barriers between East and West at the end of the cold war. Multiple listening now convinces me that the song has more to do with the departure of Roger Waters than anything else. The music is mellow and good, but to use the lyrics as may have been done distracts from my enjoyment of a musically good song.

While the music of "Wearing the Inside Out" starts with a jazz flavor, or may even remind a listener of Vangelis' "Blade Runner" music, the lyrics are surreal and hint at paranoia and being left out. Richard Wright's music retains only a hint of Pink Floyd's usual musical style and while the change in flavor may provide some needed variation, the variation is also noticeable to a focused listener. This track is one of my less favorite on this CD.

I like the music and the lyrics of "Take It Back." There is a strong pop beat to this song, but it is so listenable and the lyrics are complex so that it is an enjoyable song. My only objection is the pop-like repetitive lyric at the end of the song. The harmony is well done, but the repetition is annoying.

The lyrics of "Coming Back to Life" are evocative. The song is a lament, and a seeking, and a journey, and a vision, an ending and a new beginning. It is amazing that David Gilmour managed to squeeze so much into the sparse lyrics of this song. While this song retains some of the pop flavor of "Take It Back," the lyrics will challenge an analytical listener and turns what could have been a mundane song into a good listen.

"Keep Talking" uses a bit of a gimmick with the synthesized voice of physicist, cosmologist and author Stephen Hawking used at several places in the song. I like this song with its Pink Floyd style. However, I keep thinking that this song sounds similar in places to another song I heard on an early Pink Floyd album; I am just unable to pinpoint the song. Perhaps the style is so strongly similar to early Pink Floyd that I keep thinking this is a song from "Wish You Were Here."

The song "Lost for Words" is a song of frustration. How can you help overcome the differences between you and those who may be your enemies? This song really has no answer to the question, but how many songs of any genre use the words "doldrums" and "cauldron," particularly in the same song? For a while the vocals have a bit of a Bob Dylan feel to them, particularly in the opening stanza. Later we hear the sound of a boxing match in the bridge leading into a stronger, more Floyd style vocal. This song also contains a four-letter word that I am unable to recall having seen in a Pink Floyd song. I was a bit surprised by the inclusion, though it fits well with the theme.

The last track, "High Hopes," is my favorite on this CD. It is progressive and strong and a wonderful way to finish off a CD. My opinion of this CD was strongly flavored by this last track that contains so many musical elements. The song in introduced with bells and a haunting piano. The initial vocals are dark and plaintive. The lyrics are full of unrealized futures and lost pasts, a feeling that we are coming to the end. The tolling of bells and the heavy bass are sad and nostalgic, and while it would be easy to accept the end as depressing, it is the well-executed artistry of this song that makes me happy rather than the sadness of the song. I hope for a return of Floyd.

This solid CD is a worthy addition to Pink Floyd's catalog. We can only hope that there might yet be something released in the future from this ground-breaking and influential group.

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