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Wish You Were Here – a people’s history of Pink Floyd

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Author:Richard Houghton

A few year’s ago we reviewed books on Simple Minds and Free/Bad Company, where the history of a band was examined by collating people’s reminiscences of attending gigs over the years. This new book is of the same ilk, very comprehensive and detailed in its scope and presented on top quality glossy paper with plenty of colour photographs of the contributors. The book begins with the band in its earliest incarnation in 1966 and ends on a show by Saucerful of Secrets in 2019, before backtracking to add a post script with the Syd Barrett tribute show in 2007, and covers not only Floyd performances, which obviously make up the bulk of the book, but also, more briefly, solo tours over the years by Gilmour and Waters. Clearly these memories are recounted with the benefit of many years of hindsight, and recollections are occasionally and understandably a little hazy, as what were then young people or perhaps just teenagers are now usually in their sixties or even older. The most fascinating aspect of this lengthy volume is the stories of epic journeys to get to gigs as well as of the experience of the show itself, although the music performed tends to remain constant from night to night. All types of event are covered, from the early small and sparsely attended shows in England through to the massive globe trotting tours of the world’s stadia in the band’s heyday, and there always seems to be an intriguing tale to be told – and of course the shows that you attended yourself warrant particularly close attention to see if the thoughts of the contributors reflect your own personal views and memories. As the Floyd themselves once said, the memories of a man in his old age are the deeds of a man in his prime, so if you’re an avid fan of the band then this book is well worth seeking out or adding to that ever growing Christmas list.

Length of Read:Long

Might appeal to people who enjoyed…

Remembering the day.

One thing you’ve learned

Sadly there aren’t any memories or eyewitness accounts of the infamous spitting incident in Montreal at the end of the Animals/In The Flesh tour, which was one of the inspirations for The Wall.

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Comments

    • @Dai,I don’t mind people disagreeing with my views at all but it seems rather unnecessary sometimes. I get you don’t like Pink Floyd but many of us do, and there’s nothing to stop you starting a thread on something you do like. Perhaps it’s easier just to sit back and criticise others efforts. For instance, I’m not remotely interested in Wordle but what would be the point of me making a negative comment to that effect on each of the seemingly innumerable threads that spring up on here with monotonous regularity – far easier just just scroll past them and let those that obviously do enjoy them get on with it. Maybe apply the same logic to topics you don’t like – or perhaps I should follow your example from your ABBA thread a few years back and simply put in each post ‘if you don’t like x then don’t bother posting on here, go and start your own thread…..’

      • I do like Pink Floyd actually (at least some of their stuff), was just some gentle joshing that you post a weekly review about them lately. No malice intended @Bargepole

        For the record, I haven’t heard the Waters release, I own DSOTM on vinyl, but think it is inferior to Meddle, Wish You Were Here and (possibly) Animals. I also like the Syd stuff, but not a fan of The Wall.

              • Using ‘Imperial Phase’ as a benchmark on what ‘not’ to listen to, whoever it is, my favourite LP by The Pink Floyd is More, but I think they were a better singles’ group, and when they left Columbia it all went ho-and-hum, only there was less to hum!

            • I think you’re probably safe until 2025 when there may be a 50th anniversary of Wish You Were Here presumably. Other than that Steven Wilson has remixed Gilmour’s first album so I suppose that may appear at some point although I’ve heard nothing about it for ages. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a live set from Waters most recent tour either but who knows – he’s a law unto himself and as his contract with Sony has ended he has no obligations at the moment – although there is his autobiography on the horizon which he claimed at his recent London shows is to be entitled I’ll See You on the Dark Side of the Moon – Memoirs of a Lanky Prick…..

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