The Division Bell

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Customer reviews

review by: Watty date: 2008-08-28 rating:
My favourite album
This isn't just my favourite Floyd album but my favourite album of all time. If it was vinyl I would have worn it out years ago. I don't even know who Roger Waters is/was and his presence could not have improved this superb CD.
Sure, old Floyd stuff is good but this is their best.

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review by: date: 2008-03-26 rating:
Great album, for any other band than Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are, arguably, one of the most influential and talented bands to have ever existed. And while this band would be pure genius if any other band (no offence) would have produced it, it just isn't really up to Pink Floyd's usual standard of inspiration.

This, I think, has nothing to do with Roger Water's departure, but far more with a lack of passion: they just weren't really enjoying themselves when producing this album. Or as Gilmour puts it in 'What do you want from me': should I play my guitar till my fingers are raw?
Also, the album sounds slightly overproduced, relatively 'flat', lacking intensity. The progressive art-rock doesn't really sound all that progressive, but more dated and complacent. That said, that doesn't mean that this is a bad album, not at all. As I mentioned, it is a great album, and it has some great songs, I only feel Floyd (even without Waters) could have done better.

It features Wright's first song since 'Dark Side of the Moon': Wearing the inside out, well performed, great lyrics, but lacking intensity and Floyd's originality. 'Coming Back to life' is the 'poppy' song of the album. 'High Hopes' and 'Keep Talking' is the sound of the Pink Floyd we know and love: passionate, briliantly composed and original. 'Take it Back' and 'What Do you want from me' are two Floydian rockers. The other songs vary from instrumental (Marooned), to singer/songwriter/bluesy songs (Lost for Words).

This album is a must have for the Floyd Fan, and if you're new to Floyd you could easily enjoy this album as your first buy: just remember there are better Floyd albums out there and only time will tell whether this album will stand the test of time as the 'old' albums did.

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review by: date: 2008-01-31 rating:
No Waters, but still a great listen
I must say that this album sounds fantastic. The music is soulful, with that classic Pink sound and the lyrics are memorable. Sadly, they seem to have lost their edge after Waters left. Not as good as classic Pink Floyd, but a quality album, none-the-less.

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review by: date: 2008-01-01 rating:
back on form
This sees the band come full circle and the Waters-less Floyd work in a similar fashion as to the way they used to : as musicians in a room, jamming out ideas. As a result, "The Division Bell" is not only a classic return to form in every respect, but sounds for the first time in two decades, like the work of a band pulling and working together. The material is excellent, and far removed from the usual bluff and fluff one would expect of a bunch of millionaries on the verge of retirement. There's no filler, no padding, no duffers on this record, but a collection of finely crafted, artistically worthy material that stands the equal of anything they did in their heyday., proving once and for all, that unlike many of their contemporaries of the time, the Floyd never had a truly barren patch, but remained artistically worthwhile and vibrant throughout all their incarnations.


review by: Keith_O date: 2007-10-02 rating:
disregard the views of the boring purists
It is important to ignore the severe criticism regarding this album, which emerges primarily from the purist camp who do nothing but listen to the dated rubbish which Pink Floyd produced during the late sixties; together with their much improved DSotM and WYWH. I have been listening to Pink Floyd for around 25 years now, and have met dozens of people who would give this album an extremely harsh review. These critics are some of the most boring people I have ever met in my lifetime. People who associate Floyd's music with their own, deep, personal experiences (usually sitting around on their backsides, doing nothing all day and tripping on LSD). These people are trapped in a time warp which resembles a compost heap. Do not jump into that heap yourself by overlooking this album.

Division Bell is a consumately crafted album, by experienced musicians who have breathed music all of their lives; and it shows. Yes, we can hark back to the glory days of WYWH and in particular the guitar work on 'Shine'; however, the musicianship is of a much higher standard on Division Bell, whether the purists like it or not. The songs are more complex and deal with deeper issues - many of which the ordinary citizen can relate to. David Gilmour's guitar playing is yearningly beautiful and timeless - and there's a lot of it on show.

You have to remember, that earlier Floyd's music would have taken the world by surprise when released. Now, in a time where nothing surprises, the only option is to make music that is deeply moving and soulful - minus the gadgetry, which doesn't raise anyones eybrows these days anyway.

It's also important to remember, that a band cannot keep writing the same kind of music time and time again. Musicians have to evolve and change, for the greater good. Whether it's to the purists taste is another matter. Metallica also, have come under severe criticism, due to a change in direction (at around the same time as when this album was produced) which resulted in the band losing many of their loyal fans. These fans wanted Metallica to continue writing albums which sounded exactly like their 1986 opus, titled 'Master of Puppets'. How narrow minded these people are! So, would the people who initially heard and loved Beethoven's set of Opus 2 piano sonatas, wish that particular composer to write only sonatas in a similar style and scope, throughout his life; preventing him from moving on to produce the late, great masterpieces such as the final 5 string quartets, and the 9th symphony? Should Chopin, who delighted his fans with the Waltz, have written nothing but the Waltz? This issue can be related directly to any band which has been around for ten years or more; and I can relate the old school fans of any particular band, as nothing other than a musicians hinderance.

If you like fine, tasteful rock music - you will not be disappointed with Pink Floyd's 'Division Bell'. It improves with repeated listening, and is not overly long at 66 minutes. The music doesn't drag, as some people think, and there are enough twists and turns throughout which will hold your attention. I thoroughly recommend this album.

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