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The son of Roger Waters from "Pink Floyd" in a special interview for "Shishab": "After 50 years - the music and the words remain relevant" | Israel today

2023-02-17T09:12:02.416Z


On March 1, the world will mark the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side Of The Moon" album • But instead of celebrating a honeymoon, its two great creators, Roger Waters and David Gilmour, are now embroiled in a high-profile fight, which includes profanity, profanity and venomous tweets • Music lovers, on the other hand, do not forget the groundbreaking album, which is designed to deal with issues that connect people


Roger Waters and David Gilmour, the two leaders of the Pink Floyd band in its prime, are today aging musicians who can't stand each other and don't talk to each other.

The history between them is full of venomous conflicts, which over the years have reached mutual slanders, and even to the courts.

The last time the two were seen on the same stage was in 2011, when Gilmour was a guest at Waters' concert in London, and they say that they would agree to play together again only if it was about saving humanity.

Even a fat check of 150 million dollars, for a joint tour, they refused to accept.

The last show together, photo: GettyImages

The differences of opinion between the two are not only reserved for music.

If Gilmore publicly supported Ukraine, which is at war, you can be sure Waters would be on the other side of the fence.

Indeed, he explained to the UN assembly that Ukraine is "not really a country", that the Russian invasion came after a Ukrainian provocation, and that "Nazis rule Ukraine".

Gilmour's wife, Polly Samson, quickly jumped into the boiling water and tweeted against Waters: "Sad, but you are anti-Semitic to your rotten core. Both an apologist for Putin, and a liar, thief, hypocrite, tax raiser, lip syncer at concerts, misogynist, jealous patient , Megaloman. Enough with your nonsense."

Gilmore immediately supported his wife: "Every word is true."

"the issues of concern"

It's quite amazing that all this fuss is happening when right now, on March 1, the world will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon" album, considered by many to be one of the greatest rock works ever written.

The album, known in Israel as "The Dark Side of the Moon", sold about 45 million copies worldwide - and is considered one of the best sellers in history.

And it's an album signed by Waters and Gilmour.

"It's a shame they came to this situation," admitted Harry Waters, Roger's son, in an interview he gave to the Mossaf "Sheshab" last weekend.

"It's a shame especially, because while they were close, at that particular point, they wrote wonderful music together. But as we know, things don't always work when you create together."

What was so special about the album that made it a huge hit?

"In my opinion, the album was successful mainly due to the words that still touch on things that worry us so much. Old age, time, worrying about money. Things that make up humanity and are related to every person's life. In the history of music, Pink Floyd may not be at the heights of the Beatles, but it is placed right Close to the top."

Harry Waters with members of the Israeli band Echoes, which specializes in playing Pink Floyd.

"It was not a problem for me to find out that they are from Israel", Photo: Echoes

The first roots of British Pink Floyd sprouted in the mid-1960s, when Waters and drummer Nick Mason met at the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Westminster in London.

Slowly, the group formed around them, which also included keyboardist Richard Wright, and the addition of guitarist and singer Sid Barrett, in 1965, was especially influential.

It was Barrett who gave the band its name, and was dominant in writing the material for its debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, released in August 1967. But soon something changed in the leader.

Bart consumed more and more drugs, until he went on a bad trip that caused him speech problems and memory holes.

He used to disappear for days, and sometimes he would stand on stage and repeat the same chord throughout the entire performance.

The members of Pink Floyd realized that they could not continue to rely on their friend's abilities, and as a backup they added Bart's friend - guitarist David Gilmour.

Gilmour learned the material, and one day, on the way to a gig in Southampton in the south of England, the band decided not to include Barrett in the car leaving London.

"Dark Side of the Moon" was the eighth album that Pink Floyd recorded, after five studio albums and two soundtrack albums for movies.

For years the group searched for a musical direction between psychedelic rock and progressive rock.

He released good albums, which were sold in good quantities.

They even reached number one on the sales chart, with "Atom Heart Mother", but there was no breakthrough in sight.

"The band touched on points that are less directly related to a person," says Noam Rappaport, who wrote books about the music of those years and lectures on Pink Floyd.

"These were more spacey, abstract themes. Pink Floyd was receptive even before the 'dark side', but apart from underground music fans - many were not attracted to it. There is a clip from Australian television in 1971, in which Roger Waters says that all members of the band have a right veto, and if one of them doesn't like the material - the idea falls through. A short time later he will no longer think in this way."

Heartbeat effects

The one who was greatly influenced by Pink Floyd of those years is the musician Ilan Wirtzberg, who in addition to the 16 albums he released, also produced and arranged albums for the top artists in Israel.

"Even though the first time I heard Pink Floyd was in 1967, I was less connected to the band with Bart," he admits.

"In my eyes, the combination of Gilmore was the most significant. With him, the compositions were long, monotonous, with depth and breadth, and with his guitar sound, which had a great influence on me. At that time there were indeed Hendrix, the Doors, Led Zeppelin and the Beatles, who were the Bible, but Pink Floyd They were a defining event for me because it was something close to me, pure music.

Their music speaks to me as if it comes from me."

Waters,

The idea for "Dark Side of the Moon" was Waters's.

A work that talked about the human life cycle.

"After Syd Barrett went crazy in 1968, and since he was the heart of the band, we started looking for a direction," said Waters.

"My mother was obsessed with education, and because of that I grew up with the idea that childhood and adolescence are meant to prepare for life that begins later. But suddenly I realized that life doesn't start later, it begins at any stage where you can take the reins and guide your destiny. Many of the musical ideas just came up in the rehearsal rooms ".

Even before the album was recorded, the band tried the material on an audience, to see how it would react.

This is because Waters was not interested in creating only music, but wanted to give an experience, including effects that would connect the parts of the story.

The debut performance with the album material was already held in January 1972, in Brighton, England.

Tony Williams, from the British music magazine "NME", was present at the event and told about chaos in the hall.

The effects didn't always match the music, Gilmour yelled at the crew, and the show had to be stopped several times.

Drummer Nick Mason later said: "We've never been so excited as we were that day. It was new equipment and new material."

In one of the effects, Waters thought of combining interview clips with people who worked in those days at Abbey Road Studios in London.

He wanted to ask them questions - from light to profound.

One of the interviewees was Paul McCartney, who had just recorded an album with the Wings band.

Waters, the serious one, did not like the number one celeb's answers, thought he was trying to be funny, and that was not his intention.

After the material was presented to journalists for the first time, in February 1972, the newspaper "Melody Maker" wrote: "There were some great musical ideas, but the effects sometimes made me think I was in the bird cage at the London Zoo."

Only in May of that year did the band enter Avi Rod Studios to record the album.

It was clear to everyone that this would not be another routine musical venture, and the production was produced by Alan Parsons, a great musician in his own right, who also got to work on "Abby Road", the Beatles' wonderful album.

"'The Dark Side' is a groundbreaking album in several respects. First of all the production," Rapaport is convinced, who besides writing also played keyboards in the past.

"The sound sounds so good, that to this day it is fresh and fresh. The Beatles' 'Abby Road' sounds good, but still old. On the other hand, 'The Dark Side' sounds as if it was recorded yesterday. This is because of skilled production technicians.

"People forget that not only the band made the record, but professionals who knew where to place the microphones, insert effects and frame the story, and they don't get credit like the band. If Pink Floyd had fallen on a less good studio, it wouldn't have sounded the same."

It was hard work.

The band had other projects that needed to be finished, and Roger Waters and his friends took care of every comma along the way.

"Roger and Nick Mason recorded effects like heartbeats," said Gilmore.

"Beats that hint at the human condition. In doing so, they set the mood of the music. The beats described emotions that are experienced throughout life. Within the chaos there is beauty and hope for the human race. It is meant to help the listener understand what it is all about."

Waters gave his explanation: "As far as we know - and I know there are some Hindus who would disagree - you only get one chance at life, and you have to make choices based on the moral, philosophical or political positions you adopt in your life. 'Dark Side of the Moon' is a call to join to the flow of the river of history in a positive way."

"The message in the songs will last"

Pink Floyd's perfectionism is heard in every song on the album.

On "The Great Gig In the Sky", one of their most recognizable tracks, they had to convince singer-songwriter Claire Torre to provide her amazing voice.

At first she waved them off, and only after they explained the concept of the album to her, she came to the studio and donated her share for a modest £30. In 2004, she sued the band and the record company EMI for 50 percent of the revenue for the rights to the song. The lawsuit ended in a settlement to the walls of the court.  

For the first time Pink Floyd depended on a leading dominant figure - Waters.

"I never ranked myself high in the field of writing lyrics," Gilmore admitted in an interview he gave to "Rolling Stone" magazine in 2011.

"I think it was kind of a relief when Roger wanted to do it, but equally the fact that he's responsible for the lyrics, and a little more for the leadership, doesn't mean he has to be the one who sets the musical direction. That's why there was always a kind of tension between us."

Wurtzberg: "I was always more connected to Gilmore and less to Waters, even before I heard his political views. He is more of a writer, and from a musical point of view he is less developed than Gilmore in my opinion. There is always power in two people who create together, even if they don't like each other, like McCartney and J. and Wen Lennon. Each one is a different world, but together they did something bigger than both of them."

Rapport with the album cover, photo: Eric Sultan

"The Dark Side of the Moon" hit the stores on March 1, 1973 and immediately became a hysterical hit.

Not only because of the unforgettable music, but also because of the iconic "Prism of Light" cover designed by British graphic designer Storm Thorgerson.

The album spent 736 consecutive weeks on Billboard, the best-selling album chart in the US, for a total of 969 weeks.

"When we finished recording, we thought it was the best thing we had ever created," said drummer Mason.

"But no one imagined the numbers the album would achieve. Not only was it an excellent product, it also came out at the right time and place."

Shai Zarihan was born in Be'er Sheva, seven years after the album was released.

He knew Pink Floyd thanks to his father, Zion.

"It's an album that has never been like it before, and I'm inclined to say that there won't be such perfection after it either," he is convinced.

"This is the story, and this is the music - from the instruments to the symbols. Everything is there. Waters' almost exclusive writing took shape here, with everyone's contribution, until the climax."

For the past 20 years, Zarihan has been playing the bass guitar and leading the band ECHOES, which plays Pink Floyd songs in front of full halls in Israel and around the world.

Often they play "The Dark Side of the Moon" in full at the concert, at the request of the audience.

"There are four albums that we play because the audience connects with them: 'The Dark Side', 'Animals', 'WISH YOU WERE HERE' and 'The Wall'," says Zarihan.

"This is the golden age of Pink Floyd, from 1973 to 1979. Every two years an album with its vibes, but 'The Dark Side' is the pinnacle of the work. The most communicative album, by a wide margin."

I found Zarihan in Germany, just as he was playing chess with Harry Waters, Roger's son by his second wife, Lady Caroline Christie.

Waters Jr. is a musician himself, playing keyboards.

"I can play bass like my dad, but I didn't specialize in the instrument," he laughed when we talked.

"I started playing the piano at about the age of 8, after my parents organized lessons for me, and I always enjoyed the instrument. I started listening to my mother's record collection, and it developed from there."

Waters Jr. played for quite a few years in the band that accompanied his father, and was a partner between 2006 and 2008 in the "Dark Side of the Moon" concert tour that his father led, of course without his Pink Floyd friends.

"When the original band broke up, in the 80s, I was very young. I only remember a little of those days, but the music always accompanied me," he says.

"I really enjoyed playing alongside my father in concerts, certainly in huge halls. It was a fascinating experience, because the music is still wonderful and the words must be relevant. The messages remain exactly as they were when they were written, and people connect with them. In the test of time, Pink Floyd will last for many more years."

At the end of last year, a German producer saw footage of ECHOES on the net and decided to add the younger Waters to her tour, as well as guitarist Chester Cayman and drummer Graham Broad, who had played with Waters Sr. for years.

The singer Marky Lennon was also added, who also appeared with the leader of Pink Floyd.

At the end of the week, the joint ensemble finished a concert tour of "The Wall" in Europe.

"I had never heard of ECHOES or met them before," says Waters Jr.

"The meeting between us was on the first day of rehearsals in London, before Christmas. It was not a problem for me to find out that they are from Israel. I have played with many bands that perform works by Pink Floyd, but they are undoubtedly the best. There is no question at all, I would love to collaborate with them in the future." .

does your father know

"I know. I told him they were great guys, and he's totally fine with that."

Will you come to play in Israel?

"It seems that this will be a problem. I will not come to Israel to play Pink Floyd's music. If I do come, I will play different music. For obvious reasons I cannot play the band's material. It will not happen."

Because of your father?

"Yes, that wouldn't be right. I won't do it."

There are many fans of the band in Israel, shouldn't music be separated from politics?

"I know there are fans, and I think it should, but there are people who don't think that way, and it's not something I can comment on. It's not always possible."

"Waters does not want democracy"

At 79, Waters Sr. is not a man of compromise.

After "The Dark Side of the Moon" he took more and more control of Pink Floyd's story and asked to shape it according to his vision.

"Many do not know that before the recording of 'The Wall' the band was in financial difficulties and was on the verge of bankruptcy," says Rapaport.

"She had lost a lot of money in bad investments, and the friends realized they had to make a record for Christmas 1979, hoping it would get them out of trouble. Waters came up with an interesting concept and said: 'Follow my path, without me we won't get out of the mud.'" In the end, the bet paid off . In my opinion, the cover of 'The Wall' could have written 'Roger Waters - The Wall'."

If "The Wall" is a record under Waters' name, then "The Final Cut", the last album he released with the band in 1983, was entirely his.

He pushed the keyboardist Richard Wright aside, the role of the drummer Mason was limited, and he also didn't really consider the opinion of Gilmore, who thought that some sections of the album should not be included in it.

The reviews were unkind.

The rock newspaper "Melody Maker" wrote: "A landmark in the history of disgust".

The line-up couldn't have performed more together, certainly not with Waters at the front.

In 1985 the leader decided he was leaving.

"I think Roger didn't really appreciate Gilmour," Mason said in an interview with "Rolling Stone" five years ago.

"He thinks that writing is everything, and that playing the guitar and singing are something that others can do too. In my opinion, Roger is bothered by the knowledge that he was wrong when he left the band assuming that it would break up without him."

Waters was furious when he realized that Gilmore and Mason were not going to give up the name Pink Floyd, and were even thinking of releasing an album without it.

He took them to court arguing that Pink Floyd should break up - but lost.

"Of course I was wrong, but who cares?"

He said a decade ago in an interview with the BBC.

Gilmore, who will soon celebrate 77, pushed Waters to the side, and it didn't stick.

In 2020, Waters tweeted: "One and a half million people have seen the new version of the song 'Mother', and it warms my heart, but the question arises: why doesn't the version appear on a website that calls itself 'Pink Floyd'? The answer is that nothing of mine is on the website. I am ostracized by David Gilmour, who thinks that since I left he is the owner, that he is Pink Floyd and that I am no longer relevant and should shut up. My projects are not even allowed to be mentioned on the official website. This is not true. We should rebel against this, or simply change the name of the band to Final Tap." .

The late keyboardist Richard Wright, who passed away in 2008, was once asked if there was any chance that the band would return to action.

"Everyone who loves Pink Floyd wants it to happen," he replied.

"But I don't feel that I need it, neither musically nor personally. Maybe it would have happened if Roger had come back a different person, charming, nice, with good ideas. But Roger lived on the 'wall', until she didn't Fall down, I don't see him joining."

Gilmour also said: "It's a mystery to me that people think we need a relationship with him. Roger doesn't have the power to be in a band. He's used to being the only power in his career, so to think he'd join a place that has democracy? He's not good at it. We don't have anything in common anymore ".

In the end it is about the ego of two great musicians.

Gilmore said in an interview 20 years ago: "Roger has a wonderful drive and a head for words, and he was a creative force. But I would say I have a better musical sense."

Waters was quick to retort: ​​"Nonsense. David needs a car to play in to get the best out of his guitar playing, and he's an excellent player. But the idea he's tried to spread over the years, that he's somehow more musical than me, is fucking bullshit. Absurd."

It's sad that the band sank because of two geniuses who are unable to work together.

Just this month, Waters told the British "Telegraph" that he re-recorded the album "The Dark Side of the Moon" without his friends - and that he intends to release it soon.

"It's because not enough people recognize the issue and understand what I originally wanted to convey," he explained.

Swollen band or not?

Pink Floyd, which many grew up with, is fading over the years.

Although the Israeli ECHOES will hold a performance of "The Dark Side of the Moon" at the Jerusalem Theater on March 24th, in order to draw families to the greatest works of the past, Harry Waters also admits that you don't see that many young audiences in the stands anymore.

"In Mexico and countries in South America, you can see young people in the hall, which is wonderful," he says.

"But you don't meet them in Europe, where the audience is older. I don't understand why. I don't know why in Germany, for example, this music doesn't pass between the generations."

Wurtzberg: "In the 2000s, something different started in music. The media also exposes less artists from the rock field. Today the songs are short, three minutes maximum, and therefore the 20-something generation is cut off from these works."

Rapaport: "It's all a matter of taste. Some people think that Pink Floyd is a bloated band. If you ask me, as long as the human race exists this album will remain relevant, because it touches on things that accompany us to this day."

50 years ago Roger Waters was one of the greatest and most important creators in the world.

Over the years, he has become the type who seeks to confront, boycott and express himself in a new anti-Semitism.

The sworn enemy of the State of Israel.

Not long ago the readers of "Classic Rock" magazine ranked the ten greatest albums of all time.

"The Dark Side" is placed first, followed by two albums by Led Zeppelin and "Sergeant Pepper" by the Beatles landed in fourth place.

Ten years ago, the US Library of Congress decided to preserve the album in the US National Recording Registry, befitting a rare artistic burst, a classic work that will forever adorn the top of the rock world. And as Waters said in his own words: "A work driven by emotion.

There is nothing plastic or planned about it.

An expression of political, philosophical and humanitarian empathy, which is desperate to get out."

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Source: israelhayom

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