Pink Floyd Founding Member Dead at 65

Pink Floyd's founding member, Richard Wright, died yesterday at the age of 65 after a long bout with cancer.

Richard Wright, keyboard player and founding member of Pink Floyd, died yesterday at the age of 65 of cancer.

Wright's most famous composition was The Great Gig in the Sky which featured on the band's album The Dark Side of the Moon. It begins with a voice saying "I am not frightened to die" and is for many fans the band's most moving song.

The track was one of five Wright is credited with on the album and he featured on every Pink Floyd tour, where he became famous for his ghostly, atmospheric keyboard sound. But Wright had a rocky relationship with Roger Waters, the band's bass player and leading light, who forced him to resign at the end of sessions for 1979's The Wall album, although he was later reinstated. In 1978 he released his first solo album. Back with Pink Floyd, he co-wrote five songs on The Division Bell album in 1994. He also took part in the Floyd reunion which was the highlight of the 2005 Live 8 concert in Hyde Park.

Wright was born in Hatch End, north-west London, the son of a biochemist, and educated at Haberdasher's Aske school. He is survived by his daughter Gala, sons Jamie and Ben, and grandson Stanley.

As a tribute to Richard, Dark Side of the Moon will be the featured Album of the Week. We'll begin with the aforementioned Wright composition, "The Great Gig in the Sky."

Music - Album of the Week

Here is a double installment, "Clap" and "Starship Trooper," tracks 02 and 03 off 'The Yes Album.' Trivia note: "Clap" is a live recording of Steve Howe on solo acoustic guitar playing a song he wrote that was inspired by his son, Dylan, who used to "clap" when he heard Steve play. The song was listed as "The Clap" in the original printing of the album but has since been corrected in later CD releases.

Music - Album of the Week

This Album of the Week is a real classic, going back to 1971 and is in my top 10 favorites of all time. I never get tired of listening to it. This is 'The Yes Album', the third album from Yes. While Yes was not known for making "hits," there are two songs on the album that have become quite popular on the rotations of most "classic rock" stations; those being "Starship Trooper" and "I've Seen All Good People." The members of the band - Steve Howe (guitar), Chris Squire (bass), Bill Bruford (drums and percussion), Tony Kaye (keyboards), and Jon Anderson (vocals) - are on top of their respective games, and this album represents another example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. There is real interplay here, and the music was so far ahead of its time that it's timeless; it never gets old or sounds dated to me. In fact, each time I listen to this album I "focus" my ears on something different; one time I might just listen to the bass lines, another the guitar, etc. The band uses the four elements of music - melody, harmony, rhythm/syncopation, and dynamics - to near perfection, creating an aural soundscape that is rarely achieved. It's complex music that challenges the listener with changing key centers and multiple time signatures, as well as variations on a theme that weave seamlessly from one movement to the next; but it's not hard to listen to. Even if the listener isn't aware of any of those things, the music is pure enjoyment for the ears. The production and recording quality are excellent. There's really nothing to not like about this album.

Here is the opening track "Yours is No Disgrace."

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Music - Album of the Week

Here is the final selection from our Album of the Week, Joe Walsh's 'But Seriously, Folks.." - the hugely successful "Life's Been Good". But first is the bonus song, the preceeding track, "Theme from Boat Weirdos". A bit of trivia: Joe Walsh ran a mock campaign for president in 1980 (and I think in '84, also, but I'm not sure about that one), and "Life's Been Good" was his campaign theme song. Maybe I'll write Joe in this year.

Music - Album of the Week

This is track 4 - "At the Station" - my favorite song from our featured Album of the Week, "But Seriously, Folks..." by Joe Walsh.

Tomorrow I'll have the album's BIG hit, "Life's Been Good" - plus a bonus track. So make sure you stop by!

Music - Album of the Week

Here's Track 3, "Indian Summer", from our Album of the Week, 'But Seriously, Folks...' by Joe Walsh.

Music - Album of the Week

The current Album of the Week, 'But Seriously, Folks...' is the fourth studio album from Joe Walsh, and it's a classic; possibly his best as a solo artist. Anyway, I'm leaving it up for another week, and I came up with a novel idea for this and future Album of the Week features. Each day (or thereabouts) I will put a different song from the album on the blog in video format for your enjoyment. Nothing fancy, just a way that you can hear different songs from the album. So here is track 1, "Over and Over."