Calling Mr Floyd

One of the most constant comedies in the  world of prog - or even non prog - are the vitriolic insistence that some band is not REAL as it is not like what was before. Cursed be progression - it means change, anathema to reactionary prog fans like me who like things to stay the same and resent and resist progress.

And Pink Floyd are prime sport. "It's not really PF because <someone> is not there..." Actually they are all Floyd with a different personality dominating. I could cheat and include a more collaborative effort. There  must be one somewhere... studio disc of Ummagumma perhaps...? Oh! No. That's where all this trouble began... Solo albums together.

Anyway as we know (?) the primary writers of Floyd made their most significant statements by being head honcho for an album or two or so. Which is what this is about.

Richard Wright is a notable absentee as his contributions were more on the albums that were more band collaborative. I don't really think The Endless River would be appropriate.

So who gets your vote at least this time. Let hostilities commence.





Edited by uduwudu - September 28 2016 at 03:55

I voted Syd in answer to your description of your question but Mr Floyd will always be Roger Waters 

Gilmore. I have a guitar bias. I'm a guitar player, and I tend to listen for and elevate the importance of guitar parts.

Barrett.

Without Barrett it would have been just another blues revival band, and neither one of the best.

I'm not much into Piper or Syd Barrett but it's the best option here. For me Wright is Mr. Floyd, every album he was not involved (or barely) are not very good, in my opinion.

I am not a fan of Syd Barret, and I regard Piper as one of those albums that has its moments.  I enjoy Ordinary Lapse quite a bit - it is a fine collection of songs but has no true cohesion to it.  The Final Cut, my least favorite of the Waters dominated albums, also has some brilliant moments, and is the best of the bunch here.  The problem however, is that I do not consider Waters as Mr. Floyd, even though I have voted for him (I like to follow the actual poll rather than try to turn it into something else).  I do not consider anyone in particular as Mr. Floyd.  Pink Floyd has always been a collaboration; none of the principles have achieved a masterpiece alone albeit they have released many good albums.  Floyd survived after Barrett by progressing, evolving into something different, but Gilmour level Floyd never achieved the same level as the Waters era.  This may sound like Waters is the man, but he needed the others to make what he was writing sound good.

At least until the mid-70s, the Floyd were a group - thus the contribution of Rick Wright (particularly on the early albums) is certainly worthy of the accolade!

I don't know which to vote for, I like these albums but all three of them are uneven, some great songs and some filler.