THE DIVISION BELL

I feel this is album has received an unfair beating as far as ratings and reviews go. The album to me is just as good as the classics "Wish You Were Here" and "Animals" even though I didn't feel it was quite that good at first. I have found that to be the case with a lot of people. Even those who I know personally, who originally said that it was a good album but not as good as they used to be, now say that it is one of their favorites. And rightfully so. Even professional critics have had the same reaction, the delayed appreciation of this album. Hard to believe that this album, with songs that really aren't that hard to listen to, is actually a grower. The real gems and appreciation for the album come with time. This was not the case with the previous album "A Momentary Lapse of Reason". For me, that was a much weaker album with only a few selected highlights. I know it was a difficult album for David Gilmour also dealing with legal issues and fights with Roger Waters and hard feelings from Richard Wright. The public opinion after that album was that Pink Floyd was not as good without Roger, but I had a hard time believing that after his attitude with the even poorer attempt "The Final Cut" which is one of the most lackluster albums in Pink Floyd's history and Roger helmed that one. With this album, David Gilmour gives proper credit to Richard Wright and other people that helped bring this album about.

So, as I said, at first I put this on the same level as the previous album, but after many listenings, I have come to appreciate this more. The sound is more a return to the heartfelt sound of PF and the thoughtful well-written lyrics. Gilmour still does some experimenting with the guitar and overall sound, but it is a lot more tastefully handled and not so over done as it was on "Lapse". There is a lot more variety in the music, there is a loosely bound concept (Communication) which brings a better cohesiveness to the album, and Gilmour sounds like he is more relaxed and willing to make an excellent album for the sake of music. I know that Gilmour was originally against the idea of this album feeling like the remaining band had seen their day and had doubts that they could work together again. But after some sessions and agreeing to give Wright some credit this time, he started recording sessions on the sly, and realized that the group really was working together again. They got the foundation of many songs worked out, then put all the finishing touches on the ones they selected for the album and recorded and mixed it on Gilmour's boat. This worked so well and everyone was pleased with the final project so much that they chose to do the same thing on his boat for "The Endless River" which is their excellent final album released in October 2014. In fact, the music that was worked out in the sessions for this album was going to be part of the next album and was a project called "The Big Spliff" but when Wright passed away, it was decided to use a lot of that music for "The Endless River". Anyway, all the music written during this time was highly inspired. Again, I find that most people have come to really appreciate this album over the years. Excellent sound, great musicianship, inspired lyrics, less stress and better teamwork produced a much better album in "The Division Bell" and worked to create an amazing album. True it's not in the same vein as "The Wall", "Dark Side of the Moon", "Animals", or "Wish You Were Here" but excellent in different ways. Say what you want about it, I consider this essential Pink Floyd music and a masterpiece of progressive rock. I didn't always think that, but I definitely do now.