Here you will find News from about a month old or So From Pink Floyd and related.

(12/29/2016)

Roger Waters: Another Brick In The Wall - The Opera; dates added

Another Brick In The Wall - The Opera receives its world premiere at the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at Place des Arts, in Montréal, Quebec, Canada on March 11th 2017, with subsequent performances taking place through the month.

Due to the popularity of the show, some additional performances have now been announced, and tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com. For more information on Another Brick In The Wall - The Opera and other events, visit OperaDeMontreal.com.

The press conference for the series of performances was held at the Olympic Stadium, the scene of the infamous spitting incident which inspired The Wall. "It was unpleasant," said Waters. "I accept that. I was unpleasant. The audience was unpleasant. But it clearly had an effect on me and the story I tell is that it had some impact on me creating this piece of theatre, which is extremely valuable to me.

"I was pissed off or disaffected because of a large number of people who, with all due respect to the population of Montreal, were drunk and not really paying much attention to what was going on on stage and some kid was scrambling up the front [of the stage] and I think that I spat at him. I realised I was at the wrong place at the wrong time doing the wrong thing. And I needed to express that I didn’t feel human and we all want to feel human. My response to that was to write a show that involved building a huge wall between me and the people that I was trying to communicate with.

“At the end of the day, The Wall is about a journey from spitting in someone’s face towards a position where love becomes more important and our responsibility to those that share this planet with us becomes more important than our desire to engage in things that make us richer.”

At the press conference, Waters noted that “What I’ve heard so far is extremely impressive. Normally when people take rock music and produce symphonic versions of it, they stick slavishly to the melodies, and it’s awful. Julien Bilodeau has nodded gracefully at the work that I did musically all those years ago, but he has transported it into a completely different oeuvre. It’s developing a life of its own, which is in a classical tradition, but the libretto is mine. The words are mine. So the thoughts and ideas expressed in the text belong to me.”

As we note above, tickets for the performances, which take place on March 11th, 13th, 14th, 16th, 18th, 20th, 22nd, 24th and 26th, 2017, can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com or directly from the venue (Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier).

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(12/29/2016)*

Pink Floyd needed conflict

Nick Mason insists Pink Floyd were no more difficult that other bands but thinks their differences only helped their music

Nick Mason thinks Pink Floyd wouldn't have done "good work" without their "conflicts".

The 'Comfortably Numb' hitmaker doesn't feel that the band's ex-bass player and founder Roger Waters' ego was to blame for their disagreements and that it was simply a case of having different "musical preferences".

However, he insists the infamous tension between the band members wasn't necessarily a bad thing as it helped with their music.

Asked if he thinks egos had anything to do with their spats, the 72-year-old drummer exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "I don't think it's that. I think it was to do with musical preferences.

"He did want to do things his own way, so maybe that was the best thing to do was to do his own way.

"I think we have our reputations, but most of the bands you see aren't much better than we are.

"The other important thing is that if we didn't have the conflicts we had then we wouldn't have done the good work we did do."

Meanwhile, Nick previously said he doesn't think he will reunite with Roger and the rest of the band - which also includes David Gilmour - unless it was for a good cause.

Asked if he thinks the group will tour again, he said: "I would say absolutely not. But having said that I certainly don't think there will be another Pink Floyd tour.

"Hopefully if we were going to do something it would have to be for the right reason like generating peace in the Middle East or feeding Africa or whatever."

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(12/22/2016)

Original Pink Floyd the Wall Paintings Going Up For Sale-

Iconic original paintings from Pink Floyd's The Wall album, concerts and film from the private collection of Gerald Scarfe are being sold by San Francisco Art Exchange LLC (SFAE).

SFAE sent over the following details: "Epic in scale and steeped in Rock history, these original works of art are marquis collectibles for major individual, corporate and institutional collectors. Due to the extensive distribution of the imagery via album, live-performances, music-videos, and the film (along with the accompanying publicity), the artwork offered is among the most instantly recognizable and significant in pop culture.

"The Wall album topped Billboard charts for 15 weeks, and in 1999 was certified 23x Platinum. It remains one of the best-selling albums of all time, selling over 19 million copies between 1979 and 1990 in the US alone. The film was critically acclaimed when it was released in 1982 and won BAFTAs for Best Original Song and Best Sound. Scarfe developed the film's entire visual environment before the project began and his characters became a mixture of live-action and animated imagery, all of which played an integral role in the surreal narrative.

"The paintings now being offered have been carefully selected by the artist, Gerald Scarfe as his most important works, and include several of the most famous images in Rock history due to their association with The Wall. Iconic artworks such as The Scream, Giant Judge & Hammers (shown below), The Mother, and The Teacher are available, along with several other blockbuster pieces including the massive original storyboard created for the film which incorporates 50 original renderings (measuring overall, a whopping 8' x 3')."

The Scream (30 1/2" x 38 1/2" sheet size): This image was used in the film during a battlefield scene and was selected upon first sight by director Alan Parker for use as the image for the film poster.

Wife With Flaming Hair (39 1/2" x 59" sheet size): The original design for one of the six iconic characters from The Wall, used on the publicity materials for the film, album, and concerts in 1980-81.

The Mother (23 1/2" x 33 1/2" sheet size): An early version of the iconic Mother character, one of the most significant in the entire narrative of The Wall. Her arms cradle baby Pink in a subtle brick wall pattern, a motif that consistently appears through the film.

Education For What? No Jobs! (23 1/2" x 33" sheet size): This original concept artwork is one of a series created to draft the live action scene in the film that illustrated the plight of schoolchildren being herded through their education on a maze of conveyor belts.

The Wife's Shadow (23 1/2" x 33" sheet size): This concept piece was created to demonstrate the look and feel of one of the scenes in the film for both MGM executives and the film makers themselves.

One of The Frightened Ones (23 1/2" x 33" sheet size): An original concept artwork for the characters that appear during the Blue Skies sequence in The Wall.

The Teacher (39" x 43 1/2" sheet size): This original artwork of one of the most iconic characters in the story was projected onstage during live performances of Another Brick in the Wall.

The Gross Inflatable Pig (26 1/2" x 33 1/2" sheet size): An adaptation of one of Pink Floyd's most famous motifs depicting the enormous inflatable pig that was to be used for the singular performance of The Wall by Roger Waters in Berlin in 1990.

Comfortably Numb (23 1/2" x 33 1/2" sheet size): An illustration of one of the key songs in The Wall and a real nightmare "hands like two balloons" shared by both Scarfe and Roger Waters.

The Wall Original Storyboard (39 1/2" x 98 1/2" sheet size).

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(12/17/2016)*

2016’s most essential music box sets: Pink Floyd, Dylan, Led Zep and more-

The album may be running out of steam, but the box set is still going strong. This fall brought another sonic tsunami — more than 75 overhauled classics, archive-raiding anthologies and collectibles for completest. Here are the biggest, the best and most of the rest of this season’s readily available offerings. Some I’ve already reviewed; others are self-explanatory. Almost all are worth your time and money (all prices approximate).

THE BEST

1 | Pink Floyd, The Early Years 1965-1972

It’s the world’s longest flashback: More than 25 hours of Floyd audio and video — unreleased recordings, quad and 5.1 mixes, full-length movies, footage of Syd Barrett and more — spread across seven volumes and augmented by 40-plus pieces of memorabilia. DISCS: 10 CDs, 9 DVDs, 8 Blu-Rays, 5 singles. DATES: 1965-’74 (oddly enough). DAMAGE: $650.

2 | Bob Dylan, The 1966 Live Recordings

Yes, all of them. Every show from Dylan’s momentous tour with most of The Band — including the notorious ‘Royal Albert Hall’ gig. DISCS: 36 CDs. DATES: Duh. DAMAGE: $170.

3 | Led Zeppelin, Complete BBC Sessions

The final Zep reissue is where they should have started: With these powerhouse performances that document their live prowess. DISCS: 3 CDs. DATES: 1969-’71. DAMAGE: $25.

4 | Van Morrison, It's Too Late to Stop Now...Volumes II, III, IV & DVD

Wild nights are calling as the Belfast Cowboy’s definitive live release returns in unabridged form, augmented with video. DISCS: 3 CDs, 1 DVD. DATES: 1973-’74. DAMAGE: $40.

                                                    5 | Alex Harvey, Last of the Teenage Idols

The greatest rocker most people have never heard finally gets his due in this comprehensive, rarity-filled set. Sensational. DISCS: 14 CDs. DATES: 1963-’82. DAMAGE: $167.

6 | The Who, My Generation Super Deluxe

Talkin’ about their debut, expanded with recently unearthed demos, dozens of extras and a stereo version with new overdubs. DISCS: 5 CDs. DATES: 1965-2014. DAMAGE: $145.

7 | Rush, 2112 40th Anniversary Super Deluxe

They’ve taken care of everything by reissuing Rush’s opus with live cuts, videos, cover versions and goodies. DISCS: 2 CDs, 3 LPs, 1 DVD. DATES: 1976-2016. DAMAGE: $125.

8 | Big Star, Complete Third box set

Beauty amid chaos. From demos to final mixes, this set chronicles the painful birth of Alex Chilton and Big Star’s tragic swan song. DISCS: 3 CDs. DATES: 1974. DAMAGE: $70.

9 | Day Of The Dead, Various Artists

A long, satisfying trip through the Grateful Dead’s vast catalog — as superbly covered by indie artists of all stylistic stripes. DISCS: 5 CDs. DATES: 2011-’15. DAMAGE: $50.

10 | Otis Redding, Live at the Whisky A Go Go: Complete Recordings

You can turn him loose: And cut loose to this unedited version of the King of Soul’s incendiary 1966 weekend on the Sunset Strip. DISCS: 6 CDs. DATES: 1966. DAMAGE: $82.

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(12/14/2016)

Pink Floyd to Reissue ‘The Final Cut’ and ‘Momentary Lapse of Reason’ on Vinyl
Pink Floyd are returning to their ’80s-era output for a pair of new vinyl reissues. The Final Cut and A Momentary Lapse of Reason, originally issued in 1983 and 1987, respectively, have been remastered in advance of their arrival on Jan. 20.

Neither project has been available on vinyl for more than two decades. Their release concludes a sweeping reissue campaign that saw Pink Floyd release new 180-gram remasters of every studio album. As with those earlier records, The Final Cut and A Momentary Lapse of Reason have been mastered from the original analog studio tapes and paired with faithfully reproduced album artwork.

Each album represents a strikingly different creative vision. The Final Cut – which focused on the Falklands War and England’s Margaret Thatcher-led era – emerged as a de facto Roger Waters solo album, featuring musical contributions by David Gilmour and Nick Mason. A Momentary Lapse of Reason, meanwhile, functioned as a Gilmour effort – with additional help from Mason, a variety of studio aces and returning co-founder Richard Wright. By then, Waters had left for a solo career.

Longtime graphic artist Storm Thorgerson was back on board for Momentary Lapse‘s cover art, while Waters handled the artwork duties himself on The Final Cut.

These two upcoming reissues cap a busy period for collectors. Pink Floyd’s other recent offerings include The Early Years 1965-1972, a comprehensive 27-disc box set that featured unreleased Syd Barrett-era tracks, BBC Radio Sessions, remixes, outtakes and alternative versions.

Read More: Pink Floyd to Reissue 'The Final Cut' and 'Momentary Lapse of Reason' on Vinyl | 

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(12/11/2016)*

Operatic adaptation of Pink Floyd's The Wall is timely, director says-

It was the spring of 2014 when Pierre Dufour, then general director of the Opéra de Montréal, and Michel Beaulac, the opera company’s artistic director, approached Quebec composer Julien Bilodeau with the idea of turning Pink Floyd’s classic album The Wall into an opera.

The company had a good contact, a person who was able to put them in touch with former Pink Floyd singer/bassist Roger Waters, who was the main songwriter and creative force behind The Wall. Waters responded by saying Bilodeau should come up with a sample of his proposed adaptation and they’d take it from there.

So Bilodeau went straight to work and composed an operatic adaptation of three songs from The Wall — Another Brick in the Wall (Part I), The Happiest Days of Our Lives and Another Brick in the Wall (Part II) — in one block. Then they met noted Montreal director Dominic Champagne, best known for his involvement in Cirque du Soleil’s Beatles show Love, and he joined the team as stage director.

Now came the tough part: they had to convince a fairly skeptical Waters that he should give them the rights to transform his most famous work into a full-scale opera.

The Montrealers suggested they meet in person to play him what Bilodeau had composed, and the rock star agreed in the fall of 2014 to see them at his opulent home on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

Bilodeau said they made the trip to New York with one thing in mind: “If it’s ‘no’ for him, then it’s ‘no’ for us. That was the spirit we had.

“So in December we went to New York to play music for him, and that was the moment. He was really touched and we felt that he was a wiser man — that he was detached from this anger (in The Wall). We felt that the (recent solo) tour he’d done with this project gave him the freedom to leave his baby. He had two things in mind that he was afraid of. The first was a pop arrangement of the album. The other one was, is the composer going in (an atonal) direction?”

What he liked about Bilodeau’s score was that it remained in some ways faithful to his songs but that it was very much an opera, not a symphonic rearrangement of a rock album.

Another Brick in the Wall: The Opera was played in rehearsal for the first time Tuesday, in the basement of Place des Arts, by the Orchestre Metropolitan with Alain Trudel conducting. The work will be performed March 11 through 26 at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier of Place des Arts.

The production will feature a 72-piece orchestra, a 48-member choir and a number of soloists.

Trudel says Waters had been approached with other proposals to turn The Wall into an opera in the years since the album’s release in 1979, but was at last won over by Bilodeau’s work.

“Roger Waters said, ‘You get it,’ ” recalled Trudel. “In opera, it’s the story that’s the lead of everything. A good story doesn’t need any kind of artificial (frills); a good story doesn’t need Botox. Roger Waters is the librettist, (the author of) the lyrics, and of course the tunes, the melodies, are the melodies from The Wall. But we’re going from 80, 90 minutes of the album to 2 1/2 hours, and the story has to be told.

“He gave Julien all the liberty in the world. It’s a trust thing. He had to trust Julien because he’s giving away his baby to Julien. So Julien had the biggest pressure. The real pressure is taking the notes of Roger Waters, his words, and coming up with (Bilodeau’s) own take on it. It’s not a rock opera. It’s The Wall. It respects the core essence of what The Wall is, but it’s not with electric guitars or drums. Like Comfortably Numb has a classic guitar solo, but there’s no guitar solo here. So I think he came through with flying colours.”

The central metaphor of The Wall is, of course, the wall that the main character, the tormented rock star Pink, builds between himself and his audience. The idea was inspired by Waters’s troubled memories of a terrible Pink Floyd concert at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium in 1977 that included him spitting on a fan.

The image is particularly timely, says Champagne, who points out that the man just elected president of “We’re now living in a world where people are building walls everywhere,” said Champagne. “You go into (Maison) Radio-Canada and there’s a wall. There’s someone who says, ‘Who are you? Where are you going? Put your name here, give us your number, here’s your badge.’ You go see a concert at the Bell Centre, it’s the same thing. Everything has to be secure and safe and we put walls everywhere.

“The ultimate example of that is Trump. We didn’t invent it. In the climax of Pink’s paranoid delirium, Waters uses neo-Nazi choreography. But we don’t need Waters’s choreography in today’s world. The ordinary fascism is there, and it’s democratic. So we’re bringing out this work right when this is happening in the U.S. and we’re going to go say, ‘Tear down the wall … all in all, it’s just another brick in the wall.’

“It’s also the story of someone who tries to protect himself from the rest of the world by building a wall, and Pink comes to a realization in The Wall. He starts by complaining: ‘My dad is dead, my mother over-protected me, my wife left me.’ He complains and he becomes the fascist leader who killed his father. And finally he says: ‘Stop.’ Then he decides to tear down the wall and once again live in the world. That’s the fable.”

There are plans to bring the opera to other cities around the world, but no dates have been booked yet.

“So here we may well take this piece to opera houses across a country where someone has just been democratically elected to build walls between the U.S. and Mexico … and maybe the rest of the world. So I think this work is more pertinent than ever. Sometimes you have this kind of synchronicity. You can’t say The Wall is just something from the past, good for nostalgic Pink Floyd fans.”

AT A GLANCE

Another Brick in the Wall: The Opera will be performed 

March 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26 at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier of Place des Arts.

Tickets are available at operademontreal.com.

bkelly@postmedia.com

twitter.com/brendanshowbiz 

The United States has promised to build a massive wall between the U.S. and Mexico.