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Earlier this month, a bemused Roger Waters reminded fans via Facebook that he hasn’t been a part of Pink Floyd for nearly three decades. This was in response to a barrage of questions he’d received regarding the upcoming Pink Floyd record, The Endless River, the band’s first new material in 20 years — and, reportedly, their swan song. Earlier this week, BBC Radio debuted the LP’s first track, “Louder Than Words.” And, after multiple listens, it seems Waters should try a bit harder to distance himself from this tripe.
I suppose it doesn’t really matter what I tell you. I could sit here all day and talk about how frequently the song dips into musical territory usually reserved for New Age-y meditation music. Or I could discuss how derivative the song feels of earlier Pink Floyd, except not the good Pink Floyd but rather the meandering, dissociative Pink Floyd of the post-Waters era. I could even throw in a mention about the lyrics, and how they delve into such trite, overused themes about how, like, totally difficult it is to be artistic and how that causes turmoil within the band. I could do all of these things, and then I could add a long-winded diatribe about how the worst crime an artist can commit is to be boring, listing all the ways “Louder than Words” treads a trail that was previously, and more interestingly, blazed by a superior version of Pink Floyd back in ’70s. Even if I did, however, you probably wouldn’t listen.
No, it’s safe to say that the ever-growing legion of blindly loyal Floydheads were going to praise Gilmour’s every move regardless of musical content, critics be damned. So go ahead and convince yourself of whatever it is you feel you need convincing. I’ll be in my office, under the cool glow of my black light, listening to Dark Side of the Moon, and continuing to pretend that Pink Floyd ended almost 30 years ago when Waters walked away.
23 Responses
“No, it’s safe to say that the ever-growing legion of blindly loyal Floydheads were going to praise Gilmour’s every move regardless of musical content, critics be damned.”
— Yes, I am part of the legion of blindly loyal Floydheads. Except that I appreciate the Barrett-era, Waters-era and Gilmour-era equally. The band existed prior to Dark Side and exist after the Wall, and all of it’s good.
May I politely request that next time you listen to Louder Than Words that you either pull your fingers out of your ears, or turn down whatever Roger Waters track you are playing in the background. Better yet pull your head out of your nether regions.
If you were employed (that is paid) to write this article then you should be fired.
You must be the biggest idiot in the world or seriously butt-hurt since 1985, when Waters arrogantly declared himself Pink Floyd and left. Those of us that enjoy all the Pink Floyd versions are not music snobs and can find appreciation in talent. David Gilmour and Rick Wright made Waters often obsessive lyrics listenable and musical, otherwise they would have all been like The Final Cut. I agree with Col T, you are a pathetic writer and should stick to covering teen bands, it suits your palate.
I think you are being over-generous, sir! This review does not accurately represent what a dated, barrel-scraping, tedious dirge this song is. LTW makes me cringe from beginning to end. But because I’m a masochist I’m going to go and listen to it another twenty times just to make sure that my ears didn’t deceive me and it really is as phenomenally mundane as I initially thought it was. And every time Gilmour sings the word “Diss” I will vomit into my mouth.
Oh I forgot about the “Diss” PF is my all time favourite band and I think the post waters era had some moments of greatness especially when they toured, but this “louder than turds” offering is a momentary lapse of reason
I live in hope that the rest of the album is gonna be brilliant
Wow, what a dick! Look, you either like something or you don’t. Either you you fall into the Gilmour camp or you side with that egotistical gasbag Waters. Yes, Waters is a lyrical genius…. but what else? Name anything he’s done in 30 years. Gilmour, Wright & Mason formed 3/4ths of the sound of Floyd, which I love. 2006’s Gilmour solo album On an Island was beautiful. So to me, Gilmour was and is the essence of Pink Floyd. To the author, be extraordinarily grateful somebody pays you to write such, what did you call it….ah, yes….tripe!
James, James, James….it’s obvious from the get go that you have a priapism for the bloated, overrated ‘The Wall’ and Roger Waters…a man who can’t do anything but tour ‘The Wall’.
You’re in love with the misery machine that is Roger Waters and you can’t stand the fact that the band went on without him and that millions of people love what they did without him.
Gilmour nor Mason need any money. Richard Wright got lost in the ‘who-did-what’ shuffle and this is a way to give him his due. It’s much easier to write a negative review than a positive one, especially when a non-musician such as yourself is at the helm.
Go listen to the ‘Final Cut’ and try not to swallow your own navel.
How can you rate a sample of a song without listening the whole song? what we have is 4-minutes sample of a 6-30 minutes song. Can you rate, for example, high hopes without the final solo?
Your report was useless. didn’t talk about the song. If you consider yourself a journalist/critic, might I suggest you listen to music more of your taste I.e Aqua, Nsync
Haha, another “post-waters” joke of a critic. Not everyone wants 12 more pros and con’s of hitchhiking. And new agey? Get a new job dude
I’m looking forward to the instrumentals on endless river. Gilmour should’ve stepped up to the plate and hired a team of writers when waters left. He coud’ve got Douglas Adams to co write division bell. instead weve’e got shit songs like ‘take it back” and now this “unfurling” pice of tosh. If any of you reading this become the next Beatles/Floyd do not get the missus involved in the songwriting.
Or Mr, It doesn’t matter just keep them out of the studio.
I have only heard a small sample of the new “album” as we all have. That said some general comments.
I agree the best works were all inclusive of Waters , Glmore, Wright and Nick mason. Notably the DSOTM , being one of the best albums of all time, from any group.
That said: looking into what made it great? The lyrics? The volcals & guitar of Gilmore?Richard Wrights keyboards?
Neither and all they were an all includive group, each and every one had good talants. But together they were great.
Moving to now: I do hope the complete production is as a minimm good. Im not expecting great.
Rodgers alone is not great. He cant sing to save his life. I was at the recent wall tour and it was great. Gilmore alone is not great. Together they are.
They need to stop the who is better thing and realize both make a better product than individually.
What can you say about a track that was too good to be put on The Division Bell? It’s Floyd-by-numbers, with the Spinal Tap spin of having his wife write the lyrics. Even the solo sounds tired.
Don’t get me wrong; I love Pink Floyd, and I am hoping that this ghastly plodder is not representative of the rest of the album.
Hmmm I love astronomy domine Syd barret floyd, I love dsotm-the final cut floyd, I love mlor-division bell, and I’m going to love The Endless River. Seems I’m the only damn human being who can appreciate a band in all it’s forms. Must suck to be butt hurt like a lot of you.
Why this song/album are acceptable: Because it’s supposed to be a swan song tribute to Richard Wright, PF’s great unsung hero (IMHO).
Why this song/album are unacceptable: Because David Gilmour hated The Final Cut since it consisted of tunes that were rejects from The Wall, yet rejects from The Division Bell are okay? WTF?!
I tend to agree with your, James Roberts’, cynical analysis of “Louder Than Words.” At the end I expected to hear a soft voice say, “You’ve been listening to ‘Echoes’ with John Diliberto on Public Radio International.”
Before the fans of anything-mediocre-is-great-as-long-as-it-has-the-name-Pink-Floyd-on-it blast me, please understand that I am a HUGE Pink Floyd fan. I love almost everything from their first album with Syd to the mostly-Gilmour A Momentary Lapse of Reason. I even like a few songs from The Division Bell. Like most folks, I think that the best Pink Floyd era is from around Meddle to The Final Cut, but not because of Waters. He was the conceptual genius and the primary lyricist, but without Gilmour, Wright, and Mason as his musical midwives, he’s just … Well, listen to the Pros & Cons of Hitchhiking. Even with the great Eric Clapton on guitar, it sucks. Radio KAOS has one good song, and that is it. Amused to Death is a wonderful album, but it’s not The Wall. It’s not even The Final Cut. Waters, Gilmour, Mason, and Wright (RIP) need each other to perform their best, A Momentary Lapse of Reason and Amused to Death notwithstanding.
That’s just my two cents.
What I don’t really understand is what did people expect!
These guys are almost 70 years old, they haven’t played together since years, one is dead they had to go through old tapes just to play a song, did you expect to have the same sparkle that they had back in the 70’s? However this doesnt mean that the song is not beautiful. Can’t you be happy with what you have?
There was not one single argument in this article apart from some whining. If you know Pink Floyd as you claim, please tell us, what’s your problem with the song? And don’t tell us about the lyrics, lyrics are not music.
In my opinion the song is beautiful, but I do admit that if 70’s Floyd had this, it could be waay better. I find the melody mesmerizing, and there is really something in the song that really takes me back to early days, and also I enjoy the fact that it is less overproduced than Division Bell.
However Gilmour drives the song maybe too much, trying a bit too hard to be epic and Floydian, I would expect more from the others also, and definitely Mason who plays practically nothing.
For the hard core fans out there, imagine this song with the drums of the choral part of Atom Heart Mother, imagine Mason really improvising here. And imagine the same song with Wright’s pipe organ “saucerfull of secrets” sound of the early 70’s.
Of course this song is a relic of the past. But if you have a band like Pink Floyd, even relics can make you shiver.
I’m not really a ‘normal’ Floyd enthusiast. My favourite album are Final Cut, Animals and Division Bell. My fave song is High Hopes, so as you see I sit on the fence with Gilmour and Waters. I often think how much better the wonderful Amused To Death would have been with David and Richards ear for a melody. With Louder Words I’m think would Roger allow the word “Diss” onto a song. Though I won’t say I think Louder Than Words is crap. I will say High Hopes deserved to be and should have remained the final song on the final album. An album that washed away the patchiness of Moor. Thanks.
Really sorry about the predictive text.
I think the lyrics are fine. I don’t need to smoke a giant hooter and over analyze every PF song that I hear, and as much as I love listening to music (and finding relevant and important meanings in songs), in this case I don’t care to interpret the damn thing into the ground. It’s a good tune, and I envision a dude just casually thinking about and informally speaking about a loved one who is gone for whatever circumstance; death, divorce, etc.
Is it PF in their prime? Maybe not, but neither is David Bowie and he is putting some decent stuff out there for us to listen to. I’m grateful to these artists.
terrible song, he’s still got a great voice but he can’t come up with anymore great guitar work by the sounds, this is by the numbers, Roger Waters three solo albums for me were the last great Floyd albums after the brilliant and underrated Final Cut.
Dave Gilmour is a performer, Roger Waters was Pink Floyd he was the songwriter, Syd was just a waster that wrote forgettable floyd songs for a couple of years 40+ years ago.
Amused to Death – now that’s a great Flyod album..hang on Waters.