THE DIVISION BELL

It seems Pink Floyd was attempting to keep playing more delicate songs on this album rather than rocking out. Gilmour's guitar and voice are in fine form, and he really takes center stage. Most of the keyboard work is relegated to the background, and the drums are in many places not played. Several of the songs are longer than they should be (mostly due to extended guitar soloing and slow compositions). I won't bother commenting on the "Publius Enigma" (there are other sites devoted to that), but I will say that the typically bland nature of the music does not engender in me a desire to go hunting for secret meanings. The album starts off strongly enough, but midway through loses a great deal of momentum, after which everything sounds like more of the same.

"Cluster One" The opening track is one of the most beautifully serene pieces of music in the Pink Floyd catalogue. It makes me think of David Gilmour's "Castellorizon" from On an Island, only softer and with Rick Wright's input.

"What Do You Want From Me" I think that after such a tranquil piece, "Poles Apart" should have been the second track, and this one placed elsewhere. Still, this song really hearkens back to Pink Floyd at their peak, with screaming guitar and those electric piano chords punctuating the song throughout. On the other hand, the second half sounds more like something from a David Gilmour solo album.

"Poles Apart" Mysteriously underrated, "Poles Apart" features beautiful acoustic guitars and a fretless bass, with a lovely vocal melody. The chorus is both interesting and pleasing. The middle section is a little weird and out of place, with the calliope and the strange noises. I really like the way there are no drums on the first verse and a slow beat during the second verse that is doubled in the third. It gives the song a feeling of expectation, and when the third verse comes, it's nothing but exhilarating. Gilmour treats us to an extended guitar solo during the final two minutes.

"Marooned" Despite being different compositionally, this second instrumental (which won a Grammy) is very similar to the first. It does become a bit more upbeat about halfway through with the addition of drums.

"A Great Day for Freedom" Referring the fall of the Berlin Wall, the composition of "A Great Day for Freedom" could have easily fit in with the album, The Wall. The two main melodies (the verse in a minor key and the chorus in a major) are loosely reminiscent of "Goodbye Blue Sky." The entire second half of the song is devoted to Gilmour's bluesy guitar soloing.

"Wearing the Inside Out" Another slow one, introduced with some saxophone work, this is one of the few songs when we're treated to the late Rick Wright's voice. No, he was never as strong as Gilmour or Waters on lead vocals, but he had a unique sounds. I would say that the song is a little too low for him, and that this is a fairly weak track anyway. It drones on and on, never really going anywhere. More guitar soloing in the end has started to make this album feel more and more like David Gilmour's project, and not a true Pink Floyd record.

"Take it Back" This one could have easily been a U2 cover.

"Coming Back to Life" In case the album wasn't already saturated in lush keyboards and Gilmour's singing, there's the first three minutes of this one. The rest sounds like a mediocre pop song from the late 1980s.

"Keep Talking" Much more of a new age track in the beginning, this one samples the voice of Stephen Hawking. Gilmour trades vocals with backup singers throughout the verses. The electric guitar solo in the middle gives way to a rare synthesizer solo. Again, this song carries on for far too long.

"Lost for Words" This is perhaps one of the simpler songs in terms of structure, working with a very basic chord progression, a straightforward melody, and unsophisticated acoustic guitar work.

"High Hopes" Dark and brooding, the final and longest song opens with bleak piano and the tolling of a bell. David Gilmour has stated that he had "High Hopes" virtually written and a demo recorded in a day. Despite the length, it is not a complex song, but does have a nice melody, particularly during the refrain. For variety, there is at least a slide guitar solo (rather than certain licks in Gilmour's signature tone played ad nauseum). The song fades out, leaving us with further bell ringing.