THE DIVISION BELL

The Last Classic Of Pink Floyd...The band in this album work like a team and the results are this...A amazing album...Wearing The Inside Out is fantastic...I recommend this album to all people in the world...

Not an innovative album but a fine piece of songs and sounds. Gilmour´s fine vocals and supreme guitars make a pleasant work with the recognizable Wright´s contribute. A fine album which some of the fans will find superb. (Me)

Yes, I like this album too. It's a shame that it took another 7 years between Lapse and Division Bell, but it was worth the wait. Lyrically excellent with fabulous production values built in. I had a problem with Cluster One, which is the only weak track, but Keep Talking and Take it Back make up for it.

Not their best work, but certainly not a weak one either. Give it a go.

United We Stand, Divided We Fall

After a six year silence, only interrupted by a sub-par live album but aptly called Delicate Sounds Of Thunder (their thunder was certainly not powerful on stage as shown in that double "thing") and some soundtrack in the Carrera Panamericana they'd participated in, it was Radio Silence from them. And then came the early 93 Britannia Row (their studio, built before Animals) sessions and this last effort (most likely this will be the last "real" Floyd album has Gilmour has shown little interest in reviving the group since their Live 8 reunion. Coming with another superb Thorgerson artwork, with those two head statues making only one face representing the album's theme (this too light to call it a concept) of a dialogue between the two parts of the face. All this sounds like the former greatness of Floyd will likely return, but alas, this is doesn't last a close analysis of the album. First, the fact that they needed a vast amount of guest beyond the understandable Pratt on bass and the return of Parry on sax: Carin & Ezrin on keys, Renwick on Guitar, Wallis on drums & percs?. Did they really need that??

Unfortunately TDB has not survived the test of time after the initial enthusiasm of fans, critics and casuals alike had shown. While somewhat better than AMLOR (which was little more than an uninspired Gilmour solo album ala About Face), TDB benefits from the superb would-be titled track High Hopes (which indeed does just that, raise our hopes ? a bit too much) and two good instrumentals, but for the rest of the album, the improvement is slightly more than a marginal one, despite the return of Rick Wright in the songwriting dept. He and Gilmour share the credits on five tracks and he signs one on his own, on which he sings lead vocals, but the partnership, while hitting the spot sporadically, didn't return to their former greatness. Gilmour (and Wright) has again delegated most of the lyrics to an outsider, this time his new wife, and was not well-advised. I'm sure a certain ex-member (no names, please) would've loved to do it and done a fantastic job.

TDB opens with a correct 6-mins instrumental intro Cluster One of the album, which is reminiscent of the AMLOR opener, which indeed waters (pun not intended at first) the mouth with Mason's tape effects and a Gilmourian guitar solo hinting at Shine On You's intro. This segues directly to a very average What Do You Want From Me, a track stylistically close to AMLOR's general soundscape and is little more than a standard chorus-verse formatted song, which will happen a few more times throughout this album, notably on the near-atrocious U2-esque Take It Back or the promising intro of Coming Back To Life, which sounds like it's coming from The Wall's side B but marred by a boring beat. However there are some more Floydian-sounding tracks like the 7-mins Poles Apart with an interesting middle section. Unfortunately, A Great Day For Freedom is a relatively wheezy and over sentimental track that could've used a kick in the arse to wake up, despite correct lyrics about Eastern Europe's then-newly found freedom. Rick Wright's Wearing The Inside Out is a welcome change from Gilmour writing paw, but I wouldn't call it an album highlight, displaying too much fragility, lacking energy and overstaying its welcome by a full two minutes. But its main merit is to bring back some more classic Floyd soundscapes, but that track is a good preview of Rick's upcoming solo album Broken China.

Elsewhere, Keep Talking has an interesting Wrightian touch (sonically close to Wearing The Inside Out), and his inspired choice of keyboards certainly hit the spot as do the Gilmour's guitar parts and Mason's finally inspired drumming. Even if The Wall was not Gilmour's oeuvre, tracks like Lost For Words or Coming Back To Life sound much like the few tracks he did contribute. So far, I haven't been very positive with this album, but let's face it, only one third stands out, another third is average, and the last third is sub-par; but I am saving the good stuff for last. Just like the opening instrumental, Marooned is another instant hit with nostalgic Floydheads, and indeed the alchemy between Wright's aerial keyboards and Gilmour's slide guitar dies hit the spot almost as if the classic 70's are just around the bend. And then we're left with the closing mini-epic High Hopes, which will unknowingly become Floyd's superb finale to Floyd's legacy. In many ways, this track recalls in many ways Comfortably Numb, with Gilmour's finally inspired singing, even if much of the magic comes from that delicious bell tolling sound, but Floyd does everything right here and have not been this close to perfection since The Wall.

Indeed, Floyd's overall oeuvre does find a near-semblance of legitimacy, because three of the four actors are present, but unfortunately their stronger quarter is direly and dearly missing them. But if it wasn't for this album's outstanding High Hopes finale and two instrumentals restoring the magic of their classic era, I'm not sure that this album will stand the test of time, as nearly a decade has gone by, and I view this album very differently from my original enthusiastic reception. Generally this album is over-rated, especially by those that a bit blindly are wishing Floyd's return to greatness.

great continuation of 'Momentary'. This time music is even more symphonic than before. As on the previous records we have fantastic songs here, High Hopes is my favorite one and the ending solo is the best one I've ever heard. So much emotion. Brilliant.

Is natural that some hardcore fans of this band are a little (or more) disappointed with this work, matter of tastes as I always said, but are very good tracks with good instrumentation. It was my second album I got from them and I was very pleased to hear songs like "What do you want from me", "Poles Apart", "Marooned" (which is one of their best instrumental works of their entire career), "Coming Back To Life", "Lost For Words" and "High Hopes"... OK is not progressive music, but you know what I'd rather hear this POP stuff than hearing JUSTIN, BRITNEY, CRISTINA, BEYONCE and those "good guys" of the new mainstream!

"The tolling of the iron bell calls the faithful to their knees"

This was the actual "Final cut" (so far anyway), and found the Floyd going out very much on a high.

Roger Waters accusations of "Momentary lapse of reason" being a "pretty fair forgery" bears little credibility here, the album sounding unique and inspired. There are of course many of the usual Pink Floyd trademarks, such as the soft, slow atmospheric opening, and David Gilmour's distinctive guitar.

Clearly a lot of time was spent both on the songwriting and the production, the quality of both being exceptional. There are no up tempo rock songs in the vein of "Money" for example, most of the tracks being of a similar, more relaxed pace. The closest they come to letting go is on the heavier "Coming back to life".

Highlights include "What do you want from me", where Gilmour's sudden vocal key change transforms the track beautifully. "Poles Apart" also has a great mood change midway, as the drums introduce an brief upping of the pace.

The final track, "High Hopes" builds seductively from an almost funereal start through uplifting choruses to a climax of one of Gilmour's best solos on any PF album. The track fades to the sound of a single bell, before an unnecessary coda involving a small child on a telephone.

There's not a weak track on the album, but as with any work worthy of longer term appreciation it does demand a number of listens, not to mention an open mind, to be fully appreciated. To my mind, "The division bell" bears comparison with "Dark side of the moon", both in terms of structure and sound, and of the overall quality.

The "David Gilmour in concert" solo DVD contains some wonderful, largely acoustic, re-workings of a selection of the tracks.

For those outwith the UK the "Division Bell" is rung in the Houses of Parliament to alert members to attend a vote.

The only music I listen to is Pink Floyd, so I really can't say it's the best ever. Floyd is mood music. Other forms of music try to make you feel a certain way, whereas Pink Floyd takes your feelings and emotions to a new level. Sometimes I am in a Dark Side mood, sometimes a Piper mood, and the rest, but most of the time, a Division Bell mood. This CD is just amazing. The lyrics are simply fantastic (Roger who?), the guitar work... Well, the guitar work is Gilmour. 'Nuff said.

Hearing this album answered the Pink Floyd calling. They were looking for something. After the largely Roger Waters input of the Wall and the Final Cut, the band needed to evolve slightly, to delve deeper into their own music. The Division Bell started somewhat slowly, with CLuster One, a weak instrumental. It made up for it with Marooned, however, the best Pink Floyd instrumental ever created by the band. But undoubtedly the best song on the album is Lost For Words.

An underrated album, perhaps, is the best closing moment for a band that hit the spectrum of prog very wisely. This is one of their finest records, may be it has a "pop" moment in it, but is mixed with altered sounds in a very sutile way. The instrumentals (marroned and clusted one) evokes early moods of floyd, ang the main title song (actually the final track) is a very strong one, full of emotions and mind.

There is nothing wrong enjoying this album. It is very good and one can feel all the work it took to produce this album. Songs like « High Hopes » and « Coming back to life » are awesome. I like the old Pink Floyd, but certainly appreciate this (even more!?)!

This is the year of this album's 10th anniversary and yet, nothing surprisingly new from the band as it was to be expected due the casualties surrounding the band. I think of this recording as the "Prime Opera" of the band ever since WATERS left, and it's quite impossible not to bring Roger up when to referring to the band, but for the reasons we all are familiar with, it's practically inevitable.

Although the slide according to this album in the site doesn't feature Rick WRIGHT on keyboards, believe me, he is. And so is gifted guitarist Tim RENWICK, Mr. Dick PARRY on the sax along his special appearances on "Dark Side of the Moon" and "Wish You Were Here" and many other exceptional musicians that joined the band during "The Division Bell" tour and in the "Pulse" live recording such as Gary WALLIS, Guy PRATT and Jon CARIN.

This almost perfect album reminds us of a simpler time and fulfills us with the sensation of union, commitment and geniality the band used to have all along their successful career. It surely is an experimental passage through what PF has done and achieved during the years from the "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" until this piece plagued with beautiful strikes of innovation, assorted with mixtures so rare and unique like the moments of inspiration with Rick on keyboards or the inexplicable turns Nick gets on drums. GILMOUR's performance all along this album is incomparable to what he's done so far, and with "so far" I also mean his solo works that certainly are uncomfortable to prog rock; the guitar execution is as melodic and moody as the one he once played in "Wish You Were Here" or even "The Wall".

The edgy touch and the musical improvement the album's got is the crucial point to convince the fans they still now how to rock, and still, it'd be out of any belief to think of a new album but with the old line-up. Great album, great production by Bob EZRIN, like the ones he's done with the band in the past; great musicians. Essential for complete understanding of the PINK FLOYD context.

The Wall was the last masterpiece by Pink Floyd and they should have called it a day after that to avoid all the stinkers that followed (except Echoes of course but that's a compilation). Pink Floyd should never have reached 1982, let alone 1994. They barely have the same energy and the album is full of boring tracks that dont seem to go to any new places. Granted there are strong pieces on the album but they are so flat compared to the rest of Pink Floyds material.

Marrooned and Cluster One are ok instrumentals but are too inconsistant and end up dragging the album down. High Hopes is probably the best work here but even that can get old fast. Whether or not pink floyd need roger waters on the album, they aren't as good without him. Keep Talking is annoying with the choir and stephen hawkings voice interupting a call and response style chorus. The Division Bell is a nice idea but it strains to carry on the pink floyd legacy. If the band had ended with the wall they would have a flawless discography and would have been even truer legends. Sadly this is the only album i need to finish my collection and it should only be purchased for the collectors.

It is the last real studio album by Pink Floyd to date. I remember reading that the group looked at all the "good" elements of their best past albums they had done and used those wining elements back in new compositions that became The Division Bell. Its not as retro or good as say Dark Side of the Moon but still quite good with a more modern feel like A Momentary Lapse of Reason. The album is smooth, semi prog rock with a slight bluesy feel. All the instrumentation is on par with the quality the band is used to giving. Gilmour's solos are always interesting and full of feel. The overall feel of the album is a pleasant and calm.

this album is one of the most beutiful music we had, it's structure is rocked better than a momentary laps.......and we have here somethin' new like a direct gilmour message to lovers (coming back to life) ,here is romantic ,rare thing from pf.

Criticized by many, including me, when it was released for not being very original and quite uninteresting. I for one take it back. It felt a little flat at first but after a while it began to grow on me and now I consider it to be slightly better than the previous one, "A Momentary Lapse of Reason", overall. Maybe the problem for me is that it doesn't really have any standout tracks comparable to the best tracks on "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason", instead this album is more evenly balanced and feels more cohesive. Gilmour's voice is definitely better than Waters' in my opinion. But whether you prefer Gilmour and his more accessible guitarbased style, or Waters more introspective lyrical version of Pink Floyd is just a matter of taste I guess. I don´t care as long as the music is good and on this album it is. More melancholic and a little softer than "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" but with the same stunning guitarplay from Gilmour, and overall I think it's a slightly better album.

I have never liked this album and probably never will. When I first got into Floyd, I decided to bye all their albums chronologically, I started with "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" and the last album I bought was this one. Knowing, and having enjoyed the entire Pink Floyd catalogue, The Division Bell, along with A Monetary Lapse of Reason, was a huge disappointment to me. The reason I dislike it is not because it "Doesn't sound like early Floyd" I never expected I to, of course a band sounds different after 30 years, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I has to be worse. My main claim is that the album simply lacks idea and vision, the theme (communication amongst people) isn't very well executed, the lyrics might be among the worst I have ever heard, lyrics to me don't normally matter, the problem is, that on this record they are presented as if they really matter, and Gilmour's voice (as an elderly man), I cant stand it. The majority of the compositions sounds very annoying , pointless overproduced and uninspiring (Keep Talking ranks as one of the worst tracks I have ever heard). In spite of great musicianship, this album as a whole, as a thematic recording has nothing whatsoever to recommend it. Though I must confess that I occasionally enjoy tunes like Cluster One & Marooned that's the reason for giving it 2 stars.

a definite high note for pink floyd to finally call it quits on, this album has enough quality songs to outweigh the few filler tracks. "cluster one" is, like many first songs on a PF album, a slow instrumental piece which showcases the band's ability to compliment each other. gilmour's morose soloing and wright's slow keyboard combine for a good "just stoned" song, and it turns into "what do you want from me", a slower rock song without any effects, but delightfully catchy nonetheless. "golden boy" or whatever number three is called i wouldn't care for musically were it not for the freaky carnival theme in the middle that scared the bejeezus out of me the first time i heard it. Lyrically, this song seems to be an ode to waters, and gilmour could be attacking attacking him if listened to with this mindframe. "A great day for freedom" is a great song on this album, proving gilmour one of the greatest conventional male singers in rock history, with the possible exception of freddy mercury. Rick Wright's tune, "wearing the inside out", is a long overdue piece from the band's all-important if underated keyboardist, as he had not helped write a song with his bandmates since "shine on you crazy diamond", and it features that willowy recognizble voice last heard on "time", well as superb backup singing in the chorus. the next few tracks (7, 8, 9,) are nothing spectactular, but listenable to anyway. "lost for words" number ten, is my favourite on this album, a song comparable to "wish you were here" structuraly, with acoustic soloing and biting, satirical lyrics about the human condition and relationships. my favourite line: "i open the door to my enemies and i ask could we wipe the slate clean. but they tell me to please go [%*!#] myself, as the ivy grows over the door." finally, "high hopes" is extremely ear pleasing and the right song to end this album on. it's about childhood and lost chances and regret. Some consider this album on the same level as the awful "momentary lapse of reason", Floyd's only unequivocal blunder, but in my opinion the comparison is absurd, and this album is the definition of post-waters pink floyd.

Four and a half stars..for sure Division Bell was even better than Momentary Lapse of Reason. Maybe this was down to the fact that Rick Wright was back as co-pilot alongside Gilmour.' Cluster one' is so emotionally stirring and you could not start an album on a better note. Even the hard hitting stab at disatisfied fans on ' What do you want from me' has a great hook and guitar riff. ' Poles apart' is nostalgic, fragile and beautifully written. Why people knock the lyrics on Divsion Bell is anybody's guess but Gilmour's other half lends her pen to the lyrics and they are exceptional. Rick Wright steals the show on ' Wearing the inside out'. Gilmour has cleverly crafted a perfect formula on Division Bell. The format in which the tracks are laid down are wll structured.' Lost for words' has some neat accoustic riffs where Gilmour throws his arms up in despair in the bitterness between him and Waters and no matter how he offers the peace pipe Waters basically tells him to go screw himself ( to put it politely). The album ends with the equisite and tragic ' High Hopes' which tells us of the wonder of childhood and how on growing older we lose that magic and grow more cynical in the... 'myriad of small creatures'. Division Bell was a great way for Floyd to sign off. I still have high hopes for one more album from them perhaps before the arthritis sets but I think it would take a small miracle for that to happen.

I feel this album shows that Floyd can produce a great albue with out Roger Waters. The album starts with Cluster 1, an excellent tune fused with a piano sound. What do you want from me struck me as an awesome song that is one of Floyd's best. It sounds like a 80's version of Have a Cigar. Poles Apart is average except for the freaky carnival music and Gilmour wailing on the guitar. Marooned gives the feel of being alone but is an excellent played piece. I think a great day for freedom is decent but not that great. Take it back is awesome and I love the theme of this album- Communication. Coming back to life is great and so is keep talking. Lost for words is ok and high hopes is good. One of Pink Floyd's better albums and done without Waters. Gilmour does a great job.

Like "The Dark Side of the Moon", this is one of those albums that I like to listen to fom start to finish. In my opinion, it was their best album since "The Dark Side of the Moon". Pink Floyd was a full real band in this album, as Rick Wright was an official member again, and as the trio played live together in the studio again, contributing each member to the total sound. Rick Wright again contributed good songs, good keyboards and good vocals, even if he wasn`t totally satisfied with the final product (as he said in interviews years later). The album has a lot of emotional changes and "colours", even if most of the time it is melancholic. But for me the impression it leaves is one of hope. This album proved that Roger Waters was important in the past, that they had to play in concert old songs of the quartet period, even some of Roger`s songs only written by him, but Roger`s "dark" vision of the world saturated his last albums with the band, and me and maybe other Pink Floyd`s listeners needed a change from Pink Floyd`s albums between 1977 and 1983. This album is a mixture of the best of the Pink Floyd of the early seventies with a new identity for the 90s.I also think that if this album is their last studio album, Pink Floyd said farewell in a high point.

The jubilee of "The Division Bell"! Ten years ago, being a fifteen-year old boy, I bought my first PINK FLOYD, and at the same time the first progressive album, "The Division Bell" (then on a tape). Oh, what a day it was when I listened to it - a new world opened up for me! I loved its every single sound, and have the same strong affection for it up to this day. Of course, later I got acquainted with even better PINK FLOYD works, but nothing can delete from my mind the initial ten-star impression of "The Division Bell". Looking at it now, ten years after, when I know that PINK FLOYD has fully permeated my brain and body and will stay with me for the rest of my life, when it has become to me synonimous with intelligence, emotion and mystery (I also associate these epithets and PINK FLOYD itself with John Fowles, a remarkable English novelist, one of the greatest minds of the literary England in the second part of the twentieth century), I place "The Division Bell" in line with the band's undisputably greatest creations: "The Dark Side of The Moon", "Wish You Were Here", "Animals" and "The Wall". Yes, "The Division Bell" is different. But which of the four mentioned albums of the seventies was not different? Yes, "The Division Bell" was recorded without Roger Waters, but does not the magic of David Gulmour's guitar and the peak of his (Gilmour's) creative power make up for his (Waters') absence? Can you sincerely point to a single weak track in the album? The whole is a beautiful, masterful composition, made in one style, in one mood, in one rich, expressive brushstroke of a true Master! The album has to be listened to as an undivisible piece, but if you make me do such a blasphemy as to tear it apart into tracks and select the best ones, these would be "What do you want from me", "Keep talking", "Lost for words" and "High Hopes" (this is after fighting the intention to include 80% of the tracks in this list!). "High Hopes" above all keeps me in suspension, especially when I make the volume loud and think about the words. I am sure "The Division Bell" will live in the hearts of the true PINK FLOYD fans for many many years to come and won't be forgotten until its hundredth anniversary!

People seem very quick to judge on this page. If you are a real pink floyd fan you will see all of the 3 remaining members influences in this amazing album. People who say that this is a s h i t album, should really look at themselves, long and hard. Momentary laps' was a wicked album, but with songs like 'High Hopes' and 'Keep Talking', this recording really is miles ahead. It is really a must have, for every budding Floyd fan. 10 out of 10...... cant say no more.

I think that The Division Bell is among PINK FLOYD's best works. Yes, it is different from their prior works, but that's to be expected. Seen for what it IS--the best work that DAVID GILMOUR, RICK WRIGHT, and NICK MASON have produced--it is truly an excellent album. Although not as lyrically unified as albums like The Wall, PINK FLOYD managed what so few bands have been able to do after losing an important member: preserved their sound intact and yet adapting to the times. Chicago couldn't do it, the MOODY BLUES couldn't do it--but thanks to its talented remaining members, PINK FLOYD succeeded.

In my mind, The Division Bell actually bears an interesting similarity to WRIGHT's first solo album, Wet Dream, and if you like one, I think chances are fairly good that you will like the other. Both albums have that sort of laid-back, open, oceanic and dreamlike feel to them in many places. This is certainly not the angst-filled Animals, though there are points where the "cast members" reveal they're feeling low.

Like no other album after Wish You Were Here, WRIGHT's presence can REALLY be heard and felt. It almost defies words, but there is always a strong sense of PLACE in his music. "Cluster One", for me, might be a cool fall day (the crackling sounds could be, for instance, fallen leaves swirling about). I can almost feel the wind shift direction at the change of a chord, see the bright blue sky and perhaps a few gentle wisps of cirrus clouds.

"Marooned", of course, is VERY oceanic. The image in my mind has always been of a stark, rocky, New England coastline--dark, ominous clouds threaten a nor'easter that may or may not materialise...but a warning just the same. GILMOUR deserves credit here as well, for a guitar solo that to me sounds like the anguish of a soul in pain. Some parts even seem like racking sobs. Yet as the song goes on, it almost seems to gather strength...all hope is not gone. Out of this pain comes renewal.

That brings me to the album's most powerful track: "Wearing the Inside Out": one of the most moving, most personal things I have ever heard (WRIGHT's second solo album Broken China being THE most moving thing I've ever heard).

I would prefer not to discuss the actual circumstances, but the time at which I purchased this album was the darkest, most painful time in my life. I cannot explain what it was like to hear this song--almost like seeing a reflection of myself, for lack of better words. It is a compliment to WRIGHT that his music would draw me in like that. I know the lyrics are not his, but the sentiments certainly seem to belong to him.

The song offered something else, too. For all the darkness, there is a very distinct turning point, when that "trumpet" synthesiser kicks in: "I'm creeping back to life..." The darkness, as terrible and consuming as it was, need not be permanent. And even though at the end, this soul is still in some pain--there is hope. In the final chord is an uplifting message...this bleeding heart may not be beating much...but it is slow, strong, and clear at the end. There is still life. Whatever his circumstances were, it was very brave of Mr. Wright to capture his feelings in music that way, because it truly is a gift when you can take those things and touch someone else.

I think "Coming Back to Life" is notable for GILMOUR's second-most impressive singing job. Only "So Far Away" from his self-named solo album outdoes it. The beautiful, even, rapid note changes are absolutely impressive...the studio effects chosen here are very effective, in my opinion, to accentuate it.

The last song, "High Hopes", is beautifully haunting--the ringing of the Division Bell has a mournful, tolling sound to it that fits well with the reminisces upon things long gone. There is a beautiful solo and ascending chord sequence at the end. Though it seems all is lost to time, there are still "high hopes" at the end of The Division Bell, giving it an overall optimistic feel.

I think there is more to this album than meets the eye. I was, overall, pleased with The Division Bell, especially because of a jewel like "Wearing the Inside Out"--far and away the best song on the album. It is the sign of a true artist when you can see parts of your own circumstances in their work.

In this album i can see them getting back to the days of Wish You Were Here. This to me is the one of the best albums that Floyd ever did. There isn't a bad point on the album. It was better than AMLOR, but that could be contributed to the fact that some of the members of Floyd didn't contribute a great deal to that album. It's one of those albums that i can't pick a fav from. It's all gd.

a good album, but certainly not the best PF work. I was quite impressed by the music when I first listened to it, but my enthusiasm vanished as time went by and today these song are a bit boring for me. That's what makes DB different from the 70's PF albums, which are still amazing even after I've heard them hundreds of times. Still a good album, though.

Some people consider this another weak effort while others claim this is on almost as good as their best albums. I think it's better than their previous effort, but far from a classic. There are some good songs here such as the U2-styled "Take It Back", and the closer "High Hopes". The nice instrumental "Marooned", "Lost For Words" and the "Have A Cigar" clone "What Do You Want From Me" are smaller highlights, while "Wearing The Inside Out" is the worst song. It's not very innovative either: there are many references to their glorious 70s stuff but it's more entertaining than their previous album and has a better atmosphere, although it's a bit too "new age"-ish for a Pink Floyd album. Many people may like it.

Better than A Momentary Crapse of Reason...heheh. Today I did my first listen - one on headphones with nothing else to clog my senses and one now as I surf the net. The album is much better listened to as casual background music. If you really listen to it and do nothing else, you realize that the entire album is directed solely at one person - Roger Waters. Every song with lyrics talks about how "you" were bad or cruel or mean and "I" am so good and innocent and need sympathy. Now I don't have a side with either one of them, but this album is kind of self-absorbed on Gilmour's side. The best song in my opinion is Cluster One, a very nice almost bluesy piece. Gilmour had so many people help write the lyrics, half of the entire album seems to be written by his journalist girlfriend at the time! The noise at the beginning is sounds of the earth's crust moving as recorded by a professional seismologist. Besides that, the whole album is not really that much different from AMLOR. Just take away the cheesy 80's noises and things like that which were popular in that decade. BOTTOM LINE - Get it if you have to get every Floyd album. Otherwise it's pretty overrated.

"The Division Bell" a masterpiece of progressive music? No. Musically it is not overly progressive at all. But it is no less essential, no less a 'masterpiece' and if I, as its biggest fan, don't give it the 5-star rating that it deserves, then nobody will. WARNING: This is a long album review, but I implore the reader to continue, you just might appreciate the fact you did.

After "Animals", this is the FLOYD I most often turn to. If "Animals" is night, then "The Division Bell" is day. Can PINK FLOYD actually be inspiring? touching? uplifting? You bet. Musically "The Division Bell" is sheer beauty. It elicits reactions of reflection, elation and even melancholy. And that's just the music! All too often I find myself slipping away to other places in the 'walking-into-the-sunset' guitar outros of Mr. Gilmour in 'Poles Apart', 'A Great Day For Freedom' and 'Lost For Words'.

"I never thought that you'd lose that light in your eyes..."

Lyrically this record has taken its lumps because many of the songs were co-written by amongst others, Polly Samson, Gilmour's wife. But that does not in and of itself make the lyrics any less moving.These songs are often directly about the FLOYD and its troubled history and personages. The imagery created in 'Lost For Words' is a blatantly worded slap in the face directed towards Waters..."Can you see your days blighted by darkness? Is it true you beat your fists on the floor? Stuck in a world of isolation, While the ivy grows over the door." As well, 'Poles Apart' too is directly written about Syd and Roger, each getting his own verse.

Most astonishingly this is also an extemely intelligent record. Conceptually this album is progressive to the extreme. The concept is subtle yet profoundly deep for those wishing to pursue its true meaning. It is primarily centred around 'feedback' (i.e. communication if you will), or the lack thereof. The concept is heavily influenced by the book "The Human Use of Human Beings: Cybernetics and Society", by Norbert Wiener. For those who want even more philosophical insight and conceptual mystery look up the phenomenon known as "THE PUBLIUS ENIGMA"... FLOYD's own homegrown version of a 'whodunnit?' caper. In typical FLOYD fashion, even the album cover and liner notes are suspicious. Everything in them has some sort of meaning, whether obvious or not to the casual viewer.

Rick Wright is back to full form on this record as well, singing and writing his unique brand of FLOYDIAN music for the first time since "Dark Side"! 'Cluster One' and 'Marooned' are wonderfully ambient instrumentals that showcase the ability of Wright/Gilmour to create luscious soundscapes, textures and panoramic moods. The latter song, 'Marooned' ironically won the 1994 Grammy for Best Instrumental. In the ultimate use of sound sampling, the FLOYD on 'Cluster One' utilize the crackling sound of the tectonic plates moving under the earth's crust to begin the record. Very Deep indeed!

Like it or not, this is PINK FLOYD's Swan Song. They probably will never write another studio album again. And why should they? I feel they have already outdone themselves. Ten years later, we are still delving into and trying to decipher the riches that they have given us in "The Division Bell"...

Musically, this album is Floyd at its best. "Cluster One", the solo starting "Coming Back To Life". "Marooned", this is the David Gilmour we all love to hear. I found this album musically to be a breath of fresh air, and after a few years without anything new from Floyd. this was heaven. Having Rick Wright back replaced the missing foundation of the sound and lyrically I got more from this than the angst of "The Wall" or "The Final Cut".

TDB was for Floyd a return to their original way of working.. as a team instead of a dictatorship. The concept of TDB is one of coming out of a hard time into a better life. I think the whole world can relate to that. Its about the 3 of them dealing with marriage breakups, the loss of Roger, the loss of Syd, the great expectations on them from their fans, and their coming back to life as a threesome.

And the reason its genius is because you can weave your way thru Pink Floyd's career just from listening to the lyrics on this album. The depth on this album is so thick, its staggering! Its actually about them going thru every obstacle that life has thrown at them... and coming out the other side.... For those who like to knock Polly Samson's assistance with lyrics on this, I find she's the one who added the concept of hope, and for that I'm truly grateful to her.

Forgetting the past... and coming back to Life...

Having High Hopes... for a brighter future...

Regarding the Communication concept, the making of this album basically started off as a way for them to exercise their demons... give their history... but they realized that the communication thing did show up in many of the songs... so I guess it was on their minds...

The Division Bell is an album that consists of some of the best music that Pink Floyd has released. It disappoints me that this album is so overlooked. However I believe that the reason for that is because Pink Floyd releases so much great stuff that it's hard to keep up a good rating on albums that are disregarded because their other stuff is better. Sure, Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall were amazing. But if you want a real feel of wisdom and clearity, this is your album. Absolutely amazing guitar work on Gilmour's part and possibly the best built Pink Floyd album I've ever heard. From the classic piano from Cluster One, to the astonishing rifts in High Hopes, it just seems to be amazing. This is to be considered one of the best, or in my opinion, the best, Pink Floyd Album out there.

High Hopes is one the most beatiful songs that I´ve listen. In special, this music have a special atmosphere, and I love it so much. David Gilmour´s solo is wonderful. The Division Bell can be considered a masterpiece as The Dark Side of The Moon and The Wall.

This is an essential album,and is vey content with the skillful playing styles that david gilmour is known for,if you are are a fan of his guitar work,or even if you jusy play guitar then this album is for you!Also the instrumentals throughout the song (especially in poles apart) are breath taking,although marooned is still my favorite song.

In my opinion, PF were never virtuosos (with the best instrumentalists being definitely David and Richard; the rhythm section was always weaker) but they played mostly relaxed smooth music. In principle, PF used to make very simple 2-3 accord compositions and I liked them. But wherein they were revolutionary was how they dressed up their songs. Thus, they were progressive in the final production but not in composing and playing. If you unclothe all the progressive togs and themes around, what you get are just simple folk or blues songs, which is not bad too. However, I like David's solo work more. They seem cleaner to me, with more straightforward musicality. And in these two w/o-RW PF album it became obvious again that David Gilmour was an excellent song-writer, smooth guitarist and ear-pleasing vocalist....The songs are relaxed, not depressive, melodic, simply not bad and not boring. Lyrics are simpler too, with much less egocentrism than it was the case in former PF or solo works of Roger Waters. The music is of the same kind as David's solo works, but with much deeper impact of Richard Wright (also as a composer and singer again) making the final sound more magic and mysterious, e.g. as in echoes or shine on. Pleasant and enjoyable again.. I won't name the best tracks, cause there no outstanding, they are all a fine standart. I think that these two album represent the bright side of the moon within PF. I only do not understand why have been these two or three musicains so ungenerous with in their music having released one album per decade.

For the record David Gilmour was the true genius of floyd.He is the man responsible for the pink floyd sound.Thats what music is about sound.Roger waters was not a great musician only a great lyricist just listen to the final cut and his solo albums.This sounds much more like floyd than anything since dogs on animals.Its not a perfect album there are a few mediocre tracks like take it back and keep talking but there a lot of great ones to.High hopes is one of the best songs on any floyd album.Incredibly emotional and sad ending with an incredible slide guitar solo.Gilmour is the only guitarist who can bring you to tears with one note brilliant.

The DB overall is a decent record but certainly not in the same category as early PF works. However the last song "High Hopes" is about as good a PF song as you are EVER going to hear. Amazing song from start to finish and the solo from Gilmour is mind numbing. I like this song better than Comfortably Numb, Time, Money et al. the so called PF classics. Just my two cents worth. Other songs on the album are not quite at the same level however I do enjoy listening to "Lost for Words" and "What do you want from me" when the mood strikes. I would be willing to bet if the DB album received the same amount of air play as DSOTM did in the 70s and 80s this would be a much more talked about piece of work.

Why don't people like this? I've been a Floyd fan FOREVER, and I admit they lost something when Roger Waters didn't want to continue with this band. But in his later days with them, they were the gloomiest sounding band around. "Momentary Lapse..." was a rebuilding, "delicate Sound..." was them saying "we don't need you", and even with all the outside help, "The Division Bell" is one of the best sounding releases to come out in a long time.

Pink Floyd did not die. This album "Division Bell" was announced in 1994. At present, it is the latest work of Pink Floyd. It is extraordinary and a beautiful music. Album to understand great of Pink Floyd. "Cluster one", "Marooned", "High hopes", "Take it back", and "Coming back to life" are wonderful.

I think that, even though Waters will always be an important part in PF history, after The Division Bel, I understood that they don't need him. For me, this is their best album. When you decide to read this reviews, you know from the begining that there is no way that every one will agree in something as personal as musical taste... but giving just two stars to this album means that maybe you like something else... rap perhaps?

Great album, but badly disregarded. Why? Simple reason: many people are misled by Waters inappropriate statement that Pink Floyd without him only serves as a forgery. This album proves Waters was wrong. Admit it or not, Pink Floyd with him has already became part of rock history, and the subsequent band has its own life and credibility.

With Wright re-join the group as a full-time member, what was lost in the previous album ("A Momentary Laps of Reason") has now been recovered. Not only Wright gives his best keyboards contribution since "Animals", he also co-writes five of the 11 songs, and even serves as lead vocalist on "Wearing the Inside Out".

Another difference from "A Momentary...", accordingly, is this album is more of a group effort. Gone are the heavy involvements of outsider composers. Knowing his lack of writing lyrics, however, Gilmour invited Polly Samson and Nick Laird-Clowes to help him writing songs (it seems to me) mostly about communications.

Apart from its rather weak lyrics, this album showcasing the band effort of moving back to the pre-"Dark Side of the Moon". There are a lot of lazily, slow tempos and sustained keyboard chords. And also a lot of guitar playing, with Gilmour again delivered his masterfully guitar solos on several songs, including in "Coming Back to Life" and "High Hopes" (the best track, in my opinion).

Serious Pink Floyd admirers should not ignore this album, which its title came from science fiction writer and long-time friend of Gilmour, Douglas Adams.

This album is just essential... Very unpopular I see, by the oldschool Pink Floyd fans. Then I must reply: Maybe "Pink" sounds VERY differnt on Division Bell compared to the 70", but the great songwriter Waters is not pressent on this album. Therefore Gilmore get a hola lot of more space for HIS songwriting, and he can write music.. Very good music!!! This is a chillout masterpiece whit great beat in the drums by Mason, unbelivable harmonic guitars by gilmore. But does Pink lose any power on this album becouse Waters dont play bass?... Simply.. NO!

So for you out there looking for a GREAT album. Check this out.

And finnaly. From all of us Pink Floyd fan: Thanx to Pink for the great gig on "Live 8"

When this album came out I did only purchase the cassette version as I was not "that" satisfied with post Roger Waters era of Pink Floyd through previous album "A Momentary Lapse of Reason". But when I heard "Marooned" with stunning guitar work by David Gilmour, I decided to upgrade the collection into CD. I did not regret at all even though the CD price was five times than cassette. And I think, reviewing an album should be on the basis of enjoying it from CD or LP. Why? It's because my cassette experience with this album did not create any excitement with an atmospheric track that set the overall tone of the album "Cluster One" (5:58). This very slow tempo and ambient music explores some effects resulting from keyboard sound, followed with soft piano touch and soft guitar work of Gilmour can only best enjoyed with the CD format. Unexpectedly the band brings the music into a blues-rock style with "What Do You Want From Me" (4:21). It's not only the beats and the melody that I like from this song, but also the Floydian guitar. Awesome. "Poles Apart" (7:04) for me is an exploration of acoustic guitar fills and nice vocal quality.

My favorite track "Marooned" (5:28) was my chief reason to buy the CD and it explores David Gilmour guitar virtuosity, excellent composition and sustained time signatures that can only be filled-up with a patient guitar player like Gilmour. It is augmented by great piano touch. Unfortunately, I have never heard this track played live. "A Great Day for Freedom" (4:18) is a nice song but I tend to get bored listening this a bit poppy track. With Dick Parry's sax at the opening combined with soft howling guitar, "Wearing the Inside Out" (6:48) brings our musical experience in a cool way; relax . I like the guitar fills at the background. "Take It Back "(6:12) is a straight forward and free flow smooth music with some nice guitar solo in the middle.

"Coming Back to Life" (6:19) was initially not the kind of track that I favor until I watched Gilmour's DVD (In Concert) and I could then appreciate better. Fortunately, I like the guitar solo part which is played "rough" (unusual for Gilmour, actually). "Keep Talking" (6:11) is a good upbeat tempo and ambient song with great sound mixing and unique vocals. "Lost for Words" (5:14) is for just "so and so" as it does not truly create any emotion for me. It goes just like that - it's like an oxygen flowing into my ears. Nothing happen at all man!

"High Hopes" ??? Yeah . it's the pinnacle, I think. I did appreciate this track better after I watched my laser disc on P-U-L-S-E. I really love the melody and the nuance - especially when I watched the video where big balloon moves slowly in a dark setting. What a great shot, really. The song start with a nuanced bell songs augmented with a very simple piano touch followed with great low register notes Gilmour voice .

Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young In a world of magnets and miracles Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary The ringing of the division bell had begun

Along the Long Road and on down the Causeway Do they still meet there by the Cut

There was a ragged band that followed in our footsteps Running before time took our dreams away Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground To a life consumed by slow decay

The grass was greener The light was brighter With friends surrounded The night of wonder

Overall, it's an excellent addition to any prog music collection. Keep on proggin' ..!

Progressively yours, GW

This album is often unfairly bashed due to Waters' absence, and some people claim that this is more like a "David Gilmour" solo album than a full band one. Well, this album has a Rick Wright's composition, like the ones he used to make before the Dark Side of the Moon era, and the own band members admited that this time they were finally working as a full band again. Just read the two quotes below by Rick and Nick: Rick's comments: "I've written on it. I'm singing on it. I think it's a much better album than the last one. it's got more of the old Floydian feel. I think we could have gone further, but we are now operating as a band. Only Nick has played the drums, and my Hammond organ is back on most tracks." Nick's comments: "There's more of the feel of Meddle here than anything else. This started as a group album, with the three of us spending a fortnight together just jamming. We put down over 40 sketches in two weeks, then things moved on. Some of those initial ideas might actually end up on a satellite album." And, to make the point more than clear, Dave's comment: "On this album both Nick and Rick are playing all the stuff that they should be playing. Which is why it sounds much more like a genuine Pink Floyd record to me than anything since Wish You Were Here." Yes, the band was in full synthony again! Besides "Wearing the Inside Out", Rick is credited with four other tracks, and even though we have again external musicians here (not that huge crowd found on AMLOR, though), like Guy Pratt (i think they needed a bass player, right?) and those two extra keyboard players, Ezrin and Jon Carin, this still IS a FLOYD work, with just some more musicians to make the sound richer. Dick Parry is again here, playing some wonderful sax on Rick's "Wearing the Inside Out", he made a great work on Dark Side and WYWH.

About the musical content now. This is an overall very relaxing album, with mostly slower and more reflective tracks than the much heavier and more inferior last album, AMLOR. The theme is about the lack of communication, and while not as brilliant in terms of words compared to Water's era, one has to admit that this is much better musically than "The Wall" or "The Final Cut". Gilmour's guitar playing and Rick's atmospheric keyboard textures are simply brilliant here, and they have made enough instrumental material to release an album full with songs not used here. I think such release would be amazing, since "Cluster One" (more piano based) and "Marooned" (more guitar based) are both very outstanding instrumental moments, both filled with beauty being the latter the song that touches me more emotionally together with "High Hopes", which delivers my favorite David Gilmour solo of an studio album at the ending, closing the album beautifully after the line "forever and ever". "Poles Apart" shows again how amazing Rick's atmospheric playing is at the middle of the song, and it's the album's best song before "High Hopes". "A Great Day for Freedom" is the classic FLOYD album underrated song. This, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful tracks composed by the band, and i feel like i am in heaven when i listen to it. "Wearing the Inside Out" has Rick after many years on lead vocals again. It is quite brilliant as his old contributions to the band, too bad he was awfully blocked from showing his potential on the "Animals to The Wall" era, but here he is shining again, showing that he IS capable of writing (too bad he still felt insecure on writing the lyrics for Broken China two years later, though, having another person writing them). "Lost for Words" is an amazing ballad and one of my first contacts with the Floyd, and "Keep Talking" has its weird arrangement but i really like this song, and do think it is extremely underrated even moreso than "A Great Day for Freedom". "What Do You Want from Me" is a nice pop song, but i really dislike that final line repeating the song's title at the ending. It sounds awful for a PINK FLOYD song. "Take It Back" looks horribly out of place and would be better on a U2 or COLDPLAY album. "Coming Back to Life" is not so special in my opinion and i personally don't care too much for this song, and i weirdly find Dave's vocals really annoying here.

Overall this is a great PINK FLOYD work. They proved that their creativity hasn't drown through the years, making this excellent addition to the music of the 90's. Almost as great as anything from the 70's, The Division Bell is still a gem forgotten and severely negleted by many FLOYD fans, especially the Waters' crazy ones. In my opinion this is a perfect way to end the career, with the lines "forever and ever" followed by Dave's most passionate solo, and just proves that from the stars till the bells the FLOYD never ceases to amaze and please our ears and souls.

The best of Pink Floyd. It is a shame they do not make more of this. Even David Gilmour himself said that this album is there best after Wish You Were Here. Well I disagree with him. I think this album is the best although it is like Wish You Were Here. It is very symphonic.

This is an improvement of the last pink Floyd Album. This album has the sound of Pink Floyd, and has plenty of guitar solos and keyboard work. Another thing to note is that the album is a tribute to Roger Waters.

1. Cluster one : This sounds like Shine on You Crazy Diamond. Very Atmospheric sound with mellow lead guitar and lots of piano. A perfect way to start the album.

2. What do you want from me: A good pop song with female vocalists. Nothing too special, but it is solid.

3. Poles apart : A very good song starting as a normal soft rocker with good melodies, but impressing the listener with a highly atmospheric instrumental break that is a highlight of the album.

4. Marooned: This is a great instrumental that gave Pink Floyd a Grammy. It is as always atmospheric with lead guitars, with nice piano embellishments.

5. A great day for freedom: This is Dave at his most melodic. The piano melodies are also outstanding. The instrumental break is highly symphonic and contains a good and long guitar solo.

6. Wearing the inside out : A not too memorable Spacey song that really sounds generic for Pink Floyd. Not bad though, but it is overlong, and lacks strong melodies.

7. Take it back : A song that sounds really like U2, but it still is played in the Floyd way. This is the most poppy song of the album.

8. Coming back to life: A good and simple rock/pop song wiht the 'wish you were here' feel.

9. Keep talking: this is a memorable song, and it has an interesting arrangement. It is a rocker with plenty of solo and a Stephen Hawkin-like electronic voice giving the theme of the song 'it doesn't have to be like this, We have to make sure we keep talking'. Some guitar sounds in the solos can make you feel like you heard them before though (especially one in which Dave uses the pig sounding guitar pedal)

10. Lost for words: A 'Wish You Were Here' Clone! It starts with a guitar riff, then is later accompained by a short acoustic solo, and then the verses/choruses begin which reminds me of that old classic.

11. High hopes: This is a classic Pink Floyd song. It has that classic piano riff, the amazing lyrics and singing .. the melodies! ... the military march drumming + acoustic solo, and of course the great guitar solo at the end (which is played even better in PULSE). This is a song that can represent excellently 'symphonic rock'.

I recommend this album to any Pink Floyd fan or anyone who likes the 70s pre-wall Pink Floyd sound. It is very solid.

My Grade : C+

In my opinion this is not only the best floyd album, but for me it is my favorite album period. I always thought that Gilmours guitar tone is what seperated the sound of Floyd from all of the other music I listen to and on this album Gilmour retains and refines the guitar tones that made him famous. I always fought this album in my mind trying to classify it as a "later" Pink floyd work that didn't deserve the respect of Dark side, or Wish you were here, but I found myself reaching for this album more and more. The more I listened to it, the more things I could pick out of it that I thought were incredible. I would suggest this album to any one, and ask them not to look for a new version of old floyd albums, but rather to look for what makes this albuim so great, it's etheral guitar work and beautiful tone. Lyrically I feel it could have been more varied on it's themes, But the music by far makes up for it.

I think that the outro in Poles Apart is the best bunch of notes ever strung together on any song..........just incredible!

I grew up with the early Pink Floyd (73-79), if I compare this album to that era I miss emotion, songs that carry me away and surprising musical ideas. When I witnessed the "Division Bell tour" it was a mindblowing visual and often musical experience but not a single song from the new album impressed me or sounded memorable. To me Pink Floyd had turned into a very professional progrock machine, absolutely not bad or boring but their music simply doesn't evoke any spark. Pink Floyd did a decent job with this album but I miss Roger Waters, the splendid Live8 concert prooved this to me: Roger is the missing link!

Well..it seems to me that people have too much expectations, everyone seem to think that it was roger who was genius of floyd, well roger may be a genius lyrically but musically he was worst. Pink Floyd survived without waters but if this was the other way round i think floyd would have not even started. I strongly believe that david gilmour gave the band its sound and music, his voice is unique and different and his guitar work is simply the best. Besides gilmour, rick wright and nick mason are also a strong force behind the band. Well i dont know if many people know this or not, but all the members of floyd always seemed to be going along well except waters..he wanted to regain full control over band and i think thats mean and unfair, but gilmour, wright and mason proved it that they are the best and without them waters is nothing. "The Division Bell" is one of the best albums of pink floyd..as good as their previous albums, I think true pink floyd fans should learn appreciate all their albums, any floyd fan who has a problem with it hasent lived through floyd....!!!!!

With three of the guys back together, much better than the previous one!! I always felt, since 1994..that PF wanted to vanish in oblivion with class and personality! IMHO they achieved that, since this album proves something...We still can do progressive rock..and Floyd gems without Rogers, and at the end.... A final point..for one of the most espectacular band ever created!! As Sean mention, I also was very happy and deligthed to see Richard back in full swing with the band!; since his influence is undenying on PF career. Recommended!!!

Two stars?!?!?! Why!??!?!

BECAUSE THERE'S TWO GOOD SONGS ON IT.

High Hopes belongs in the top ten of any Pink Floyd best-of. It's truly intricate, Gilmour (and his girlfriend)'s corny lyrics are almost good here, and the vocals/music are brilliantly executed. It was the perfect note to go out on, a solid song.

Wearing The Inside Out gives us the triumphant return of Rick Wright, and it's purely lovely. It's probably the best song Rick ever sang, or wrote, and I love it.

BUT THE REST...

Keep Talking is pure crap, and they stole the bass riff from Sorrow (their own damn song seven years previous). What Do You Want From Me is solid, as are the two intrumentals (Cluster One and Marooned, if you care for some reason) but lacking real spark. A Great Day For Freedom was clearly meant to show how well they could do Waters; it doesn't work. Take It Back is a TERRIBLE BORING POP SONG and it teams up with yawners Coming Back To Life and Poles Apart (a petty and irritating blow at Waters) to put you right to sleep without a fight. Lost For Words is nice, too, but let's face it: two great songs and two okay ones, plus two instrumentals, still leaves us with a stinker of a Pink Floyd album.

Buy Amused To Death by Roger Waters instead. At least his more recent lyrics still aren't nearly half as embarassing as "I was spending my time in the doldrums, I was caught in a cauldron of hate." THANKS DAVID, I know enough EMO kids as it is, don't give me no EMO geezers.

This album is a MASTERPEICE ....just not a floyd masterpiece.what i mean is the album has very strong qualitys a few mega hit songs awsome gutar and vocal just not a PF caliber album.i have no choice but to give this a 5 one.because its Pink Floyds last album two.because if any other artist were to have made this it would be a number 1 hit

Far be it for me to say anything negative about Pink Floyd.

Floyd has been my favorite band since the early 1970's. The internal fighting of band has had a lot of casualties, especially Pink Floyd fans.

"Division Bell" is a great album, but hardly up to Pink Floyd standards. Under David Gimour's leadership, the band has changed from psyco-space to what ever it is David Gilmour is trying to make it. Its not Pink Floyd.

The closest thing to Pink Floyd in "Division Bell" is "Keep Talking." But even that is seriously lacking the classic lyrics Floyd fans have come to love. Roger Waters was, for all practical purposes, Pink Floyd. Without his leadership and lyrics, Pink Floyd is now an average entertainment venue at best.

Too bad. Roger, Dave, kiss and make up. Together you did great things, separate you both suck.

A more focused album centered on the band members. Still very pop/rock oriented, in the vein of "A momentary lapse of reason" but with a better sound. This time, there are no real weak tracks, but less great ones and just a lot of good enjoyable music.

The instrumentals "Cluster One" and "Marooned" are awesome... Pink Floyd at their best. "What Do You Want From Me" is a great pop/rock song. "High Hopes" is the song you want to hear on each album you buy as a closing track - awesome melody, lyrics, atmosphere, it just asks for more Pink Floyd music.

Rating: 80/100

I can remember when I first listened to this album, Christmas Day a few years ago. I was still a fairly new Pink Floyd fan. I put this album in my CD player and proceeded to flick through the sleeve work...that was until What Do You Want From Me? kicked in. Now this was a Pink Floyd tune! From that moment I fell in love with this album (although I have to admit I found the rest of the album fell just below the watermark that WDYWFM? set).

The stand out tracks? I've already mentioned WDYWFM? so apart from that i'd have to say Coming Back To Life, High Hopes and Lost For Words. The only track i'd recommend people to skip would be Keep Talking. It has terrible lyrics and deserves to be on AMLOR rather than TDB.

Well done Mr. Gilmour for producing an album that lives up to the Pink Floyd name.

You have to have this one for Gilmour's guitar tones and his impeccable proficiency on the instrument. He is one of a kind and puts his individual stamp on every song on this album. Marooned, Take it back, Coming back to life and High Hopes are worth repeated listenings. But a few of the songs aren't and that's a shame because they keep this recording from really being one of their all-time bests. Still, Pink Floyd on a bad day beats the daylights out of 99% of 21st century artists on their greatest day ever!

When I first heard of this album, I didn't understand that it was done without Roger Waters, as I myself am a fairly new Pink Floyd fan. However, once I learned that this album was in fact done without Roger's trademark lyrics and vocals, it made me wonder if it could be as good as anything that Waters did for the band in the past. After all, Gilmour is a master guitarist and composer, but his lyrics are not nearly as thought-provoking as Waters' words.

So I decided I would risk it and pick this album up. I went by my local record store, found a cd of it on sale, bought it, left, popped it in my cd player in the car and listened to it on the way back home. What I discovered was that not only did I gind this album very enjoyable, but in fact it has quickly become one of my favorite Pink Floyd albums ever.

The first track, "Cluster One", is an atmospheric, melodic ambience with haunting keyboards by Rick Wright, and although it doesn't automatically bring the classic sound of Pink Floyd to mind, it is a breath of fresh air, and a very beautiful track.

The second song is "What do you Want from Me". Not a track I personally care for, but maybe it needs to grow on me some more. The lyrics are a little too straightforward for my taste, but the genious of Gilmour is definately present.

"Poles Apart". Wow, what a beautiful song. It starts out with fantastic acoustic-style rythm guitar, with a bit of organ in the background. This upbeat tune continues as we hear Gilmour's powerfull vocals thunder out the words. These lyrics are very impressive to Gilmour's credit, and I enjoy this song thoroughly. The lyrics speak of lost friends, missed opprotunities, and the suprising outcome of how things turned out in the end for Gilmour. Syd Barret is referred to in here, as well as Roger Waters. Very fine songwriting and composing. One of the best tracks on the album in my opinion.

Now here is when we come to a very prominant part of the album. This instrumental track "Marooned" is without a doubt, a Pink Floyd masterpiece. It starts out with one of the most ingenious openings to any piece of music I have ever heard. It only gets better from there. Soon, the atmospherical tunes in the distance come out full force, and then Wright's stark abilities on keyboard shine on as a piano backdrop for Gilmour's masterfull guitar work.

"A Great Day For Freedom" follows as a touching and hard hitting ballad that sends shivers down my spine everytime I hear the chorus. The lyrics speak of the fall of the Berlin wall, but could also be speaking about the final time when Waters was actually a part of Pink Floyd's power. The beggining lyrics are; "On the day The Wall came down . . . "

Rick Wright sing as lead vocalist for the next song. "Wearing the Inside Out" has to be among my least favorites on this album, just because it feels too out of place when listening to the album as a whole. It has a very bluesy-jazzy sound that doesn't appeal to me. Too much saxaphone, and not enough creativity. However Mason's crisp drumming on this track take me back to the "DSotM" days, and that's always a good thing.

"Take It Back" starts off like a bad pop song you would hear on the radio, but soons takes shape of it's own, and certainly stands out for it's use of the exotic instrument sounds. The beat, pace and somewhat limited tune of this one doesn't really sound like Pink Floyd, however, and is not a track that I play through all the time.

David Gilmour wrote this song for his wife supposedly, but it is simply beautiful regardless of what the lyrics are speaking of. It really relates to anyone who feels like a new reason to stay alive has arrived in their life, and a great song to listen to when you need some encouraging words. A very uplifting, yet melancholy sounding song at first, then it springs to life with very dynamic drum beats by Mason. However, if the song had remained moody and melodic throughout the entire song rather than just for the first part of it, I may enjoy it more. Nevertheless, it is a very fun song to listen to. Just don't expect a progressive rock experience with this song, it's a pop song, nothing more.

"Keep Talking" has been getting a few bashings from other reviewers here, but I honestly find it one of the most truly progressive songs on this album. It's beautiful opening takes you away from reality very quickly, then the dynamic bass line that follows reminds me of the stuff that Waters would do. Then there is Gilmour's voice. His vocals on this song sound very traditional Pink Floyd, and adds that much more nostalgia to the listening experience. What makes this song less powerfull is the absolutely ridiculous background singers. They don't need to be there, and if the song were without them, it would be even better than it is now. However it's still one of my favorites on the album, and could have possibly been the best track on the cd.

"Lost For Words" starts out with the sound of a door slamming, and then what follows is a sap song about Waters' leaving the band, and not only are the lyrics too straightforward, but the tune is too southern rock. Don't get me wrong, southers rock is great, but it's not Pink Floyd.

Now we come to the greatest song on this album: "High Hopes". This song has already become a must-listen for me, and It's definately a must-listen for anyone who wants a good example of what Pink Floyd is all about. This track truly captures what Pink Floyd has done over the years, and presents it all as a hybrid masterpiece that suprised me more than any other track on the album. The chorus tune already sounds like it has been in my head for years, and there it will remain among the other Pink Floyd greats such as "Another Brick in the Wall" and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond".

In the end, this album suprised me in ways I wasn't ready for. I didn't think these guys could pull off a worthy successor to "The Wall" without Waters, but they did, and I am very pleased with the outcome. Sure, some songs sound a little too close to pop ballads for comfort, but for the most part, this album is full of Pink Floyd gems. That makes this album a true masterpiece that no Pink Floyd fan should be without.

Well, this is the 137th entrie or review of this album, so i have to place my point of views, maybe some reviews are similar too what im thinking of, and some of them i am totally disagree so lets start.

Maybe when you hear thet Roger Waters left Pink Floyd, maybe you thought that it was the end of the band, but no way, as we know David Gilmour decided to follow doing albums, the first was A Momentary Lapse of reason in 1987, and im not going to talk about it, and 7 years later Gilmour , Wright and Mason make this album " The Division bell". When Gilmour take the leadership o the band, he changed the style of Pink Floyd, is Gilmour´s style still progressive rock? of course yes, is a different sound for example, for me the best Pink Floyd era is from 1971 to 1977,when masterpieces like Meddle, DarkSide and Animals were released, and the sound of Division Bell is not the same as that era, and of course it is totally different to Waters´ leadership era (The Wall and Fnal Cut), more guitar oriented and all the songs sung by Gimour except the beautiful "Wearing the Inside Out", sung by Richard Wright.

"Cluster One" is the first track on here , with a sound of nature with the softly sound of Gilmour´s guitar and the ambiental keys, good atmospheric and melodic passages. "What do you Want for me" is the first "main" track of the album, i dont remember if it was a single, it is also the first song with vocals, for me lyrics are great, and musically nice bass lines and great guitar work, maybe compared with their 70´s stuff this is less complex and a bit more poppish, great song for me. "Poles Apart" is the third song, it is a nice song, but of course notthe best, maybe this is one of the weakest tracks of the album, good arrangments and nice drums, but lack of creativity despite its 7 minute lenght. "Marooned" is a beautiful song, starts with a nice atmospheric sound, in the fund we can listen to keyboards, while Gilmour is doing his great guitar job, it has great guitar tones and beautiful sounds, it is an instrumental song, i think it is really beautiful. "A Great day for freedom", to be honest, it is the track i less enjoy, in fact when i listen to P.U.L.S.E., and this song is coming i prefer to advancing one song, it starts with david´s vocals, it reminds me that horrible "A New Machine " song. "Wearing the Inside Out" is a great song, sung by the mysterious and always great Richard Wright, it is a special part of the album, i like his voice, is not superb but its quite pleasant, i think this is one of the most beautiful lyrics here, and also we can listen to Dick Parry´s sax, nice sound too. "Take it Back", who doesnt know this song? , in fact, this song has a nice video, it is no my favorite track but it is one of the most popular here. "Coming back to Life",and here you are ladies and gentleman, this is my favorite song, i love it, beautiful lyrics, and it has a great beggining with Gilmour´s riff between keys soundscape, and then he stars to sing, where were you.... great, of course this is really poppish when we are thinking of a progressive song. "Keep Talking", it stars with some strange vocals saying "for millions of years...." it is nice, something different, another good point of this song are back vocals, female vocals while Gilmour says one part, they are in another, good song. "Lost for Words", this song has a special sound, acoustic guitar and gream drums rythm, but it is another lack and simple song. "High Hopes" is probably the most well - known song here, and probably the proggiest of them all, besides of being the largest, it has some great rythm changes and a very powerful sound compared to the other songs.

Well, so i find this album very pleasant, is not the best workof Pink Floyd, of course it is the best without Waters (IMO), but if you are looking for some truly progressive rock, this is the wrong album, thats why i think it cant be a 5 star album , despite i love and i really enjoy it, im going to give it 4 stars, and if you thought that it is a bad album, believe me, NO WAY... this is a great album!

1994 saw the release of the last Pink Floyd album, The Division Bell. Some would suggest this to be one of the stronger albums in the Pink Floyd catalogue (like me), and some cast it off in belief that only Pink Floyd with Roger Waters is worthy of a listen. If you're part of the latter half, then you need to stop thinking that and get this album. Not only are all the songs on here strong, most of the old Floydian feel has returned, with the help of Rick Wright being more involved this time around. David Gilmour this time brings in less collaborators as the last album, but he still has some old favorites (Bob Ezrin) around to help him craft the songs that are on the album. And with that 7 year break came a great improvement over the mediocre Momentary Lapse of Reason, and with that 7 year break came The Division Bell.

Cluster One is an opening instrumental, similar to that of Signs of Life off of A Momentary Lapse of Reason. It's a lot spacier, though, and Wright and Gilmour are great on this track. What do You Want From Me follows. A strong riff that is remnicient of Have a Cigar (off of Wish You Were Here), and some great vocals from Gilmour, this gives a great vocal introduction to the album. Poles Apart follows, and some great vocals and guitar work from Gilmour are highlights of this track. Wright really comes into his own on this track as well. Marooned landed Pink Floyd a Grammy Nomination for Best Rock Instrumental (which I believe they beat Rush out for). Gilmour still shines on this track, with more incredible soloing.

A Great Day For Freedom makes references to the old Floyd Warhorse The Wall with lyrics, "On the day the wall came down". The harmony vocals from Gilmour and Wright are spot on and a strong riff from the group keeps the track together, and then another classic Gilmour solo is played. Wearing the Inside Out is the only Wright lead vocal on the album. The song has a similar feel to Wright's solo albums, and his voice has a great feel when put against the earthy music. Take it Back is another strong track. with (you guessed it) even more great soloing from David Gilmour, and some precise drumming from Mason on this one. Coming Back to Life has a great guitar intro from Gilmour, still showing his musical prowess and craft. The vocals and drumming on this album are also highlights.

Keep Talking has instrumental bits augmented with phrases from Stephen Hawking. Some great backing vocal and nice lyrics from Gilmour really give this song an older Floyd feel. Lost For Words keeps up the same tradition as the rest of the album and provides more great guitar spots for Gilmour. High Hopes concludes the album, and it is definitely the best song on the album. A consistent bell in the background is further augmented by great classical guitar, and some earthy synth tones. An acoustic interlude in the middle of the song gives it a Welcome to the Machine feel, but the orchestrated background really gives it an emotional boost and heightens the atmosphere. Towards the end of the song, Gilmour gives a great slide solo that shows he's a master at that instrument, providing emotional lines that fit well with the backing beat.

Overall, this is definitely in my top 5 Floyd albums. It has all the great elements, great vocals, great keyboards, great drumming, great guitar... and there in lies my only gripe with the album, there are almost too many guitar solos, as if every track features 2 minutes of soloing from Gilmour. Now there's nothing wrong with that, it's just a little excessive, and it would have been nice to get a couple of Wright solos in there. But in the end, The Division Bell is a great effort that I think everyone should listen to. 4.5/5.

A huge step up from "Momentary Lapse of Reason", still not the greatest of thier album, had they still been with Waters when he wrote "Amused to Death", the talent and skill in this album would have made Water's solo work amazing

"Marooned" "Coming Back to Life" and "High Hopes" are all amazing songs that deserve five stars. The solos show that even at 50, David Gilmour knows how to make good music

"A Great Day for Freedom" and "Lost for Words" are a little dull, and don't add a whole lot to the album.

"Keep Talking" is a radio friendly song that is good, but some of the riffs appear to have been taken from "Sorrow"

"Poles Apart" and "What Do You Want From Me" seem to be about Syd Barret and Roger Waters respectivly, and are also decent songs

A step up from AMLOR, four stars

I heard many people say that Roger Waters was the most important Floyd-member. I heard many people say that Pink Floyd would die with Roger Waters leaving. I heard many people say that Pink Floyd would neverr create a decent record anymore.

This album proves that those people were wrong. Gilmour and Wright know how to create a sphereful and almost dreamy effort. Every song knows how to get me thrilled...

5 stars for this little underrated masterpiece. Highlights are Poles Apart and High Hopes

Division bell is rich in ethereal melodies the track marooned remains one of my favorite gilmour pieces all time. The songs talk to one another nothing is missing or out of place. It deserves every star; gilmour proves once again his genies style of play, delicate and tasteful, never too much of this and that. The timing of each not is correctly executed. This album is one of my favorite albums of all time.

The last Pink Floyd album, I am already depressed... But it's true, this was the last Floyd album, but it was very good. It's far from being the best Floyd album, but still, it's excellent. and it has a much more secure sound than A Momentary Lapse of Reason and all the songs has that floyd look upon it's face, but it has some musical flaws which were not present in AMLOR that makes it gain a 4-star rating rather than a 5-star.

It starts with the almost zen Cluster One, which is a very calm instrumental song. The next song is What Do You Want From Me? which is a nice blues-like song with some nice guitar solos and a wonderful vocal arrengement. This is followed up by Poles Apart. PA is a wonderful and (like most other songs in this album) calm song with an psychedelic intersection and an long guitar solo at the ending which is very nice. The next song, Marooned in fact it's an huge guitar solo, it's fantastic and the band seems to be very inspired at this song. I said that this album had some flaws at the beginning of this review, and A Great Day For Freedom is one of them. The vocal part of this song is merely an introduction to another huge guitar solo, but both the solo and the rest of the song are weak and i have the sensation that the band should have worked more on this song. The next song Wearing the Inside Out is an Richard Wright song and it's very interesting to hear Rick doing lead vocals again. Take it Back is next and she is possibly the most commercial song in this album, but it's great. Coming Back to Life is the next one, and it's fantastic. Nice lyrics and great solos make this song one of the highlights of this album. The next song is the weird but terrific Keep Talking. this song rocks, and it's my favorite of this album. This is followed up by Lost for Words which is the worst song on this album, but it's still better than A Great Day For Freedom. The last song of the album is the experimental epic High Hopes. This is a fantastic song in every sense of the word, and it's another highlight of the album. It also closes every thing in a terrific way.

In the end this is a very gooed album, but A Great Day For Freedom and Lost For Words stops it from getting a 5-star rating, so I will give it 4.

I have listened to this album since was release back in '94.For me it is a classic and one of my favorites releases from Pink Floyd which I think are one of the best bands in the entire history of music.

The music is very light and soft and Gilmour's guitar is simple amazing. There are some memorable moments here (just have a listen the guitar solo from Poles Apart). It is happened very rare to enjoy one band release from start to the end but with this release everything is perfect from start to the end. I can easily spin this hours and hours without getting bored about it because evey sound, evey piece of music is just perfect.

5 stars without a doubt

Pink Floyd's unlikely reformation in the mid-1980s, without the monomaniacal guidance of Roger Waters, could easily be written off as a cold-blooded act of corporate expediency, a point all but underlined by the global success of their mediocre 1987 album "A Momentary Lapse of Reason". This was music only the most charitable fan could defend (and millions did), but seven years later their next studio effort, the last one likely ever to be released under the Pink Floyd banner, would at least allow the remains of a once-great band to recede into semi-retirement with their dignity intact.

I expected to preface this review with a sarcastic remark about the late Syd Barrett spinning in his grave, but the album took me pleasantly by surprise. Okay, so it still resembles something that should have been sold as a Dave Gilmour solo project (compare it to his recent, excellent "On An Island" CD). But the sound is more relaxed and natural than on the "Lapse of Reason" album, and the writing is less pretentiously self-conscious than anything heard from Pink Floyd since before "Dark Side of the Moon".

From the glowing, ethereal soundscapes of the album opener "Cluster One" (welcome back, Rick Wright) to the opulent grandeur of "High Hopes" (yet another leftover brick from "The Wall", in this case sounding not unlike a wayward cousin to "Comfortably Numb"), and from the lush twelve-string guitar splendor of "Poles Apart" to the slowburn funk of "What Do You Want From Me" (shades of the classic "Have a Cigar"), this is an easy album to enjoy.

Maybe too easy, for a band with a long-standing reputation for ambitious thematic song cycles. It's refreshing not to be burdened by any sort of concept, but in the end, like too much later Pink Floyd, there's a dispiriting, all-too familiar homogeny to the music that sinks the album in retrospect (listen to and cringe at the trite, FM-friendly transparency of the song "Coming Back to Life").

All it really needed was a small, controlled dose of that patented, misanthropic Roger Waters bile to balance the more complacent energies of Gilmour and company. With a little more of an edge, it could have been another masterpiece. But even half a classic Pink Floyd album is better than none at all, and after a decade of silence from the band we should be grateful to hear it in any form at all.

There's no doubt! Division Bell it a Masterpiece of the Progressive Music! In 1994 I was a "progressive teenager" and waited for a Pink Floyd complete formation again (with Waters). But everybody got this amazing new album of this amazing old band in incomplete formation.

David Gilmour, Richard Wright, Nick Mason and friends maked a good work and Division Bell came to stay on the top. Anyway, this is the best album after "The Wall"!!!

In 1994, everyone expected the complete return of Pink Floyd sound, but the end came after the dream and I wait for this until then.

Bob

3.5 stars. This would be PINK FLOYD's final studio album unfortunately. And while it comes across better then any of David Gilmour solo records it pales when compared to "The Wall" and just about all of FLOYD's albums before that. I honestly can understand the 4 star ratings and the 2 or 3 star ratings. It's an album that is well done with about 4 really good songs, but something is missing, and that "something" is Roger Waters. Love him or hate him I can't imagine him being on an album like this. I'll leave it at that.

"Cluster One" is actually a pretty cool instrumental. "What Do You Want From Me" is a song they used to play on the radio.The guitar is just killer. A top four track along with the next one "Poles Apart". I like how uplifting it is after the quiet interlude when the vocals come back after 4 minutes.The song closes with the master doing a guitar solo.

"Marooned" is an amazing guitar driven instrumental with piano.There are some inspiring lyrics on this album, like on "A Great Day For Freedom" and "High Hopes". The three tracks after "A Great Day For Freedom" really do little for me. Another gem though is "Keep Talking" (a top four). "Lost For Words" is ok. "High Hopes" is the other top four track and is a worthy track to be their final one ever.

Traces of their greatness can be heard here but overall I can't give this 4 stars. Still I like to give this a spin for the four tracks mentioned above.

Musically, this album is Floyd at its best. "Cluster One", the solo starting "Coming Back To Life". "Marooned", this is the David Gilmour we all love to hear. I found this album musically to be a breath of fresh air, and after a few years without anything new from Floyd. this was heaven. Having Rick Wright back replaced the missing foundation of the sound and lyrically I got more from this than the angst of "The Wall" or "The Final Cut".

TDB was for Floyd a return to their original way of working.. as a team instead of a dictatorship. The concept of TDB is one of coming out of a hard time into a better life. I think the whole world can relate to that. Its about the 3 of them dealing with marriage breakups, the loss of Roger, the loss of Syd, the great expectations on them from their fans, and their coming back to life as a threesome.

And the reason its genius is because you can weave your way thru Pink Floyd's career just from listening to the lyrics on this album. The depth on this album is so thick, its staggering! Its actually about them going thru every obstacle that life has thrown at them... and coming out the other side.... For those who like to knock Polly Samson's assistance with lyrics on this, I find she's the one who added the concept of hope, and for that I'm truly grateful to her.

Forgetting the past... and coming back to Life...

Having High Hopes... for a brighter future...

Regarding the Communication concept, the making of this album basically started off as a way for them to exercise their demons... give their history... but they realized that the communication thing did show up in many of the songs... so I guess it was on their minds...

I don't hate Pink Floyd by any means, and I have to give them credit for being a very imaginative act (in the truest sense of the word "imaginative"... that's what psychedelia is about after all), but they are not the best rock band in history as everyone claims (and the Hall Of Fame as well). They were average musicians with average to limited talent and some edge (when Waters was in, though; Gilmour has none!!). Their best work is arguably "Animals" (I own DSOTM and The Wall, and I don't like them much either), and from that on all they did was uninteresting at best, mediocre at worst.

To the review: after Waters left for good, Gilmour had the very bad idea to carry on with Mason and record "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason" (second worst album by them); and everyone thought they were gone for good after that. Then, the most infamous reformation was planned with Rick Wright returning to his keyboard chair once again, and they recorded "Division Bell" (worst album so far). The difference between these 2 albums is that, while the former was still in a very experimental phase, the latter is so formulaic that falls from cheesy to boring at best, depressing at worse.The songs are so uninteresting that all I hear is pure atmospherics with some studio tricks, but while in their early days they had at least some edge, this has none. 66 minutes of boring atmosphere. The least bad songs here are probably "Marooned" and "Keep Talking" (which has some great female gospel voices). But the rest is depressing and generic Gilmour-Floyd marathon with the same monotonous formula of the previous album.

1.5 stars really!! rounded to 2 stars. not even for fans of Waters-led Pink Floyd

The secret to this album is the guitar. If you are a guitarist, or like pure quality guitar music, this is a MUST have CD.

I have been a guitarist for 8 years and out of all the albums I've heard, I couldn't name one with better guitaring in. EVERY track (yes every single one) will make you stop in amazement.

Songs such as COMING BACK TO LIFE, and High Hopes have the most rock on amazing guitar solos ever. Don't get me wrong... everything else... the voice, drums and everything else is perfect. But a good song for me... needs a really good instrument of some kind.

And this album has got it

Rock on

Start with a quick quiz question.. Name the only member of PF who has played on every album??

Anyways, I have to say this album is very good indeed and miles better than A Momentary Lapse Of Reason. I am ashamed to say I only got this album today!! (12 years after it came out and I was a PF fan back then!!)

It has that classic PF sound that we have all come to love, especially on "Wearing The Inside Out".

Great value for money, you will love this album.. Trust me.. you will :-)

First of all, in regards to the post above, I believe the answer to your question, Frippertron, is Nick Mason.

On my 14th birthday I got this album along with Dark Side of the Moon. I have to say, I was completely blown off my feet by both albums. A Momentary Lapse of reason was by all means a very good album, but it lacked a certain... something. Those who have listened to AMLOR will most probably agree with me. The Division Bell ends Pink Floyd's hectic career with a sense of completeness, and also with a hint of sadness. One of the main themes of this album is looking back, not only at your childhood, but at your life, and what could have been. I think that David wanted this theme to be extrapolated to the history of Pink Floyd, especially with songs like Poles Apart, Coming Back to life, the amazing lost for words, and, of course, the superbly beautiful and emotional High Hopes. Words cannot describe the beauty and sadness of that song. High Hopes alone is worth the price of the album, but combined with songs like Poles Apart, Marooned, A Great Day for freedom, Coming Back to life, and Lost for words, this album is truly amazing.

This album is no Dark Side or Wish you were here, however, while David Gilmour goes far beyond expectations with his guitar on The Division Bell, the lyrics are somewhat lacking. High Hopes is the best lyrical work on this album, but it still is not up on the lyrical level of songs like "Brain Damage" or "The Trial". It is this fact that, regrettably forces me to give this album four stars. An essential album for Pink Floyd fans, a great album even for non-Floydians, The Division Bell is an amazing end to an amazing band.

I must admit to mixed emotions regarding Dvision Bell. While the sheer quality of material cannot be denied [well, in most cases anyway!], ultimately the album fails to ignite the flame of desire like some of its predecessors. While tracks like Cluster One, Keep Talking and the very special High Hopes are all of a very high quality, the album as a whole falls flat. For me, the atmosphere is too cosy and laid-back, and I get bored with Gilmour's endless soloing - you get the feeling the songs are there simply as a vehicle for his guitar solos. I adore Gilmour's guitar technique, but here the solos are far too dominant and over-powering. No denying it is a good sounding album, and taken in small doses, the songs are great. But when placed in the overall pantheon of Floyd's heritage, it has to be said the bite and lyrical angst of Roger Waters is sadly missed.

THE GRASS WAS GREENER

After all the critics Pink Floyd received after their previous release "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason", they take a looooong break,and this is for better I should say.

Once again, David Gilmour puts all the feeling he has inside this album, and his playing is absolutely amazing. Rick Wright is once again a creative force for this work, and he really helped. He's sometimes underrated, just because he's always been behind the shadow of two of the biggest Rock & Roll icons like David Gilmour and Roger Waters, but he deserves his place too.

So getting back to the album, Pink Floyd recovers that characteristic heavenly sound, the songs are very moody, very calmed and wonderful.

The album has his better moments in "What Do You Want From Me", when Gilmour shows off his talented playing and makes the guitar cry over and over again.

"Marooned" is an instrumental gem, the keyboards and the drums unite to let the guitar talk without a word. Magnificent Track.

And the album is closed with one of the greatest songs in Pink Floyd History, their last anthem, a song you never get tired of. "High Hopes" describes a perfect landscape for a musical trip, where everythig is better.

In conclusion, as their last Studio Release, this is the perfect way to close the circle of one of the most emblematic bands in History. God Bless Pink Floyd.

Of course, this is not Dark Side of The Moon or even The Wall, but this album saved Pink Floyd's prestige. So, I'm gonna give it 4 stars.

The departure of Roger put Dave in command, which resulted in the release of the average "A Momentary Lapse Of Freedom". It was more a Gilmour work than anything else. This one is more a band album (Rick is co-credited for five songs).

"Cluster One" starts very slowly (you almost do not notice anything during the first minute). Some aerial and spacey moments and the song can really starts after its third minute. It is then brilliant : the Floyd in all its grandeur. Fantastic keys in the background, fabulous guitar and subtle percussion from Nick. Very sensitive and emotional. Some SOYCD flavour.

"What Do You Want From Me" starts like "Have A Cigar". This is a hard song : strong tempo, heavy guitar but very melodious vocals. A strong number, maybe a bit commercial... "Poles Apart" is another great song : the band is finally united. The sound is perfect (as it has been since DSOTM by the way). Rick plays a very melodic and floating key parts. The finale has become of standard for the Floyd : inmense and emotional guitar solo. The floyd TM.

"Marooned" is a beautiful instrumental piece showcasing Dave again : I can't help it : this is the Floyd I prefer. Straitghtforward, spacey, harmonious : so HUMAN.

The same feeling applies to "A Great Day For Freedom". At this stage, the difference of tone with the Waters era is obvious : while they were dark, depressed and fighting with each other; they are now optimistic and happy to be together.

David will say : "What was really nice about the recording was that myself and Rick and Nick came together and worked well as a unit in a way that we hadn't done for many, many year". And Nick : "We went into the studio to see if we could invent anything as a band rather than entirely electronically and I think it was successful for this album. It was significant that there was something to be achieved with the three of us". Listen to "High Hopes" to be convinced.

"Wearing the Inside Out" is a mellow ballad with nice background vocals (this is another of their TM) and good sax work. It is a a bit monotonous even if, as usual, the guitar solo at the end saves the track. "Take It Back" is a bit more commercial, poppy but good.

"Coming Back To Life" has a very nice guitar intro, and when the track starts at 2'45" it is pure joy. Great melody, good backing band, and great chorists. Rythm and harmony : do we need more at this stage ? Is it useful to mention that Dave is just great in both the vocals as in the guitar solo ?

"Keep Talking" is another excellent number : a bit harder than the average here. Beautiful duo between David and the backing vocalists. The melody is rather catchy. Some arrangements remind me the DSOTM atmosphere.

"Lost For Words" has the flavour of the title track "WYWH" with a nice accoustic intro. "High Hopes" closes the album on a very optimistic mood. OK, it is a bit mellow. OK some of the lyrics are a bit childish ("The grass was greener, The light was brighter, With friends surrounded, The nights of wonder"). But this is exactly what's all about The Division Bell : hope and melody instead of shouts and stress.

When you listen to "The Division Bell" you are overwhelmed by its beauty (even if it is a commercial record, even pop at times). Some might find that the tracks are too similar one to each other, but I do not have this feeling. I just love this record. Period. This one will reach Nr. 1 both in the US and in the UK (where are you Roger) ? Four stars.

A unite, strong and essintial album. The Division bell often gets bad credit because people just can't separate The old "waters" pink floyd from the before "waters" era, and te post "waters" pink floyd.

It is trully is a different floyd album, a quite one, a jazzy one - an album you can lay back too, but also enjoy an absolute emazing solos by David Gilmour - trully this album is full of his talent - specially in the epic "High Hopes", a piece who clinches to you with every passing second.

You don't want to miss such album, believe me. try to pot aside what ever you have known about the differents era's of the band - and just sit back with this album - and afterwords - why won't you turn on to see "PULSE"? :)

Division Bell is by far the better album of Floyd's post Waters era. But still, I don't think it's good enough. It's enjoyable, but nowhere near a masterpiece.

The best tracks are Poles Apart and Marooned. High Hopes is highly rated by many, but I think it's too cliché. I've heard somewhere that they had to cut "Marooned" short, because of time constraints on the album. If that's true, this is the biggest mistake in the production of the album, for I would just exchange the whole album for an extended 60 minutes "Marooned", not that it is possible, but they could have removed one or two tracks to be replaced by the prolonging of Marooned.

At this point, I want to say that Dvision Bell's music doesn't qualify as progressive. It's still Gilmour influenced songs, mainly based around sensitive guitar themes, but no complexity or variations. It's the road Floyd took after The Wall, but it simply doesn't do it for me and I don't think this kind of music can ever match their early work. But still, wouldn't hurt if it was in your collection.

MY first Pink Floyd album...of course at the time I had heard of other songs by the band...but this the first thing I bought. Over the time years I came to like it....well at least parts of it. After listening to other PF-albums I have to say that this sounds like a collage of the predecessors. Overall, "Marooned" and "High Hopes" are the best tracks. For the real PF one should listen to WYWH or Animals (Don't like DSOTM). Although not at all bad and quiet often listenable: three stars.

This album has usually been understimated, probably because of his not so good predecessor: A momentary lapse of reason, which was, in my opinion too much 80ish, even though great musician played on it, like Tony Levin on bass. Let's talk about "The division Bell". It's very clear to the listener's ears the will expressed by Floyd to discover themselves again, by proposing an album which recalls very much, in the moods, in the sound and in the approach to the composition of them, to their 70's classics, like Wish You Were Here, Animals, Dark Side Of The Moon....and they do it in a really good way. This intent is clearly shown in the tracks "Cluster One" and "Marooned" ,two instrumental pieces which are classic Floyd. The contents of the whole album are about Roger and the band's past, and even Syd Barrett, I'm referring to "Poles Apart" and expecially "Lost For Words", an acoustic song, which intenctionally recalls very much "Wish You Were Here". There are no bad songs on the album, the best one in my opinion remains "High Hopes", an ideal epitaph of the band. Very great songs are there anyway...."Coming Back To Life", "Take It Back" and the one sung by Richard Wright "Wearing The Inside Out". An excellent album that deserves 4 stars.

I complete beat on the attempt to only remake the sound of PINK FLOYD reconfirmo that is David GILMOUR that has the dominion of the band which later they had made tours world- wide in where I let myself see a fastuosidad, in this disc are sporadic moments in which the soul of PINK FLOYD can be listened, once law of a person who knows enough of the progressive rock that Roger WATERS is the brain and that David GILMOUR is the soul, peculiarly later law of the same person that had attended a concert of David GILMOUR and later of Roger WATERS, writes that the soul of PINK FLOYD is not David GILMOUR that if he is a great one interprets but the soul of PINK FLOYD is the dementia and made feel inferior mind of Roger WATERS, this disc it is another clear example of that, sounds brilliant, with moments that move, but that lacks, "where this Pink", the Floyd becomes present but without the Pink it is necessary more, I recommend the instrumental parts again in where this time has the well-known participation in the creation of the subjects Richard WRIGHT, clear this who Nick MASON always playing its role of way than more decent, this is a disc like its predecessor a good addiction for the collections of progressive but nonessential rock.

As Dave Gilmour once stated in an MTV interview, "The Division Bell" has a more musical feel than its predecessor since they hadn't anything to prove anymore by then. That is perfectly accurate as a concise overall description of this album's most featured quality, it is clearly and decidedly more focused on melodic ideas, concerning both development and arrangement. The two instrumentals, which are also two of the album's highlights, are some of the brightest proofs of that: just let yourself be wrapped by the ever-eerie ambience of 'Cluster One' and the melancholy mystery of 'Marooned'. The former has recurring keyboard layers as protagonist sources of sound, while the latter finds a constant climax in the soaring steel guitar flows. 'What Do You Want from Me', 'Lost for Words' and 'Poles Apart' are, to put it simply, reconsiderations of the usual Floydian melodies and textures that you can find all over the "Dark Side" and "Wish" albums, with 'Poles Apart' being the most brilliant item of all three - the use of effective steel guitar paintings and a daydream-like interlude makes it surpass the more average and 'deja-vu' tendencies comprised in the other aforesaid tracks. 'Wearing the Inside Out' is a Wright number that brings some of his typical contemplative spirit to the album: just like the two instrumentals, this track explores the relaxed side of PF quite efficiently, while not being as impressive. Impressive is 'A Great Day for Freedom', which finds Gilmour still trying to prove something - that he can write excellent conscious songs under a PF-circa "The Wall" frame. This song is certainly one of those amazing surprises that Gilmour-era PF brings to lifelong fans, but the best is to come last, since the closing track 'High Hopes' (widely acclaimed by many as the best Gilmour- era PF song) sets a pace of meditation, remembrance and resignation in a most poignant manner. The exquisite orchestrations (courtesy of Michael Kamen's genius) perfectly accommodate the moderate bombast demanded by the melodic lines, while the compelling steel guitar solo serves a sustained climax all the way towards the fade- out. The final bell tolls assume the emotional charge displayed throughout the song, while the opening ones apparently served just as a counterpoint to the Spartan piano chords (a trick also used for the electronic dewdrops at the beginning and the end of 'Echoes'). 'High Hopes' is cohesively connected to the whole album's general spirit, yet it takes it up to its most sublime level. This monster track alone provides a big dose of artistic dignity to the album, although, as I mentioned before, there are other high points. 'Keep Talking' and the almost neo-prog 'Take It Back' are less impressive to my ears, sounding more related to the "Momentary Lapse" material, yet lacking real novelty ('Take It Back') or too 'deja-vu' ('Keep Talking'). These tracks are nice, just that. Also just nice, even too AOR-ish, but definitely more refreshing, is 'Coming Back to Life'. Overall rating: 3.75, with a special mention for 'High Hopes' (4+).

No Waters? No problem.

People tend to negatively review this album, citing that Floyd without Roger Waters "just isn't Floyd". These people are wrong. David Gilmour carries PF on his back with this album and proves that it's his vocals and his solos that made the classic Floyd albums great, much moreso than Waters' contributions.

The album's first non-instrumental is an uncharacteristically upbeat number, "What Do You Want From Me", which sets the stage for the melancholic songs that are to follow. The great tracks on here include the aforementioned "WDYWFM", "A Great Day for Freedom", "Keep Talking", "Lost for Words", and the most epic song the band recorded post-Animals, "High Hopes". This song closes the album with an air of elegant dramatism and beauty, with Gilmour's solos standing out more than anywhere else on the album.

My only complaint with this album is that some of the middle songs seem to run into each other and that perhaps a few more upbeat numbers would have been rewarding. Still, this is no album to balk at, and certainly not the Waters-less failure that many people decry it as.

Swan Song?

While I hope for a new Pink Floyd album one of these days, at the same time I hold my reservations. How disappointing would it be to have a reunion and new album by the masters of emotional psychedelia only to have it to fall flat? In my mind, such an occurrence is incredibly unlikely, not only because I love just about everything the Floyd have put on tape, but because I believe a reunion is unlikely. But in that rare chance, I pray whatever incarnation of Pink Floyd that might happen to reconvene would not upset the legacy left by The Division Bell.

Trying to pinpoint why I love this album so much is difficult, and I probably won't effectively do so now. It feels similar in form to a Momentary Lapse of Reason, but with less of an Eighties sound and much better all-round songwriting. Whereas an album like Dark Side of the Moon is spacey in an otherworldly, isolated way, the Division Bell spacey in an intimate, almost earthly way. I might imagine space travel when listening to A Saucerful of Secrets, but with The Division Bell, I imagine a drive through endless plains on a brilliant summer day, with the sky the most comforting shade of blue.

The Division Bell is nearly a masterpiece and it holds some of the best songs in the Floyd canon. "Cluster One" might be my favorite, and it currently competes with "Marooned" off this very same album for the honor of most pleasant and peaceful Floyd instrumental. The album closer, "Sorrow," is another favorite, with such a distinctive piano melody that you'll never forget after hearing it. Suffice to say that I like every song on this album. "Loss for Words" is separated from the rest of Pink Floyd's work by being mixing in a countryish Neil Young feeling.

The Division Bell is an excellent album to end a career on, but I hope Pink Floyd will surprise me with a return to form that meets or surpasses this album in brilliance.

4.5/5 stars.

On surface, this album is stylistically very close to the 'old' Floyd from "Wish You Were Here" era, but something is missing here. First of all, there are no really meaningful lyrics. One of the strengths of old Floyd was 'the concept'. The music was great but it was only 50% of the success - lyrics did the rest. This time, it seems as if Gilmour wanted to do a lighter album without all that gloomy stuff but he hasn't succeeded well. The lyrics are well under the usual Floyd standard from the seventies. That's one thing.

Now, the music. As I said before, the band (especially Gilmour) was able to re-capture some of the magic of the old albums. There are some spacey instrumental passages, beautiful solos, nice melodies. But there is one problem that makes this album sub-par to their early stuff - all songs are more or less the same. The strength of "Dark Side of the Moon" and "Wish You Were Here" (besides lyrics but I mentioned that already) lied in frequent changes of mood. We had some mellow songs, but also some dark, edgy and aggressive stuff (Time, Money, Welcome to the Machine)...With this album, it's like listening to "Fearless" or "Us and them" for over an hour, over and over again. This album is like that - no real shifts in mood, and... it's too soft. For me it is really hard to sit through the entire 65 minutes long CD, because somewhere in the middle I get painfully bored... If I listen to each song separately, I'm able to enjoy them much more.

To sum up, although the music itself isn't that bad and for any other band the album would a pretty fair release, as for Floyd standards it is only an average album. It may satisfy some listeners, but those who really love their innovative and intelligent music from the seventies can be a bit disappointed.

I must say I was quite surprised by this album when I first heard it several years ago. 1st becuase I did not enjoy "Momentary Lapse of Reason" at all... and 2nd because of all the "Bad Rap" it got from a lot of my family, and friends. I simply discarded it before even hearing it. One day, by chance, my girlfriend at the time was shopping at an obscure record store, and was looking through the old cassetts. She stumbled upon "Division Bell", remembering that I was an extreme Pink Floyd fan. Boy do I thank her today. At first I was just going to leave it sit in my glove compartment, never even bothering, because I just didn't feel I had the time or patience to sit down (in my car) with it. But I figured I better give it a try, seeing as she spent $3 on the thing.

I began to listen to it for about 20 minutes at a time on my way to and from work. I quickly grasped it (or should I say, IT grasped me). I got hooked on it, for the next 2 or 3 weeks it was the only thing I listened to while I was in my car, it was just so sweet, and I just didn't feel like taking something so sweet out of my car's cassett player for something else... (not even Foxtrot)

Anyways, enough about my relationship with the album. To the Music. It clearly returns to many of the same musical roots of previous albums. For some reason this album really reminds me of The Wall, my personal Pink Floyd 'fav'. The Vocals on this album are very "clear" and melodic. From a prog point of view, the musicianship is lacking. Though it is still very enjoyable rock music. Mind you, there are still strong progressive elements in song such as "Cluster One", "Marooned", and "Coming back to Life" Many of the songs seem to have somewhat of a longing emotion, almost nostalgia. Atleast thats how I feel when I listen to this album. Overall, a very good listen for old fans of the band, which I'm sure are many.

Highly Recommended to any Pink Floyd fan (no matter what anyone trys to tell you)

Final Verdict : 4-1/2 out of 5 *'s

Almost a ditto of my opinion of Momentary Lapse. We have the very unfortunate attempt to resurrect past glories without quality material, musical vision, or even decent lyrics. The Division Bell is just a tad more rounded than Momentary Lapse but that's hardly enough to recommend it. Listening to these two albums and what I recall about Waters solo work, it becomes obvious that the two need each other to succeed musically. Conflict in a band is not something to run from right away. Certainly it can become too much eventually, but great work comes from personal conflict. Roger and David will always be better together than they ever will apart. Division Bell proves David can still sing and play guitar but he is lost in boring songs with little to say. While I haven't heard Roger's recent work I would assume he too has had trouble succeeding without the talents of Gilmour.

The most interesting moments on Division Bell are still but a shadow of something like Dark Side or Animals. I think this piece by Tom Graves sums up my feelings pretty well: "Gilmour, who has become Pink Floyd's de facto leader, in particular seems bored or dispirited. His guitar solos were once the band's centerpieces, as articulate, melodic and well-defined as any in rock. No longer. He now has settled into rambling, indistinct asides that are as forgettable as they used to be indelible. Only on "What Do You Want From Me" does Gilmour sound like he cares. Another problem with the album is its length. At more than an hour, it is too long and quickly exhausts its few fresh ideas. The band seems to be padding at every opportunity. Consequently, The Division Bell will satisfy only the most ravenous Pink Floyd fan."

There is no reason for progressive music fans to own the two Gilmour solo albums passed off as PF unless one desires the complete catalogue.

The last one of this amazing band....i hope that they think about another pink floyd album.. but well.im here to talk obout this album...their last creation..the cover is espectacular,two faces looking for each others.. the division bell....an amazing picture:really...good job on that..for me,this album represents all the years of work of pink floyd.. the wisdom,the joy,the hard living..the creativity...their mind,all the experiences recall this album...all the tunes,all the melodyes,all the lyrics before reminds this piece of work...Cluster one...the nature of the human nature..the art of a silence without a silence...with a texture of spirituality,and and the understanding love...what do you want from me...returning to the old pink floyd..but with a touch of rocking senses,with the flodyan memories,excelent song...dont need waters,dont need at all..gilmoure sing very adecuate to this band..and reminds the good roger..poles apart.......apart....apart...apart...epci song..amazing piece of work..this song introduce a cuality of life,of mistery,of the past,with not love lost...the golden boy talk and talk...amazing solo of guitar by gilmoure,the solo of this song make the serenety,the expression of a high musician,makes this album more complete... marooned.................again,the feeling,the notes,the bends,the guitar crying,makes you realize that in the fact,you are alive..

and the best song of pink floyd...high hopes...the tittle say all..high hopes... to the human life,the earth...the living thing,the flesh and blood....progressive music in all the aspects...4.3 stars

amazing album...

keep on the good work...

JgX!

Pink Floyd goes pop, and it really REALLY work.

This album contains everything. The mystical opener "Cluster One", the dark "Wearing The Inside Out", the more lively and U2 inspired "Take it Back" and the beautiful, prefect album-ender "High Hopes". The only problem is that, among all those 11 songs there are some reallt great and some that I think pulls down the quality of the album.

The concept of the album is a reverse of "The Wall", communication. The album begins with the sound of a telephone line and ends with a telephone conversation between the Pink Floyd Manager Steve O'Rourke and David's step-son Charlie. And some of the songs also takes the thougths to Roger Waters, especially "Poles Apart": - Did you know, it was all going to go so wrong for you? And did you see, it was all going to be, so right for me?

Most of the music and lyrics is written by David Gilmour and consists of much guitar, except for the Rick Wright song "Wearing The Inside Out" which possess a remarkable different, darker and spookier sound than the other songs.

-GREATEST SONG: I would say "Keep Talking"

Even if the album is one of the most unbalanced Floyd albums, I definently think it's one of the greatest. I would like to say that "Wish You Were Here" are at least one class better but excluding that, this is the greatest. Works great for both the prog-fanatic and the more pop-rock listener. "High Hopes" is also one of the greatest album-ending songs I have ever heard.

This is the perfect ending of the magical Pink Floyd saga.

Division Bell was a significant improvement over Gilmour's A Momentary Lapse of Reason, showing the group return more to its traditional form. Instead of the beginning of a David Gilmour solo album turning into a Pink Floyd album, Division Bell started off as a group effort, this time with Richard Wright as a full member again. It's true that Gilmour is the most dominant force behind the album (lyrics, vocals, guitar solos everywhere), but he doesn't overwhelm the album and Wright's presence clearly can be heard. Lyrically this album is more of a return to the Wish You Were Here and Dark Side of the Moon days as they are quite poetic and intelligently scribed.

Again, like A Momentary Lapse of Reason, no specific concept is presented on the album, although most of the music deals with the theme of communication and lack of it. Some of Gilmour's lines sound like they're directly inspired from his fallout with Roger Waters. Musically the album is more spacier than previous efforts and takes a mostly song-oriented approach. Long gone are the days of 10-20 minute epics for these guys.

Over the last few years my opinions of this album have moved about from being a masterpiece to just being good, but with more recent listens it seems to have aged quite well. It, like most Pink Floyd albums, is another gem in their long history as a hallmark of progressive rock. An excellent and worthwhile purchase and their most significant contribution after 1980. Easily four stars.

Absolutely the worst Pink Floyd album ever made. I think that Pink Floyd should have stopped at A Momentary Lapse in Time if not The Final Cut. While there are some O.K. songs on this album the bad far outweighs the mediocre. Cluster One, Poles Apart and Marooned are the best songs on the album but everything else is rather bland. A Good Day For Freedom is a blatant smack in the face to Roger Waters who is a much better front man for this band than Gilmore could ever dream to be. This album doesn't even deserve to hold the name Pink Floyd on it.

PINK FLOYD's final studio album is filled with FLOYD-like sounds but ultimately doesn't quite pass the test of time. It really is an album too far.

Though the three remaining band members co-operated on this album, to the extent that RICK WRIGHT was accepted back as a full band member, wrote material and even gets lead vocal duties, this is still largely a DAVID GILMOUR effort. As such, it features a great deal of his lazy guitar work, and I've never been more bored with it. Here's the reason why. When you examine his most famous solos, they are not only excellently written, they are painstakingly prepared for - that is, the song builds up to them - but also the backing is significant and powerful. Would the solo at the end of 'Comfortably Numb' be so highly regarded without the powerful chord sequence? Or the one at the end of 'Pigs' without the wonderful bass runs? 'Time' and 'Money' without the driving beat? In fact, the rhythm section is largely ignored in the composition of these songs. The result is that there is no real dynamic to them. They go nowhere.

The only conclusion that can be drawn is PINK FLOYD miss ROGER WATERS as much for his driving bass as they do for his driving personality, and this album is compelling evidence of it.

'Cluster One' is perhaps the album's highlight, along with the closing track. How immensely frustrating to have a pleasant, at points majestic, opener that builds tension only for it to be immediately dissipated by a cumbersome, lead-footed Jurassic whine of a track as 'What Do You Want From Me'. The emotions are forced, the topic - the misunderstanding engendered by a lack of communication - old hat and not particularly well conceived. And as we drag our way from one plodding track to the next, we begin to suspect that dear, tolerant DAVID is actually having a go at ROGER, ten years after the event. You know, I'd hoped he'd have a little more to say. Here's the rub: a band that offers otherworldly soundscapes and soaring guitar work ought to have something of more importance to say than a rehash of a decade-old spat between two spoiled brats.

'Poles Apart' goes on and on, eventually trickling to a halt, to be replaced by 'Marooned', the most undeserving recipient of a Grammy I've ever heard. GILMOUR makes noises on his guitar for a while, and that's about it. Seagulls on the shore and all that. I find it unconvincing. Compare this mush to any FLOYD instrumental you care to name. 'A Great Day For Freedom' raises the stakes a little, and the inevitable guitar solo is almost earned. The only worthy track apart from the opener on the first half of the record is WRIGHT's 'Wearing The Inside Out', with it's call and response chorus. But even WRIGHT sounds tired. There's a couple more songs of dubious merit before our ears are warmed by 'Keep Talking', which has enough oomph to qualify as a genuine FLOYD number. Another indirect stab at WATERS follows, then the album finishes with the excellent 'High Hopes', the only song that actually goes anywhere. The 1970's FLOYD would have made a masterpiece of this song, and even the 1990's lads don't do too bad a job.

In the end, this is an album every PINK FLOYD fan already owns, and one that can be safely ignored by everyone else.

The Division Bell represents a vast improvement over both The Final Cut and A Momentary Lapse of Reason. The music and vocals are both stronger. The return of Richard Wright to the creative fold is stunning as he produces some of the best songs he's ever written in Wearing the Inside Out and in Coming Back to Life. The lyrics are more biting and play is more inspired. Gilmour's guitar and vocals are crisper and the smoky, funky-jazzy Wright material is a nice change in direction. None of this is very original, however, and I wonder if a Waters-less Pink Floyd is capable of cutting edge material. Fractional ratings of 3.75 out of 5 would be about right on this one as its very good, but neither essential nor quite excellent.

The interesting question with this album is: do you judge it as any prog album or as a Pink Floyd album, at their standard that is. And that makes a big difference I feel, because their standard is pretty high, if not extremely high. And if you judge it as any prog album, meaning as if it was done by any random band then the story is a totally different one.

Because then we are talking about a high quality album any other progband would sign for. But Floyd, well they have done such incredible things in their career. And then come up with this album, hmmm...

Make no mistake, I like it a lot, it's at least somewhere between good and very good but excellent as Floyds 70's albums used to be, no really. Well, at least it's a lot better than for instance A Momentary Lapse of Reason but that was a rather pale album all in all. This is more inspired, more sparkling again. Almost like in the old days.

But it comes nowhere near Wish you were here, Animals or even Atom Heart Mother as far as I'm concerned. So Therefore I can't give it the excellence status alas. But I'm fair enough to admit it's actually somewhere around 3,5. For Floyd standard that is....

I have tried again and again to see what is so great about this album. I have yet to see how this piece of rubbish from post Waters Pink Floyd can compare to anything that Roger masterminded back in their heyday. By this time the process begin during the Momentary Lapse of Reason of reducing the art down to a pop rock least common denominator had been completed and in doing so tore the life out of what was left of the music.

Much better than A Momentary Lapse Of Reason.

The last Pink Floyd album. The return, as a member, of Richard Wright (who performs the beautiful Wearing The Inside Out). A lot of splendid songs here, I especially adore High Hopes, Poles Apart, Marooned, Wearing The Inside Out, What Do You Want From Me, Cluster One, A Great Day For Freedom. As far as I can say, this is one of the most beautiful Floyd albums, though it's really different from Meddle, More or Animals, for example. I love this last album.

Coming back to life? Just about...

Pink Floyd's final album, The Division Bell is one that is far removed from the band's older material. Likely due to the absence of main lyrical (genius?) madman Roger Waters, the music is a lot less aggressive (although it still is at points) and a lot more reflective. Wearing the inside out would be an excellent way to describe the way the material here sounds. Reflective, yet dark and sometimes light. Really, this was never destined to be the band's best album and it certainly has it's moments, but all around this is merely a tired old band's dying breath.

Opening with the pleasantly subdued instrumental Cluster One we're off to a start not dissimilar to their previous studio album A Momentary Lapse Of Reason with it's quiet opening exploding into motion as the second track begins. The second track here is the ever controversial What Do You Want From Me - a story about false idol worship cooked up by Gilmour supposedly following an argument with his wife. This is where the new Floyd starts to show through. Less spacey and more rock, What Do You Want From Me is likely one of the heaviest tracks the band ever recorded. However, it's not long until that one fades into oblivion and it's replaced with the soothing acoustic intro of Poles Apart. Seemingly an obvious shot at former band-leader Roger Waters with its lyrics, this one comes off as a rather strange personal track - something the band really hasn't done since Wish You Were Here... except this time it's almost an attack rather than a ''I miss you'' track.

Another wonderful instrumental as Marooned gets on it's way. Not quite as quiet as the opening track, this one winds around until the sometimes-accused-as-being-another-part-of-The-Wall A Great Day For Freedom begins. One of the slower tracks on the album, this one lazy wanders around until it ends. And that's when the first major standout of the album takes form. Wearing the Inside Out is a fantastic track which makes full use of the backing choir and shows Gilmour attacking the darker side of the human mind. Emotional and reflective, this is one of the tracks that has turned into a true Floyd classic over the years.

Unfortunately, it changes there.

Starting to look for another hit, Take It Back shows Floyd apparently attempting to be U2 in a twisted alternate reality. Isn't that riff stolen strait from The Edge? At least Gilmour's voice is good on it. However, this poppy rocker is something that old Floyders and proggers may find is not their cup of tea. The next track, Coming Back To Life is more of the same, although it fortunately makes better use of some of Floyd's more prominent features (excellent reflective bit at the beginning). But suddenly POW! Cowbell! and the track becomes another pop-rock attempt. Still much better than the previous track thanks to Gimour's (I want to say) soulful delivery of the lines, this one is not a standout on the album.

But wait, what about the end of the album?

Luckily the album takes a turn for the better nearing the end. Keep Talking is a quiet, almost creepy, reflective and emotional track that sounds like Floyd has started to borrow a pinch from electronic with its sounds and computer voice. Then Gilmour's voice comes in along with the backing choir and makes this track truly something to talk about. Lost For Words unfortunately doesn't keep the expectations quite as high, but still manages to deliver a solid track with an almost country riff (and wait! Did he just swear!?). Pleasant melodies make this one move right along until... The band's final masterpiece High Hopes comes in and delivers all the expectations that one would expect from the band. Perhaps the finest single track recorded by the band since their Animals album, this dark and sombre track can easily evoke goosebumps from the listener as Gilmour's voice brings us through some excellent parts of the chorus until the song brings the album (and to this date... the band) to an ultimate close.

Uneven. That's the best word to describe this album. While some tracks come off as purely fantastic, others come off as eyebrow raising. If you're a Floyd fan you'll surely get a kick out of this album, but for others it's not the first place to start. 3 stars for a good but non-essential album.

Roger Waters is no longer the creative force of Pink Floyd, and it shows. However, that is not to say that THE DIVISION BELL is completely worthless or inferior to the golden years of Pink Floyd's career. On the contrary; it is quite good.

While Waters' intelligent lyrics are of course no more, everything else feels pretty much the same, as I was never a huge fan of Roger's bass playing, and musically, the Floyd still sounds rather intact. In fact, the only thing that alerts fans of Waters' absence is the lack of good lyrics. Otherwise this album could be compared to any of the Waters-era Floyd records and be non-discernable to the untrained Floyd fan.

What the that exactly mean? Well, it means that, while the lyrics contained within THE DIVISION BELL are quite lackluster, the musicianship and overall orchestration is still amazing, rivalling any of the other top Floyd records without question. The band hit a couple of low points with Waters' final outing with the Floyd in THE FINAL CUT, and then with the first Waterless album ever, A MOMENTARY LAPSE OF REASON, both of which were nowhere near the caliber of say, ANIMALS or WISH YOU WERE HERE. Not by a long shot. But you know, THE DIVISION BELL is perhaps the first really good Pink Floyd album since THE WALL. If you can forget the fact that Waters isn't there anymore and just listen to it with an open-minded ear, I whole-heartedly believe that you will be quite pleased with the result of three fourths of classic Floyd busting their asses to create a genuinely good album. I think they succeeded in this, but that sentiment is not sjared by everyone, I understand. All I can say is to at least give this album a chance before casting it aside as trash.

David Gilmour has always been one of my favorite guitar players ever, and he really shines on this one, now armed with new freedom to go any direction muscially that he wants, and the result is quite pleasing to me. There are many beautiful, ambient and atmospheric moments as well as some fresh new jazzy licks, not to mention the hard rockers Pink Floyd became known for after DSotM. There are even a couple of soft rock ballads that b\flirt with pop a bit, and while this may not be enjoyable or acceptible for some die-hard Space-Rock fanatics, I personally find this change of pace a much-needed departure. A breath of fresh air, if you will. This album actually breathed new life into Pink Floyd as a whole entity. It is truly a shame that no other albums were made (at least as of this writing, and probably never again), because I personally heard new potential in THE DIVISION BELL's new yet familiar soundscapes, yet it was apparantly not to be.

The ambient sections are borderline Progressive Electronic a la Brian Eno, while the softer tracks actually have a slight U2-ish vibe to them, but not overwhelmingly so. Personally, I don't think the Floyd has ever left the Prog genre once, even in this album. Indeed, amongst the more conventional tracks are some truly Psychedelic ventures that are true to calssic Floyd style, and will be sure to satisfy the die-hard fan of the olden days. In some ways, this album is actually the most Psychedelic and Spacey record since DSotM in terms of just raw, true to form trippiness that was gradually lost over the course of the Waters takeover. While I like both eras, the Space-Rock days have always had a special place in my heart, so the return to more soaring guitar parts was quite welcome with me.

Roger Waters can't really say much about this one, though he may have been the truely creative one of the bunch. This fact still does not stifle the glaring truth that Gilmour was the composer when it came to what the music sounded like, and Waters' lackluster bass playing is not missed in the slightest. I always looked at Waters and Gilmour as the Lennon and McCartney of Pink Floyd-- where as one of them may have been great at coneptual thinking and poetic lyric writing, the other was the skilled musician, capable of bringing the artist's vision to fruition. In this case, I think what is proven here is that Waters was John Lennon in the Floyd, and Gilmour was Paul McCartney. Now that Waters, the paltry musician but brilliant songwriter, is gone, we are left with Gilmour, the superb musician but primitive lyricist. Because opf these reasons THE DIVISION BELL loses some marks from me. Gilmour had to request hep with writing the lyrics, and they still didn't turn out all that well.

Aside from the obvious lack of intelligent wording, everything else is just like the old days, and because of that, I say that the magic returned for Pink Floyd's last studio effort-- much more than I can say for the bulk of past Prog masters, who died a horrible death with their last dich efforts at something great falling considerably short of expectations. Luckily this didn't happen with Pink Floyd, as THE DIVISION BELL is a very good, solid studio work; and one that I think Gilmour, Wright and Mason can be truly proud of. Best tracks are: ''Cluster One'', ''Poles Apart'', ''Marooned'', ''Wearing the Inside Out'', ''Coming Back to Life'', ''Keep Talking'' and ''High Hopes''.

Happy listening. Good stuff, and worthy of any serious progger's collection, truly. The best post-Waters album by far. And that is all I have.

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.

A return to form, but there's no time for more! The previous two albums are almost solo work: The Final Cut by Roger Waters and A Momentary Lapse of Reason by David Gilmour! This is something fresh and innovative. It's again under the leadership of David Gilmour, but not so full leadership like in the previous release. I have to mark the big impact of Richard Wright in terms of songwriting, but not so much in terms of playing the piano. The piano is mostly on the background. I will mark one negative moment on the album - too much guitar solos by David Gilmour in most of the tracks - you feel you always listen to one song. There are 3 brilliant songs - Cluster One, which is an intro; What Do You Want from Me with some funk elements and High Hopes - one of all time bests by Pink Floyd. Again excellent album in terms of lyrics after The Wall!

Strange how this album was so underated and ignored by the press when it was releaased in 1994. Fortunatly I can see that most people here on PA gives it high praising, like it deserves. Ok, it does not have any radio friendly stuff like On the Turning Away Or Learning To Fly, but it is by far more consistent as a whole. Unlike A Momentary Lapse Of Reason, Division Bell is the kind of record I listen to from beginning to end without skipping a single track. It was Pink floyd´s final CD? Then they did it on a grand way.

I was very happy to see Richard Wright back on the fold and his contribution can´t be denied (man,, I just LOVE that Hammond sound!), the old PF sound is back. Besides I was delighted to see his musical contributions being recorded again (Wearing The Inside Out is one of my favorites on this CD. I can´t have enough of it!) Ok, Roger Waters is not here, who cares? Contrary to a lot of people I think PF could live without him. And the three remaining guys are in top form. David Gilmour confirms his influence, talent and inspiration on every track. And his voice is also still strong and convincing.

The production is perfect. The other musicians are also very good and the arrangements are tasteful. It only makes me sad this band never did anything else on studio after this one. It was nevertheless a great album to end a brilliant and influential career. Not really their best, but one of the best. Just listen and dream away. Four stars.

The Division Bell... Pink Floyd's last album, and a great one at that.

For people who listen to Pink Floyd because they like classic rock, this one won't really do it for them, but for those who are looking for the progressive side of Pink Floyd, it is here. This general feeling of surreal progressive sounds has been noticeably absent from Pink Floyd since Wish You Were Here (particularly, Shine on You crazy Diamond) and it makes an incredible revival here.

Many people don't like A Momentary Lapse of Reason... I don't know why, I like it... but then again, it might be because it was like 90 percent David Gilmour, and not really Pink Floyd. In the Division Bell, Richard Wright helps out, Gilmour writes memorable surreal tunes of many different styles from Blues Rock, Classical, Jazzy stuff, ambient pieces, and even U2 type rock... The song take it back reminds me somewhat of Where the Streets have no Name.

No, there are no 20 minute epics on this album, but it is certainly progressive. It's not very mainstream at all, they've returned to their progressive roots, now with the overpowering influence of Roger Waters gone.

This is a great album. A little bit slow for some people, but I love it. It's an excellent addition to any prog music collection.

This album seems to divide Pink Floyd's fanbase into two groups: those who like the album and those who don't. The detractors will say that the album is plodding and slow, that the lyrics are foggy and unclear, and that this album is unnecessary as it is very similar to early-'70s PF.

To some extent I agree with these points. The album certainly isn't in a hurry - most songs are fairly slow-paced. For a concept album, the lyrics aren't very clear - if PF were trying to make a point with this album I think I missed it. And yes, the album is very reminiscent of albums such as Obscured by Clouds and Meddle: this can probably be attributed to the fact that Wright is credited as writing music on many tracks, and most of this album was conceived from jam sessions. However, as you can probably tell from my rating, I think the pros easily outweigh the cons.

The album opens with the instrumental track Cluster One. The first couple of minutes are an audio sample given to the band by a geologist - I can't remember the specifics offhand, but in essence it is the sound of the Earth. This fades away into a very calm, mellow jam, starting off as a collection of sounds from keyboards and guitars, but gradually forming a tune of sorts. A slow start to the album, but any reasonable progger will know that speed is not necessary for good music. The second instrumental on the album, Marooned, features two tracks later. It has a much more coherent structure, based around one of Gilmour's finest guitar solos. These two tracks represent the band's ability to create deep, emotional instrumentals.

Many of the non-instrumental tracks follow the intro-singing-instrumental-singing-instrumental structure seen on Lapse, but, again, the actual musical content is much more varied. There are strong, louder tracks in the form of What Do You Want From Me and Take It Back, quieter; calmer songs like Poles Apart and Wearing the Inside Out, and other tracks in between.

What Do You Want From Me is one of the bluesier tracks on the album, with powerful vocals from Gilmour and solid guitar solos, though certainly not the finest on the album. The keyboard parts aren't to my personal tastes; however the song overall is very powerful. The loudest track on the album.

Poles Apart, along with Lost For Words, is one of the only tracks which prominently uses acoustic guitar. The lyrics deal with Syd and Waters, and are not particularly subtle - some of the weaker lyrics on the album. There is a slightly unusual instrumental break in the section, using what sounds like an audio sample of a fairground. The track ends with an emotional crescendo and one of the better guitar solos on the album

A Great Day for Freedom is one of the more emotional tracks on the album, with slow piano and a solid delivery of vocals, building up to a fine guitar solo.

One of my issues with A Momentary Lapse of Reason was that, though Gilmour's singing was good, they were not varied. Gilmour's singing on The Division Bell is much more varied, and Wright contributes vocals on one track, Wearing the Inside Out. Wearing the Inside Out is one of my favourite tracks from the album. The mellow intro features Dick Parry on saxophone, with Wright delivering some very deep lyrics. The song also features keyboard and guitar solos. One of the slowest and musically most diverse tracks on the album.

Take it Back is one of those songs which, almost compulsively, must be played loudly. This, along with Keep Talking, is the most energetic track on the album. The instrumental sections lose none of the momentum built up during the vocals, despite relatively mellow. An uplifting track.

Take it Back segues into Coming Back to Life, one of the best tracks on the album. Opening with one of Gilmour's most heartfelt solos and vocal deliveries, the song turns into an upbeat '80s-esque track. Inspiring stuff.

Keep Talking is another louder track, featuring audio samples of Stephen Hawking. This track makes heavy use of female backing vocals, though is probably Gilmour's weakest vocal performance on the album. This is compensated for by a good guitar solo and a great keyboard solo.

Lost For Words features some good guitar work from Gilmour; however the lyrics seem to me to be the most indiscreet on the album. Though not a bad track, this is definitely one of the weakest tracks on the album.

High Hopes is without a shadow of a doubt the highlight of the album. This song, like a few others on this album, is one great crescendo, starting with a very simply piano riff, which gradually builds up. The lyrics are very deep and soulful. After a few minutes we get a very tasty guitar solo, BUT! we have some more sing and piano, a climatic, epic rendition of the chorus (and it's already a pretty epic chorus anyway), and then BAM! One of the best guitar solos in Gilmour's career. Very powerful, very majestic and emotional, just plain awesome. Possibly rivalling the masterpiece that is Comfortably Numb's guitar solo. Hell, the entire song gives Comfortably Numb a run for its money! No questions asked, one of the best tracks to finish an album, ever.

I'm not sure there are any bad tracks: the songs seem very careful, calculated and thought-out. Lowlights vary from listen to listen - on my current listen What Do You Want From Me and Lost For Words are probably the two weakest tracks, but all the tracks have their strengths. For me this is one of PF's best albums, and one of the best albums, ever. This is what Pink Floyd is about: beautiful, emotional, deep music backed up by solid lyrics.

I'm sure some people will have avoided The Division Bell based on the lack of Waters. But if you enjoy PF's early-'70s albums, this is a definite must. And anybody who enjoys slow, contemplative soundscapes should check this out. It's. Just. AWESOME.

David Gilmour has said in interviews that he considers this PF's best album since Wish You Were Here. I wholeheartedly agree.

The ringing of The Division Bell had begun!

I might be the only one holding this opinion but I think that The Division Bell is actually Pink Floyd's best album. I have never been a big fan of the band, but I find this album excellent. The material here is very strong and very melodic.

Some say that this is more of a David Gilmour album than a Pink Floyd album, and it is true that Gilmour dominates this album with his vocals and guitars, but for me that is just what makes The Division Bell so great. Gilmour has both a distinctive singing voice and a very distinctive guitar sound that really comes to the fore on this album. This music is unmistakeably Gilmour and therefore unmistakably Pink Floyd.

But we should not forget Richard Wright's role in the band. His keyboards are also a part of the sound of The Division Bell, perhaps more so than on many other Pink Floyd albums, especially The Wall and The Final Cut. Wright even sings one track on this album, Wearing The Inside Out. This song is exactly similar in style to the material on his solo album Broken China. In my view this is the least good song on the album and slightly out of place, but still good. Wright has a much more anonymous voice.

Music is a lot about expression and emotion and there is a lot of instrumental and vocal expression in these songs. The lyrics are great and it is clear that they care about what they are singing. All the songs are very good, but A Great Day For Freedom, Coming Back To Life and High Hopes are my particular favourites. High Hopes is really a Symphonic Prog masterpiece! The acoustic and the steel guitars are fantastic here.

While I think that Pink Floyd is a good but overrated band overall, this particular part of their career - encompassing The Division Bell and the previous Momentary Lapse Of Reason, culminating in the excellent live album PULSE, containing songs from these two albums as well as older classics - is underrated.

Highly recommended!

Pink Floyd MK III pt. 2 - No Sleep 'til Rehash.

Clustered in one fine piano introduction to strt the show after some ambient sounds I feel were just not necessary. But this is Gray Floyd, and where would the be without it. And that Echoes-style run is actually nice. The moods here have been expanded from the previous effort. Relaxing in a dark way.

Oh no, what are we met with first when we hear What Do You Want From Me? A Mid Tempo solo. It is a nice one, but it is as if he has to put one every few minutes. The lyrics are banal, to say the least, but the mood is even stronger. It is still a rehash of old, but it is a more respectable rehash.

Poles Apart, recalls The Wall in its slow trod. Again living on mood alone, as the songs aren't the most fleshed out. But this is still a nice and emotional track. Gilmour has a nice voice, and the atmospherics are strong. Yes there is a mid tempo solo, and yes it is tolerable (aren't they all?). Well, it is a formula, I suppose. And again, it doesn't offend.

I actually feel that this album is more cohesive than the last. (was that possible, I mean wasn't the last album more of a gray Pink Floyd mush?) Regardless of that, it feels more in tune to itself as a whole album. Marooned is a strong atmospheric song that somewhat channels that feeling. This record has such a nostalgic air about it, that you could get more enjoyment out of it than otherwise, I suppose. A Great Day For Freedom has some "astute" lyrical references. This could be argued and disputed, and the lyrics aren't so bad. The piano is nice, and the vocals are warm and the atmosphere is driving. What more do you want? A pretty song.

Wearing The Inside Out has some mediocre sax playing, but it is a calming peace. That "exotic" drumming, doesn't do much, but it all has a nice mood. We get another solo here, that is pretty much the same as every other solo here. Take It Back has a modern sound supplanting the atmosphere, and it goes off rather well. Still nothing perfect, but a nice feel to it. One of the more upbeat songs on the album.

Coming Back To Life is just really slow. I mean, most of the songs here are not too quick, and it normally doesn't hurt the song. But this is bare bones and slow. It damages the piece, and is a glaring weakness. Very simplistic, and not even able to call upon mood. But damn, I still like it. Gilmour does have a nice voice. Keep Talking is the major radio hit, here. It is nice, the vocals and female backing are well done, and it goes back neck deep in that meticulously crafted and recycled mood that this album boasts so fluently. The spoken excerpts are good, and I feel they fit the song in a way, which is more than I can say for Learning to Fly form Momentary Lapse. An album highlight, I suppose. I'll admit that I absolutely love the mood and atmosphere this album presents. But the songs are still shallow and covered up from their stark lack of seeming care.

Lost For Words doesn't do much for me. The lyrics aren't so amazing, and the song is bland in a way. As always, you can count on the feeling of the song, and it's atmospheric air, but if that doesn't do it for you, then why the hell are you listening to Post 1980 Pink Floyd? It isn't terrible, though. Just bland and uneventful.

Then we come to something else entirely. High Hopes. This is what I feel to be the epitome of anything Pink Floyd did in this configuration. It builds, it moods, it emotes, and it mystifies. Not enough to bring the album to an essential status, but this song is superb. Here is where the layered mood shines at its best. Dark and eerie, I quite love the track. Recommended this to be purchased for the final song, alone. It also has hints of real progression. A very fitting end to the Pink Floyd creature.

Division Bell embarks down the road built by Momentary Lapse, and does it, better. The atmosphere is more cohesive and well built. The songs are at least not totally bereft of complexity and layers. The solos aren't as prominent, and Gilmour seems to sing even more skillfully. Not to mention High Hopes is great.

Best Song - High Hopes. this wasn't a hard decision.

Worst Song - Lost For Words.

*** Nostalgic Stars

The final album Pink Floyd has released and it really is different from everything else the band has released. Where A Momentary Lapse Of Reason was full of rock songs, not all very good but some were quite interesting, the Division Bell is more pop than rock. Of course, some of the songs are rock songs that only Pink Floyd can make, but their style has really changed during the time between A Momentary Lapse and The Division Bell.

The album starts out very mellow and pretty interesting with "Cluster One", a six minute long track in the same style as Shine On You Crazy Diamond. It's very mellow and does really show that Pink Floyd was still alive when the album was made.

The second song is "What Do You Want From Me". This song reminds me a bit of the Animals album, cause it's kind of a raw, agressive rock song. I can enjoy the song pretty much 'till the three minute mark, the song gets pretty terrible there, the song turns into a very bad pop song, and that's a shame. I would have really liked it if the poppy part was left out.

"Poles Apart" is a perfect example of the pop songs on this album. The song starts out with some nice acoustic guitars, David's vocals come in and the song sounds pretty fine, but then suddenly an extremely cheesy chorus comes in, it's terrible. The song goes on for a while and suddenly a very strange trumpet break is heard, I have no idea why it's in the song. Just as "What Do You Want From Me" the song is screwed up by a cheesy, uninteresting part.

Next comes "Marooned", which is by far the best of this album, it's probably even the best song the band has made after Waters' departure. Marooned is very haunting, David's amazing guitar skills can be heard in this song and the idea of being stranded somewere on a remote island is amazingly expressed by David's guitar. I really don't have anything bad to say about "Marooned", it's simply amazing.

"A Great Day For Freedom" is a pretty nice song, it's a pretty slow song, but it really is a Floydish song. The song is very piano driven, apart from a great guitar solo and is in a kind of haunting mood, I really like that. "A Great Day For Freedom" is one of the better songs from this album.

"Wearing The Inside Out" is a song sung by Rick Wright, a great keyboard player, but not a very good singer. This song is very uninteresting, dull and doesn't sound very original. I really can't enjoy this one.

"Take It Back" is another very poppy song, but it isn't very bad at all. It is, like a lot of the songs on this album, pretty cheesy, but I still can enjoy this one. The biggest negative thing I can say about the song, is that all of the six minutes of it sound the same, there is absolutely no diversity at all.

The next song is "Coming Back To Life", a song that does have lots of diversity. It starts out with a clean guitar solo, just like "Cluster One" a bit in the Shine On mood. As soon David starts singing it gets much less interesting, but it still sounds nice. But then, the biggest anti-climax of the album shows up, an incredibly childish riff that lasts for more than three minutes. The song ends with a guitar solo, but because it's played over the childish riff it isn't an interesting one at all. Though the song starts out pretty good, it turns into a true disaster.

"Keep Talking" is a decent song. The vocals are pretty uninteresting, the dialogue like vocals make the song pretty annoying but as soon as the song reaches the solo it gets better. The solo is in fact pretty simple, it isn't as complicated as most of David's solos but it's very nice and segues into a pretty good keyboard solo. The second verse has, apart from the annoying vocals, some nice talkbox skills from David Gilmour but isn't much better than the first verse. Thanks to the solo and the talkbox the song is a decent one, but the vocals are very annoying.

"Lost For Words" is a true pop song. It's not a bad song, but it is kind of a boring song, if it wouldn't be on the album I wouldn't miss it at all.

Everybody seems to love "High Hopes", well, I don't. The song starts out with the sound of bells. The piano riff that follows also is pretty nice. The vocals however don't interest me at all. The chorus tries to be epic, but it isn't. The acoustic guitar solo sounds really much like the middle part of Welcome To The Machine, from WYWH, it's not original at all. The very lengthy outro solo is nice, David really shows his slide guitar moves and he proves he really is a master of the guitar. The solo isn't very complex, however, and David has made some other slide solo's that are much better, solos like in Marooned and Shine On You Crazy Diamond (The solo from part 6). I think "High Hopes" is really overrated and I don't think it's interesting at all.

Pink Floyd's final album is probably my least favorite of the band, it only contains one classic, "Marooned", some of the songs are decent, but most of the songs are very weak. I give this album only two stars, I am really dissapointed I have to give my all-time favorite band such a low rating, but I think the album is pretty bad.

Continuing the style of A momentary Lapse of Reason with a second rip off of mid 70's Floyd, was not what we were waiting for. At least I wasn't, I was all into grunge back then :-).

There are two acceptable songs here (What Do You Want and Keep Talking) and one excellent song which is of course High Hopes. The rest of the album is simply painful to hear. When it came out, I hoped Floyd never would make an album again. Of course that wish leaves a bitter taste now after the passing of Richard, but what I meant was that I wanted to keep the reputation of Floyd intact and wished it wouldn't go down the drain like that of Genesis, Yes, ELP,...

This album was a narrow escape. But it ends on such a high note that we can forgive them. The closing track is so strong that it saves the complete album from oblivion. It's the track that should truly end the recording history of the greatest and most influential rock band ever. Amen.

I'm no Roger Waters hater, but i really like this album, but i've tried not let that get in the way of the rating i gave it...i was stuck between giving it 3 stars or 4, but there was something, no matter how much i enjoy this album, that stopped me from giving it the 4. The deciding factor was that this album is way too samey, most of the songs don't sound much different from each other in a way. And some of the songs just aren't very good anyway, when i give this album a listen, it's not all the way through!

I love the opener to the album, Cluster One, it sorta reminds me a little of Yes before the piano enters, and how fitting to signal he full time return of Rick. Very relaxing piece of music, with the stunning tone of Gilmour working alongside Ricks piano and backgrounded by bird sounds and a synth. What Do You Want From Me is one of the songs on teh album with its own sound, it's very much this albums Learning To Fly, good but not brilliant, and with some solid lead guitar work. Poles Apart is one of my favourites and a rather unusual song. Here, Syd and Roger are mentioned in the lyrics, and there's almost a sense of remorse within the song as Gilmour harks back to old days. Marooned is an excellent guitar instrumental, it really does remind you of being, well, marooned on a desert island. Here, Gilmours legendary musical creativity as well as his undeniable skill and beautiful tone are all showcased. The next two, A Great Day For Freedom and Wearing The Inside Out are my least favourites of the album, and the two after that have a very similar sound (Take It Back and Coming Back To Life) although the latter is a brilliant song indeed. Keep Talking, i find this song rather mediocre but i could probably enjoy it more if i tried, i just don't think Stephen Hawking computer generated voice goes very well in the song at all. Saying that though i may love it a little more if i didn't skip it so much. Lost For Words sounds, again, similar to other songs on the album, though it's not a bad song. Nice guitar work and probably some Waters-related lyrics in there, but a good song. High Hopes is a terrific finale, with everything that's good above thrown into it: musical genius, good lyrics, magnificent guitar work (classical and lap steel). But it still has this feeling of being the same as most other songs on the album.

This is a good album, with some great songs on it...to make an album like this after all that's been said and done is very respectable. Just a little bit of variation would not have gone a miss!

Last to date Pink Floyd album ( and possibly last ever).And second David Gilmour's Pink Floyd album.

After Waters left the band ( and I absolutely believe, that even being a band of collaborator's team, Pink Floyd's soul was Waters), all we have after should be named Gilmour's Pink Floyd. Just because the music ,the atmosphere and all aesthetic is different.

Momentary Lapse of Reason was first album of new direction. Blues-rock based melodic pop-rock didn't win a big attraction. This, second one, is improved. And if the music is still same mid-tempo simple blues- rock based melodic songs, album sounds more mature, more completed. For sure, you can't speak about any techniques or progressivity with slow and simple Gilmour guitar work, or primitive drumming. But the songs are catchy, different, and even if over polished, album successfully balanced on the edge between blues rock and pop-rock, but still didn't cross the border ( anyway, it still not Chris Rea never).

I think this album should be listened from the position of prog-related music ( in fact, it is almost Gilmour solo album, and all real Gilmour albums are prog-related, no way prog). So it doesn't look strange that two best songs from that album for me are "What Do You Want From Me" and "Keep Talking", both pop-heavy blues rock pieces.

Even if couldn't be recommended to prog purists and "real Pink Floyd" fans , this album is good enough for many listeners of just good music.

This is the end (I have reviewed every Pink Floyd studio album, yay).

This album was the return of the Pink Floyd that I had loved for such a long time (only being 2 when it came out, ironically).

They had returned to the conceptual side of the band which they once were. The amazing atmospheric sense of the band had also returned as well.

This album is also a concept album about Roger, their former band mate (basically an earlier version of Dark Passion Play by Nightwish). The lyrics were also well put together and have a nice asthetic feel to them. Roger's reaction to the album was negative, as usual.

1. Cluster One - An amazing intro. An atmospheric instrumental that recalls the earlier days of Floyd. Juts epic as hell.

2. What Do You Want From Me? - Basically about Dave's attitiude to Roger while in the band. This song has a great chorus and the backing vocalists make the song very enjoyable.

3. Poles Apart - An amazingly put together song with some lovely off beat melodies. Very beautiful. The song is about how far apart Dave & Roger are, but so equal in many ways.

4. Marooned - Another atomospheric instrumental with some brilliant guitar and keyboard work.

5. A Great Day For Freedom - This song is about the end of Floyd. With some references to The Wall. Really beautiful, mixing both light and dark parts.

6. Wearing The Inside Out - One of Richard Wright's last musical contributions. Lovely counterpoint sections and some very beautiful melodies.

7. Take It Back - Catchy as hell. Amazing song. There is also a very great version of this song in Pulse.

8. Coming Back To Life - I love the build up in this song. Very beautiful.

9. Keep Talking - Can you get Stephen Hawkings to do vocals for you? No didn't think so. This song is about awkward silences I think. Very catchy and some great vocals, even from Stephen.

10. Lost For Words - Basically about confrontation between Dave & Roger. I love how calm the song is, even when mentioning the F word.

11. High Hopes - Ok, time to mention the Pink Floyd song refernces, Burning Bridges, Small Furry Animals, Time, The Final Cut. You should spot them as well. This was their last ever song, and to be honest, what a way to go. Nightwish also do an amazing cover of this song.

CONCLUSION: What a way to go. Buy it, it's an underlooked masterpiece.

That's more like it! A huge improvement from 'Momentary Lapse...'. 'The Division Bell' sees the post-Waters line-up of Pink Floyd working together, putting in the time and effort, and creating a worthwhile album as a result.

There are more elements of classic ('Dark Side' to 'Wall') Floyd here, with psychedelic soundscapes and some cosmic soloing. There remains as well, unfortunately, some elements of 80's/90's power rock; the band trying to "fit in" with the music scene of the time. But these can be largely ignored and one can receive a great deal of enjoyment from this album, especially if you look at it as a whole. 'The Division Bell' is a concept album (take THAT Waters!) with a main theme of communication [or lack of]. The artwork is once again appropriately "Thorgerson-ised" and further expands on this theme (check out the internal images within the booklet, those are interesting too). And so fans are treated to a full package here, a music-lyric-image bag teaming with goodies. There are some weaker moments obviously, and some songs that don't quite fit, BUT these are outweighed by the substance. I particularly like the way the album flows. Yes, it's a song-cycle! A format the Floyd seem to be good at ('Dark Side of the Moon' anyone?). And there's a better balance of Gilmour to Wright this time, who even gets his own vocal spot. Oh and Mason's playing is no better or worse than usual (I don't think he was replaced by a drum machine this time).

Much anticipated, this album delivered, and continues to deliver, what is essential of Pink Floyd music, complete with it's own set of sound effects. 'The Division Bell' is no 'Wish You Were Here', but it's certainly no 'Ummagumma' either.

After the return with A Momentary lapse of reason, Pink Floyd was back with all his power. At that time, Rick Wright was a permanent member again and Gilmour seemed to felt free from the extra musical issues which affected him in the previous album. By this way the album is far better than its predecessor and Pink Floyd returned to their true roots. The music is not so progressive but transmits a progressive feel all the time, which increases in the several instrumental sections. Seems to return to the times of Dark side of the moon or Wish you were here, and the main reason is the presence of Wright in the songwriting.

The album opens with a fantastic instrumental in which Gilmour and Wright develop a great counterpoint between keyboard and guitar. A Pink Floyd classic. What do you want from me is the second track and is not between the highlights of the album, but is even good, with a notable electric guitar intro. Poles apart is a really good one. The section that follows the flat keyboard interlude is great. Gilmour shines with his voice and then gets into a superb guitar solo. The album continues with another instrumental called Marooned, composed by Gilmour and Wright. Ominous and dark, but melodic, the track connect us with the legendary Echoes. A great day for freedom is a typical Floyd ballad with a catchy chorus and a felt guitar solo at the end. Wearing the inside out is one of the other highlights. Composed and sung by Richard Wright, the song transmits a pure Pink Floyd feel. Depressing, nostalgic, a bit psychedelic, a perfect Pink Floyd sound. The voice of Wright is perfect and the track has all the ingredients that Wright can bring: keyboard and guitar solos. Take it back was composed by Gilmour and Bob Ezrin and carries the music to a pop side. It's a good track with a U2 feeling. Coming back to life has a superb guitar intro, in which the musical motive seems to take parts from the Gilmour soloist track Let's get metaphysical. The rest of the track is good but not excellent. Keep talking is one of my preferred. Written by Gilmour and Wright again, the track is based on Waters-like guitar pattern and has a great instrumental interlude with a great keyboard solo by Wright followed by a guitar one. Lost for words tries to be a Wish you were here clone, but can't reach this legendary song. Good but no more than this. The album closes with the another highlight, High hopes. Based on an heavy acoustic guitar sound the song increases its strength until a climax ending with a superb electric guitar solo. The video clip of this track is just anthological, and permits appreciate the overall meaning of the track, and of the album. You can feel the essence of Pink Floyd there, the combination of green fields, nostalgia, madness and this underlying violence.

I seem to be in a minority when I say that the band should have called it a day after the release of The Final Cut, which was also Pink Floyd's last true masterpiece.

Whenever I want to explain what Pink Floyd were all about; the four albums from the classic-era tend to be brought up. I also like to spice things up with a few hidden gems like A Saucerful Of Secrets, the underrated Meddle and, my personal favorite, The Final Cut. There has never been a moment when I started playing A Momentary Lapse Of Reason or Division Bell just to show one or two great gems that the band still were capable of towards the end of their career. Why is it so exactly? When listening to these albums I do experience those same rich landscapes with excellent playing from both Gilmour and Wright, but something is always missing in that experience. It was only recently that I realized that these two final Pink Floyd albums were completely hollow experiences that offered nothing that we, the fans, haven't heard done better before.

I'm sure that my discovery isn't all that controversial and most of the fans who listen to these final albums can agree that they aren't listening to them in order hear anything new from the band, but that's also when the music stops being progressive and just turns stale. Let's be open minded about this issue and accept thing the way they are. I agree that The Final Cut was more or less a Roger Waters solo album than a Pink Floyd such, but what followed after that should, just as much, be considered as David Gilmour solo albums. Just listen to On An Island and you'll see exactly what I mean.

The late great Richard Wright had only that much time in the spotlight on Division Bell while Nick Mason's contribution hadn't had a spark to it since Meddle. I hope that most of you agree that A Momentary Lapse Of Reason was a disaster and although Division Bell was a definitive step up from that flop the album lacks anything that would make me want to revisit it for any particular reason. I'm certain that this album plays on the nostalgia that most people associate with Pink Floyd's heydays. It would never have been half as popular if it was merely labeled as a David Gilmour album and I don't understand why so many people have trouble acknowledging this.

There's no real point of discussing the individual moments of Division Bell because it will only end with me rambling about all of its flaws. Let me just acknowledge that this record would have never gotten this much attention have it been released by any lesser know artist and you're actually loosing an opportunity to discover new exciting music by listening to it! This is a definite collectors/fans only album since the fans have already spoken on this issue, but if you're new to Pink Floyd then I simply say-- Don't bother!

**** star songs: What Do You Want From Me (4:21) Marooned (5:28) Wearing The Inside Out (6:48) Keep Talking (6:11) High Hopes (8:31)

*** star songs: Cluster One (5:58) Poles Apart (7:04) A Great Day For Freedom (4:18) Take It Back (6:12) Coming Back To Life (6:19) Lost For Words (5:14)

The Division Bell does what all the pre-Animals Floyd albums do best: ensures that the melody does not suffer for the preponderance of lyrics. That's not to say that Gilmour can write lyrics as well as Waters. But when considering the Floyd's "Great Phase" -- from Meddle to Animals -- the music was as important as the words. Listening to The Wall and The Final Cut really emphasizes the fact that Waters was not a great tune smith. That was always Gilmour's strength: witness "Comfortably Numb" and "Mother" on The Wall. That's the subtle grace of The Division Bell, even moreso than MLOR -- it is very much back to the strong musical structures that evade much of Waters' solo project as well as the The Wall and The Final Cut. The lyrics balance nicely in most places as well ("I Took a heavenly ride through our silence" is a gorgeous line, no matter who wrote it). I think that with the Division Bell, the Floyd (sans Waters) retire with their integrity, style and stature intact. It is a fitting farewell, especially in light of Wright's contributions and his untimely death. The Division Bell will remain, I think, the Floyd's great under-appreciated masterwork.

While this album sounds like more of a band effort than "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason" (and it is, Gilmour shares much of the song writing with Richard Wright), it still does not compare with any of the best Pink Floyd albums ("Meddle" through "Animals"). Sure, there are some sound effects mixed in, and that moody Pink Floyd sound, but the album just sounds too calculated to give you chills the way the classic albums did.

The songs are not bad, but not great, and most of the best moments are where you can hear the band striving to sound like Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Hey You, and even Time. The best, and most original sounding song is Keep Talking, which features quotes by Stephen Hawking.

As a Pink Floyd fan, I'm happy to own the album, but it's not one I go back and listen to very often.

The mind-blowing end to the saga of the Floyd. Could one wish for a better ending than "The Division Bell"? (I know, an odd album for a first review but I have to start somewhere)

With the rather poor "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason" people had gained a certain dislike for the new Gilmour-led Pink Floyd. The band died for many after "The Wall" and the infamous "The Final Cut" now the Floyd only had to say goodbye to their fans with one last big bang. After 7 years, the farewell finally came with "The Division Bell".

Although definitely a new (more tamed) sound ,and a new lyricist in Gilmours wife Polly Samson, this album is nonetheless a true masterpiece

(9/10) Cluster One - A relaxed instrumental welcome into the album. The combination of Richard Wrights soulful keyboard skill and Gilmours trademark wailing guitar tones make this a highly enjoyable, slow, and unique intro.

(8/10) What Do You Want From Me - Very unusual for the Floyd. The use of Funk/Blues rock from a Prog band is unexpected, but do not be fooled, this is a fine track. David Gilmour called this "a straight Chicago blues tune" showing us that he is, and will remain, a blues guitarists. The wailing guitar is not absent and riffs and solos make up a huge section of the song.

(7/10) Poles Apart - The weakest track on the album for me. For the first time I did not enjoy David Gilmours singing. After the singing however Richard Wright takes us to a new symphonic realm with carnival tunes and the faint sound of the "Division" bell then (sadly) interrupted by Davids voice. The song concludes with another fine solo by Gilmour

(10/10) Marooned - Quite possibly the greatest Pink Floyd instrumental my ears ever had the pleasure of listening to. More energetic than the mellow "Cluster one", this song features more wailing and melody from Gilmour and his famous Black Stratocaster. On a side note this song inspired me to go out and buy myself a Yamaha copy of a Stratocaster, sadly i'm still miles away from Gilmours expertise.

(9/10) A Great Day for Freedom - Another very relaxed song and , considered by most, includes Gilmours greatest guitar solo on the album. A possible reference to the rivalry between Gilmour and Waters is made right at the beginning of the song.

(10/10) - Wearing the Inside Out - Not only does is this song melodically and lyrically fantastic but is also sang by Richard Wright. His voice (dearly missed by many) makes a return on this final Pink Floyd album. His hardened voice instils a sense of Wisdom to the song. Another peak in the album.

(8/10) Take it Back - Not a memorable song from the album but nonetheless highly enjoyable.

(10/10) Coming Back To Life - The "Gilmour" song of the album. Starting off slowly with very Blues-influenced guitar solo and then continued with Gilmours harmonious singing. This relaxed atmosphere becomes slightly more energized after the first verse and then leading up to 2 fantastic blues solos.

(10/10) Keep Talking - Another great song with a special "appearance" by famous theoretical physicist Steven Hawkings. The song the first dark and gloomy atmosphere in the album with space-ish guitar riffs and solos. Another interesting fact is that David used an E- bow throughout the song.

(9/10) Lost for Words - To be honest I expected an instrumental track after first reading the title of the track. The vocals are not disappointing at all and acoustic solos make this another mellow song.

(10/10) High Hopes - The song that ended the story of the Floyd. This song is the final masterpiece of Pink Floyd and the final peak of the album. One can hear the intro on the song "Fat old sun" on "Atom Heart Mother". The song features David on slide guitar with another great guitar solo. I can truly think of no better song than to end the album with.

"The Division Bell" makes a fine final album by a great band. Features simply good music that can be enjoyed by anyone who actually gives this "Black sheep" of an album a chance.

Well, I'm torn on giving this three stars because I can hardly call this album good, on the other hand High Hopes is a top five Floyd song. High Hopes has some of the best lyrical content I've ever heard- ever. About the loss of hope, growing older, and growing farther apart. The chorus recalls the time when the grass was greener, and the light was brighter, with friends surrounded, forever and ever. The chorus is such a strong moment as it just bursts out of the song into such a beautiful melody. To top it off we get a very good lead at the end of the song as well.

The same cannot be said for the rest of the album, as I find it to be uninspired pop, with the expectation of wearing the inside out, which is a fine song. Songs like Keep Talking and Take it back, are some of the weakest things I've ever heard from Pink Floyd. The Division Bell is full of dull music, overused concepts, and poppy nothingness. Of course the drumming is a problem as usual. Mason plays generic beats here, and is very weak on this album even compared to older outputs from him.

So, if not from the brilliant song High Hopes this one would be a one star. High Hopes is something every Floyd fan needs so it gets the rating for fans only.

The Division Bell comes as physical continuation of AMLOR (1987), but it is of much higher quality both in terms of production and compositions. It was the best approval that David Gilmour could lead this great band without loosing in quality and of course without the stress he surely had for the previous album and this is so obvious. Here we have one of the best songs they've ever written and is no other than High Hopes. We also even have the great late Richard Wright's composition, Wearing The Inside Out with his warm and characteristic voice and another good song. There's a bitter sweet atmosphere running round and round this album and various themes that are affected such as ecology, personal relationships, human communication etc. What do you Want From Me is a good start so typically Floyd sound and the album flows quite naturally - personally i don't find songs "this one is better than the other" except the two mentioned above - all the record is at least at a good and above level and the band is in top form, as always.

Nick Mason has never been or meant to be in the levels of Neil Peart or Bill Bryford, just to mention some of the technique and versatility giants! Nick Mason is a quite capable drummer and is perfectly exactly what this great band and its grandouer music needed, no more no less!

All in all this a really very decent album and ended the history of Pink Floyd with a shine and very good memories!

Rick Wright is back in the lineup for the last act of Pink Floyd's history (if we forget Pulse and other trivia). "Cluster One" is the first thing written by him for Pink Floyd, even if 50% with Gilmour after about 25 years. What appears clearly is that this is not a David Gilmour solo album released under a Pink Floyd label as Momentary Leapse was. Waters is far away and of course is a great miss, but the remeining Floyds were trying to resurrect the original cooperative spirit lost after Wish You Were Here. Cluster One is unfortunately too short. The few minutes it lasts give us an idea of what could have been.

Something new, then. Gilmour is increasing his skills as lyricist. For his own admission he had never given too many attention to the lyrics, but on this album, encouraged by his new wife he has found new expressive ways. "What Do You Want From Me" is a typical Gilmour's song in the melody and the arrangements, with a bluesy intro reminding to the 70s, but the lyrics seem to be referring partially to his former wife Ginger, partially to Roger Waters.

"Poles Apart" is a real highlight. Acoustic guitar with an open tuning, fretless bass and Wright's keyboards remind to the period between Meddle, Obscured by Clouds and The Dark Side of The Moon. The spirit of Syd Barrett is still here. He's the person Gilmour is speaking to. Dave speaks about how they underevaluated Syd's mental issues and just sent him off of the band. He didn't realize that "That light in your eyes" was about to disappear forever. This is underlined by the dark childish interlude in the middle of the song. A good guitar solo closes the track.

"Marooned" seems to be more Wright's effort, at least in terms of arrangements. It's musically close to the kind of music that Wright will release later on Broken China. I have to say that Wright declared in an interview that he was wishing to do a concept album and was quite disappointed of Division Bell as it's just a collection of songs.

"A Great Day For Freedom" is similar to Poles Apart from a musical point of view. The lyrics are about the fall of the Berlin Wall. Somebody sees a relation to Roger Water and his performance after the wall's fall, but I don't think so.

"Wearing the Inside Out" which gives the title to Nick Mason's self-biography, is another great Wright's effort. The electronic drums give it a 80s flavour but the sax reminds to Wet Dream. Also it's the first time after years that Wright is the lead singer on a Floyd's song. It would be great if, instead of the choir, the second voice was sung bu Gilmour like on Echoes. However this is one of the best songs produced by the Pink Floyd since Animals.

"Take It Back" is the album's single, the one which video went on the major networks. The most underrated song because it's the most commercial. The initial guitar riff reminds in some way to "Blue Light". The problem with this song is when you listen to it alone. Try to listen to Wearing The Inside Out, Take It Back and Coming Back To Life. It will make more sense. The song is about Earth and Ecology "She will take it back, one day". It was also the sense of the very nice video.

On the last notes of Take It Back a keyboard backgrounds allows Gilmour to play a great acoustic guitar solo. There are reminds of "On The Turning Away". A nice average song. As the previous one, it acquires more sense when listened with the other two in a "single block".

"Keep Talking" could have been an excellent closer, but the real closer is a masterpiece. The song is about communication/incommunication. The choir and the lirycal theme makes it the most "Watersian" song of the album. The guitar backgrounds are typical of Gilmour, Wright makes a great work with the keyboards but it's like they are paying a little tribute to Waters.

"Lost For Words" is a slow country-blues. A kind of acoustic ballad to which Gilmour has made us sued since Fat Old Sun.

Now the masterpiece. I have already spent a lot of words when reviewing the Gdansk concert or Syd Barrett's solos. High Hopes is for me absolutely the best song released in all the 90s decade and one of the best Pink Floyd's songs ever. It's enough to payback the whole album. On two books: "Inside Out" and also on "Pigs Might Fly" is written that Gilmour's wife encouraged him to dig into himself and write about his feelings. The result is a sad song full of regret, another tribute to Syd Barrett. The reverb on the last words of the song: "forever and ever..." which enhance the sense of distance and loneliness followed by one of the best Gilmour's guitar solos, comparable to Comfortably Numb and even more dramatic complete the album.

I would have given 5 stars to the album only because it has High Hopes inside. It deserves all the 5 stars because even if just a collection of songs it's full of good music plus the efforts of Rick Wright as Pink Floyd composer and singer. Not only concept albums can be masterpieces.

I rushed out to buy `The Division Bell' when it was released. Many years later, after giving it plenty of repeated listens, I tend to feel it is an album of unparallel power and emotional scope, from the first thirty seconds of the eerie, atmospheric `Cluster One' until the rich bell tolling at the end of `High Hopes' .

It is difficult to pick out favoutites but "What Do You Want From Me" is great and very catchy, featuring Gilmour's howling guitars. The backing vocals are very lofty and striking here too. "Poles Apart" is a stunningly etheral and somber song. I can't explain it, but it gets into my soul. I feel the same way with "A Great Day For Freedom" and "Rick Wright's "Wearing The Inside Out".

"Marooned" is a moody instrumental reeking of atmosphere whilst "Take It Back" is a earnest and anthemic song about man's relationship with the earth. The closing "High Hopes" is powerful and uplifting, about one's past, present and future. `Coming Back to Life' also never fails to move me despite playing it numerous times.

The Division Bell may not sound like the band's epic albums of the seventies but it should be at least a welcomed return for Pink Floyd as a true working unit and showing that their music can stand up on it's own and not just in the shadows of their past. For me, the band did more than just fill a void without Roger Waters. This music is amazing and provides deep, rich emotions every time. The guitar work is simply incredible, the lyrics are inspired and whilst it has quite a melancholy feel to it, it is also perfect for those autumn nights when you want to indulge that feeling within you.

This is one of those albums that I never tire of and whilst sometimes I find it almost too powerful to listen to and it affects my mood quite profoundly, it is also one that has a treasured place in my heart. Highly recommended indeed. 5 stars.

Oh God ... but what is a fantastic album.The Pink Floyd´s swansong, the final statement of these geniuses of music, this album is my first experience out of the 70s ... and believe me, it might not be here as good as "Dark Side of the Moon"(because they did nothing they can match this masterpiece), but so genius (musically speaking) and "The Wall " or "Wish You Were Here. "

There is not a weak moment, or at least those that exist are outweighed by a strong working members.A good thing to note is that there is more freedom here, especially Mason and Wright, who are no longer oppressed by the all arrogant -sr. pretentious Roger Waters (this guy must be really annoying in real life). Gilmour shines as always, and hear it just makes me sure that he is my favorite guitarist ever.

4,5 stars.A rating just for this masterpiece of modern psychedelic/space rock.Goodbye, Pink Floyd.

Gilmour, Mason and Wright remained of the Pink Floyd money making machine. The best thing about this album is Pink Floyd were able to take it on the road to produce some of the best of their tours since The Wall. The music sounds similar to that on Momentary Lapse of Reason, very accessible rather than progressive. The melodies are infectious and easy to sing to for the live performances. The songs focus on many themes as usual, but they are still harping on about old Syd with songs such as Keep Talking. The lapse or complete lack of communication is the key theme, seen primarily by the striking cover art of two mute souls conversing, an optical illusion from the dark ages that works well for an album cover.

The tracks are quite famous now as they appear on live DVDs such as Pulse. My personal favourites are the cynical What do you want from me, A great day for freedom, Take it back, Coming back to life and Keep talking. The latter track features a convincing voice over by genius paraplegic scientist Stephen Hawking. The best song on the entire album is undoubtedly the atmospheric haunting High Hopes. This track is quintessential PF with a startling bell tolling effect and very emotive performance by Gilmour. The majestic closing section is an incredible performance by the band. The film clip promo was brilliant and seen in the live shows on the circular screens.

There are some strange tracks that never rang well with me such as the lengthy Poles apart, that is perhaps too long and drawn out. Marooned is also a strange one but sounds great as background music. Overall this was a huge album at the time and the last studio album for the band before they became a live act only. It is definitely one of the better PF albums of recent years and a fitting way to bow out of the studio recordings.

It is a little hard to believe that it has been a whole seventeen years since this, the last original studio release from The Floyd. I love this band, but am an unashamed Waters fan. The great man himself described the predecessor album, Momentary Lapse of Reason, as a "passable copy" of Pink Floyd. This one he derided as pure rubbish.

Was he right? Well, no, not exactly. It is not pure rubbish by any means, but what it most certainly could be described as, one Richard Wright written track excepting (his first since Wish You Were Here), is a David Gilmour vehicle with Pink Floyd musicians effectively acting as session musicians in support. The irony of this, I am sure, was not lost on their old protagonist, given that the excellent Final Cut was, equally effectively, a Waters solo vehicle with the rest in abject support.

It was a massive hit, with commercial and BBC radio utterly fawning over the whole project, helped along by the success of the single High Hopes and a strange sense, at the time, of nostalgia. The resultant tour was huge, with the band selling out massive arenas all over the world. It was also their swansong, and with Wright now sadly no longer with us, it will, I think, and actually hope, stay that way.

The playing throughout is exceptional, as one would rightly expect from such progressive titans. It is helped by Bob Ezrin's usual high standards of production, and I think credit should be given to Wright, who, since Animals, had been rather an abject figure both inside and outside the band. His contribution both on keyboards and, most welcome, on vocals on his track, Wearing The Inside Out, is brilliant, and it was a boon to us long standing fans to hear it. A nice jazzy track, with marvellous sax from long time collaborator, Dick Parry, this perhaps should have appeared on a Wright solo effort, but it is a highlight of this album.

It is definitely Wright's work which saves the otherwise rather ordinary Poles Apart, for instance, from descending into mediocrity. As a swansong, he had much to be proud of.

The mood throughout the album is rather downbeat, but I do rather think that much of it is being done "by the numbers". Unlike the classic period from Meddle to The Wall, and even passages from Momentary Lapse, you never really get the feeling that there is any passion amongst the gloom. The solos by Gilmour are more than competent - it is David Gilmour after all, and he never played rubbish, but there is never a hair raising moment amongst the proceedings. Neither is there a sense of the really interesting experimentation you had with A New Machine or Terminal Frost on the predecessor. For example, here Marooned as an instrumental is merely slightly interesting, well played, and ideal as a background noise rather than challenging and thought provoking. On tracks such as this and the dour Keep Talking (Gilmour's worse moment, I think), Waters' bitter criticisms do ring true.

However, it is not all in that vein. A Great Day For Freedom is a genuine Floyd classic, reflecting Gilmour's and his soon to be wife, Polly Samson's (she co-wrote much of this album) more upbeat and less cynical political world view than the departed lyricist. Of course, one could also reflect that the lyrics also point towards the "Wall coming Down" as referring to the departure of Waters, or maybe it's just me being rather cynical.

High Hopes is a fun track, and deservedly a hit single.

However, overall, I find this a disappointment when compared to the mighty, essential, works that all concerned had been involved with over the years. As a Gilmour solo album, perhaps it would creep up to a four star rating, but as Floyd? Never. If you rightly rate the four albums from Dark Side to The Wall as masterpieces, this simply isn't fit to lick their boots. It comes nowhere near.

It is a good album, but no more than that to me. Three stars for this.

The Pink Floyd story limped to a shuddering halt with this album. Really, the band had been on a downward spiral since their last truly classic album Animals; The Wall and The Final Cut, whilst they had their moments, were blighted by Roger Waters' utter control over the band's creative vision causing so much internal acrimony that they barely functioned as a cohesive unit, whilst A Momentary Lapse of Reason was notable more for the legal battle over the Floyd name than for any of its musical content.

Here, Pink Floyd deploy dated production values which went out of fashion a decade earlier (just listen to what they've done to Nick Mason's drums) and toss in generic Floydisms in a half-hearted attempt to recapture past glories. Gilmour's guitar solos are meandering and pointless, the soul influences thrown in here and there are a shameless attempt to remind listeners of the backing singing on Dark Side of the Moon, but when you strip aside all these embellishments at its heart this is a mediocre 80s AOR album recorded in 1994. In short, everyone involved in this project should have been capable of much better, but simply didn't deliver. Like Momentary Lapse, it's cargo cult Pink Floyd, tossing together all the surface elements of past albums in the hope that this would magically yield the Pink Floyd sound of old. It doesn't work.

Desperate to prove that, in the aftermath of Roger Waters defection, they still had some relevance to the musical world, Pink Floyd - at this time consisting of just David Gilmour(guitar, keyboards, vocals) and Nick Mason(drums) - would pull out all the stops for their 1987 comeback release 'A Momentary Lapse Of Reason', augmenting their new album with all the latest technological trickery and an army of grade-A session players(including former keyboardist Richard Wright). Although, and rather predictably it has to be said, a commercial smash-hit, 'A Momentary Lapse Of Reason' is very much a product of it's era that suffers from it's now very dated sound, proving a tough listen in the here-and-now. By comparison, 1994's final Floyd album 'The Division Bell' has fared much better over the years, Gilmour, Mason and the newly-instated Richard Wright seemingly realising the errors of their ways and embracing the more traditional methods of which garnered them such huge success during the 1970s peak. However, that's not to say that 'The Division Bell' is classic Floyd; far from it. Shorn of Waters scathing lyrical attacks and complex conceits, this is very much a straight rock album with occasional progressive flourishes featuring a whimsical tone and none of the trademark epics the group used to do so well. Instead, what we have here is eleven carefully-crafted songs, taking in emotive ballads('Coming Back To Life') rasping rockers('What Do You Want From Me') and glistening prog-tinged soundscapes('Keep Talking'). Gilmour has stated that if the album has an underlying theme then it is one of communication, though it's a loose connection at best. What links most of the pieces, however, is Gilmour's still emphatic soloing, with his fluid guitars dominating the album and providing the denouement to the albums final, and best, track 'High Hopes', which comes closest to reliving past glories. Wright's contribution is also strong, his textured keyboards adding layers of atmosphere to the likes of 'Keep Talking'(which, incidentally, also features a cameo from professor Stephen Hawking), though Mason's drumming remains perfunctory, if typically solid, throughout. If anything, and much like it's predecessor, 'The Division Bell' is virtually a Gilmour solo record, and the soothing, albeit slightly melancholic tone is testament to that. A graceful set, this is a darn site better than the awful Roger Waters dominated 'The Final Cut', though in the grand scale of things this is hardly essential Floyd, although a handful of tracks show that the creative juices are still partly flowing. Floyd fans will surely enjoy 'The Division Bell's soothing charms, though this is a very different beast from the one that created the likes of 'Dark Side Of The Moon' and 'Animals'.

STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012

The Division Bell is the album that really got me into Pink Floyd, and it's still one of my favorites. In fact, if someone were to cast a spell on me so that I weren't able to hear any music from '71-'73, I'd probably call it their best album. Every song is carefully tailored over, and you can tell there was a lot of time spent on the songwriting, the arrangements, the performances, the production, enginneering, and album art. David Gilmour is quite possibly at his best here, with highly expressive and inventive guitar playing, with great attention to both tone and emotional depth, especially in the instrumental "Marooned" and the solo at the end of "High Hopes," (though all of the solos are great), and while he'd already exhibited incredible control over his voice in songs like "Dogs" and "Comfortably Numb" and the later A Momentary Lapse of Reason album, his singing has developed even more on this album to a degree of stunning beauty, highlighted most brightly on the majestic, airy, "Coming Back To Life." Richard Wright gives a fine final studio perfomance for the band with some of his most ornate and descriptive synth and organ work, a great song in "Wearing The Inside Out", and his vocals are just as strong as they've always been, if not maybe a little more beautiful than before. Nick Mason provides just the right drum parts for the songs, coming up with a very effective hybrid of the soothing ride cymbal work he did on Dark Side of the Moon and the thundering tom fills he gave to The Wall. I could go on and on in great detail about the many, many things I love about each one of the songs, but to hear the album is really the only way to experience it. Take my word for it, from a devoted Pink Floyd fan, The Divsion Bell is an essential masterpiece of progressive rock, and a must have for anyone into the band.

The Division Bell is in my opinion the most underrated in the pink Floyd discography. It is perhaps the best album since Animals, as the band emerges from the songwriting dictatorship that plagued The Final Cut, The Wall, and A Momentary Lapse of Reason. Richard Wright is back in the band, and his contribution is very significant this time around. Though the main composing force is still Gilmour, who offers some of his most ethereal guitar solos throughout.

'Cluster One' is a very spacey, atmospheric piece. Wright's opening piano notes are chilling, and Gilmour adds some of his clean, dramatic guitar that is found all throughout this album.

'Poles apart' has a nice acoustic guitar opening which slowly picks up intensity with Mason's drums and some subtle keyboard parts from Wright. There is a weird, spooky "circus-like" instrumental soundscape in the middle which leads to one of Gilmour's best solos.

Beautiful, ethereal, atmospheric; there are a myriad of superlatives that could describe'Marooned.' It's my favorite on the album and also one of the Floyd's best. It's really just one long solo by Gilmour (with a great soundscape by Wright); but what a great solo it is. In my opinion, this song says more than all the other songs on the album with lyrics combined.

'A Great Day For Freedom,' Wearing the Inside Out,' and 'Take It Back' are all decent songs, though there is nothing terribly interesting in their structures. The solo in the first is great, and there is a small synth break halfway through the second that reminds me of Shine On, and really makes me wish there was more! Take It Back is probably the weakest track on the album, but is still good nonetheless.

'Coming Back to Life' opens with a rather bluesy guitar solo followed by Gilmour's vocals and eventually the whole band. The most interesting parts of this song are of course the guitar solos, which are backed by a nice rhythm.

'Keep Talking' is a unique song that makes use of some spoken samples of Steven Hawking and a talk-box solo near the end.

The last two songs form a great conclusion to a great album. 'Lost For Words' is more folky, relying a lot on Gilmour's lyrics. 'High Hopes' is mostly melancholic with a dramatic build-up, along with a sense of resolution in the ending guitar solo, making this an appropriate final Pink Floyd song.

Overall, The Division Bell is a very good way for Pink Floyd to end such a prolific career filled with some of the greatest moments in progressive rock, and music in general.

7/10

Such an underrated album, for me it's up there with "Dark Side", "Wish You Were Here", and "Animals" (my personal favourites)! Just because Roger Waters is gone doesn't mean Pink Floyd can't make a good album. It's certainly different from the other albums I just mentioned, with a very happy and peaceful feel to it, but it's still just as great as Pink Floyd's older albums. In my opinion, it's been too long since Pink Floyd made music that isn't so depressing. The first five tracks are all very strong along with the closer "High Hopes", with the other ones only being slightly weaker. The lyrics about communication may not be quite as interesting as the concept on "Animals", but Gilmour has plenty of amazing solos throughout the album to make up for it. The solo at the end of "Poles Apart" is one of the most beautiful I've ever heard, certainly a highlight of the album! This album is just plain beautiful.

Amazing, another masterpiece by Pink Floyd! It's different from their classic albums, but no less worthy of getting the five-star rating! If your a fan of Pink Floyd's older albums, then don't hesitate to try this album, you just might be as pleased with it as I am!

The last hurrah album from 1994 named Division bell is to me another worthy album from their catalogue. No weak moments here, they keep the Pink Floyd sound and is better then anything they released after The wall even in same place with The wall for me. Again I'm not agree that this is a bad album pieces like What do you want for me, Cluster One, Poles apart, Take it back or High hopes stand as proving greatness. Good vocal lines, smooth and elegant instrumental arrangements, so what more, to me this is Pink Floyd all the way. 4 stars easy, I really like since it hit the shelves almost 20 years ago. Nice cover art.

This album is definitely one of the best albums created by Pink Floyd (even though Roger Waters is not in the band anymore, but Gilmour takes on really well). This was the first album I heard completely of the Pink Floyd (considering my age, I was in junior high school when the album appeared and in that time the music on TV was really good that I had not a single idea about progressive rock, just some hints). Being a bit sentimental, this album has a lot of meaning to me, thanks to this album I discovered, unconsciously, progressive rock; thanks to this album my love to Pink Floyd grew higher (before I just knew Learning To Fly song). All the songs have fantastic musical arrangements, that at times seems to be influenced by New Age sounds (Cluster One / Marooned); it also contains songs that resemble the old Floyd (What do you want from me / Keep Talking); but definitely my favorite songs are the ones that carry an environmental ambient rock sound (Poles Apart / Take it Back / Coming Back To Life / Lost for Words / Wearing the Inside Out / and of course High Hopes). Impressive!

Released in 1994, The Division Bell proves that Pink Floyd began his career in 1967 is still present, almost 30 years later. This is undoubtedly one of the cult groups had greater longevity. Its the last studio album and the second without Waters ,who left the band in 1985 for opinion's differences.

For me, this is definitely one of my favorite albums of the group, with animals and Wish you were here.

4 members have always made ​​it a accustomed to design CD covers's very original, full of meaning and enigmatic for some time. The Division Bell is no exception to the rule with these two faces clash and after retinal persistence are one face. The most likely explanation is that this album revolves around a lot of communication, the two statues face and force things and communicate. Storm Thorgerson is an English designer who has designed with the group the cover of the album. Both statues are for each over 3 meters tall and nearly 1500 kg, they were created and photographed by John Robertson in Cambridgeshire.

This is a difficult album to classify, we can not really talk about concept album like The Wall, or merging pieces so well that we have the impression that could be one and the same only song where the principle of concept album. On The Division Bell this is pieces of the same recurring themes, but distinct. It is always progressive / space rock rock, with some slight pop / rock tracks.

For me, the best songs are: Marooned, beautiful instrumental piece Gilmour guitar solo more than 5 minutes you put the head full of images, heavenly, simply. Note that Marooned was rewarded in 1995 with a Grammy Award in the category "Best Rock Instrumental" (4/5) Wearing the inside out, one of the few songs by the calm,paceful and and mysterious voice of Richard Wright, accompanied by haunting guitar of Gilmour (4,5/5) Keep talking, quite similar to Wearing the inside out, just as good, where once again you can enjoy the Gilmour solo's guitar that fits perfectly on the written part with. Transmit emotions through a musical instrument is not an easy task, but it is one of the characteristics of Gilmour, and for this reason that I consider as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. (4.5/5) Coming back To life, excellent, unfortunately it was shortened on the vinyl version, which removes some of its charm on the vinyl version anyway.Definitely my favorite. The same thing for Marooned which was also shortened(4.5/5) Lost for words is a piece of incredible maturity, one of those songs that gives you chills just hearing the first notes of guitar. The end solo played on acoustic guitar, too, beautiful. Simply but effective (4.5/5) Let's talk about other pieces, those under my attention, High hope for example, who needs no introduction. Maybe I was too tired to have heard on the radio fm? Still difficult not to appreciate the introduction, original, beautiful and solemn, the sound of a bell followed by some notes synthesizer (3.5 / 5) Cluster One, which opens the album, is quite strange, entirely instrumental, I find it "sticks" has not the general mood of the album, might have - it find its way more to close the album (3/5) What do you want from me, is totally the opposite of the previous track, this break is rather surprising, due to the quietest song on the album followed by more "violent". Pretty basic, nothing surprising, just ok (3/5) Poles apart, I did not catch, same as What do you want from me, no flights or majestic guitar solo. Listenable (3/5) A great day for freedom, pretty sad, but better than the previous two (3.5/5) Take it back ... the best for last ... or rather, the worst! This is pop, pop / rock, but neither progressive nor space rock rock! It is not for me! (2,5/5)

The Division Bell is an album that is not generally appreciated. I think most people who say they do not like this album did for the most part, never listen ... Probably due to the fact that Roger Waters was not present on this album. Or maybe because the last title high hopes, you can still hear on commercial radio fm.

I think the best thing to do is get an opinion by itself - even listen to this album, if you like Pink Floyd and Gilmour guitar solos, you will not remain indifferent.

The Division Bell is an album that I bought solely because of High Hopes. It, along with What Do You Want From Me, were the only two tracks that I had heard prior to actually getting the album, and I figured that I should give it a try, as it is Pink Floyd's last album, at least until their new swan song for Richard Wright is released by the end of the year.

As much as I like Pink Floyd's melodies and instrumentals, I find many of the tracks on this album simply seem to wander. In the past, their instrumentals seemed to have more of a purpose and buildup, whereas on here they seem to have lost a bit of the inspiration. Some of the passages are still very beautiful, and I do enjoy them quite a bit, but on the whole, it does not compare favorably to Pink Floyd's earlier material.

Yet because of such highlights as High Hopes, which is one of my favorite Pink Floyd songs now, I feel compelled to really like this album, although I just quite can't enjoy all of it. High Hopes cannot carry the whole album for me. I wanted to give this album 4 stars, but I feel like it truly deserves closer to the 3 star category.

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.

I give Gilmore a pass for the flop that was "Momentary Lapse Of Reason". After all, the album title explains what the album actually was. I mean, it's not like anyone made stellar prog albums in the 80's.

Before "The Endless River" though, this album, "The Division Bell" was supposed to be the final encore for the once proud Floyd, with Gilmore and Mason NOT reunited with Roger Waters BUT reunited with faithful keyboardist Richard Wright.

The idea behind this record, oddly enough, has to do with a re-occurring theme of communication, something that was a bit of a problem between Gilmore and Waters (hmm). Either way, I always felt like Gilmore needed to return this band back to glory, that "signature sound" that was lost so long ago, and perhaps ol Ricky Wright could do it.

"Cluster One" starts off beautifully, with Wright's playing doing all the heavy lifting and Gilmore adding guitar spots where needed, and "What Do You Want From Me" just screams "Have A Cigar". So far, so good. It doesn't sound incredible contrite or strained, but rather relaxed, the way a true Pink Floyd disc should sound. At least there's an attempt to get back to basics.

Sadly, there is still a tug of control in Gilmore's wake to seem more like a solo album, none more so than "Poles Apart". I honestly couldn't care for it at all. That song is a sound of the 90's, in my opinion, where individual stardom was more important than taking a bunch of other guys with you to the top. Thankfully, though, Gilmore redeems himself with a tasty guitar solo spot on "Marooned".

And then from there it just disappears. Nothing after "Marooned" sounded like Pink Floyd, but rather a Gilmore solo album. I had high hopes, man.

Was it surprising? Not really. The 90's might have signaled the rebirth of progressive rock, but "prog" was still as dead in the 90's as it was in the 80's. The result of this album? A few tasty morsels, proof that Gilmore could still bring back the classic Floyd, but ultimately, overcome with pressure just to make it all about himself.

Luckily though, there'd be one last chance for redemption.

I remember buying this album 20 years ago as my second Pink Floyd tape (after "The Wall") and absolutely loving it. Isn't it a sign of a great album, then, when you still feel exactly the same way about it all those years later, without even trying? Because I do.

I might be wrong, but I remember "The Division Bell" being received very well when it came out. I also remember "The Final Cut" being totally abhorred in mid-90's. This is why it surprises me nowadays when I read all those anti-Gilmour's Floyd comments all over the net, many of which try to prove that Floyd fans have always hated both "The Division Bell" and "A Momentary Lapse of Reason", not to mention the live albums from that period. Well, my memory might be playing tricks on me, but I remember Gilmour's Floyd being hailed as a welcome 'back-to-music' move after Waters' spoken word poems. So, I actually feel quite odd now finding myself in a position of one that has defend an album that I have always loved.

Anyway, on to the music. ?Cluster One" is a masterfully atmospheric instrumental whose simple keyboard and guitar motifs on top of the atmospheric ambient backdrop (one of those minor details that always sends shivers down my spine) set a tone that is pensive, beautiful, and unmistakably Floyd. As the songs (yes, songs, in the best possible sense of the word) flow, it becomes obvious that the strength of the album lies as much in the well-written and memorable compositions as in the laid-back, bittersweet ? and very consistent ? feel of the whole. Songs such as "Poles Apart", "Wearing the Inside Out", "Lost for Words", and "High Hopes" still stand as perfect examples of truly exceptional songwriting and I enjoy the songs ? a lot ? each time I listen to them. Instrumentally, both Gilmour and Wright shine on their respective instruments, while Dave's voice is in perfect shape. (He is one of the few lucky ones whose both voice and singing actually get BETTER with age!)

There are some things I don't like on the album too. First, "Keep Talking". I guess the backing female vocals and Prof. Hawking's sample, in addition to the repetitiveness, are the things that spoil the song for me. Second, "A Great Day for Freedom". Not a bad song in itself, but the pathos does not flow well with the rest of the music. Otherwise, pure bliss.

Bottom line: I like "The Division Bell" more than both "Dark Side of the Moon" and "The Wall" even if 'intellectually' I know it should be the other way around. But it isn't, and as time passes, repeated listens of these three only reinforce this feeling.

For me, this is the first prog album I've heard, but is it really prog? Yes, it is (an excellent addition to any prog rock music collection), it's a strong album which feels very Floydian but also offers enough new sounds for Floyd fans.

Speaking of which, the first is one of the nicest intro tracks Pink Floyd have recorded. It starts out mysteriously with (you could see this coming) sound effects and then flows into a calm river of a musical conversation between Rick and Dave. But we now need some more of the jolly old Gilmour guitar work. Putting in more energy, the concept of the album also is revealed in the second track.

We hear a more sweet sound next, also pretty up-tempo for Pink Floyd standards. Frankly, that would be a good allegory for the 'new direction'. Indeed satisfying the main public's ears more, fewer and less extented intros and interludes; but enough of Gilmour's axe, sophisticated sound(scapes) and just Floydian things.

Speaking of which, only this could be done by the legendary Floyd (yes, also a Floyd without Waters): an intrumental beginning with a short keyboard intro with added suitable sound effects, where the rest of the track is only filled with cool guitar phrases. All kinds of sounds are added, making it quite interesting for every prog fan. Also I think Mason is in good shape on this album, hitting it exactly where needed and in his not-too-complicated-or-difficult-but-fitting- exactly-every-floyd-track style. If this track doesn't move you (emotionally and to a marooned island)... Eerrr, wel... than that's weird. I can't change that though.

And that's exactly the same with the next, anti-war song. The words 'powerful' and 'moving' (not too poetic and difficult, I know) come instantly to mind if I had to describe what I think about it, which I have to do here. To make this review not too positive, I don't really like what Gilmour does at the end here, to be honest. The background is very strong, but the solo above it is much less, also caused by the sound of the guitar.

After this we get a more Wright orientated song, jazzy, which is quite refreshing, if only for the sake of variety. Oh how I like that sudden powerful solo of Rick there, his singing too is more to my liking than Daves voice and manner of singing. Also the combination with sax here feels very justified.

The thing which I find very pleasing about this album is the way it perfectly gives what you want, the songs shouldn't be shuffled in a different order. Namely we now need some energy, and Gilmours voice gives you what you want but maybe did not expect.

The following two tracks are a bit boring in my opinion, I regularly skip these, and so will I do now, leaving it with 'just a bit boring songs'.

I quite like the next one though. It feels like a reprise of Cluster One in the beginning and I quite like the lyrics which come after it too. "Beyond your tunnel vision, eality fades like shadows into the night" for example, I don't care (nor know) who wrote that, but it's beautiful. He even dared to sing the f-word!

To close the best way Pink Floyd probably could - and this says more about how good the song is, rather than how bad Pink Floyd were at the time, because this song is one of their best ever-made. Unfortunately the only one which builds so much tension from beginning to end; this will (yes will, forever) keep you at the edge of your seat, I almost fell. The orchestral additions are unmissable if you've heard this track which probably came right from heaven! In contrast with some Floyd songs (even some classics) it doesn't feel repetitious and is far from boring. Building up to one of the best solos ever recorded, this is... no, don't try to put it in words; enjoy the music for as long as you can.

Although it does not have a lot of flaws and there's not much wrong about this album, the average of the album isn't something you (or maybe I should say I) could listen to endlessly. All in all, it's an album you can enjoy a lot though, it offers enough to listen very close. My final rating therefore is 4 stars out of 5.

Not one for long goodbyes...

This was a bit of a doozy coming back to it after a long time. It isn't like any other Pink Floyd album; everything has changed. The remaining band members have changed in attitude since Momentary Lapse of Reason in '87.

For one, there isn't as much gung-hoe enthusiasm that they had on the last album. The Division Bell is a collection of bittersweet melodies, containing more soul than spirit. What do I mean by that? I myself tend to hear "spirit" when listening to a band's early attempts at pleasing themselves and their audience with their enthusiastic naivete. When I refer to soul in this case, soul is the tunes wrought by a time-weathered band in their death throes, with full knowledge that this album they make is their last. Lyrics are more blatant and on the nose than they used to be, lacking much of the poetic fuzz that was prominent on their greatest of albums. They speak of their destructive relationship with former bassist Roger Waters, mainly from the viewpoint of David Gilmour. These range from 'What Do You Want From Me', about Gilmour's experience with Roger Waters' rash stinginess with his musical direction, to the pseudo-upbeat retrospective on his childish behavior on 'Lost For Words', replete with the sounds of a boxing match halfway through.

There is also a newfound maturity that is present on The Division Bell. These men are old men, hallowed by the years gone by, and have given up on the artsy experimentation that everyone had adored them for. I wouldn't go a step to say that this is a ballsy because there is an air of self-inflection rather than an eagerness to please their audience, but I wouldn't necessarily call it uncaring. The music is smooth and clean cut, with much of the formality you see in other bands' last moments (a good parallel is with Rush's Clockwork Angels"). The guitars are played pretty safe with humble chord progressions, Wright's solemn piano and ambient keyboard is a mark that will be forever etched into is insurmountable legacy, and Nick Mason goes back to basics with some simple fills (With honorable mentions to Guy Pratt on bass). The moments where Gilmour seems to shine best is with the acoustic, where he has always found his element. The pure organic quality he harnesses has brought emotion to me several times in the past, and certainly does here.

What I said before may or may not have been a turn off for you hardcore fans, but fear not, this album does not forget some pizzazz. 'What Do You Want From Me' features a funky, almost sassy bass line that is always great to hear. 'Take It Back' is a bit of an ode to Momentary's style, if you're into that (I am). The closer 'High Hopes' not only is a throwback to 'Fat Old Sun''s opening of bells but also features lovely highfaluting composition I know droves of Floyd fans love.

I know this review might have been a long one but The Division Bell deserves it. This is not only one of the best Floyd albums, it is one of the best finales I've ever heard. Critic or bystander, experience of this first-hand is truly the only way to do it. Thank you Pink Floyd for the years of enjoyment.

A really good album for the last remaining of the members of Pink Floyd. After Roger Waters left, David Gilmour take the leadership and after several year for the first post-waters album, Division Bells was released. Most of the material was composed by Gilmour and his wife, although Wright wrote and sing one song. In fact, most of the music seems to be made by Gilmour with some contributions in the keyboard by Wright and Mason accompanying in the drums. It has really good songs, the concept of the album is about the miscommunication, however most of the tracks have references to Waters behavior, unofficially obviously. In general the lyrics are good, not as deep as the Waters or Syd era, but have good messages. The music is not so prog, but is really relaxing, melodic, and the singing of Gilmour make some songs really shine. Finally, I really think is a good album, however far from being at the top quality of their past masterpiece.

1 Cluster One for the intro which was the proof of the prog sound, a delicate instrumental with the piano more than the guitar in the foreground, an appetizer to eat without hunger; the guitar will still come and play a few notes and drop the imprint of the sound 2 What Do You Want From Me for David's guitar, yes we wanted to know we are served it is there; the more consensual title...but the PINK FLOYD guitar is not dead; the intro the hooked title that goes with it we are reassured 3 Poles Apart on a relaxing, unplugged acoustic and electric tune, the sweetness of Pompeian slow, a nectar that can be drunk without thirst; Richard credited again on the album abusing the Mellotron, he's right; the break which leers on old Animals titles, on the bells, not those of Mike OLDFIELD, on a fairground sound, the calibrated, gentrified prog spreads out without fear; the desired repetition, in the form of an echo, the guitar which completes the grumpy prog, it's beautiful, 90's prog 4 Marooned with seagulls and an airy soft air, the notes refined to rise even higher; it's simple, but well done, who released this perfect solo at such a slow tempo? Who thought of doing that...no one! This is the creation that makes this group anchored in our foundations 5 A Great Day For Freedom continues gently, calmly; the voice is calm, the piano seems to have already been heard, the orchestral part adds to David's vocal drama; the final solo that we are waiting for melting 6 Wearing The Inside Out with sax and jazzy dub bass, entering a nightclub, wandering along a bank of the Seine; siren choruses like the good old days of TDSOTM

7 Take It Back for Side B, ah no need to spin the record with the CD either; and more than an hour is long, like this monolithic title which takes too long; it's clean but long; the interest of bringing 8 Coming Back To Life with its crystal clear acoustic guitar, infusing a new prog sound for the time; the title to be listened to everywhere for its bluesy connotation goes everywhere; the concept of the metronomic title which makes you tap your foot, on a piece of furniture, yes you get the rhythm; the solo is obviously excellent, as if you had composed the score yourself, a narcissistic Floydian effect 9 Keep Talking brings the cinematic Kiss Cool effect, keyboard, synth in chaos and reminds that the organ is very important too; dub effect, line from Another Brick in the Wall in the distance, voice-over and here we go again for a stack of similar sounds; most of all the choir with the musketeers of the dark side again and a solo from David which is hard, hard or almost; Richard comes to level with his warm keyboards; the animal note again on Dogs, the latent atmosphere is diabolically proposed making us forget any redundancy 10 Lost For Words and the prog intro, no, keys thrown away, we didn't ask for so much before; the KNOPFLER-style country track which unfolds without fuss, filling out an already well-stocked album; the bells, finally, arrive with 11 High Hopes for this very visible title, where you dream of holding the hammer and hitting it without a false note; a crescendo with a solemn air in two steps to melt... ah but the proguous has already melted finally; Manichean, pompous, grandiloquent, Olympian such is this final title; a few bells, the hammer and we start again, this time with the slide guitar which will melt the hermit locked in his den; the finale with the bell, the bell, amazed in 1994...Yes listen to the last seconds it's never over with the FLOYDs.

Review #16

Pink Floyd's last studio album was released in 1994 (the year when I was born) and they gave a legendary world tour including two nights at the Foro Sol in Mexico City, my mother couldn't assist because she was a sixteen-year-old teenager with eight months of pregnancy but my father (who's one of the biggest fans of Pink Floyd ever) went to both shows and he still talks about those nights with a big smile on his face and a sparkle in his eyes. This album shows an improvement to "A momentary lapse of reason" and it's definitely more into the Space Rock style of the 70's catalog of Pink Floyd but without losing the touch of the nineties pop-rock (at some points it reminds some U2 or Duran Duran songs) and the well-marked firm of David Gilmour's leadership.

It starts with a 4-minute instrumental opening and the second song has a jazzy style with a female chorus. It has acoustic-soft ballads, slow-rock compositions, and nice arrangements of all kinds. It's also very nostalgic in some moments, maybe if we didn't know this is their last album it wouldn't be so emotive but it is.

Richard Wright was officially a member of the group again and that is wonderful, he also played amazing things in the vein of "Shine on you crazy diamond" (especially the opening for "Keep talking", which includes an excerpt from a speech by Stephen Hawking) and he was the main singer in the beautiful track "Wearing the inside out"; on his part, Nick Mason made an amazing drumming job too throughout the entire album.

This album was an excellent way to close a 27-year career of one of the most transcendental bands of the 20th century.

SONG RATING: Cluster one, 3 What do you want from me?, 4 Poles apart, 5 Marooned, 4 A great day for freedom, 4 Wearing the inside out, 4 Take it back, 4 Coming back to life, 5 Keep talking, 5 Lost for words, 4 High hopes, 5

AVERAGE: 4.27

PERCENTAGE: 85.45

ALBUM RATING: 4 stars

Review Nº 523

"The Division Bell" is the fourteenth studio album of Pink Floyd and was released in 1994. It was released seven years after "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason". "The Division Bell" is a kind of a conceptual album where large part of the album deals with issues of communication or the lack of it. The global idea is that many of life's problems can be solved through dialogue. Songs like "Poles Apart" and "Lost For Words" are sometimes interpreted as referring to the problems of communication between the ex-member Roger Waters and the other members of the group. However, Gilmour denied that the album is an allegory about the separation of the group and Nick Masson said that the message on the album does have some meaning because it's about people making choices, saying yes or no, during their lives.

The general theme of communication is reflected in the title of the album. It was inspired by "The Division Bell" used in the United Kingdom Parliament. It's a resource used in the United Kingdom Parliament when voting a motion, opinions are divided and it becomes necessary to call MP's to vote, indicating that a vote is to take place. The recording of the album took place in several locations, including the band's Britannia Row Studios and Gilmour's houseboat Astoria.

The line up on the album is David Gilmour (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, keyboards and programming), Richard Wright (vocals and keyboards) and Nick Mason (drums and percussion). The açbum had also the participation of the guest musicians Jon Carin (keyboards), Bob Ezrin (keyboards and percussion), Dick Parry (tenor saxophone), Guy Pratt (bass), Tim Renwick (guitars), Gary Wallis (acoustic and electronic percussion) and the backing vocals of Sam Brown, Carol Kanyon, Rebecca Leigh-White, Durga McBroom and Jackie Sheridan.

"The Division Bell" has eleven tracks. The first track "Cluster One" is a peaceful and quiet ambivalent music, which then segues into 3 songs of Gilmour's guitar stealing the show, leading the music with an almost effulgent quality. The second track "What Do You Want From Me" is a hard song with strong tempo, heavy guitar but with very melodious vocals. Gilmour's sudden vocal key change transforms the track beautifully. This is a strong number, maybe a bit commercial, that sets the stage for the melancholic songs that are to follow. The third track "Poles Apart" fades in with a quality and moody acoustic phrase and never loses its charm which brings Pink Floyd right back to the early 70's. Gilmour's vocals are bright and inspiring maintaining the nostalgic and slightly melancholy mood of the song. The fourth track "Marooned" is a great composition with an excellent composition and sustained time signatures that can only be filled up with a patient guitar player like Gilmour. It explores Gilmour guitar virtuosity, augmented by a great piano touch. The fifth track "A Great Day For Freedom" has a duality of moods with the piano being melancholic while the melody and lyrics are more optimistic and hopeful. Gilmour provides an impressive lead during the song. The sixth track "Wearing The Inside Out" is may be Gilmour's most impressive musical performance, between the melodic vocals and various guitar textures. Wright performs lead vocals here. The saxophone solo right at the jump by Dick Parry sets a great mood. The seventh track "Take It Back" is another strong track with more great guitar work from Gilmour, and some precise drumming from Mason. It's probably a bit more commercial and poppy but it still is a very good song. The eighth track "Coming Back To Life" starts with a gentle bluesy guitar intro and is overall a good listen. However, Gilmour seems to have the habit of projecting his own guilt back at the audience and the lyrics on this song illustrate that fact. The ninth track "Keep Talking" has a masterful arrangement starting with the vocal interludes by Stephen Hawking to the extensive use of a "talk box" and the call and response of the verses between Gilmour and the female chorus. The tenth track "Lost For Words" fades in masterfully with a deep organ before it finally gets to the folkish, acoustic heart of the song, completed with slight accordion and honky piano and a fine acoustic lead in the outro of the song. The eleventh track "High Hopes" starts with joyous bells in the distance of a rural scene, the lyrics speak of the things one may have gained and lost in life. Fittingly, the song concludes with a fine, bluesy guitar lead by Gilmour.

Conclusion: "The Division Bell" is a great album. It's the best album released by Pink Floyd since "The Wall". It's an album without a weak track. However, it isn't an easy listening at the first time. It demands a number of listenings to can fully appreciate it properly. "The Division Bell" is, for me, the sixth best studio album released by the group, after "Meddle", "Dark Side Of The Moon", "Which You Were Here", "Animals" and "The Wall". However, it doesn't represent, for me, a masterpiece. It's true that it's almost a perfect album but I sincerely think it lacks to it something to can have that status. In reality, I feel it lacks to it the creativity and the irreverence of Roger Waters. Nevertheless, "The Division Bell" is a great way to end the musical career of one of the greatest progressive bands that already existed in the world.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

What I think most people don't realize about this album is that it's actually a concept album, about a breakup. A dreadful breakup between Roger Gilmour. Throughout the entire album, Gilmie tells us about the stress and despair of love being taken so for granted. And having such a beautiful, romantic partnership break apart. It's quite heartbreaking. Even though the context is incredibly depressing, David and his new boyfriend Rick try to give us redemption via incredibly annoyingly bad lyrics and tiring vocals.

Cluster One starts this one much the same way Signs Of Life started A Momentary Lapse of Reason almost a decade prior. It's a spacey delicate soundscape with really inviting piano and effects. This is the sort of thing you'd hear in an observatory. It gives the album a very Pink Floyd introduction. Must've been refreshing hearing this back when this album came out, after so many years of no new authentic Pink Floyd material. This track is also sort of a precursor to The Endless River, with its wide cold atmosphere and engaging mellowness. It doesn't do anything better or worse than Signs Of Life, both of them nail the vibes they're going for. Though I do prefer the more Earthy sound of Signs Of Life.

What Do You Want From Me is the first, and not the last, track to address Gilme's aching heart after he lost Roger. Not that Roger's dead, but I imagine Gilmie would say "he's dead to me" or some other gay [&*!#] like that when talking about Roger around this time. It starts with this pseudo-funky disco beat until Gilmour reminds you he can play guitar which changes the entire mood of the track on a dime. The lyrics here are dreadfully uninspired, and it sounds like something a frustrated child would write for his music teacher. You can guess the entire message of the song from the title. His vocals sound exactly like what he looks like, which is not very good. The entire track is covered in a layer of this insanely cheesy guitar to match the insanely cheesy lyrics, which only really serves the purpose of showcasing his musicianship. It does end fairly quickly though, so you notice how bad it is when you put it under a microscope, which happens to be exactly what I'm doing.

Poles Apart, the next track up, features pretty nice guitar parts. They're soft and a little bittersweet, nothing much, but much better than what we got on the previous track. The lyrics still retain the cheese and are still about Roger and how much of a meanie he is. The track has enough neat musical ideas to keep it well within Pink Floyd standards. As well as some pretty cool noodling by Richard Wright which does a great job of reinforcing the sound introduced with Cluster One.

Marooned is probably my favorite off this album. A superb track where Wright's soundscape and Gilmour's guitar fiddling do this amazing fusion dance. As the song continues it gets more grounded and little harder, so even though there's not a lot moving it creates a great sense of progression. And it got none of those pesky lyrics either, just music, and good music at that.

A Great Day For Freedom is the first track on this album that's neither an instrumental nor about Roger, probably. The lyrics are about a love falling apart after the fall of the Berlin wall, but I bet Gilmour did intend for these lyrics to be about Roger in one way or another. It has a deeper sound which continues throughout the rest of the album. The dynamics are also very engaging and give it a fuller sound. The lyrics have lost a good portion of the cheese from the other three tracks, and the vocals sound less out of place.

Wearing The Inside Out is Wright's only solely written track on the album. Following the rest of his work here, it's pretty atmospheric. The energy of this track fits Rick's voice too, it's dusty, thoughtful, and despairing. I love the backing vocals when they're talking on their own and separated from what the main vocals are saying, it forces you to almost think double about what's being said.

Take It Back is a love song (gasp) but also kinda not really. I feel like it's just another one about Roger, but gender- swapped to make it a well-performing single. It's a nice tune, got a nice rhythm, lyrics are fine. There's not a lot to say here other than a good Pink Floyd-flavored 90s pop song. Also Gilme spies on Rog? What the [%*!#] Gilme?!?! NOT cool.

Coming Back To Life is yet another song directed to Rog. It's about letting go of the past and looking forward. While the lyrics are dreadfully hypocritical the rest of the song is pretty good. Good solos, a good atmosphere, and the cowbells somehow make this song so much better than it would've been without it. Weird for a song like this to be improved so much by cowbells, but it works, so there ain't no need for complaining about it.

Keep Talking is a song about how wittle Wog communicated his wittle feerings to Gilmour, and how tat made wittle Gilme saaad. The lyrics are so throwaway, they should've just tweaked the music a little bit and made this an instrumental while retaining the robot voice. The Animalsesque guitar squeaking serves no real purpose but it is funky, the keyboards are great, and the robot voice is pretty cool. The entire song goes fast and bops, so the lyrics are kinda made up for. But it'd be a lot better with good lyrics, this entire album would be.

Lost For Words is a more on-the-nose song about forgiving enemies, which still makes absolutely no sense on this album. Because all Gilmour is doing on this record is holding gripes against Roger. But again, this is a great song otherwise. The acoustic guitar is refreshing, the sample is cool, and the "go [%*!#] myself" line is hilarious. I laughed so [%*!#]ing hard the first time I heard that, Gilmour truly is a class-A songwriter.

High Hopes sets the expectations high before the song even starts. The bells used for the intro are the same used in Fat Old Sun, which is one of Pink Floyd's greatest tracks. It starts very desolately with those repeating piano notes. Then it picks up the pace when the vocals come in. The lyrics are surprisingly not about Roger I don't think they're about anything, but something about them is super cool (They also reference See Emily Play at one point, which is really sweet). soon enough it goes into a slide guitar solo a la Fat Old Sun. It's nowhere nearly as good as Fat Old Sun's solo, but still very beautiful in its own right. A solid track to end the album with.

The whole album is a not very good. It has Pink Floyd qualities at times, but not enough. It goes hard sometimes, but not hard enough. It's the musical equivalent of dad sunglasses. There are two problems I have yet to bring up. 1, the mix has zero texture, it feels very watered down and doesn't help the music at all. I wish they'd do a remix of this album like they did for A Momentary Lapse of Reason. 2, this album lacks depth. Aside from Marooned, your first three times listening will be as good as your twentieth. I wanted to review this album most positively, because from what I remembered it was great. But listening to it again it just does not hold up.

2/8/2023 Edit: Relistening to it again, I was very right. This album really is dreadfully shallow, and it draaags. One hypocritical song about hating your exbandmate from twenty years ago is fine, but having the majority of an almost seventy minute album be about it is torture. Even if you ignore the lyrics, the song are this awfully executed mixed between ambience and prog. The only songs where I feel this album succeeds are the instrumentals, Wearing The Inside Out, and High Hopes, everything else is filler. The guitar work may be difficult, but all the solos on those filler tracks have no build up and feel super unwarranted.

The Division Bell was released in 1994 and is unquestionably the strongest of Floyd's three post-Waters albums. Rick Wright rejoined the band as a full member, and his contributions are both noticeable and appreciated.

The Division Bell, though, like many albums from the 1990s, is way, way too long. No longer constrained by the roughly 45 minutes you could comfortably fit on an LP, many bands of that era seemed to have been compelled to pump out hour-plus releases simply because they could. Just because a CD can hold 80 minutes, that doesn't mean you need to put 80 minutes of music on a CD.

This is immediately evident with the opener, "Cluster One". I get what they were going for, but this five-minute piece could have easily been shortened to one minute.

"What Do You Want from Me" is passable, kinda funkyish, and sorta-prog. (Look, prog was not in good shape in 1994.) The soulful background singers and over-the-top guitar flourishes sound a bit silly now, but in context, it's not bad.

"Poles Apart" is delightfully varied. The folkiness of the guitar is a nice change of pace, and the lyrics are some of Gilmour's better work. Bits could be seen as addressing either Roger Waters or Syd Barrett.

"Marooned" won Pink Floyd a Grammy for the first (and only) time, but Rush really should have won that year. The Simpsons was correct in its Grammy commentary. It's a strong, melodic instrumental, but it suffers from being culturally overhyped. Gilmour's guitarwork is overdone, and Mason's drumming is too restrained. The keyboard playing feels just (w)right, though.

Let's skip "A Great Day for Freedom". That song sucks. "Wearing the Inside Out" isn't amazing. It's a bit slow, and the saxophone is a bit much. However, it's Rick Wright's last lead vocal performance, and his first since "Stay" on Obscured by Clouds. (He shared vocal duties on "Time" and provided backing vocals on multiple songs on Wish You Were Here.) All things considered, this bit of melodrama is one of the better cuts on this record.

"Take It Back" should have been taken back, and "Coming Back to Life" should never have been given life in the first place. Both suffer from many late-'80s/early-'90s pop-rock ills and offer nothing new or interesting.

"Keep Talking" is pretty cool, and it features a fitting guest bit from Stephen Hawking's vocal synthesizer. It's jazzy yet spacy, but the soulful backup singers come off as something of a gimmick. "Lost for Words" isn't very strong, so let's skip that as well.

The Division Bell closes on "High Hopes", which was recorded after the rest of the album was completed. It's an overwrought but enjoyable cut. It makes multiple, conscious allusions to past Pink Floyd songs and albums. I can't denounce this song, but I can't fully endorse it either. I like this song, but it feels like it's trying too hard, it's too clever for its own good, and it's too self-aware.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2021/03/01/deep-dive-pink-floyd/

The success of "A Momentary Lapse of Reason," which led to one of the biggest rock tours of the late 80s, demonstrated to the world that there was a possible life for Pink Floyd post-Roger Waters. With that momentum, 7 years later, they delivered "The Division Bell," which ultimately ended up being the band's last studio album (because, to be rigorous and not let ourselves be carried away by emotion, "The Endless River" cannot be considered a concept album as such...).

"The Division Bell" respects and connects with the band's history, maintaining atmospheric structures that wander through territories no longer as much spatial, but rather focused on human relationships, with melancholy and a halo of brotherhood as guiding threads. It was not an easy road because, while Waters' absence brought peace and harmony to the group, on the other hand, it diminished their ability to articulate and create powerful proposals that only he was capable of. Several musicians were called upon to fill the void, and even Gilmour's wife had to assist with the lyrics, a process that had become a nightmare for the guitarist.

The result was more than a worthy work, with very good tracks, such as the intense and raspy "What do you Want From Me," the almost obligatory reference to the eternal Barrett and the bellicose Waters in "Poles Apart," the festive and enthusiastic "Take it Back," the beautiful initial guitar solo of "Coming Back to Life," and the majestic "High Hopes," which closes the album dissolving into chimes.

It's likely that even the members of Pink Floyd didn't have a clear understanding at that time that "The Division Bell" would be the final chapter (or almost...) of the story of one of the most influential rock bands of all time.

3.5 stars