Pink Floyd – The Later Years 1987-2019 Limited Edition Boxed Set – Pink Floyd Records/Sony Music Entertainment 16-discs (5-CD/6-Blu-ray/5-DVD/2×7” singles) includes 40-page hardback book/CD holder, 60-page hardback photo book, card envelope with memorabilia, lyrics book. *****:
(David Gilmour – guitars, synthesizers, sequencers vocals; Nick Mason – electric/acoustic drums, sound effects; Richard Wright – piano, Hammond organ, keyboards, vocals; and many featured musicians)
There are few bands that influenced rock music like Pink Floyd. Formed in the mid-60’s, the psychedelic blues band was fronted by guitarist/songwriter Syd Barrett. The group received some acclaim with the release of The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. They had limited success with singles like, “Arnold Lane“, but the other members of the band (Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Richard Wright) were not very influential as contributors. David Gilmour joined Pink Floyd in 1967. A Saucerful Of Secrets set the course with limited involvement from Syd Barrett. The musical ascent of Gilmour, and the added songwriting of Roger Waters redefined the dynamics of the group. Albums like Ummagumma (1969), Atom Heart Mother (1970) and Meddle (1971) established Pink Floyd as a staple of progressive rock. But the release of the epic Dark Side Of The Moon (1973) launched the group into superstardom. Wish You Were Here (1975) and ultimately The Wall made Pink Floyd the biggest rock band in the world. In the 80’s Waters left the band, and Gilmour took over the creative helm for two studio albums, A Momentary Lapse Of Reason (1987) and The Division Bell (!994), as the group continued to tour.
Pink Floyd Records and Sony Music Entertainment has released a massive boxed set of Pink Floyd material. Pink Floyd – The Later Years 1987-2019 is an extensive collection of re-mastered band projects from the Gilmour-lead era with drummer Nick Mason and keyboardist Richard Wright. There are 16 discs (stereo remasters, surround/hi-res mixes, live concerts, unreleased studio and live recordings, music videos and concert films) in various formats. As with previous Pink Floyd boxed sets, everything involved from the pristine audio to luxurious packaging is superlative. There is a focus on A Momentary Lapse Of Reason with re-mastered stereo and surround mixes. This includes additional Mason drumming and Wright’s atmospheric synth. Songs like “Learning To Fly”, “The Dogs Of War” and “Sorrow” may not be as earth-shattering as “Money” or “Wish You Were Here”, but they have become classic Pink Floyd. The surround mixes of this album and The Division Bell (which includes some unreleased material) are vibrant and fill up a room. Some of the unreleased material is noteworthy. There is a 1994 live version of “Astronomy Domine” (originally sung by Barrett on A Saucerful Of Secrets). Wright gets a rare spotlight with a performance of “Rick’s Theme” on piano. A pair of gritty blues jams (“Blues 1”, “David’s Blues”) underscore the origins of this and many other 60’s British bands.
Pink Floyd has always outpaced other rock bands with elaborate, state-of-the-art audio and visual concert performances. Pink Floyd – The Later Years 1987-2019 is a veritable gold mine of live performances. There is a 4-disc (2 CDs, Blu-ray, DVD) re-mastered and restored Delicate Sound Of Thunder. Recorded at Nassau Coliseum in 1988, this multi-media extravaganza has an expanded instrumental lineup, mixing newer Floyd songs with classic numbers, including “The Great Gig In The Sky”, “Time”, “Money”, “Comfortably Numb” and “Wish You Were Here”. The Blu-ray (with both PCM 96/24 and 5.1 DTS Master Audio 96/24) is especially visceral with pulsating sound and sequenced effects. There are small internal movie snippets. The 1994 P–U–L–S–E concert is available on Blu-ray (PCM & 5.1) and DVD. There is phenomenal laser staging and the mid-set includes a cover-to cover of Dark Side Of The Moon. Two additional performances (Venice Concert 1989, Knebworth Concert 1990) are included on the set with 3-discs and 2-discs respectively. These live sets showcase Pink Floyd’s core essence. Additionally, there are two Blu-ray and DVDs with various unreleased tracks, films, videos and concert film. The Division Bell is also available on 5.1 DTS and LCM. Songs like “Poles Apart”. “Marooned” and “High Hopes” showcase the musical evolution of the band. These songs explore more aspirational contexts than previous albums. However, this music is quintessential Pink Floyd. The use of bold synthesizers and guitar studio effects embrace these songs with aesthetic prominence. The commitment to modern-themed art work on album design (especially the eye-popping box cover), photo books and unique packaging are trademarks of the Pink Floyd brand
Any audiophile collector or Pink Floyd fan will be thrilled by this boxed set.
TrackList:
Disc 1 (CD): A Momentary Lapse Of Reason Remixed & Updated
Disc 2 (CD): Delicate Sound Of Thunder Remixed Part I
Disc 3 (CD): Delicate Sound Of Thunder Remixed Part II
Disc 4 (CD) Live Recordings,1987 & 1994 Unreleased Studio Recordings
Disc 5 (CD) Knebworth Concert 1990
Disc 6 (Blu-ray): Surround & Hi-Res Audio Mixes – A Momentary Lapse Of Reason; The Division Bell; Unreleased tracks from The Division Bell sessions
Disc 7 (Blu-ray): Delicate Sound Of Thunder Restored & Remixed
Disc 8 (Blu-ray): P-U-L-S-E Restored & Re-Edited
Disc 9 (Blu-ray): Venice Concert 1989 & Knebworth Concert 1990
Disc 10 (Blu-ray): Unreleased Live Films, Music Videos & Concert Screen Films
Disc 11 (Blu-ray): Documentaries & Unreleased Material
Disc 12 (DVD): Delicate Sound Of Thunder Restored & Remixed
Disc 13 (DVD): P-U-L-S-E Restored & Re-Edited
Disc 14 (DVD): Venice Concert 1989 & Knebworth Concert (1990
Disc 15 (DVD): Unreleased Live Films, Music Videos & Concert Screen Films
Disc 16 (DVD): Documentaries & Unreleased Material
7” Singles: Arnold Layne Live 2007 (Syd Barrett tribute concert); Lost For Words (Pulse Rehearsal 1994)
—Robbie Gerson
