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Pink Floyd Members Biography

2008-06-30T13:53:00.000+04:30

FORMED: 1965, London, England

David Jon Gilmour
United Kingdom

Born March 6, 1946

Has 7 children....Sara, Clare, Alice and Matthew by Ginger, Joe and Gabriel by Polly, and Charlie who is Polly's son by a first marriage.

In contrast to Roger, Dave was reared by permissive and easygoing parents. At 13, he was given a Spanish guitar by a neighbor and so the journey began. Dave's greatest musical asset is his sense of feel and timing, according to one former member of Jokers Wild, and to some present day fans, we would have to say that his talents reach beyond that to include a marriage of heart to guitar and tender concern for humanity.

When Dave was a young teenager, his father's profession drew him overseas, to the U.S., leaving Dave to independently fend for himself....playing U.S. military bases with Jokers Wild, and working odd jobs, including his famous stint as a male model. All of this helped to instill in Dave, his underlying grit and a single-minded determination to succeed on his own terms...that was to resurface during the Floydian 'wars' much later....and it was to carry him through in the future, to the ringing of a Division Bell and beyond.

Dave enjoys flying, among other interests, and his collection consists of vintage aircraft that he has shown, and flown, at various airshows. His first love, however, is still his music.

Nicholas Berkeley Mason
United Kingdom

Born January 27, 1944

Nick has 3 children, Holly, Chloe and Carey with Lynette, and is presently married to Annette.

Nick was born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth. He accompanied his father to Vintage Sports Car Club events at an early age, and later inherited and developed his passion for racing and collecting vintage automobiles. At the Frensham Heights boarding school, it is said Nick is still remembered as a world class mischief maker.

Today, Nick races Ferrari's, Bugatti's, and Maserati's, among others that he also races and owns for his own enjoyment.

Richard William Wright
United Kingdom

Born July 28, 1945

Rick has 3 children, Gala, Jamie, and a young son, by former marriage. He is presently married to Millie.

For Rick as a young man, he was at a loss for a career to pursue at the prep school he attended, until someone suggested architecture. The Regent Street Poly is where he met Nick and Roger. Rick didn't want to be an architect however, he wanted to be a musician... the rest is history. Rick came back to life, so to speak, with TDB... he co-wrote WTIO with Anthony Moore, and co-wrote Cluster One, WDYWFM, Marooned and KT with Dave.

One of Rick's favorite things to do is get away on his 65-foot sailing yacht whenever he has the opportunity.

George Roger Waters
United Kingdom

Born September 6, 1943

Roger has 2 children, Harry and India with Priscilla, has been married to Jude and Carolyn. Roger's father was killed in action at Anzio, only a few months after he was born. As a young teen, Roger's pursuits included playing with toy guns (& shooting real ones), and staying up at night listening to his radio tuned to Armed Forces Network or Radio Luxembourg.

He did not like apprenticeship as a naval cadet, quit, and was given a dishonorable discharge. He instead became chairman of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament's local youth chapter.

Roger's life from the beginning, and still is, a conscious and unconscious mourning for the father he never knew, and hatred of the hierarchy of circumstances that robbed him of his father.

While Roger's lyrical 'brilliance' of the past cannot be denied, his inability to come to terms with his grief and hatred eventually wore out its welcome with the majority of his fans. Roger quit Pink Floyd in the mid 1980's.

Roger Keith Barrett
United Kingdom

Born January 6, 1946

Syd had a normal childhood and loving parents. He was a popular and successful student, and his passions ranged from camping and sports to drama and painting. He was once a Boy Scout patrol leader.

Dr. Barrett encouraged Syd's musical interest with the gift of a banjo, and later, a guitar. Dr. Barrett died when Syd was just 14. It's been proposed that this trauma was the first 'catalyst' in Syd's eventual dementia.

Syd and Dave were friends at a very early age, and while attending school, they would hang out together, teaching each other guitar....Dave was the better guitarist, and Syd's talent lay in words and lyrics...they would flow from him easily, according to Dave.

The founding member of the band that so many today admire and respect, today lives in seclusion and in ill health....a once brilliant mind destroyed by drugs. Syd is a legacy and a lesson for all.

Pink Floyd Biography

2008-06-30T13:49:00.000+04:30

Pink Floyd originally consisted of Bob Klose (lead guitar), Syd Barrett (vocals, rhythm guitar), Richard Wright (keyboards, vocals), Roger Waters (bass, vocals) and Nick Mason (drums) and named in tribute to two blues musicians, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. The band initially covered rhythm and blues staples such as "Louie, Louie". As Barrett started writing tunes more influenced by American surf music, psychedelic rock, and British whimsy, humor and literature, the heavily jazz-orientated Klose departed and left a rather stable foursome whose configuration would last for several years.

The sound was hardened somewhat in 1968 when guitarist David Gilmour joined the band. In 1969, Barrett suffered a mental breakdown, attributed to prolonged usage of hallucinogenic drugs (especially LSD). With Barrett's state becoming less and less predictable, the band's live shows became increasingly ramshackle until eventually the other band members simply stopped taking Barrett to the concerts, with Waters and Gilmour taking his place as lead vocalists.

Whilst Barrett had written the bulk of the first record, Piper at the Gates Of Dawn (1967), he contributed little to the second A Saucerful of Secrets (1968), forcing the band in a new direction. With the loss of their main songwriter the band was perceived as losing focus and a distinctive sound: the next record, the double album Ummagumma (1969), was a mix of live recordings and unchecked studio experimentation by the band members, with each recording half a side of vinyl as a solo project (Mason's wife makes an uncredited contribution as a flautist).

1970's Atom Heart Mother, a UK number one album, is sometimes now considered a dated psychedelic period piece and has been described by Gilmour as the sound of a band "blundering about in the dark". The title piece owes much to orchestration by Ron Geesin.

The band's sound was considerably more focused in Meddle (1971), whose 23-minute epic "Echoes" is heard by many critics today as one of their best works ever, and which also included the atmospheric "One of These Days" (now regarded as a concert classic, with a distorted, disembodied one-line vocal) and the pop-jazz stylings of "St. Tropez". Their forays into experimentation and trying new things were expressed on "Seamus" (earlier, "Mademoiselle Nobs") a pure-blues number featuring lead vocals by a Russian wolfhound.

Despite having never been a hit-single driven group, their massively successful 1973 album, Dark Side of the Moon featured a US number one track ("Money"), and more importantly remained in the top 100 for over a decade, breaking many records on the way, and making it one of the top selling albums of all time. Dark Side of the Moon itself was a concept album dealing with themes of insanity, neurosis and fame which, due to the use of Abbey Road studio's new 16-track recording equipment and the investment of an enormous amount of time by the group and engineer Alan Parsons, set new standards for sound fidelity. Dark Side of the Moon has also been the source of a persistent, but false, urban legend that it was conceived as a kind of synchronized soundtrack for the film The Wizard of Oz.

Dark Side of the Moon and the three following albums (Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall) are often held up as the peak of Pink Floyd's career. The first of those, Wish You Were Here, released in 1975, is a tribute to Barrett in which the lyrics deal explicitly with the aftermath of his breakdown, including the critically-acclaimed, mainly instrumental "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and the classic title track.

By 1977, and the release of Animals the band's music came under increasing criticism from some quarters in the new punk rock sphere as being too flabby and pretentious, losing its way from the simplicity of early rock and roll. Animals contained more lengthy songs tied to a theme, taken in part from George Orwell's Animal Farm, which used pigs, dogs and sheep as metaphors for contemporary society.

1979's The Wall gave Pink Floyd renewed and highly enthusiastic critical acclaim and another hit single with the track "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II," and its youth catchphrase "We don't need no education, we don't need no thought control," as well as the extraordinary track "Comfortably Numb" which, though never released as a single (and interestingly, hated during sessions by both Waters and Gilmour), became a cornerstone of AOR and classic-rock radio playlists and is today probably their best-known song. It is also the only song on Pink Floyd's four concept albums to not segue at either the beginning or end. The album also became a vastly expensive and money-losing tour/stage show. During this time, Roger Waters increased his artistic influence and leadership of the band, prompting frequent conflicts with the other members and causing Wright to quit the band, though he would return, on a fixed wage, for the album's few live concerts. Paradoxically, he was the only one of Pink Floyd to make any money from the "Wall" shows, the rest having to cover the excessive costs. The album was co-produced by Bob Ezrin, a friend of Waters who shared songwriting credits on "The Trial".

The Wall remained on best-selling-album lists for 14 years. A film starring Boomtown Rats founder Bob Geldof was adapted from it in 1982 written by Waters and directed by Alan Parker, and featuring animation by noted British cartoonist Gerald Scarfe.

After 1983's The Final Cut, bandmembers went their separate ways till 1987, when Gilmour attempted to revive the band with Nick Mason. A bitter legal dispute with Roger Waters (who left the band in 1985) ensued, but Gilmour and Mason achieved the legal right to release an album as Pink Floyd (Waters, however, gained the rights to some traditional Pink Floyd imagery, including almost all of The Wall). Richard Wright re-joined the duo during the recording sessions of A Momentary Lapse of Reason as a session musician, and was paid a weekly salary. By any account, Wright was a member of the band for the 1994 release of The Division Bell and its subsequent tour.

All of the members of Pink Floyd have released solo albums which have met with varying degrees of commercial and critical success. Waters' Amused To Death was especially praised.

Syd Barrett died Tuesday, July 11, 2006. He was 60.

Discography

Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)
A Saucerful of Secrets (1968)
Music From the Film More (1969)
Ummagumma (1969)
Atom Heart Mother (1970)
Relics (1971) (compilation)
Meddle (1971)
Obscured By Clouds (1972)
Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
A Nice Pair (1973) (compilation)
Wish You Were Here (1975)
Animals (1977)
The Wall (1979)
A Collection of Great Dance Songs (1981) (compilation)
The Final Cut (1983)
Works (1983) (compilation)
A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987)
Delicate Sound of Thunder (1988) (live)
Shine On (1992) (compilation, CD box set)
The Early Singles (1992) (compilation, packaged as a bonus with Shine On)
The Division Bell (1994)
P.U.L.S.E (1995) (live)
Is there Anybody Out There?: The Wall Live 1980-1981 (2000) (live)
Echoes\ (2001) (best-of compilation)
Live at Pompeii: Directors Cut (2003) (DVD with live performance pre-DSOTM; available previously on video cassette and laser disc)

Pink Floyd

2008-06-29T15:23:00.000+04:30

Pink Floyd

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Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd in 1968 with (L–R): Nick Mason, Syd Barrett, David Gilmour, Roger Waters and Richard Wright
Background information
Origin	Cambridge, England
Genre(s)	Art rock, progressive rock, psychedelic rock, space rock, hard rock
Years active	1964–present (on indefinite hiatus since 1996) (One-off reunion: 2005)
Label(s)	Harvest, EMI, Capitol, Tower, Columbia
Associated acts	Sigma 6
Website	www.pinkfloyd.co.uk
Members
David Gilmour Rick Wright Nick Mason
Former members
Roger Waters Syd Barrett Bob Klose

Pink Floyd are an English rock band who initially earned recognition for their psychedelic or space rock music, and, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. They are known for philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative cover art, and elaborate live shows. One of rock music's most successful acts, the group have sold over 200 million albums worldwide^[1]^[2] including 74.5 million albums in the United States alone.^[3]

Pink Floyd had moderate mainstream success and were one of the most popular bands in the London underground music scene in the late 1960s as a psychedelic band led by Syd Barrett; however, Barrett's erratic behaviour eventually forced his colleagues to replace him with guitarist and singer David Gilmour. After Barrett's departure, singer and bass player Roger Waters gradually became the dominant and driving force in the group in the late-1970s, until his eventual departure from the group in 1985. The band recorded several albums, achieving worldwide success with The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977), and The Wall (1979). In 1985, Waters declared Pink Floyd "a spent force", but the remaining members, led by Gilmour, continued recording and touring under the name Pink Floyd. Although they were unsuccessfully sued by Waters for rights to the name, they again enjoyed worldwide success with A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987) and The Division Bell (1994). Eventually they reached a settlement out of court with Waters allowing them use of the name. Waters performed with the band for the first time in 24 years on 2 July 2005 at the London Live 8 concert.

History

Syd Barrett-led era: 1964–1968

Pink Floyd evolved from an earlier rock band, formed in 1964,^[4]^[5] which was at various times called Sigma 6, the Meggadeaths, The Tea Set (or The T-Set), The Architectural Abdabs, The Abdabs and The Screaming Abdabs. When the band split up, some members — guitarists Rado "Bob" Klose and Roger Waters, drummer Nick Mason, and wind instrument player Rick Wright — formed a new band called "Tea Set". After a brief stint with a lead vocalist named Chris Dennis,^[6] blues and folk guitarist and vocalist Syd Barrett joined the band, with Waters moving to bass.^[7]

When The Tea Set found themselves on the same bill as another band with the same name, Barrett came up with the alternative name The Pink Floyd Sound, after two blues musicians, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council (two names he'd seen on the notes of a Blind Boy Fuller album).^[8]^[9] For a time after this they oscillated between The Tea Set and The Pink Floyd Sound, with the latter name eventually winning out. The Sound was dropped fairly quickly, but the definite article was still used regularly until 1970. The group's UK releases during the Syd Barrett era credited them as The Pink Floyd as did their first two U.S. singles. 1969's More and Ummagumma albums credit the band as Pink Floyd, produced by The Pink Floyd, while 1970's Atom Heart Mother credits the band as The Pink Floyd, produced by Pink Floyd. David Gilmour is known to have referred to the group as The Pink Floyd as late as 1984.^[10]

The heavily jazz-oriented Klose left after recording only a demo,^[11] leaving an otherwise stable lineup with Barrett on guitar and lead vocals, Waters on bass guitar and backing vocals, Mason on drums and percussion, and Wright switching to keyboards and backing vocals. Barrett soon started writing his own songs, influenced by American and British psychedelic rock with his own brand of whimsical humour. Pink Floyd became a favourite in the underground movement, playing at such prominent venues as the UFO club, the Marquee Club and the Roundhouse.

At the end of 1966 the band were invited to contribute music for Peter Whitehead's film Tonite Let's All Make Love In London; they were filmed recording two tracks ("Interstellar Overdrive" and "Nick's Boogie") in January 1967. Although hardly any of this music made it onto the film, the session was eventually released as "London '66/'67" in 2005.

As their popularity increased, the band members formed Blackhill Enterprises in October 1966, a six-way business partnership with their managers, Peter Jenner and Andrew King,^[12] issuing the singles "Arnold Layne" in March 1967 and "See Emily Play" in June 1967. "Arnold Layne" reached number 20 in the UK Singles Chart, and "See Emily Play" reached number 6,^[13] granting the band its first national TV appearance on Top of the Pops in July 1967. (They had earlier appeared, performing "Interstellar Overdrive" at the UFO Club, in a short documentary, "It's So Far Out It's Straight Down". This was broadcast in March 1967 but seen only in the UK's Granada TV region.).

Released in August 1967, the band's debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, is today considered to be a prime example of British psychedelic music,^[14] and was generally well-received by critics at the time. It is now viewed as one of the best debut albums by many critics.^[15] The album's tracks, predominantly written by Barrett, showcase poetic lyrics and an eclectic mixture of music, from the avant-garde free-form piece "Interstellar Overdrive" to whimsical songs such as "The Scarecrow", inspired by the Fenlands folk music, a rural region north of Cambridge (Barrett, Gilmour and Waters's home town). Lyrics were entirely surreal and often referred to folklore, such as "The Gnome". The music reflected newer technologies in electronics through its prominent use of stereo panning, tape editing, echo effects (specifically, a Binson Echorec machine) and electric keyboards. The album was a hit in the UK where it peaked at #6, but did not do well in North America, reaching #131 in the U.S.,^[16] and that only after it was reissued in the wake of the band's state side commercial breakthrough in the 1970s. During this period, the band toured with Jimi Hendrix, which helped to increase its popularity.

Barrett's decline

As the band became more popular, the stresses of life on the road, pressure by the record company to produce hit singles, and a significant intake of psychedelic drugs took their toll on Barrett, whose mental health had been deteriorating for several months.^[17] In January 1968, guitarist David Gilmour joined the band to carry out Barrett's playing and singing duties, though Gilmour believes that Jeff Beck was considered as well.^[18]

With Barrett's behaviour becoming less and less predictable, and his almost constant use of LSD, he became very unstable, occasionally staring into space while the rest of the band performed. During some performances, he would just strum one chord for the duration of a concert, or randomly begin detuning his guitar.^[19] He was also equally erratic in rehearsals; on one occasion he was, according to band members, perfectly on the ball and ready to record while preparing, yet as soon as the recording began he would stare into space. When recording was cut, he became, as Waters describes him, 'the usual jack-the-lad, hopping around on the balls of his feet.' The absent expression in his eyes inspired Waters' lyrics in 1975's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", "Now there's that look in your eyes/ Like black holes in the sky.' The band's live shows became increasingly ramshackle until, eventually, the other band members simply stopped taking him to the concerts. The last concert featuring Barrett was on 20 January 1968 on Hastings Pier. It was originally hoped that Barrett would write for the band with Gilmour performing live, but Barrett's increasingly difficult compositions, such as "Have You Got It, Yet?", which changed melodies and chord progression with every take, eventually made the rest of the band give up on this arrangement.^[20] Once Barrett's departure was formalised in April 1968, producers Jenner and King decided to remain with him, and the six-way Blackhill partnership was dissolved.^[20] The band adopted Steve O'Rourke as manager, and he remained with Pink Floyd until his death in 2003.^[21]

After recording two solo albums (The Madcap Laughs and Barrett) in 1970 (co-produced by and sometimes featuring Gilmour, Waters and Wright) to moderate success, Barrett went into seclusion. Again going by his given name, Roger, he eventually moved back to his native Cambridge and lived a quiet life there until his death on 7 July 2006.

Finding their feet: 1968–1970

This period was one of musical experimentation for the band. Gilmour, Waters and Wright each contributed material that had its own voice and sound, giving this material less consistency than the Barrett-dominated early years or the more polished, collaborative sound of later years. As Barrett had been the lead singer during his era, Gilmour, Waters and Wright now split both songwriting and lead vocal duties. Waters mostly wrote low-key, jazzy melodies with dominant bass lines and complex, symbolic lyrics, Gilmour focused on guitar-driven blues jams, and Wright preferred melodic psychedelic keyboard-heavy numbers. Unlike Waters, Gilmour and Wright preferred tracks that had simple lyrics or that were purely instrumental. Some of the band's most experimental music is from this period, such as "A Saucerful of Secrets", consisting largely of noises, feedback, percussions, oscillators and tape loops, and "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" (which went by a number of other names as well), a very Waters-driven song with a bass and keyboard-heavy jam culminating in crashing drums and Waters' primal screams.

Whilst Barrett had written the bulk of the first album, only one composition by him, "Jugband Blues", appeared on the second Floyd album. Barrett also played on the songs "Remember A Day" (recorded during the sessions for Piper) and "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun". A Saucerful of Secrets was released in June 1968, reaching #9 in the UK and becoming the only Pink Floyd album not to chart in the U.S.^[16] Somewhat uneven due to Barrett's departure, the album still contained much of his psychedelic sound combined with the more experimental music that would be fully showcased on Ummagumma. Its centrepiece, the 12-minute title track, hinted at the epic, lengthy songs to come, but the album was poorly received by critics at the time,^[15] although critics today tend to be kinder to the album in the context of their body of work.^[14] Future Pink Floyd albums would expand upon the idea of long, sprawling compositions, offering more focused songwriting with each subsequent release.

Pink Floyd were then recruited by director Barbet Schroeder to produce a soundtrack for his film, More, which was premièred in May 1969. The music was released as a Floyd album in its own right, Soundtrack from the Film More, in July 1969; the album achieved another #9 finish in the UK, and peaked at #153 in the U.S.^[16] Critics tended to find the collection of the film's music patchy and uneven.^[14] The band would use this and future soundtrack recording sessions to produce work that may not have fit into the idea of what would appear on a proper Pink Floyd LP; many of the tracks on More (as fans usually call it) were acoustic folk songs. Two of these songs, "Green Is the Colour" and "Cymbaline", became fixtures in the band's live sets for a time and were a part of their live The Man/The Journey suite, as can be heard in the many available bootleg recordings from this period. "Cymbaline" was also the first Pink Floyd song to deal with Roger Waters' cynical attitude toward the music industry explicitly. The rest of the album consisted of avant-garde incidental pieces from the score (some of which were also part of The Man And The Journey) with a few heavier rock songs thrown in, such as "The Nile Song".

The next record, the double album Ummagumma, was a mix of live recordings and unchecked studio experimentation by the band members, with each member recording half a side of a vinyl record as a solo project (Mason's first wife makes an uncredited contribution as a flautist).^[22] Though the album was realised as solo outings and a live set, it was originally intended as a purely avant-garde mixture of sounds from "found" instruments. The subsequent difficulties in recording and lack of group organization led to the shelving of the project. The title is Cambridge slang for sexual intercourse^[23] and reflects the attitude of the band at the time, as frustrations in the studio followed them throughout these sessions. The band was wildly experimental on the studio disc, which featured Waters' pure folk "Grantchester Meadows", an atonal and jarring piano piece ("Sysyphus"), meandering progressive rock textures ("The Narrow Way") and large percussion solos ("The Grand Vizier's Garden Party"). "Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict" is a five-minute song composed entirely of Roger Water's voice played at varied speeds, resulting in a noise resembling rodents and birds. Large portions of the studio disc were previously played in their live The Man/The Journey concept piece. The live disc featured acclaimed performances of some of their most popular psychedelic-era compositions and caused critics to receive the album more positively than the previous two albums.^[14] The album was Pink Floyd's most popular release yet, hitting UK #5 and making the U.S. charts at #74.^[16]

Atom Heart Mother (1970), the band's first recording with an orchestra, was a collaboration with avant-garde composer Ron Geesin. The name was a last minute decision by the band when they were inspired by a newspaper article about a woman who had given birth with a pacemaker. The cover was equally as unplanned, with the photographer claiming to have "gone out into the countryside and taking a picture of the first thing he saw." One side of the album consisted of the title piece, a 23-minute long "rock-orchestral" suite. The second side featured one song from each of the band's then-current vocalists/songwriters (Roger Waters' folk-rock "If", David Gilmour's bluesy "Fat Old Sun" and Rick Wright's nostalgic "Summer '68"). Another lengthy piece, "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast", was a sound collage of a man cooking and eating breakfast and his thoughts on the matter, linked with instrumentals. The man was Alan Stiles, one of Pink Floyd's roadies at the time. The use of noises, incidental sound effects and voice samples would thereafter be an important part of the band's sound. While Atom Heart Mother was considered a huge step back for the band at the time^[24] and is still considered one of its most inaccessible albums,^[14] it had the best chart performance for the band up to that time, reaching #1 in the UK and #55 in the U.S.^[16] It has since been described by Gilmour as "a load of rubbish" and Waters has said he wouldn't mind if it were "thrown in the dustbin and never listened to by anyone ever again."^[25] The album was another transitional piece for the group, hinting at future musical territory such as "Echoes" in its ambitious title track. The popularity of the album allowed Pink Floyd to embark on their first full U.S. tour.

Before releasing their next original album, the band released a compilation album, Relics, which contained several early singles and B-sides, along with one original song (Waters' jazzy "Biding My Time", part of The Man/The Journey recorded during the Ummagumma sessions). They also contributed to the soundtrack of Zabriskie Point, though many of their contributions were eventually discarded by director Michelangelo Antonioni.

Breakthrough era: 1971–1975

During this time, Pink Floyd shed their association with the "psychedelic" scene and became a distinctive band who were difficult to classify. The divergent styles of their primary songwriters, Gilmour, Waters and Wright, merged into a unique sound, which quickly became known among fans as "The Pink Floyd Sound". This era contains what many consider to be two of the band's masterpiece albums, The Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here.

Pink Floyd performing at Earls Court, 1973

The sound became polished and collaborative, with the philosophic lyrics and distinctive bass lines of Waters combining with the unique blues guitar style of Gilmour and Wright's haunting keyboard melodies, and harmonic textures. Gilmour was the dominant vocalist throughout this period, and female choirs and Dick Parry's saxophone contributions became a notable part of the band's style. The sometimes atonal and harsh sound exhibited in the band's earlier years gave way to a very smooth, mellow and soothing sound, and the band's epic, lengthy compositions reached their zenith with "Echoes". This period was not only the beginning but the end of the truly collaborative era of the band; after 1973 Waters' influence became more dominant musically as well as lyrically. Wright's last credited composition until 1992's La Carrera Panamericana and last lead vocal on a studio album until 1994's The Division Bell were in this period ("Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and "Time" respectively), while Gilmour's writing credits sharply declined in frequency until Waters left the band in 1985, though he continued to perform lead vocals and write songs throughout the whole time. The last ties with Barrett were severed in musical fashion with Wish You Were Here, whose epic track "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" was written both as a tribute and eulogy to Barrett. The epic, 26-minute piece was described by Gilmour as "Roger's paean to Syd".

The band's sound was considerably more focused on Meddle (1971), with the 23-minute epic "Echoes" taking up the second side of the LP. "Echoes" is a smooth progressive rock song with extended guitar and keyboard solos and a long segue in the middle consisting largely of synthesised music produced on guitars, organs, and synths, along with backward wah pedal guitar sounding like samples of sea gulls or albatross and an entire whale song playing over the top, described by Waters as a "sonic poem".^[26] The song took a while to construct, and went through many named stages, including "Nothings","Son Of Nothings" and "Return Of The Son Of Nothings". The latter was performed at their free Hyde Park concert and was well received by the crowd. Meddle was considered by Nick Mason to be "the first real Pink Floyd album. It introduced the idea of a theme that can be returned to."^[27] The album had the sound and style of the succeeding breakthrough-era Pink Floyd albums but stripped away the orchestra that was prominent in Atom Heart Mother.^[28] Meddle also included the atmospheric "One of These Days", a concert favourite featuring Nick Mason's menacing one-line vocal ("One of these days, I'm going to cut you into little pieces"), distorted and bluesy lap steel guitar, and a melody that at one point fades into a throbbing synthetic pulse quoting the theme tune of the cult classic science fiction television show Doctor Who. The mellow feeling of the next three albums is very present on "Fearless", and this track displays a folk influence, as does the prominent lap steel guitar on "A Pillow of Winds". The latter track is one of the Floyd's very few acoustic love songs. Waters' role as lead songwriter began to take form, with his jazzy "San Tropez" brought to the band practically completed and ready to record. Meddle was greeted both by critics^[29] and fans enthusiastically, and Pink Floyd were rewarded with a #3 album chart peak in the UK; it only reached #70 in U.S. charts.^[16] According to Nick Mason, this was partly because Capitol Records had not provided the album with enough publicity support in the U.S.^[30] Today, Meddle remains one of their most well-regarded efforts.^[14]

Obscured by Clouds was released in 1972 as the soundtrack to the film La Vallee, another art house film by Barbet Schroeder. This was the band's first U.S. Top 50 album (where it hit #46), hitting at #6 in the UK.^[16] While Mason described the album years later as "sensational,"^[31] it is less well-regarded by critics.^[14] The lyrics of "Free Four", the first Pink Floyd song to achieve significant airplay in the U.S., introduced Waters' ruminations on his father's death in World War II which would figure in subsequent albums. Two other songs on the album, "Wot's... Uh the Deal" and "Childhood's End", also hint at themes used in later albums, the former focusing on loneliness and desperation which would come to full fruit in the Roger Waters-led era, and the latter hinting much at the next album, fixated on life, death and the passage of time. "Childhood's End", inspired by the Arthur C. Clarke book of the same name, was also Gilmour's last lyrical contribution for 15 years.^[31] The album was, to an extent, stylistically different from the preceding Meddle, with the songs generally being shorter, often taking a somewhat pastoral approach compared to the atmospheric use of sound effects and keyboard on sections of Meddle, and sometimes even running into folk-rock, blues-rock and piano-driven soft rock ("Burning Bridges", "The Gold It's in the..." and "Stay" being the best examples for each).

The release of Pink Floyd's massively successful 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon, was a watershed moment in the band's popularity. Pink Floyd had stopped issuing singles after 1968's "Point Me at the Sky" and was never a hit-single-driven group, but The Dark Side of the Moon featured a U.S. Top 20 single ("Money").^[13] The album became the band's first #1 on U.S. charts^[16] and, as of December 2006, is one of the biggest-selling albums in U.S. history, with more than 15 million units sold,^[3] and one of the best-selling albums worldwide, with more than 40 million copies sold.^[16] The critically-acclaimed album stayed on the Billboard Top 200 for an unprecedented 741 weeks (including 591 consecutive weeks from 1976 to 1988),^[32] establishing a world record. It also remained 301 weeks on UK charts, despite never rising higher than #2 there,^[16] and is highly praised by critics.^[33]

Saxophone forms an important part of the album's sound, exposing the band's jazz influences (especially that of Rick Wright), and female backing vocals play a key role in helping to diversify the album's texture. For example, songs such as "Money" and "Time" are placed on either side of mellow lap steel guitar sounds (reminiscent of Meddle) in "Breathe (Reprise)" and female vocal-laden song "The Great Gig in the Sky" (with Clare Torry on lead vocal), while minimalist instrumental "On the Run" is performed almost entirely on a single synthesiser. Incidental sound effects and snippets of interviews feature alongside the music, many of them taped in the studio. Waters' interviews started out with questions like "What is your favourite colour?" in an attempt to get the person comfortable. He would then ask, "When was the last time you were violent? Were you in the right?" The latter answer was played on the album. Other interviews would ask, "Are you afraid of dying?" The album's lyrics and sound attempt to describe the different pressures that everyday life places upon human beings. This concept (conceived by Waters in a band meeting around Mason's kitchen table)^[34] proved a powerful catalyst for the band and together they drew up a list of themes, several of which would be revisited by Waters on later albums, such as "Us and Them"'s musings on violence and the futility of war, and the themes of insanity and neurosis discussed in "Brain Damage". The album's complicated and precise sound engineering by Alan Parsons set new standards for sound fidelity; this trait became a recognisable aspect of the band's sound and played a part in the lasting chart success of the album, as audiophiles constantly replaced their worn-out copies.^[32]

Seeking to capitalise on the band's new-found fame, their record company also released a compilation album, A Nice Pair, which was a gatefold repackaging of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and A Saucerful of Secrets. It was also during this period that director Adrian Maben released the first Pink Floyd concert film, Live at Pompeii. The original theatrical cut featured footage of the band performing in 1971 at an amphitheatre in Pompeii with no audience present except the film crew and stage staff. Maben also recorded interviews and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the band during recording sessions for The Dark Side of the Moon at Abbey Road Studios; although the timeline of events indicate the recording sessions may have been staged after the recording, they provide a glimpse into the processes involved in producing the album. This footage was incorporated in later video releases of Live at Pompeii.

After the success of Dark Side, the band were unsure of their future direction and worried about how they would be able to top that record's huge popularity. In a return to their experimental beginnings, they began work on a project entitled "Household Objects", which would consist of songs played literally on household appliances. Instruments consisted of old hand mixers, rubber bands stretched between two tables, wine glasses, etc. However, the planned album was soon shelved after the band decided that it was just easier and better to play the songs on actual musical instruments. No finished recordings of these sessions exist, however some of the recorded effects were put to use on their next album.

Wish You Were Here, released in 1975, carries an abstract theme of absence: absence of any humanity within the music industry and, most poignantly, the absence of Syd Barrett. Well-known for its popular title track, the album includes the largely instrumental, nine-part song suite "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", a tribute to Barrett in which the lyrics deal explicitly with the aftermath of his breakdown. Many of the musical influences in the band's past were brought together — atmospheric keyboards, blues guitar pieces, extended saxophone solos (by Dick Parry), jazz-fusion workouts and aggressive slide guitar — in the suite's different linked parts, culminating in a funeral dirge played with synthesised horn and ending with a musical quote from their early single "See Emily Play" as a final nod to Barrett's early leadership of the band.^[35] The remaining tracks on the album, "Welcome to the Machine" and "Have a Cigar", harshly criticise the music industry; the latter is sung by British folk singer Roy Harper. It was the first Pink Floyd album to reach #1 on both the UK and the U.S. charts,^[36] and critics praised it just as enthusiastically as The Dark Side of the Moon.^[14]

In a famous anecdote, a heavyset man, his head and eyebrows completely shaved, wandered into the studio while the band was mixing "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". The band could not recognise him for some time, when suddenly one of them realised it was Syd Barrett. On being asked how he had put on so much weight, he retorted "I've got a big fridge in the kitchen and I've been eating a lot of pork chops".^[37]

In an interview for the 2001 BBC Omnibus documentary Syd Barrett: Crazy Diamond (later released on DVD as The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story[7]), the story is told in full. Rick Wright spoke about the session, saying: "One thing that really stands out in my mind, that I'll never forget; I was going in to the "Shine On" sessions. I went in the studio and I saw this guy sitting at the back of the studio, he was only as far away as you are from me. And I didn't recognise him. I said, 'Who's that guy behind you?' 'That's Syd.' And I just cracked up, I couldn't believe it... he had shaven all his hair off... I mean, his eyebrows, everything... he was jumping up and down brushing his teeth, it was awful. And, uh, I was in, I mean Roger was in tears, I think I was; we were both in tears. It was very shocking... seven years of no contact and then to walk in while we're actually doing that particular track. I don't know – coincidence, karma, fate, who knows? But it was very, very, very powerful". In the same documentary, Nick Mason stated: "When I think about it, I can still see his eyes, but... it was everything else that was different". In that same interview, Roger Waters has said: "I had no idea who he was for a very long time". David Gilmour stated: "None of us recognised him. Shaved...shaved bald head and very plump". In the 2006 'definitive edition' DVD release of The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story in the UK/Europe, the director John Edginton's interviews with Barrett's former Floyd colleagues are included unedited, with far more detail of their feelings and actions during Syd Barrett's tragic breakdown and withdrawal from the band.

Roger Waters – led era: 1976–1985

During this era, Waters asserted more and more control over Pink Floyd's output. During the recording, Waters fired Richard Wright after The Wall was finished, arguing that Wright was not contributing much,^[38] in part due to a cocaine addiction.^[39] Waters claimed that David Gilmour and Nick Mason supported Waters' decision to fire Wright, but in 2000, Gilmour stated that he and Mason were against Wright's dismissal.^[40] Author Nick Mason claims that Wright was fired because Columbia Records had offered Waters a substantial bonus to finish the album in time for a 1979 release. Since Wright refused to return early from his summer holiday, Waters wanted to dismiss Wright.^[41] Wright was fired from the band but stayed on to finish the album and perform the live concerts as a paid musician.

Much of the music from this period is considered secondary to the lyrics, which explore Waters' feelings about his father's death in World War II and his increasingly cynical attitude towards political figures such as Margaret Thatcher and Mary Whitehouse. Although still finely nuanced, the music grew more guitar-based at the expense of keyboards and saxophone, both of which became (at best) part of the music's background texture along with the usual sound effects. A full orchestra (even larger than the brass ensemble from Atom Heart Mother) plays a significant role on The Wall and especially The Final Cut.

By January 1977, and the release of Animals (UK #2, U.S. #3),^[16] the band's music came under increasing criticism from some quarters in the new punk rock sphere as being too flabby and pretentious, having lost its way from the simplicity of early rock and roll.^[42] Animals was, however, considerably more guitar-driven than the previous albums, due to either the influence of the burgeoning punk-rock movement or the fact that the album was recorded at Pink Floyd's new (and somewhat incomplete) Britannia Row Studios. The album was also the first to not have a single songwriting credit for Rick Wright. Animals again contained lengthy songs tied to a theme, this time taken in part from George Orwell's Animal Farm, which used "Pigs", "Dogs" and "Sheep" as metaphors for members of contemporary society. Despite the prominence of guitar, keyboards and synthesizers still play an important role on Animals, but the saxophone and female vocal work that defined much of the previous two albums' sound is absent. The result is a more hard-rock effort overall, bookended by two parts of a quiet acoustic piece. Many critics did not respond well to the album, finding it "tedious" and "bleak,"^[43] although some celebrated it for almost those very reasons.^[14] For the cover artwork, a giant inflatable pig was commissioned to float between the chimney towers of London's Battersea Power Station. However, the wind made the pig balloon difficult to control,^[44] and in the end it was necessary to matte a photo of the pig balloon onto the album cover. The pig was created by Dutch industrial designer and artist Theo Botschuijver. The pig nevertheless became one of the enduring symbols of Pink Floyd, and inflatable pigs were a staple of Pink Floyd live performances from then on.

In 1978 the band were told that due to legal matters involving tax, they had to leave the United Kingdom for one year, with absolutely no visits in between. It was during this time that the band started to pursue their own interests and focus less on music, and so when they re-met (although contact was not infrequent) in the UK, they were short of ideas. It was then that it came to light that Waters had been working on two projects, The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking and The Wall.

1979's epic rock opera The Wall, conceived by Waters, dealt with the themes of loneliness and failed communication, which were expressed by the metaphor of a wall built between a rock artist and his audience. The deciding moment in which to conceive The Wall was during a concert in Montreal, Canada in which Roger Waters spat at an audience member who had been shouting unhelpful comments and requesting songs throughout the show. It was this point where Waters felt the alienation between audience and band. This album gave Pink Floyd renewed acclaim and their only chart-topping single with "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)".^[13] The Wall also included the future concert staples "Comfortably Numb" and "Run Like Hell", with the former in particular becoming a cornerstone of album-oriented rock and classic-rock radio playlists as well as one of the group's best-known songs.

The album was co-produced by Bob Ezrin, a friend of Waters who shared songwriting credits on "The Trial" and from whom Waters later distanced himself after Ezrin "shot his mouth off to the press."^[45] Even more than during the Animals sessions, Waters was asserting his artistic influence and leadership over the band, using the band's perilous financial situation to his advantage, which prompted increased conflicts with the other members. The music had become distinctly more hard-rock, although the large orchestrations on some tracks recalled an earlier period, and there are a few quieter songs interspersed throughout (such as "Goodbye Blue Sky", "Nobody Home", and "Vera"). Wright's influence was minimised, and he was fired from the band during recording, only returning on a fixed wage for the live shows in support of the album. Ironically, this fixed salary made Wright the only "member" of Pink Floyd to make any money from the Wall concerts, with the three remaining members stuck covering the extensive cost overruns of their most spectacular concerts yet.^[46] The Wall was performed live in only a few cities, contributing to the "tour"'s lack of profitability. (It would be performed one more time, after the Berlin Wall came down in Germany, by Roger Waters and others).

Despite never hitting #1 in the UK (it reached #3), The Wall spent 15 weeks atop the U.S. charts in 1980.^[16] Critics praised it,^[47] and it has been certified 23x platinum by the RIAA, for sales of 11.5 million copies of the double album in the U.S. alone.^[48] The huge commercial success of The Wall made Pink Floyd the only artists since the Beatles to have the best-selling albums of two years (1973 and 1980) in less than a decade.

A film entitled Pink Floyd: The Wall was released in 1982, incorporating almost all of the music from the album. The film, written by Waters and directed by Alan Parker, starred Boomtown Rats founder Bob Geldof, who re-recorded many of the vocals, and featured animation by noted British artist and cartoonist Gerald Scarfe. Film critic Leonard Maltin referred to the movie as "the world's longest rock video, and certainly the most depressing", but it grossed over US$14 million at the North American box office.^[49] A song which first appeared in the movie, "When the Tigers Broke Free", was released as a single on a limited basis. This song was finally made widely available on the compilation album Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd and the re-release of The Final Cut. Also in the film is the song "What Shall We Do Now?", which was cut out of the original album due to the time constraints of vinyl records. The only songs from the album not used were "Hey You" and "The Show Must Go On."

Their 1983 studio album, The Final Cut, was dedicated by Waters to his father, Eric Fletcher Waters. Even darker in tone than The Wall, this album re-examined many previous themes, while also addressing then-current events, including Waters' anger at Britain's participation in the Falklands War, the blame for which he laid squarely at the feet of political leaders ("The Fletcher Memorial Home"). It concludes with a cynical and frightening glimpse at the possibility of nuclear war ("Two Suns in the Sunset"). Michael Kamen and Andy Bown contributed keyboard work in lieu of Richard Wright, whose departure had not been formally announced before the album's release.

Though technically a Pink Floyd album, the LP's front cover displayed no words, only the back cover reading: "The Final Cut — A requiem for the post-war dream by Roger Waters, performed by Pink Floyd: Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason". Roger Waters received the sole songwriting credit for the entire record, which became a prototype in sound and form for later Waters solo projects. Waters has since said that he offered to release the record as a solo album, but the rest of the band rejected this idea. However, in his book Inside Out, drummer Nick Mason says that no such discussions ever took place. Gilmour reportedly asked Waters to hold back the release of the album so that he could write enough material to contribute, but this request was refused. The music's tone is largely similar to The Wall's but somewhat quieter and softer, resembling songs like "Nobody Home" more than "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)." It is also more repetitive, with certain leitmotifs cropping up continually. Only moderately successful with fans by Floyd's standards (UK #1, U.S. #6),^[16] but reasonably well-received by critics,^[50] the album yielded one minor radio hit (albeit in censored form), "Not Now John", the only hard-rock song on the album (and the only one partially sung by Gilmour). The arguments between Waters and Gilmour at this stage were rumoured to be so bad that they were supposedly never seen in the recording studio simultaneously. Gilmour has said he wanted to continue making good quality rock music, and felt Waters was constructing music sequences together merely as a vehicle for his socially critical lyrics. Waters claims that his bandmates never fully understood the importance of the social commentary he was making. By the end of recording, Gilmour's co-producer credit was dropped from the album sleeve (though he received attendant royalties).^[51] There was no tour for the album, although parts of it have since been performed live by Waters on his subsequent solo tours.

After The Final Cut Capitol Records released the compilation Works, which made the 1970 Waters track "Embryo" available for the first time on a Pink Floyd album, although the track had been released on the 1970 VA compilation Picnic - A Breath of Fresh Air on the Harvest Records label.^[52] The band members then went their separate ways and spent time working on individual projects. Gilmour was the first to release his solo album About Face in March 1984. Wright joined forces with Dave Harris of Fashion to form a new band, Zee, which released the experimental album Identity a month after Gilmour's project. In May 1984, Waters released The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking, a concept album once proposed as a Pink Floyd project. Waters had written this at the same time as The Wall and during proposal of both, the band selected The Wall. A year after his bandmates' projects, Mason released the album Profiles, a collaboration with Rick Fenn of 10cc which featured guest appearances by Gilmour and UFO keyboardist Danny Peyronel.

David Gilmour – led era: 1987–1995

Waters announced in December 1985 that he was departing Pink Floyd, describing the band as "a spent force", but in 1986 Gilmour and Mason began recording a new Pink Floyd album. At the same time, Roger Waters was working on his second solo album, entitled Radio K.A.O.S. (1987). A bitter legal dispute ensued with Waters claiming that the name "Pink Floyd" should have been put to rest, but Gilmour and Mason upheld their conviction that they had the legal right to continue as "Pink Floyd." The suit was eventually settled out of court.^[53]

After considering and rejecting many other titles, the new album was released as A Momentary Lapse of Reason (UK #3, U.S. #3).^[16] Without Waters, who had been the band's dominant songwriter for a decade, the band sought the help of outside writers. As Pink Floyd had never done this before (except for the orchestral contributions of Geesin and Ezrin), this move received much criticism. Ezrin, who had renewed his friendship with Gilmour in 1983 (as Ezrin co-produced Gilmour's About Face album), served as co-producer as well as being one of these writers along with Jon Carin who wrote the music for "Learning To Fly" and played much of the Keyboards on the album.^[54] Wright also returned, at first as a salaried employee during the final recording sessions, and then officially rejoining the band after the subsequent tour.

Gilmour later admitted that Mason and Wright had hardly played on the album. Because of Mason and Wright's limited contributions, some critics say that A Momentary Lapse of Reason should really be regarded as a Gilmour solo effort, in much the same way that The Final Cut might be regarded as a Waters album.^[14]

A year later, the band released a double live album and a concert video taken from its 1988 Long Island shows, entitled Delicate Sound of Thunder, and later recorded some instrumentals for a classic-car racing film La Carrera Panamericana, set in Mexico and featuring Gilmour and Mason as participating drivers. During the race Gilmour and manager Steve O'Rourke (acting as his map-reader) crashed. O'Rourke suffered a broken leg, but Gilmour walked away with just some bruises.

David Gilmour in a break during the "Carrera Panamericana", in San Luis Potosi, Mexico

The instrumentals are notable for including the first Floyd material co-written by Wright since 1975, as well as the only Floyd material co-written by Mason since Dark Side of the Moon.

1992 saw the box set release of Shine On. The 9-disc set included re-releases of the studio albums A Saucerful of Secrets, Meddle, The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, The Wall, and A Momentary Lapse of Reason. A bonus disc entitled The Early Singles was also included. The set's packaging featured a case allowing the albums to stand vertically together, with the side-by-side spines displaying an image of the Dark Side of the Moon cover. The circular text of each CD includes the almost illegible words "The Big Bong Theory". The year also saw the release of Roger Waters' solo album Amused to Death.

The band's next recording was the 1994 release, The Division Bell, which was much more of a group effort than Momentary Lapse had been, with Wright now reinstated as a full band member. The album was received more favourably by critics and fans alike than Lapse had been,^[55] but was still heavily criticised as tired and formulaic.^[56] It was the second Pink Floyd album to reach #1 on both the UK and U.S. charts.^[16]

The Division Bell was another concept album, in some ways representing Gilmour's take on the same themes Waters had tackled with The Wall. The title was suggested to Gilmour by his friend Douglas Adams. Many of the lyrics were co-written by Polly Samson, Gilmour's girlfriend at the time, whom he married shortly after the album's release. Besides Samson, the album featured most of the musicians who had joined the A Momentary Lapse of Reason tour, as well as saxophonist Dick Parry, a contributor to the mid-70s Floyd albums. Anthony Moore, who had co-written the lyrics for several songs on the previous album, wrote lyrics for Wright's tune "Wearing the Inside Out", also Wright's first lead vocal on a Pink Floyd record since Dark Side of the Moon. This writing collaboration continued on Wright's 1996 solo album, Broken China.

The band released a live album entitled P*U*L*S*E in 1995. It hit #1 in U.S. and featured songs recorded during the "Division Bell" tour, primarily from concerts in Londons Earl Court. The Division Bell concerts featured a mix of classic and modern Pink Floyd. The Pulse album has an entire performance of The Dark Side of the Moon.^[16] VHS and Laserdisc versions of the concert at London's Earl's Court 20 October 1994, were also released. A DVD edition was released on 10 July 2006^[57] and quickly topped the charts. The 1994 CD case had an LED, timer IC, and battery which caused a red flash to blink once per second, like a heartbeat, as it sat in the owner's CD collection.

Furthermore, in 1995, the band received their first and only Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for "Marooned". Despite worldwide high expectations, band leader Gilmour ceased planning new tours for Pink Floyd after their "Division Bell" tour.

Solo work and more: 1995–present

On 17 January 1996, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame^[58] by The Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan. Roger Waters did not attend, still being antagonistic towards his former bandmates. At their acceptance speech, Gilmour said, "I'll have to grab a couple more of these for our two band members that started playing different tunes; Roger and Syd...". Although Mason was present to accept the award, he did not join Gilmour and Wright (and Billy Corgan) for their acoustic performance of 'Wish You Were Here'.

A live recording of The Wall was released in 2000, compiled from the 1980–1981 London concerts, entitled Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980–81. It reached #19 on the American album chart. In 2001, a remastered two-disc set of the band's best-known tracks entitled Echoes was released. Gilmour, Mason, Waters and Wright all collaborated on the editing, sequencing, and song selection of the included tracks. Minor controversy was caused due to the songs seguing into one another non-chronologically, presenting the material out of the context of the original albums. Some of the tracks, such as "Echoes", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", "Marooned", and "High Hopes" have had substantial sections removed from them. The album reached #2 on the UK and U.S. charts.^[16]

In 2003, an SACD reissue of The Dark Side of the Moon was released with new artwork on the front cover. The album was also re-released as an 180 gram, virgin vinyl pressing in 2003, which included all the original album art from the original release of the album, albeit with a new poster. The reissue of Wish You Were Here is in the works, with no release date announced.^[59] Nick Mason's book, Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd was published in 2004 in Europe and 2005 in the U.S. Mason made public promotional appearances in a few European and American cities, giving interviews and meeting fans at book signings. Some fans claimed that he said he wished he were on a tour with the band rather than on a book tour.

Long-time Pink Floyd manager Steve O'Rourke died on 30 October 2003. Gilmour, Mason and Wright reunited at his funeral and performed "Fat Old Sun" and "The Great Gig in the Sky" in Chichester Cathedral in tribute.^[60]

Two years later, on 2 July 2005, the band reunited once again for a one-off performance at the London Live 8 concert. This time, however, they were joined by Waters - the first time all four band members were on stage together in 24 years. The band performed a four-song set consisting of "Speak to Me/Breathe/Breathe (Reprise)", "Money", "Wish You Were Here", and "Comfortably Numb", with both Gilmour and Waters sharing lead vocals. At the end of their performance Gilmour said "thank you very much, good night" and started to walk off the stage. Waters called him back, however, and the band shared a group hug that became one of the most famous images of Live 8.

In the week after Live 8, there was a revival of interest in Pink Floyd. According to record store chain HMV, sales of Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd went up, in the following week, by 1343%, while Amazon.com reported increases in sales of The Wall at 3600%, Wish You Were Here at 2000%, The Dark Side of the Moon at 1400% and Animals at 1000%. David Gilmour subsequently declared that he would donate his share of profits from this sales boom to charity,^[61] and urged all the other artists and record companies profiting from Live 8 to do the same. On 16 November 2005 Pink Floyd were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame by Pete Townshend. Gilmour and Mason attended in person, explaining that Wright was in hospital following eye surgery, and Waters appeared on a video screen, from Rome.

David Gilmour released his third solo record, On an Island, on 6 March 2006, and began a tour of small concert venues in Europe, Canada and the U.S. with a band including Richard Wright and was joined several times for the encore by Nick Mason. During the tour, he performed Pink Floyd's first single, "Arnold Layne". Waters was also invited to join them in London, but final rehearsals for his 2006 Europe/U.S. tour required him to decline.^[62] Waters was joined on stage by Mason on 29 June 2006 for the second half of a show in Cork, Ireland where he performed the whole of The Dark Side of the Moon.

Waters and Wright are both reported to be working on solo albums, and there has been talk of Waters doing a Broadway musical version of The Wall, with extra music to be written by Waters. Waters also embarked on his worldwide The Dark Side of the Moon Live Tour; the setlist consisted of The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety along with a selection of other Pink Floyd favourites and a small number of songs from Waters' solo career. Waters also contributed the song "Hello (I Love You)," cowritten by Howard Shore, to the 2007 film The Last Mimzy.

On May 21, 2008, it was announced that Pink Floyd had been selected as the 2008 Polar Music Prize laureates.

Future directions

Many fans expressed hope that the band's Live 8 appearance would lead to a reunion tour, and a record-breaking US$250 million deal for a world tour was offered,^[63] but the band made it clear that they have no such plans. In the weeks after the show, however, the rifts between the members seem to have mostly healed. Gilmour confirmed that he and Waters are on "pretty amicable terms",^[64] but Waters has offered conflicting comments on the issue, with statements as varied as "I [can] roll over for one show, but I couldn't roll over for a whole fucking tour"^[65] and "I hope we do it again,"^[66] although most recently, his statements indicate his desire to play together again, not for a whole tour, but for an event similar to Live 8.^[67]^[68]

On 31 January 2006, David Gilmour issued a joint statement on behalf of the group stating that they have no plans to reunite, refuting rumours from several media outlets.^[69] Gilmour later stated in an interview with La Repubblica that he is finished with Pink Floyd and wishes to focus on solo projects and his family. He mentions that he agreed to play Live 8 with Waters to support the cause, to make peace with Waters, and knowing he would regret not taking part.^[63] However, he states that Pink Floyd would be willing to perform for a concert "that would support Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts".^[70] Then speaking with Billboard, Gilmour changed his "finished with Pink Floyd" sentiment to "who knows". A surprise performance by the post-Waters Pink Floyd line-up of David Gilmour, Rick Wright and Nick Mason occurred on the last performance of David Gilmour's three night run at The Royal Albert Hall on May 31, 2006 as the three played "Wish You Were Here" and "Comfortably Numb".

2007 saw the 40th anniversary of Pink Floyd's signing to EMI and the 40th anniversary of the release of their first three singles "Arnold Layne", "See Emily Play" and "Apples and Oranges" and their debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. This was marked by the release of a limited edition set containing mono and stereo mixes of the albums, plus tracks from the singles and other rare recordings.

On 10 May 2007, Roger Waters performed at the Syd Barrett tribute concert at the Barbican Centre in London. This was then followed by a surprise performance by the post-Waters Pink Floyd line-up of David Gilmour, Rick Wright and Nick Mason of "Arnold Layne" to a rapturous applause and standing ovation. However, hopes of a second reunion concert with the band's classic lineup were dashed when Waters did not perform with the group. Roger Waters took to the stage to screams of "Pink Floyd!" to which he responded, "Later." Gilmour, Mason, and Wright took to the stage to screams of "Roger Waters!" to which Gilmour politely responded, "Yeah, he was here too, now the rest of us."^[71]

In a January 2007 interview, Waters suggested he has become more open to a Pink Floyd reunion: “I would have no problem if the rest of them wanted to get together. It wouldn’t even have to be to save the world. It could be just because it would be fun. And people would love it.”^[72]

On 25 September 2007, Gilmour stated that a future reunion of Pink Floyd in any form, be it with or without Roger Waters, looked grim, stating that "I can’t see why I would want to be going back to that old thing. It’s very retrogressive. I want to look forward, and looking back isn’t my joy."^[73]

On December 10 (UK) & 11th (US) 2007, Pink Floyd released a new CD box set, Oh, By the Way,^[74] containing all fourteen studio albums with their newest respective CD remasters, original vinyl artwork plus new artwork from Storm Thorgerson.

Mason and Waters have said that they would be happy to do a Pink Floyd tour, but during the BBC1 Special, "Which One's Pink?," when asked about whether the band would reform, Gilmour ambiguously stated either "Ain't gonna happen" or "Anything could happen". Which of these two phrases were said is debatable.^[75]^[76] During the same documentary, Wright stated that he "wouldn't mind playing the Pink Floyd 'music' again," but said nothing solid about reuniting with the actual members.

In a May 2008 interview for BBC 6Music, David Gilmour hinted that he would be in favour of another one-off show, but ruled out a full tour: "Who knows? Who knows the future? I haven't absolutely said 'no' to the possibility but I think that in reality any sort of long-term thing together is not going to happen. We did the one-off thing and that was probably enough for me but we shall see. At my incredibly advantaged age - having achieved this - I've earned the right to sit on my ass for a little while and consider what to do next." ^[77]

Live performances

Main article: Pink Floyd live performances

Pink Floyd are renowned for their lavish stage shows, combining over-the-top visual experiences with music to create a show in which the performers themselves are almost secondary.They have always resisted the temptation of a large screen portraying band members because they "don't really do very much", preferring instead to show music videos to run alongside the songs.

Influence

Pink Floyd have influenced progressive rock artists of the 1970s such as Genesis and Yes;^[78] and contemporary artists such as Nine Inch Nails.^[79] Their music plays a featured role in the Tom Stoppard play Rock 'n' Roll.^[80]

Discography

Main article: Pink Floyd discography

Albums

DVD and video

Personnel

Rick Wright – keyboards, vocals (1965–1981, 1987–present)
Nick Mason – drums, percussion (1965–present)
David Gilmour – lead guitar, lead vocals (1968–present)

Former members

Syd Barrett – rhythm guitar, lead vocals (1965–1968)
Bob Klose – lead guitar (1965)
Roger Waters – bass, lead vocals (1965–1985)

Chris Spheeris Some writing

2008-06-27T18:33:00.000+04:30

Hermit crab

I break out of one shell after another
Or perhaps more accurately
I don't break out at all
I vacate
I evacuate
To a place where I can breathe again

Every shell is my self imposed isolation
Yet I continue to choose one after another

There is always a way out if i pay attention
Sometimes, all I have to do is remember how I got in

It's not a long life for a hermit crab
Just as the journey is never long enough for a natural traveler

Hurry
No more formalities
I crawl fast

From shell

to shell

the old house

the old house
is filled with secrets
hidden between the pages
of the books
in the trunks
in the dark and musty basement rooms

locked away
in secret drawers
of old dressers
under the boxes
in the hot and cedar-scented attic
are things, hidden things

the walls
what these walls have witnessed
what these walls have recorded
the private histories
the secrets...oh the secrets no one else will ever know
and how long have these dirty walls remained silent

long ago, the windows were boarded
to keep the light
out of rooms that had should have been condemned

I went back to the old house
pried open the door
I walked the creaky wooden floors
and smelled the decay
of things long unexposed to the air

I spent my childhood here
so much to remember
so much to forget
so much that passed safely into my memory
so much that never made it through

I see an old clock
on an old wall
stuck in a very old moment
7:18
what day? What year?
Was it morning or night when time stopped?

There are frames with no pictures
and mirrors
unsilvered and grey

I'm overwhelmed by the sense of how fragile
and how imperfect I am
of how time, history, reflection, mystery and sheer endurance
have made this house a temple

but there are secrets in this house
that I don't need to know...

with my tears
I bless this house
and the generations that left their mark
and the marks left on me
and I now leave it for good
till one day soon
the wrecking ball will free the ghosts
and put the secrets to rest
but I will keep
in my pocket
one photo
of a child
on a swing
all alone
in the yard
outside the old house

eating brown beef

well, I finally faced it
i finally found the courage to say
that my life was shit
i had acquired a picture of success
but the picture fell off the wall
And the frame shattered
i used to think that my life would have meaning
if I earned a place in human history
but in the face of eternity
human history is a very small story told by very small mouths
and immortality?
well! This place wasn't built for immortality

so now, what am I doing here?
i don't know
the sunset sure is pretty
and I like the purple flowers in my back yard
and Julie's voice on my answering machine is smooth and sexy
the air smells great
and my blue Thai jacket makes me feel like a Buddah

i used to be an idealist
till I let go of perfection
and ambitions of one day being reconciled
now I let myself
smoke cigarettes when I feel like it
and say "fuck" in public

and why am I saying all this?
i don't know.
because it feels real to me?
because I'm not wearing underwear
and I like the way the evening air ventilates my crotch?
because maybe I just need to hear myself say it?

i like the sound of crickets
and I really like the feeling of a baby sleeping on my chest
drooling
into the ever-expanding wet spot

so what about purity, and piety
and all this "spiritual" stuff?
am I now a traitor?
nah! Spirit creates everything of Heaven and Earth
not just the whites
but the colors too
and the shadows
and the night
and the doubt

for so long I tried to attach some sort of meaning to the universe
and tried to make some sense of my personal psychology
yea, right!
it's like trying to route a river through a straw
i still do ask myself
"why am I here?"
"why am I here?"
"WHY-THE-HELL-AM-I-HERE?"
i don't even understand the question any more
and maybe that's part of the answer

smell the air
change the color of my hair
think my thoughts
feel my feet
go outside and cross the street
hear the music
touch the person next to me
look into their eyes
feel something electrical
feel something magical
feel something greater than the sum total of me and them
of me and you
of you and me, and them, and us

these treasures
of wonder and amazement
all far greater
than any rewards I had imagined

i watch the sunset
i talk to myself
i hear the jets
i smell my socks
it's really quite simple
I can't make a mistake

i can change my appearance
i can change my mind
i can shit in my pants
but i can't even pretend to be someone I'm not
because it will always still be me

it's hard to indulge in self-desolation
when I see a baby's smile
or a wildflower blooming in the desert
it's hard to feel sorry for myself
when I'm taking a walk
and I pass my neighbors
and they invite me over for a barbeque
a barbeque of New York strip and beef ribs
being a vegetarian
the concept of roasting animals seems really vulgar
but I have to laugh
because their eyes are clear
and their smiles are warm
and I accept their offer
and look forward to the time when I will eat brown beef

beyond need and beyond desire
there walks the simple figure of the uncontrived
the unmanipulated
that doesn't look beyond
but just looks
that doesn't express any thing
but just expresses
that doesn't live to have or to do
but lives, simply to be

"to be?
or not to be?"
THAT is still the question

getting real

I'm not comfortable enough with you to tell you what I'm really thinking, so I'm only going to allow you to see what I feel you're gullible enough to accept as my genuine expression even though I'm editing through my teeth.

and though you may really know that you're not getting the real thing, you, in return, may meet me mask-to-mask with an equally abbreviated version of what you are thinking, because you know that I'm full of shit and you are as uncomfortable to tell me as I was uncomfortable to tell you what I originally thought=.

I'm not comfortable enough with myself to say what's really on my mind because it's much safer to let you respond to this filtered-out-watered-down version of me rather than to risk the real thing.

so we're both afraid, but what are we afraid of? and is there any place lonelier than this, or anything more exhausting than dancing around what we think are each other's sensitivities, or our own?

sometimes I just want to say this:

the truth is, your breath stinks, and you drain me with your neediness, and next time you see me in the coffee shop, please don't interrupt my delicate serenity with your need for validation. and I don't find you interesting in the least even though you try so hard to convince yourself that you are, and I'm sorry you don't see that the harder you try, the more uninteresting you are and the more of a drag you are to be around.

other times, this is what I want to say:

my experience of you inspires persistently strong feelings in me that I've been wanting to somehow share with you, not so much so you can respond, but more so I can get this weight off my chest and free myself from the imprisonment of my silence. the truth is, there are no reasons for these feelings. if they could be attributed to reasons alone, then maybe it would be safer to share them with you, but then again, maybe they wouldn't really be feelings, and I haven't seen signs of you really wanting to hear what I have to say, and sure it would be difficult for me to watch you react and grow distant from what I have told you from the core of my vulnerability, and yes, it would be wonderful to unlock our fear of exposure and share in the delight of freeing our silences, but I just have to do it to do it, because is there any place lonelier than living in a world where our feelings have nowhere to go?

we are them

lately I spend so much time in my head
that I'm starting to believe that I am who I think I am-
an autonomous, free-willed individual
among autonomous, free-willed individuals
and as much as the consensus seems to support this point of view
something about the whole thing just doesn't sit right with me

everywhere I go
there I am
and everywhere I am
there I go
doing something
charming
or stupid
or compassionate
or courageous
I mean
ANYTHING I do
that i can later step back from
and JUDGE or QUALIFY
becomes a problem

it's a problem because I get trapped in separating my SELF from my ACTIONS
when I EVALUATE what I do, I split myself between the one who DOES what I do
and the one who JUDGES what I do

when I DO something, I believe I'm the DOER
when I JUDGE what I do, I believe I'm the JUDGE
but I can't be BOTH at once
nor can I be either one completely

it just another example of the fundamental conundrum that is my life:
when I think of who or what I am, who or what do I point to?
Who is the pointer and who is the one who's being pointed at?
And since I can't really be sure who either one is,
Any belief that I may have as to who I think I am will have no real authority

I'm trapped in a dilemma
where I BELIEVE myself at times
but DON'T believe myself at other times
and I don't know which is WORSE
Believing in a me that might not be real
Or NOT believing in a me that might be

and if I start believing that I'm NOT who I think I am
then THAT becomes just as big of a trap
as believing that I AM who I think I am
because in order to have the authority
to believe that I'm NOT who I think I am
I have to know who the "I" is
that's believing that the other "I" is not

believing that I know who I am FEELS better at first
but seems to always get me in MORE trouble LATER
but believing that I DON'T know who I am
becomes so bewildering and unsustainable
that I'm forced to convince myself that the self I'm enforcing is convincing

REALLY, I think I'm only happy when
I'm DOING something
because then, I'm INVOLVED
I'm out of my head
BUT HANG ON!
I'm ALWAYS doing SOMETHING
whether it's BREATHING
or WALKING
or DRIVING
or just sitting around doing nothing but
THINKING ABOUT WHO I THINK I AM

But the thing is,
I don't always FEEL like I'm doing something
my mind considers some activities
more SIGNIFICANT than others
and that's a HUGE TRAP!
Because the things that the me that may not be me focuses on
may keep the real me from seeing the things that show me who I really am

and my mind!
God! My mind is constantly pointing to things and saying to me
"OK, HERE COMES THE GOOD STUFF"
or "PAY ATTENTION NOW. THIS IS IMPORTANT!"
IMPORTANT TO WHAT OR WHOM???
And WHY?
When I look back, I can see that I've gotten excited over some really stupid things!

lately, I find it a welcome relief to experience things that AREN'T IMPORTANT
things that I would have previously considered"FILLER"
And so now my mind says,
"OK, HERE COMES SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE ABSOLUTELY FORGETABLE "
or "PAY ATTENTION! THIS IS COMPLETELY INSIGNIFICANT!"
in the bigger picture, what my mind finds insignificant
holds as many clues to my true nature as what it finds important

The real irony is that when I'm REALLY doing something
when I'm really engaged,
I'm out of my head
Cerebrally DIS-engaged
At one with my experience
and "I" don't even exist

so maybe these memorable moments when I don't exist
Are telling me to let go of the unsolvable riddle of who I am
because "I" am fundamentally just a MYTH
a bad idea
a fictional character that I've invented based on real events

but it's REALLY HARD to STOP being me
because people STILL come up to me thinking they know who I am
and call me by my name
and reference the past
and reinforce WHO THEY THINK I AM BASED ON WHO THEY THINK I USED TO BE
and eventually I succumb to these enablers
and I start SELF-REFERENCING again
and I fall back into the addiction of identity

so trying to give up on myself is realistically not going to work

so what are the options?
what does the "i" that I'm not even sure that's real do to validate itself
or reveal it's own INHERENT ILLUSION?

I've heard that meditation works wonders for seekers of truth
That sitting around doing nothing but cultivating inner emptiness and silence
Makes the world that is neither empty nor silent seem more clear
I.ve heard that nurturing nothing but totally empty, forgettable moments
When I'm totally out of my mind in communion with the void
Will push the "reset" button on my illusions and re-mind me of who I am
Hmmm...
I'm not sure if I,m willing to do anything that requires the I give up my morning latte

And speaking of giving up things,
some people find their truth in religion
and give up control of their lives
and hand themselves over to GOD?
But over WHERE?
where IS that place?
Behind me? Next to me?
Maybe it's in front of me, IN THE PLACE WHERE I HAVE YET TO STEP
Hmmm...I don't know,
Logic tells me that if there's a PLACE where god IS
then there HAS to be a place where god ISN'T
and no matter how confused I get
I just can't imagine that

And how convenient it all sounds
GOD! like directory assistance
With all the answers to every question at all times
but IF go to god, then WHICH god?
The greeks have 12,
the hindus have dozens
Christians, muslims and jews all have their own gods
And most of them have no room for Buddha
And don't sit well by a river at one with the tao

It appears that
there are as many interpretations of god as there are interpretations of self
So the confusion around GOD is pretty much the same as the confusion around SELF
Hmmm...

Yup! life IS confusing
And sometimes I get depressed
But I think that's just because I'm trying to work something that doesn't work

This whole thing is hard for me
Because by nature I'm an overachiever
deep down inside, I'm pissed off that I can't figure this one out
and I'm a bad sport sometimes
And I think that if I can't win, I want to quit
Leave the competition
End it all
but to do THAT in a way that would satisfy my overachieving nature,
I'd have to...
To...
Kill myself
Metaphorically and otherwise
I'd have to commit...SUICIDE...
The word "suicide"...
It leaves a dark lingering pall like the ring of a church bell at a funeral
Suicide... But the problem with "suicide" is that it's is so DARK, so CULTURALLY STIGMATIZED
that my final act of SELF ASSERTION,
when I'm finally able to take control and says to god:
"screw you, coach, I'm taking myself out of the game!"
would be generally construed as a FAILURE
a TRAGEDY, an INABILITY TO COPE
and I'm way too vain for that
and by the way, did I forget to mention
that I DO LIKE IT HERE?
and as far as death goes,
DEATH doesn't sound like fun at all
and I have way too many commitment issues for something so long term

NO!
I mean YES!
Life IS FUN!
and I feel fortunate to be ME
and even if I don't have a CLUE
as to what that means
I wouldn't trade MY confusion for ANYONE else's

I look at all the poor bastards out there
who AREN'T me
and a lot of them
don't look like they're having as much fun as I am

it makes me want to give some of MY fun to THEM
to sing a cheesy song
or say something profoundly stupid
or TICKLE them
or do something just to let them know
that life doesn't have to be SO SERIOUS!!!
And let's get something perfectly clear here:
LIFE is NOT the NEWS!
which is worse than serious, it's downright MORBID
and the NEWS is NOT LIFE!
because real life is not edited nor editable nor biased
But self-identity is nothing but a bias
and reporting on life is just an exercise in biased self-assertion
and maybe that's why those poor bastards out there look so serious
because they're BIASED toward being serious
as if LIFE were a JOB and not simply a PRIVILEDGE
Or an OPPORTUNITY to have some fun

I have to keep remembering to LIGHTEN UP

and to appreciate
people who lighten ME up
when I'm feeling CONFUSED
or SCARED
or SAD
or GENERALLY DISCONNECTED
or worse yet, SERIOUS

so if I can put a smile on someone's face
the way so many do on mine
it's WAY more fun
than doing nothing but sitting around wondering who I am

it helps me to FORGET myself
because if THEY respond to me
and I to THEM
then WE've created some sort of CONNECTION
and we start having this THING
you know! a "THING!"
and I start thinking
maybe ME and THEM is a WE and isn't as separate as I thought

then I get all SENTIMENTAL
and can't imagine ME without THEM
and I go even more GOOEY and MAUDLINE
and UNIVERSALLY CO-DEPENDENT
and can't imagine ME without EVERYTHING around me

and in that BRIEF interruption
in my chronic low-grade EXISTENTIAL TERROR
I start to see that
I...AM...THEM!
And THEY ARE ME!
and I AM EVERYTHING!!!
and excluding ANYONE or ANYTHING else from ME
is just BAD ETIQUETTE

and it ALL makes me feel
like getting up on a SOAP BOX
and telling all the poor bastards
who aren't smiling
that it's OK
because THEY ARE ME
AND I AM THEM

and now
I want to be KING OF THE WORLD
so I can get on TV
and proclaim
HEY! IT'S ALLRIGHT!!
Because WE ARE US!!
And YOU ARE ME!!
And THEY, THEY ARE WE AND THERE IS NO "THEM"
ALL THAT OTHER STUFF WE USED TO BELIEVE WAS JUST AN ILLUSION!!!
GET IT??
OH! AND YOU DON'T REALLY DIE!!
CUZ THERE'S NOWHERE TO GO!!!
IT'S ALL ONE BIG WARM FUZZY
OUT THERE
IN THERE
ONE BIG WARM FUZZY
GET IT??
GET IT??
HUH???

HUH???

now I can imagine some of US
who have yet to embrace that I AM them
Are looking at the part of US that's ME
and are saying
WOW if I AM him,
then I suck too!
but now I can't be stopped
because SUCKING is ok
and so is being COOL
and being FAT
and being VAIN
and being OLD
and feeling INSECURE
and even feeling SEPARATED
because THAT"S why WE ARE US
because WE ARE ALL THAT
and EVERYTHING ELSE
and if we are EVERYTHING
then we include GOD
and GOD always includes US
HALLE-FUCKIN-LUIAH!!!!

so I'm going to shut up now
and get off the soap box
and go back to being EVERYTHING
in a LESS CONSPICUOUS WAY
and I hope I stay here for a while
cuz
GOD
it feels GOOD to be EVERYTHING!
and GOD
it feels GOOD
just to BE!

and

GOD

IT

JUST

FEELS

GOOD!

Chris Spheeris Some Words

2008-06-27T17:34:00.000+04:30

Words

the golden thread

at the ends of the earth
at the edge of my faith
in the darkness almost absolute
where god has chosen silence

your presence in my heart,
your invisible light,
is the golden thread
which always guides me home
--End

safe

i am no longer safe to hold myself from you

i am no longer safe in the illusion of safety

the most dangerous place is the place where I think I am safe
because my hiding is so visible to you and is invisible to me

in my safety, i cannot see the source of my courage
and I cannot see that the danger is the belief that I am not safe
--End

i know nothing of you

i know nothing of you
and less than nothing of myself

i learn you and i forget you in the same instant

i can no longer bind you with my knowing

because i have forgotten myself
and with this i have forgotten that you and i are not one and the same

i forgot to remember and in my forgetfulness
i feel something new that i have now forgotten

because now i am completely full of remembering to forget --End

my prayer

my prayer is:
to empty myself of myself
so that I may see, touch, taste, smell, hear, feel and sense
the fullness of your glory
to love myself as to feel worthy of you
to humble myself into constant gratitude for making me your instrument
to silence myself as to hear your symphony
to embrace my fear and limitation as doorways to your love
to forgive myself and dissolve into your timeless grace
to forgive myself for putting you outside of me

my prayer is to no longer have a prayer
to no longer speak, but to be spoken
to no longer hear or be heard
to no longer feel or be felt
to no longer a touch or be touched
to no longer smell or be fragrant
to no longer a taste or be tasted

in that place of no place,
the sensor and the sensed are one and the same
and the prayer is silent --End

skin

the softness of your skin dissolves me

in the tenderness of your touch, i disappear

and the frontier of our separation opens and melts
as identical light falling on two countries

my skin opens to you and you enter what was once me

just as we have shared the air, our breath,
we now share this space between our atoms

this hybrid being is the source all all life

this shared essence is the beginning and the end of all things

the end of our skin is the beginning of our love --End

never alone

you deliver me to god

you are the gateway to forever and all things

you make everyone else possible

you make me possible

you deliver god to me
every moment with you is a prayer
and every prayer answered is a moment with you

once filled with you, with god
i can never again be alone

because after being with you
i realize that i was never alone in the first place --End

to my love

in my mind, i never thought that i would ever come to this place
where the love i feel inspired by your presence
would free me, would heal me, would complete me.
in my heart, however, i always knew that i would one day be here.

you have helped me understand that it is not you,
but the aspect of myself that is you, that i wish to honor.
in this way,i love myself in your image.

the purity of spirit that you embody has made me transparent.
i can no longer formulate an image of myself.
there is nowhere to hide
as there is no one to stand behind.

your transparent presence, in turn, gives me nothing to hold
and nowhere to hide behind you.
you have given me the gift of my own emptiness
and in so doing, have shown me possibility.
this place of possibility is where i now begin in each moment.

i have surrendered,
not to you, but to me.
i have surrendered to the voice in my heart
and a calling from my spirit.
--End

truth

my idea of truth once kept me from knowing

i had put truth in a place, a special place, on a shelf, a very special shelf
my shelf snapped from the weight of significance and truth moved into my body

and my body became a river, then an ocean of liquid awareness

now, the ocean evaporates in the sunlight, and truth floats free to heaven,
occasionally rains in drops of humor and nourishment. --End

Small moment

I cannot attach myself to you
My hands are too small to hold you
My thoughts far too limited to conceive of you

I can not contain myself
So I spill over the edges
I drip and flow over my boundaries
I am absorbed by everything around me
And everything becomes wet and fresh with me

I drip over tables, fill rooms, gush out of houses , flow down streets , flood cities ,
Over countrysides , wash over fields , inundate countries , spread across continents
Merge with oceans , exude from the planet , splash out into solar systems and galaxies,
Envelop the stars and the voids
I liquidate all befores and afters
And expand to include all of time

When all is full of me ,
When I have embraced all of space , all of time , all invisible and all timeless ,
I once again stand in your presence and
and bless this small moment together --End

i am empty with you

i am empty with you, empty without you
i cannot find you, yet there is nowhere where you are not

i am full without you, full with you
yet you are nowhere to be found

you have dissolved the boundaries of inside and out
you have emptied all that is full
and fill all that is empty

i go nowhere without you
yet cannot take you anywhere
you are already there
and I am already everywhere
and nowhere

with you, without you
has become my awareness of you
has become my forgetting of you
--End

boundary waters

if my absence frightens you

if the unfamiliar look in my eyes comes as a threat

if my silence evokes the voices of ghosts
that haunt the darker rooms of your aloneness

if my lack of attention draws attention to your needs

if my lack of regard brings resentments into view

FAITH

i am beyond the horizon
where i have cast my nets into the boundary waters

i will bring home my catch
and lay it on half of our table

i will share with you the treasures of my solitary voyage

but the bounty will not be complete
until you have poured your treasures
onto the other half of our table --End

the face of god

across the chasm of identity
in the most unexpected of moments
you completely fill my awareness
breathing vitality into my motionless form

i am a deer
paralyzed in brilliant light
awe-struck with intensity and recognition

i am a moth whose call is to be consumed by light

i am without memory
looking at a new face in the mirror
seeing something strange and beautiful
feeling something deep and familiar

i hear a single voice
an anthem of unity
a symphony of all things performing silence

i open my mouth and destiny speaks
i put my pen to paper and destiny writes

i am told to translate in tones and words
this vision of having seen the face of god --End

my final confession

forgive me, father
for i have forgotten
that i am utterly incapable of sin or error
that i am perfect
just the way that i am
and all that is, simply is
and there is no other option to that which is

forgive me for forgetting
that everyone outside of myself is perfect
just the way they are
and that there really is no one outside of myself
that we are all united in the spiritual world
and all interdependent in the physical world
and that there is no difference
between the spiritual and the physical worlds
as spirit dwells in all things

forgive me for not forgiving myself
and everyone else in the past
forgive me for not being grateful
for the gift of every moment

this will be my final confession
because now that i see
that we are one and the same
there is no longer anyone to confess to --End

point of view

every point of view is its own religion
its own set of parables and metaphors
its own, unique perspective of god, perspective from god
infinity and eternity, looking in, looking out

small hands reach to grasp the intangible
while great invisible arms orchestrate the dream of forms
painting from a palette of light

every point of view writes its own scripture
borrowing verse and vocabulary
tiny mouths mutter
while the sacred articulates in silence

each point of view is a miracle
clothed in a paradox of unity and separation
each, a cell in the body of god
a thread in the fabric of existence
an atom in the universal element
each, holding a place
without which all of existence would somehow be altered

how minute and significant we are
how magnificent our vision
from a single point, into all that is, was, and will be --End

my available soul

when currents call
i gladly go
i fall from placid shore
to wild and deep and tameless sea
to explore
to know
the mystery and rapture
of my available soul

when trade winds blow
i follow
like a kite I go
to trade this place for another place
to mimic the moon
and change my face
to phase across some unknown sky
some silent night
to fly the whims of fate
in the sheer delight
of my available soul
when i see the world
revolve and spin around me
i step outside my static center
i let time bring what time may bring
i choose to enter, to evolve
if it means that I grow old
and turn my temples white from cold
still I'll sing and play with chance
i'll flirt and dance
in the arms
of my available soul

in the presence of this essence
in the presence of this perfect partner
i with ghost
i the host
am embodied
am consumed
giving home to my most precious spirit

to fear the call or never hear it
to miss the magic and be doomed
to amble only half awake
somewhere feeling something missing
as if love passed by far too late
would be cruel and somehow tragic
i will not let that be my fate --End

god to god

in the womb of my mother
at the moment of my conception
in the womb of my being
at the moment of my conception
your eloquent fingers plant within me
the seed of your image
as i grow, so within me grows your vastness
and with it, a longing
gnawing on the edges of this empty expanse
day by day, i fill with the emptiness if your image
and today i am full
bursting with nothingness
i am overcome with a silence so vast
that even the most powerful of desires
cannot find audience within me
today, i witness my greatest victory
as i surrender to nothing
and return
god to god --End

Chris Spheeris Biography

2008-06-27T17:28:00.001+04:30

New age composer/multi-instrumentalist Chris Spheeris began writing songs on his guitar as a teenager. Inspired by the sacred and folk music of his Greek heritage and other world music, classical music, and pop, Spheeris fused these elements together into his own unique musical style. The folk aspects of his music were prominent early in his career as part of a duo with guitarist/composer Paul Voudouris in the '70s and early '80s. After they disbanded, Spheeris began to create a more complex, keyboard-based sound, which he documented on self-produced demo tapes. One of these demos found its way to the AR department at Columbia Records, with whom Spheeris signed a deal in 1985. The label released his debut album, Desires of the Heart, and Pathways to Surrender before he left in the early '90s to form his own label, Essence, which released most of his solo output and two reunions with Voudouris: Enchantment and Nothing but the Truth. Along with his solo albums, Spheeris has also composed scores for cable and public television documentaries. He released his Higher Octave Records debut, Dancing With the Muse, in early 2000.

Life

The Living Years

If you have owned a television or a radio in the past 15 years in any of more than 40 countries around the world, you have probably heard the music of chris spheeris. in addition to having been a staple in the new age and smooth jazz radio formats, the music of chris spheeris has surfaced in the olympics, in soap operas, world skating championships, commercials and behind countless documentaries. in his unassuming, yet profound way, chris spheeris continues to provide inspiration, joy, and beauty to the hearts of millions.

Being raised in the midwestern usa and spending summers in his ancestral homeland of greece, the the cross-cultural foundation of his expression was in place long before his first melodies were ever written. his earliest musical influences include the strains of classical piano played by his older sister, the Greek folk music sung by his mother and grandmother, and beautifully melodic and deeply mystical chants of the greek orthodox church. chris sites his earliest musical training as the endless hours he spent listening and memorizing the melodies, harmonies and lyrics of the beatles. it wasn’t until he was 13, spending a year in greece, that he actually picked up his first guitar. by 14, he was composing songs and at 19 entered the field of music as a professional.

Under the influences of joni mitchell, early genesis, cat stevens, the talking heads, his beloved cousin jimmie spheeris and other visionaries of the era, spheeris along with his best friend at the time, paul voudouris, entertained and inspired restaurant, coffee house, symphony, and college audiences with a blend of all original music and lyrics that was highly progressive and original. after six years, hundreds of performances, and four recordings, chris and paul went their separate ways.

Never one to sit idle for long, immediately following the split, at the age of 25, spheeris immediately set up a studio, bought his first keyboards, and embarked on his own blend of instrumental music that would help found a new musical genre of new age. within three years of the inception of his solo career, chris caught the attention of a sales representative working for columbia records who was swift to send the tape to the head of a&r in new york. within weeks, chris spheeris became one of the first new age instrumentalists to be signed to a major label and his first recording, desires of the heart, was welcomed by his new audience of great numbers.

Over the next 15 years, through his recordings PATHWAYS TO SURRENDER (1988), ENCHANTMENT (1991), CULTURE (1993), DESIRES (1994), EUROPA (1995), MYSTIC TRAVELLER (1996), EROS (1997), DANCING WITH THE MUSE (1999), and THE BEST OF CHRIS SPHEERIS (2000), spheeris developed a signature style of cross-cultural, romantic instrumental music . His geographic and spiritual odysseys have imbued his music with a quality that is at once, intimate, exotic, passionate and universal. his 17 recordings have found more than one million homes and the 50 documentary films that he has scored have been broadcast globally. ENCHANTMENT, his 1991 collaboration with long-time creative partner paul voudouris, moved the spanish public in platinum numbers and is considered a new age classic. in 1995, chris received a gold record in greece when cypriot singer constantina recorded one of his compositions. regarding this achievement, chris states, "it was an honor to be in a place to give something back to the rich greek culture that has given so much inspiration to my life and my music." in 1997, with co-producer robert cory, spheeris scored the 13-part award winning series MYSTIC LANDS, directed by chip duncan and narrated by acclaimed actor edward james olmos. in 2000, chris entered the world of rap when legendary rapper raekwon used 3 spheeris compositions on his IMMOBILARITY record. also in 2000, spheeris provided the music for a series of short-form victories by world-class russian skater irina slutskaya. in 2001, chris produced two new recordings, BRIO a guitar-oriented collaboration with stellar guitarist Anthony Mazzella, and ADAGIO, a solo-piano recording with Greek-American George Skaroulis interpreting Spheeris compositions. in November of 2001, Spheeris was awarded “Musician of the Year” by the ELIOS SOCIETY, for his artistic and cultural contributions.

In his own quiet and dedicated fashion, chris spheeris continues to mature as an innovative and prolific composer and instrumentalist, touching the lives of millions in ways that are not always recognized by the media. Living currently in the high desert of Arizona, Chris Spheeris remains a consummate traveler, both creatively and geographically, and a student of world cultures. Spiritual by nature, he sums his perspective up in the following way: "I experience divinity in everything and particularly in the process of creating . My medium is invisible. Working in this medium has taught me faith in the intangibles. Every day I do my work, I have an intimate exchange with God."

“I feel that the intention to love, to connect and to inspire creates the underlying theme in all of my work. my tendency toward harmony and beauty is implied in this.”

“Although my music is abstract in nature, and not intended to convey a particular message, i am very aware of the magical and powerful influence that music can have on the listener. for this reason, i carry with me the responsibility of what i communicate to my audience.”

“Music is a universal language that transcends cultural and individual boundaries and speaks directly to and from the human spirit.”

“I am an explorer, a pioneer commissioned by the human collective to bring back information from the unknown.”

“An artist should not be afraid to risk. risk is the key to great art. when an artist stops taking risks, it's all over.”

Bohemian Rhapsody

I was raised in the 60's when popular music was recognized as a powerful tool for personal, social and political change. Although my music is abstract in nature, and not intended to convey a particular message, I still feel the magical and powerful influence that music can have on the listener. For this reason, I carry with me the responsibility of what I communicate to my audience.

My earliest musical influences include the strains of classical piano played by my older sister, the Greek folk music sung by my mother and grandmother, and beautifully melodic and deeply mystical chants of the Greek Orthodox Church. As a child, I studied and revered the music of the Beatles who to this day serve as one of my greatest musical and spiritual inspirations. In the years to follow, those who seemed to impact my perspective on music the most were Cat Stevens, James Taylor, Elton John, Joni Mitchell and my beloved and lesser known cousin, Jimmie Spheeris.

By my early twenties, I was composing music and lyrics and performing with my dear friend Paul Voudouris who introduced me to the synthesizer and the early music of Genesis and Brian Eno. One day, my brother played for me a record by a Greek artist, Vangelis, who was to become my mentor in the new world of synthesized and electronic music.

My parents always encouraged travel and the experience of other cultures. Wherever we went, I listened, and what I heard grew into a vocabulary of exotic sounds and musical motifs. This helped me see what an amazing universal language music can be, transcending cultural and individual perspectives. I now see that the nature of sound is that it is meant to be shared. In this, there are no boundaries to this remarkable language that speaks directly to and from the human spirit.

I've been fortunate to be able to create with my closest friends Paul Voudouris, Chip Duncan, Robert Cory, Russell Bond, and it to be able to play with so many delightful individuals in the productions of my records and performances. I don't know if love creates the affinity for collaboration , or if collaboration inspires the awareness of love , but whatever the case, working and playing with these powerful beings has further reinforced my sense of music as a language of fraternity and love.

On the highest level, I am filled with gratitude and humility. My gratitude comes in every moment I create, every moment I live. I am grateful to be alive in this beautiful, multi-dimensional world of color and magic. I am grateful to be an instrument of creation and to have been gifted with the ability to make my living by communicating in a language that I love. I am constantly humbled by the magnitude of the great and unfathomable spirit that moves in and around me making this life a privilege to experience.

Chris Spheeris August, 2000, Sedona, Ariz.
--End

Day in the Life

written recently to a young musician looking for advice:

Being an artist is not a choice. it is something one is born into. a true artist can't really get away from it, because it feels unnatural to do anything else. so are there sacrifices? it only looks that way from the outside. yes, i have stayed in the studio on countless nights when my friends and girlfriends were going out, but the places i went on those nights were so far beyond what even i could have imagined. so, it's not really a sacrifice, it's an investment and even more accurately, simply following one's calling. creating is a spiritual process for me. it comes from a deep and mysterious place and when i surrender to it i feel aligned with my truth and my purpose. sure there's work involved, practicing and learning the rigors of the technology. but the toil and tedium is driven by love for the art. where do you start? possibly you start with some deep soul-searching to hear what your calling might be. if you hear music, then start creating it. i spent years in my studio before anyone heard my instrumental work. after that, do whatever is within your means to expose people to your music. personally, i feel our worlds are orchestrated by Spirit and if we make a pure and powerful statement, it will somehow connect with the right circumstances to get it out there. in short, start with your spiritual connection, and it will guide you through anything you need to know.

the god question is very personal. i don't believe there are many gods, just many ways of experiencing what we call god. i feel the presence of a great and magical spirit in all things, including us. we have access to that energy and that voice at all times. a life guided by Spirit becomes easy, whereas a life guided by the mind will always lead to confusion.
--End

Chris Spheeris Some Albums

2008-06-27T16:26:00.001+04:30

Best of Chris Spheeris

Influenced by everything from the Southwestern landscape to MiddleEastern exoticism to ancient world mysticism, the sensually-uplifting Dancing stretches into eight lengthy pieces grounded by piano, synthesizer, and subdued vocals. Gradually building in size and intensity to the nearly 14-minute "Invisible Hands," Dancing functions as a cycle, and as a soundscape for the internal life of seekers.--Paige La Grone

Dancing with the Muse

Enchantment

(Chris Spheeris/Paul Voudouris)
There is a magic to this appropriately titled recording that eludes description. After half a million sales, ENCHANTMENT has become a New-Age classic. These pieces have shown up around the world on news programs, radio and tv spots, films, videos, and the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Eros

Eros celebrates romance in a way that is joyful, passionate and evocative. Named after the Greek mythological god of love, Eros features Chris Spheeris on acoustic guitar and piano in a lush musical environment steeped in Latin and Southern European influence. Armed with gorgeous melodies, articulate arrangements and a rich and warm emotional current throughout, Eros aims straight at the heart of the listener.

Tracks
01 - Arrow
02 - Alegria
03 - Carino
04 - Psyche
05 - Quiver
06 - Slow Dance
07 - Mediterraneo
08 - Juliette
09 - Always
10 - Eros

Europa

(Chris Spheeris/Paul Voudouris)
Characterized by smooth, lyrical guitar lines and a very romantic soft jazz feel, EUROPA is Chris Spheeris and Paul Voudouris’ last record. The warmth and depth reflected in these pieces are testimonial to a rich 30-year friendship.

Mystic Traveller
(Chris Spheeris/Robt Cory)

Derived from the score to the award-winning documentary series, "Mystic Lands", Chris Spheeris along with co-producer Robert Cory brings you a musical odyssey filled with inspiration from the world's most sacred places. This powerful and imaginative global and spiritual journey blends the sounds, songs, chants and prayers of exotic placeswith keyboards, guitar, percussion, flutes and vocals.

Culture

This exotic and energetic instrumental and ingenious integration of musical motifs from different cultures.While guitar and percussion predominate, the sound textures range from the rhythmic chant of Kashmiri carpet weavers to the ethereal metallic rain of Thai temple pots.A most dynamic and uplifting musical experience.

Desires

"Desires" is an all-new, all-digital production of eight instrumentals from the 1987 popular classic, "Desires of the Heart". What distinguishes this recording is a freshness and a bittersweet sense of longing that the pieces evoke, Throughout are the strong melodies and distinctive atmospheres that launched Chris's career.

Brio

Chris Spheeris teams up with guitar wizard Anthony Mazzella to blend the colors of Spain, Greece, Northern Africa, American finger-style and popular jazz into a confluence of passion, color and atmosphere. Beautiful guitar duets supported with bass, percussion, drums and keyboards.

Chris Spheeris

2008-06-27T15:02:00.000+04:30

we are stars
on opposite banks of the void
the void, where all things begin
the place where god does god...
... and so you bring life to me
and so you are god to me
and I wish nothing more than to
return this gift
and be as god to you

the classic period

During this extraordinary 25 year career, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and true musical adventurer chris spheeris has created spiritually enriching music that swings from the seductively romantic, to the purely mystical in a style that is both classic and global. Less known as a writer, spheeris has also created remarkable transformational poetry rich in style and insight. This section of the site will introduce you to the music that has touched the hearts and souls of millions, and the inspirational writings of this unique artist.

recent & present

The years of 2002-2005 were highly introspective and transformational for chris spheeris (or "christo" his greek name that he prefers), the artist and the person. Out of this period have come new writings, including a book of selected poetry, vibrant photographic and digital art pieces, a new compilation and live vocal cd, and the availability of intimate performances and presentations. This section of the site will offer the current works and new directions for the developing inspired being.

بیوگرافی یانی نابغه موسیقی

2008-06-26T22:55:00.000+04:30

بررسی بيوگرافی يانی

یانی کریسومالیس در ۱۴ نوامبر سال ۱۹۵۴ (۲۳ آبان ۱۳۳۳ ) در شهر کالاماتای یونان به دنیا آمد و دوران کودکی و نوجوانی اش را در شهر زیبا و کوهستانی کالاماتا گذراند.
در سن چهارده سالگی به رشته شنا علاقه مند شد و توانست رکوردی ملی در رشته شنا برای کشورش یونان به جا گذارد و تلاش گسترده ای برای رسیدن به رقابت های المپیک نمود.

یانی سال ها پیش با شهداد روحانی نیز همکاری تنگاتنگی داشت و از تجربیات او استفاده فراوان برد و با همکاری شهداد و با استفاده از دانش و تجربه او، یکی از زیباترین کنسرت هایش را در شهر آکروپلیس یونان و با رهبری شهداد روحانی اجرا نمود.یانی کریسومالیس در ۱۴ نوامبر سال ۱۹۵۴ (۲۳ آبان ۱۳۳۳ ) در شهر کالاماتای یونان به دنیا آمد و دوران کودکی و نوجوانی اش را در شهر زیبا و کوهستانی کالاماتا گذراند.
در سن چهارده سالگی به رشته شنا علاقه مند شد و توانست رکوردی ملی در رشته شنا برای کشورش یونان به جا گذارد و تلاش گسترده ای برای رسیدن به رقابت های المپیک نمود.

در سال ۱۹۷۲ میلادی (۱۳۵۱ شمسی) به آمریکا برای تحصیل در رشته مورد علاقه اش، روان شناسی در مشهور ترین دانشگاه روان شناسی دنیا یعنی مینسوتا رفت. پس از فارغ التحصیل شدن از دانشگاه در یک گروه محلی راک در مینسوتا بنام کاملئون (Chameleon) به عنوان نوازنده کیبورد آغاز به کار کرد. پس از آن کسی نمی داند چه اتـفاقی برای یانی افتاد اما او اکنون صاحب استودیوی شخصی است و بیش از ۲۵ میلیون نسخه از آلبوم های وی در دنیا به فروش رفته است.

او به موسیقی دانی مستـقـل با عقاید و تفکری منحصر به فرد تبدیل شد و به شهرت و محبوبیتی جهانی دست یافت و این در حالی بود که یانی حتی قادر به خواندن و نوشتن ساده ترین نت های موسیقی نیز نبود. ولی با تبحری خاص ساخته های خود را با روش مخصوص خود و رسم الخط ابدائی خود می نگارد. یانی قطعاتی کامل و زیبا دارد که کاملا ساخته خود اوست و در سبکی انحصاری اجرا شده است.

اکثر آلبوم های یانی توسط شرکتهای virigin records و یا EMI تولید، تهیه و توزیع می شوند. یانی موسیقی های بی شماری برای برنامه های تلویزیونی و سینمایی ساخته و همچنین قطعات تبلیغاتی متعددی برای شرکت های تجارتی و بازرگانی خلق نموده است.

او اوقاتش را بیشتر در لوس آنجلس و سیاتل آمریکا می گذراند و اکنون یک شهروند آمریکایی به شمار می رود. او مدت ها با خانم هنرمندی بنام لیندا ایوانز همکاری صمیمی داشت و در اوایل سال ۱۹۹۸ این ارتباط را پایان یافته اعلام کرد. این ارتباط ظاهراً یک همکاری دوستانه بوده است.

یانی از اوایل سال ۱۹۹۸ تا ماه آوریل ۱۹۹۹ هیچ گونه فعالیت تولیدی کنسرت و توری را برگزار نکرد و به استراحت پرداخت. اما در سال ۲۰۰۰ یکی از بی نظیر ترین آلبوم های خودش را ارائه داد. جالب این است که تمام تنظیمات و تبدیلات موسیقی این آلبوم شخصاً و فقط توسط خود یانی در استدیوی شخصی خودش انجام شد !

یانی تا به حال موسیقی به سبک مذهبی ارائه نکرده است چرا که همواره اعتقاد به خلق کارهایی جدید با تکیه به اندیشه های نو و جدید خود دارد. در قطعات Niki Nana و Aria موسیقی بر مبنای یک اپرای فرانسوی قدیمی متعلق به قرن نوزدهم میلادی بنام Lakme ساخته Leo Delibes می باشد و اشعاری که در این قطعات خوانده می شود اکثراً اصوات آهنگین بوده و فاقد معنای خاص می باشند و بر خلاف تصور، به زبان فرانسوی نمی باشند. به جز قسمت هایی محدود که به زبان انگلیسی هستند و در اشعار آلبوم ستایش ذکر شده اند.

یانی آهنگی تبلیغاتی را با همکاری مالکوم مکلارن ساخته است که سابقاً با گروه Pistols همکاری می کرده است. این آهنگ تغییر یافته یک اپرا است که با افزودن یک ترانه تکمیل شده است. این آهنگ که «جرات آرزو» یا Dare to Dream نام دارد برای شرکت هواپیمایی بریتیش ایرلاینز ساخته شده است.

یانی تمایلات مذهبی ندارد و مخالف کلیسای سنتی است. او معمولا خیلی به ندرت موسیقی گوش می دهد و به گفته خود او موسیقی را صرفاً از ایستگاه های رادیویی گوش می کند.

خواننده مورد علاقه او Peter Gabriel است و اعتقاد دارد که در سال های اخیر به جز
موسیقی محمد رسول الله، عیسی مسیح، دکتر ژیواگو، ایندرا گاندی و چند قطعه محدود دیگر، قطعه جالب توجهی نشنیده است.

مادر و پدر یانی هر دو اهل یونان هستند. مادر وی فلیستا Felista پدرش سوتیری Sotiri نام دارند. یانی قطعه هایی را به نام مادرش ساخته است و علاقه خاصی به کشور خود و اماکن قدیمی دارد.

سال ها پیش یانی با جازیست خود چارلی آدامز Charlie Adams آشنا شد و اولین کار خود را بنام «بیرون از سکوت» یا Out Of Silence در سال ۱۹۸۷ (۱۳۶۶ شمسی) به بازار عرضه کرد.

یانی سال ها پیش با شهداد روحانی نیز همکاری تنگاتنگی داشت و از تجربیات او استفاده فراوان برد و با همکاری شهداد و با استفاده از دانش و تجربه او، یکی از زیباترین کنسرت هایش را در شهر آکروپلیس یونان و با رهبری شهداد روحانی اجرا نمود.

یانی در سال ۲۰۰۳ آلبومی متفاوت و پر تنوع به نام Ethnicity روانه بازار کرد و احاطه و قدرت خودش را در انواع مختلف موسیقی به دنیا ثابت کرد. در این آلبوم یانی با استفاده از خواننده های جدید و البته زیاد نسبت به کارهای قبلی اش نوعی تفاوت آشکار از لحاظ موسیقی با شعر در آهنگ هایش ایجاد کرده و به سبک جدید و منحصر به فرد Talk Show روی آورده است. به عقیده کارشناسان موسیقی و طرفداران موسیقی، یانی در سال های اخیر نسبت به دهه نود افت داشته هر چند این افت نامحسوس است ولی تاثیر زیادی بر روی یکه تازی یانی در عرصه موسیقی New Age داشته است.

البته خود یانی نام گذاری سبک New Age را بر روی آثار او از بد شانسی اش می داند و خودش نام Contemporary Instrumental Music (موسیقی هم عصر) را بیشتر می پسندد!

Yanni Biography

2008-06-26T22:40:00.000+04:30

Composer, keyboardist

Many people think they've never heard Yanni's music. Yet in the early 1990s, the keyboardist's work was heard by more people than perhaps that of any other composer; from commercials to soundtracks to sporting events, this Greek-born synthesizer wiz has been everywhere, establishing a fan base beyond his diehard New Age constituency.

When, in 1972, he left his home in Kalamata, Greece, at age 18, Yanni Chrysomallis had no plans to become a New Age music star. Although music had always been a passion, the study of psychology overrode it. Having read all the works of Sigmund Freud by the time he was 16, Yanni chose to go to the United States to study psychology at the University of Minnesota. Just two years away from a graduate degree, however, it occurred to him that "to have a Ph.D. at 24 and go into practice and have children and do the same thing over and over again–it would drive me crazy," he confessed to a reporter from People. And with that, music took over. He did learn something useful from psychology classes, however: that was where he learned to speak English.

As a child, Yanni mastered the piano without lessons. He played for hours trying to re-create the music he'd heard on the radio or at the movies. Having perfect pitch certainly helped. In time he even developed his own system of musical notation, something he still uses. But as a youth, Yanni also found room for sports; he is a former member of the Greek National Swimming Team and broke the national freestyle record at age 14.

After leaving school, Yanni worked as a studio musician, toured for years with the cult rock band Chameleon, and often spent fifteen-hour days at the keyboard. The distinctive musical style that developed from his hard work and talent urged him toward a solo career. In 1986 Yanni's demo tape caught the ear of Private Music's Peter Bowman; he was convinced that the musician had something special. Later that year, Private Music released Yanni's first solo album, Optimystique. From there Yanni went on to very quietly develop a tremendous following.

Bowman made the top of the New Age charts his first objective for Yanni. Although he generally categorizes his music as "adult contemporary," Yanni does not object to the New Age designation, as do some contemporary instrumentalists who are lumped into that category. "When I was studying psychology," he told Keyboard 's Bob Doerschuk, "I learned that one of the worst things you can do to patients is to label them. If you call someone a neurotic, he'll go into his box and behave like a neurotic. But we have to use labels, because they help us to communicate quickly and understand each other. That's why the New Age label doesn't bother me.... I want my music to be heard. I want it to affect people. I want to connect with my audience at an intimate level.... I don't want anybody to think that you have to be a spacehead to enjoy my music. If I can affect you emotionally and get under your skin, then I'm succeeding."

Indeed, "having an effect" means everything to Yanni. "It is my intention to share my emotions with the listener, but I also want to allow the listener to take this music and make it their own," he stated in a 1993 Private Music press release. "The only way people can fully relate to it and enjoy it is when it means something in their life.... Instrumental music, used correctly, is very direct and extremely accurate in describing even the most subtle human emotions. My music does not describe the circumstances, but how the circumstances make you feel. Since the music projects no gender, and there are no lyrics to be interpreted, the listener can personalize it, and in a far more precise way."

In addition to his albums, Yanni has secured a niche in television and is developing a successful film scoring career. "In the old days," he told Doerschuk, "I was so interested in soundtracks that when I saw a movie I loved that had music I didn't love so much, I would take a copy of the film home, recut it, and write a new soundtrack for it. I've done 50 or 60 films that way. Now, finally, I get to do this for real." Yanni has created music for numerous television movies, though his most widely heard television work has probably been in the area of sports. His music has been used on The Wide World of Sports and on broadcasts of the Tour de France, the World Figure Skating Championships, the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, the World Series, and the Olympic Games. In 1992, Yanni even composed the theme for the ABC-TV nightly news program World News Now. Beyond the small screen, his compositions have appeared in the theatrical release Heart of Midnight, and he has collaborated with British entertainment impresario Malcolm McLaren on an award-winning commercial for British Airways, as well as scoring music for a U.S. government film biography of Pope John Paul II.

Having scaled the New Age charts, Private Music made plans to focus on the romance inherent in much of Yanni's work; his relationship with actress Linda Evans has been a boon to this marketing angle. Yanni, who met Evans in 1989, remarked to People, "This is not a situation where love is blind and we're walking around on cloud nine. It's that we are on cloud nine and we allow ourselves to be there and to love it." Evans fell in love with the artist's music before meeting the man. When she did meet him, she confessed in People, "I looked at him and I had no idea.... No idea! If I had known what he had looked like, I never would have had the nerve to call him."

New York Times music critic Stephen Holden described Yanni as "a shrewd showman" and elaborated, "Wearing a mustache and curly locks that fall below his shoulders, and clad in a puffy white shirt, white trousers, and shiny white shoes, he has refined a sensitive swashbuckler look that might be found on the cover of a romance novel. While playing the keyboard, he sometimes dances around, tossing his head back in rapt intensity." Evans, for one, loves it. "Maybe a regular person would just throw up, but I play his music all the time," she admitted in People. Evans, whose attitude undoubtedly reflects that of many of Yanni's women fans, hand-picked the songs that would appear on Yanni's Reflections of Passion disc.

Reflections was, in fact, a career retrospective of Yanni's most romantic compositions that also included three new selections. The release was part of Private Music's plan to reach a wider audience–one that does not usually buy instrumental music–while maintaining Yanni's already large and loyal New Age following. Evans had quite an assortment from which to choose for Reflections, it being the composer's sixth album.

For the Record …

Born Yanni Chrysomallis on November 14, 1954, in Kalamata, Greece; son of a banker. Education: B.A. in psychology, University of Minnesota; graduate work.

Studio musician, c. 1978; keyboardist for group Chameleon, early 1980s; became solo artist, 1986; signed with Private Music and released first solo album, Optimystique, 1986; has released over a dozen albums since; moved to Virgin Records in 1999. Has toured and performed worldwide.

Awards: World Music Award, Best-Selling Greek Recording Artist of the Year, 1993.

Addresses: Record company—Private Music, 9014 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90069. Website—Yanni Official Website: http://www.yanni.com.

Keyboard 's Doerschuk assessed Yanni's earlier albums Keys to Imagination and Out of Silence as featuring "concise but vividly orchestrated instrumentals. Though they were quickly slotted into New Age bins, their prominent melodies and often propulsive rhythms encouraged listeners to move rather than to meditate." Romance, though, figured strongly in a later album, In My Time. Brain Soergel of Pamona, California's Daily Bulletin said of that record, "There's too much to like ... [it is] a masterpiece of mood music, an unabashed Cupid's arrow straight into the heart." Writing shortly after the release of In My Time, United Press International's Vernon Scott noted that Yanni's "symphonic style, lilting melodies and such musical basics as harmony and counterpoint ... trigger responses in listeners of all ages everywhere."

Some dissenters could even see a bright side to Yanni's work. Jim Aikin, in his review of Reflections of Passion for Keyboard, owned up, "I have a tendency to ignore Yanni because he's so blatantly enthusiastic. And not subtle about it, either. But as this best-of collection demonstrates, when he goes for the emotional jugular he hits it every time.... If you've never experienced Yanni and find yourself unaccountably yearning to, Reflections of Passion would be a dandy place to start."

Not everyone, however, has waxed rhapsodic about the artist. New York Times contributor Holden described a 1993 Yanni performance thus: "A typical composition has the sound and form of an instrumental theme for a televised sports event, soap opera or newscast divested of melody and padded out to four or five minutes. Playing a battery of electronic instruments, he ... [inserts] motifs that evoke the hoariest Hollywood cliches of Middle Eastern, Far Eastern and other regional styles. The largely shapeless pieces huff and puff with a galloping energy that suggests an action-movie soundtrack. Although there are meditative moments, the mood is predominantly upbeat, with vigorous rock drums and percussion continually spurring things on and introducing crescendos that go nowhere."

Despite the occasional pan, Yanni has managed to score numerous gold and platinum records. Reflections of Passion, for instance, went platinum, topping Billboard 's Adult Alternative chart for a record-breaking 47 weeks, landing in the number one spot on the New Age album chart, and even crossing over to become one of the fastest-rising albums on Billboard's pop album chart. 1992's Dare to Dream went gold within two months of its release and was nominated for a Grammy for Best New Age Album. Yanni also received the 1993 World Music Award for Best-Selling Greek Recording Artist of the Year, capping off the summer of that year with his In My Time set certifying gold.

By 1998, Yanni was one of the most well-known New Age artists in the world, with more than 20 million records sold and 35 gold and platinum awards. Over half a billion people had seen his television specials, and his last two tours had broken attendance records all over the world. However, that year was so grueling for Yanni that at the end of it, he walked away from performing and touring, not sure if he would ever tour or record again. In addition to being burned out from working too hard, Yanni was also hurting over the breakup of his nine-year relationship with Evans. The result was a deep depression, which Yanni took five years to recover from.

In 2003, Yanni returned to the public eye with a biography, Yanni in Words, and a new studio CD, Ethnicity, as well as his first tour in five years. The book eventually rose to the number 14 slot on the New York Times bestseller list. In 2004, Yanni was honored with an honorary doctoral degree in human letters from the University of Minnesota. According to Amy Horst in the America's Intelligence Wire, Alumni Association Executive Director Margaret Carlson said, "When we started to think about somebody who really symbolized how the University of Minnesota shaped their life and transformed their life and they went on to change the world, Yanni seemed to be the person."

Even without his impressive record and ticket sales, Yanni would no doubt still reap as much enjoyment from life. He rigorously follows his father's advice to always "taste life like a fruit," and he thrives on his music. "My music heals me," Yanni stated in the Private Music promotional literature. "It is the most valuable and unexpected gift that I get in return for the effort of creating it. That it has a similar impact on the listener is very rewarding."

Selected discography

Optimystique, Private Music, 1986.

Keys to Imagination, Private Music, 1986.

Out of Silence, Private Music, 1987.

Chameleon Days, Private Music, 1988.

Niki Nana, Private Music, 1989.

Reflections of Passion, Private Music, 1990.

In Celebration of Life, Private Music, 1991.

Dare to Dream, Private Music, 1992.

In My Time, Private Music, 1993.

(Contributor) I Love You Perfect (soundtrack), Silva America/Koch, 1993.

Live at the Acropolis, Private Music, 1994.

Tribute, Virgin Records, 1999.

If I Could Tell You, Virgin Records, 2001.

Ethnicity, Virgin Records, 2003.

Sources

Books

Yanni, Yanni in Words, Miramax, 2003.

Periodicals

Billboard, July 7, 1990; November 24, 1990; April 24, 1993.

Boston Globe, May 11, 1991.

Daily Bulletin (Pomona, CA), April 4, 1993.

Los Angeles Daily News, March 24, 1993.

Keyboard, May 1988; September, 1990.

Hollywood Reporter, June 16, 1992.

New York Times, December 12, 1990; June 11, 1993.

Oakland Press (Oakland Co., MI), March 21, 1993.

People, November 16, 1990.

Performance, February 28, 1992.

Washington Post, May 13, 1991.

United Press International (wire service report) May 7, 1993.

USA Today, March 31, 1993.

Online

Yanni Official Web Site, http://www.yanni.com/ (August 3, 2004).

Additional information for this profile was provided by Private Music, 1993.

—Kelly Winters

(يانی كريسوماليس (يانی

2008-06-26T22:34:00.000+04:30

نام:يانی

نام خانوادگی:کريسوماليس(Chryssomallis)

تاريخ تولد:14 نوامبر 1954 (23 آبان 1333)

محل تولد:کالاماتا-يونان

رشته درسی مورد علاقه:روانشناسی

يانی دوران کودکی و نوجوانی خود را در کالاماتا که شهری کوهستانی و ساحلی بود گذراند.

او فرزند وسط خانواده بود.يک خواهر کوچکتر از خود و يک برادر بزرگ تر از خود داشت.

يانی با ماهيگيری-شنا کردن و رفتن به مدرسه که هر پسر ديگری هم دوست داشت بزرگ شده بود.

اما با يک استثناء.يانی آهنگساز متولد شده بود.

او نواختن پيانو را در سن ۸ سالگی آغاز کرد.اما او هم مانند ونجليس هموطن خود آهنگساز يونانی از آموزش رسمی پيانو سرباز ميزد.

موسيقی تنها استعداد و ذوق يانی نبود.

در سن 14 سالگي به رشته شنا علاقه مند شد و توانست در سال ۱۹۶۹يک رکورد ملی را در ۵۰ متر آزاد مردان برای کشورش بجا بگذارد.

(او روزی 5 ساعت در يك استخر شنا ميكرد تا به موفقيت برسد).

يانی در كودكي به سينما ميرفت و موزيك فيلم را گوش مي داد و بلافاصله همان آهنگ را بر پيانوی خانه شان مينواخت.اگر هم قسمتی از موزيک رو فراموش ميکرد،به سينما ميرفت و دوباره موزيک رو گوش ميداد.

يانی در حال نواختن آکاردئون.

اشتراک ريشه وار و عميق عشق موسيقی و آهنگها درخانواده او در زمان خودشان از نواختن آلات موسيقی و خواندن با هم خسته کرده بود.

در سن 18سالگي برای تحصيل بهتر (روانشناسی) به آمريکا رفت و به بهترين دانشگاه روانشناسی جهان رفت.(مينه سوتا)

بعد از اينکه فارغ التحصيل شد به يک گروه راك محلی گمنام پيوست و کارش را با سينتی سايزر يا کيبورد آغاز کرد و چون در اين زمينه علاقه داشت به موفقيت دست يافت و به شهرت جهانی رسيد.او به هاليوود رفت ودر اين گروه با يك درامر آشنا شد به نام چارلی آدامز.

اين گروه Chameleon نام داشتند.(سوسمار کوچک).

آنها با كمك يكديگر آلبوم Keys To Imagination(كليدهای خيال)را در سال ۱۹۸۶ پديد آوردند.

اين عکس چارلی آدامز درامر و ديگری دن لندرام نوازنده سنتور هست.

يانی تبديل شد به آهنگسازی مستقل با تفکراتی منحصر به فرد و اين در حالی است که يانی توانايی نوشتن و حتی خواندن نت را ندارد و او با روشهای ابدايی خود آهنگها را می سازد.

کودکی او در يونان و عشق و علاقه اش به کشور خود يانی را بر آن داشت تا آهنگهای( Santorini-Nostalgia Acroyali ) را در وصف كشور خود خلق كند.

يانی غير از آلبوم های خود آهنگهای زيادی برای برنامه های تلويزيونی و سينمايی و شرکت های تجارتی ساخته است.

او مدتها با خانم هنرمندی بنام (Linda Evans) همکاری صميمی داشت و در سال 1998 اين ارتباط را پايان يافته اعلام کرد.او در کنسرت های يانی نقش موثری داشت.ليندا اوانز يك هنر پيشه ی معروف آمريكايی بود.آنها در آن زمان نامزد بودند.

يانی پس از سال 1997 و کنسرت هند و چين ديگر کنسرت و توری برگذار نکرد و در سال 2000 آلبومی بنام اگر ميتوانستم به تو بگويم (If I Could Tell You) را ساخت و اين آلبوم با کارهای قبلی او فرق ميکرد چون تمام تنظيمات آن را خودش به انجام رساند.

يانی هنگامی که برای ساختن آهنگهای خود تمرکز ميکند به هيچ تلفنی جواب نميدهد و در آرامش کامل وسکوت مطلق ذهن خود را آماده ميکند.

يانی خيلی بندرت موسيقی گوش ميدهد و به گفته خود او موسيقی را از راديو گوش ميکند.

يانی می گويد:هدف من ارتباط با احساسات مردم هست.موزيك اشاره به دور اميدواری است و تماسی است روی شنونده.

يانی ۲ قطعه هم در سالهای ۹۲ و ۹۳ برای مادرش فيليتسا (Felitsa) ساخته است.نام پدرش هم( sotiri )سوتيری هست.

يانی سالها پيش با شهرداد روحانی همکاری داشت و با کمک فراوان او يکی از زيباترين کنسرتهايش را در سال ۹۴ در شهر آکروپليس يونان با رهبری شهرداد روحانی اجرا نمود.

يانی در سال 2003 آلبومی متفاوت و پر تنوع به نام Ethnicity روانه بازار کرد و احاطه و قدرت خودش را در انواع مختلف موسيقی به دنيا ثابت کرد.در اين آلبوم يانی با استفاده از خواننده های جديد نسبت به کارهای قبلی اش نوعی تفاوت آشکار از لحاظ موسيقی با شعر در آهنگهايش ايجاد کرده.

يانی در سال 2003 کتابی منتشر کرد که در آن به شرح حال زندگی خود اشاره دارد.

Yanni In Word

او هم اکنون 14 آلبوم روانه ی بازار موسيقی کرده.اولين آلبوم او در سال 1980 با نام Optimystique به بازار عرضه شد.

او تور دوساله (2005 ـ 2003) را در ۲۷ماه فبريه ۲۰۰۵ به پايان رساند ودکترای افتخاری را از دانشگاه مينه سوتا دريافت کرد.

تور يانی در 50 ايالت در آمريكا به انجام رسيده بود.

Chat Box

2008-06-26T20:56:00.000+04:30

جو ساتریانی

2008-06-26T20:08:00.000+04:30

به اعتقاد بسیاری از منتقدان،جو ساتریانی یکی از تکنیکال ترین و مؤثرترین گیتاریست ها در عرصه موسیقی راک در دو دهه اخیر بوده است و نه تنها به عنوان یک ابر گیتاریست،بلکه به عنوان یک شخصیت فروتن و اخلاقمند در بین اهل هنر از احترام خاصی برخوردار میباشد. او با انتشار هر آلبوم جدید جوایز بیشماری را به نام خود کرده است و با تربیت شاگردانی چون«استیو وای»،«کرک همت»(متالیکا)،«لری لالند»(پریموس)،«جف تاسین»(تی راید)، «الکس اسکلنیک»(تستامنت) نام خود را به عنوان یکی از فرهیخته ترین معلمین گیتار به ثبت رسانده است.

او در پانزدهم جولای 1956 میلادی به عنوان کوچکترین فرزند از یک خانواده پرجمعیت چشم به جهان گشود.پدر و مادرش هر دو نوازندگان قابلی بودند و گوش او با موسیقی کلاسیک،جاز، آر . اند . بی،راک اندرول و همچنین موسیقی اعتراض انگلیسی آشنایی کامل داشت و لحظه ای از کلکسیون نوار برادر و خواهران بزرگترش غافل نمی شد.

در 9 سالگی فراگیری درامز را آغاز نمود و با نت خوانی و تمرین منظم موسیقی آشنا شد. به طور خلاصه عوامل بسیاری دست به دست هم دادند تا او به موسیقی راک علاقه مند شود ولی به گفته خودش این«جیمی هندریکس» بود که انگیزه گیتاریست شدن را در او زنده نمود.

جو ساتریانی در سن 14 سالگی و در حین تمرین فوتبال با شنیدن خبر فوت «جیمی هندریکس» بی درنگ به سراغ مربی تیم رفت و ضمن عرض خداحافظی ابلاغ کرد که می خواهد گیتاریست شود.در دبیرستان تئوری موسیقی را فراگرفت و با عضویت در گروهای موسیقی دبیرستان به اجرای آثاری از «جیمی هندریکس»،«لدزپلین»،«بلک سابات»و... پرداخت . ولی به گفته خودش با یافتن کتابی از «جو پس» با موضوع آکوردهای جز،نوازندگی اش برای همیشه دگرگون گردید و متعاقب آن مدتی را به فراگیری موسیقی نزد معلم مشهور «لنی تریستانو»اختصاص داد.

یک سال و نیم پس از شروع نوازندگی گیتار،تدریس گیتار را آغاز نمود. او خطاب به یک گفت و گودر جواب علت روی آوردن به تدریس گیتار می گوید:

«خب،یه جورایی به خاطر نیاز مالی به تدریس گیتار روی آوردم.قبل از این به شغل هایی چون باغبانی،بنایی، حتی کار در فروشگاه لباس پرداخته بودم.ولی آرزوی به جز ورود به دنیای موسیقی نداشتم.»

و در گفت و گویی دیگر می گوید:

«من در دوره دبیرستان تدریس گیتار را شروع کردم خوب، مادر من معلم مدرسه بود و برای همین فکر می کردم باید کار راحتی باشه و از طرفی به خاطر نوازندگی در گروه موسیقی دبیرستان و همچنین اجراهای که در نمایشگاه پارک داشتم به شهرت نسبتا خوبی دست پیدا کرده بودم.»

و در جایی دیگر می گوید:

«استیو وای از اولین شاگردان من بود و یک روز وقتی خیلی کوچک بود در حالی که یک گیتار دست دوم بدون سیم در یک دستش بود و یک بسته سیم هم در دست دیگرش،اومد در خونمون و می خواست گیتار یاد بگیره و شکر خدا امروز با اون قد بلندش یکی از قابل ترین گیتاریست های دنیا محسوب می شه.»

«استیو وای» نیز در تایید این خاطره می گوید:

«اون روز حتی بلد نبودم سیم های گیتار رو بندازم و وقتی وارد اتاق جو شدم از دیدن پوستر های روی دیوار و امپ بامزه و کابل فنری گیتارش حسابی ذوق کرده بودم.»

جو ساتریانی در سال 1967 عازم برکلی شد و در پرداخت اجاره یک آپارتمان کوچک با دو خواهر بزرگترش شریک شد و شب ها با نوازندگی در یک گروه راک به نام«اسکوئرز» و روزها با تدریس در یک فروشگاه گیتار،رفته رفته اسم و رسمی پیدا کرد و در همین فروشگاه شاگردان گمنامی چون«کرک همت» و«لری لالند»را به اوج شهرت رساند.«اسکوئرز» یک کاور بند بود و از خودش هیچ قطعه ای نداشت و جودریافت که ادامه فعالیت در این گروه آینده ای به دنبال نخواهد داشت،پس به خلق آثاری برای گیتار مشغول شد. به همین منظور درتعطیلات کریسمس با یک استودیوی محلی تماس گرفت و با هزینه ای ناچیز پنج قطعه ضبط نمود.در این قطعات کلیه اصوات توسط گیتار تولید می شد . مثلا برای ارائه صدای گیتار باس سیم ششم گیتار را شل نمود و برای ارائه صدایی شبیه به درامز با اچار آلن به روی پیکاپ کوبید.

مدتی بعد ضبط چهار قطعه دیگر را نیز در برنامه کار خود قرار داد که متاسفانه به علت عدم استطاعت مالی،پروژه متوقف گردید تا این که با افتتاح دسته چک و گرفتن یک کارت اعتباری با اعتبار پنج هزار دولار دوباره کار به جریان افتاد و این اعتبار برای اتمام اولین آلبوم وی«Not of this earth» کفایت نمود.

جو ساتریانی نسخه ای از آلبومش را برای دوست قدیمی اش «استیووای» که در آن زمان با نوازندگی در گروه«فرانک زاپا»به شهرت قابل توجهی دست یافته بود فرستاد و او نیز در تمامی مصاحبه ها از جو ساتریانی به عنوان بهترین گیتاریست دنیا یاد نمود و جنجالی مطبوعاتی به راه انداخت.

هر چند این آلبوم مورد توجه مجلات معتبر موسیقی واقع شد و تا حدی نام او را مطرح نمود، ولی در واقع انتشار آلبوم دوم او یعنی «Surfing with the alien»در سال 1987 او را نه تنها در حیطه گیتار بلکه در دنیای موسیقی به شهرتی غیر قابل تصور رساند.او برای ظبط این آلبوم با این ایده وارد استودیو شد تا آلبومی باتمرکز کامل بر روی تکنیک های گیتار خلق نماید و شگفت آن که در واقع هر یک از آثار خلق شده در این آلبوم به تنهایی برای جاودانه شدن نام جو ساتریانی کافی بود.

بعضی از شاهکارهای این آلبوم عبارتند از:

Surfing with the alien
 
Snatch boogie
 
Crashing day

و همین آلبوم بود که نوازندگی سولو در تور جهانی«مایک جاگر»رابرای او به ارمغان آورد.

آثار منتشر شده از «جو ساتریانی» به ترتیب تا به امروز عبارتنداز:
  
Not of this earth (1986
Surfing with the alien (1987)
Dreaming # 11 (1988)
Flying in a blue dream (1989)
The extremist (1992)
The beautiful guitar (European compilation album (1993)
Time machine (1993)
Joe satriani (1995)
GThree : Live in concert (1997)
Crystal planet (1998)
Engines of creation (2000)
Additional creations (Bonus CD with limited “Engines of 
creation”) (2000)
Live in san Francisco (previously recorded material) (2001)
Strange beautiful music (2002)
The electric Joe Satriani : An anthology (2003)
GThree : Rockin’ in the free world (2004)
Is there love in space? (2004)
GThree : Live in tokyo (2005)
Super colossal (2006)
جو ساتریانی گذشته از خلق آثار شخصی از معاشرتی ترین نوازندگان گیتار نیز محسوب می گردد. از همکاری های دوستانه او می توان از همنوازی به همراه«مایک جاگر» و«آلیس کوپر» و عضویت در گروه «دیپ پارپل» در سال1994 و اجراهای پی در پی G3 به همراه «اریک جانسون» ، «اینگوی مالمستین» ، «جان پتروچی» ، «روبرت فریپ» ، «کنی وان شفرد» ، «مایکل شینکلر» و... نام برد. که البته علاوه بر یک معاشرت دوستانه شاید بتوان از G3 به عنوان یک زورآزمایی هنری نیز نام برد که در آن جو ساتریانی و استیو وای یعنی شاگرد ارشد او پای ثابت می باشند.

یک گفت و گوگر از بدترین خراب کاری سر صحنه سئوال می کند؟!

«خدای من ، خیلی پیش آمده ولی بدترینش وقتی بود که آلیس کوپر با یک معرفی جانانه در حضور ده هزار نفر من را به صحنه دعوت کرد و من به داخل صحنه دویدم و اون قبل از اینکه وسائلم را چک کنم شروع به خواندن کرد. قطعه چند دقیقه طول کشید و البته امپ من کار نمی کرد و من مثل احمق ها در صحنه ایستاده بودم و حتی یک نت هم ننواختم و در انتها باید تعظیم می کردم.»

شخصیت ظاهری:
جو ساتریانی بسیار افتاده و فروتن می باشد و اغلب یک تیشرت استرچ بر تن دارد و یک عینک آفتابی بر چشم می زند و سرش را از ته می تراشد . بدون گیتار و عینکش یک فرد مهربان،ظریف ، کمی رنگ پریده با لبخندی ملایم و چشمانی هوشمند می باشد.»

نام همسر او Rubina می باشد . نام پسرش زی زی می باشد که البته برگرفته از نام پدرش یعنی Zachariah Zane می باشد.اتاق شخصی جو یک استودیوی کوچک با دیوارهای کوتاه و بدون پنجره در طبقه همکف می باشد . دیوارهای اتاق او پوشیده از پوسترهای قهرمانان راک همچون جیمی هندریکس و لدزپلین و همچنین جوایز طلایی مربوط به ساخته های خودش می باشد. یک درامز کوچک در گوشه اتاق به چشم می خورد و به عنوان یک ابر گیتاریست تعداد کمی گیتار در اتاقش وجود دارد. جو بر روی صندلی بدون دسته و در مقابل یک کامپیوتر با صدایی در حد یک رادیوی اتومبیل روزانه بین 8 تا 10 ساعت به نوازندگی و خلق آثارش مشغول می باشد.

ضمنا او امسال کاندیدای گرفتن جایزه Grammy شد ، هر چند موفق به دریافت آن نگردید و داوران «مادونا» را موزیسین قابل تری دانستند!!!!

تحت تاثیر چه گیتاریست یا گروه هایی بوده است:جیمی هندریکس ، جیمی پیج ، ون هلن ، آلوین لی ، جانی وینتر ، زی زی تاپ ، بیتلز،اریک کلاپتون ، جان مک لافلین ، سانتانا ، کوئین و...

گیتار:

گیتارهای Ibanez JS با سلیقه جو ساتریانی طراحی شده اند :

JS 100 - JS 900 - JS 1000 - JS 1200 - JS 2000در کلیه این گیتارها به غیر از JS 100 از پیکاپ Dimarzio استفاده شده این سری از گیتار ها دو پیکاپ جلو و دو پیکاپ در عقب دارند و هیچ کدام در وسط پیکاپ ندارند هر چند قابل ذکر است که در موقع ضبط آلبوم «Surfing with the alien» اصلا مدل JS وجود نداشته وخودش هم با مدل های پائین تر Ibanez که حتی پیکاپ وسط داشته قطعه«Satch boogie» را اجرا کرده (ولی به هر حال پیکاپ وسط مزاحم مظراب نوازی است و اغلب گیتاریست های تکنیکال عطایش را به لقایش

می بخشند.)

دسته گیتار او اساسا Rosewood و 22 فرت می باشد.سیستم مکانیکی Tremolo bar در کلیه این گیتارها (Floyd Rose) Edge Pro Bridge می باشد و در سر دسته حتما Lock وجود دارد.جو از سیم 009 جهت سیم یک و 042 جهت سیم شش استفاده می نماید و گیتارش را استاندارد یعنی E کوک می کند.

قطر فرت ها از فرت های Fender کمی قطور تر می باشد (6105/77)نوازندگی به کمک مضراب:

جو از مضراب Dunlop ضخیم استفاده می نماید و اغلب آن را با زاویه 45 درجه در دست می گیرد تا اصطلاک مضراب با سیم ها به حداقل ممکن برسد و همچنین در این زاویه Screamها خوش صداتر ارائه می گردند.اصولا از مچ مضراب می زند و اغلب انگشت کوچک خود را بر روی بدنه گیتار تکه می دهد و گاه در سرعت های بالا همچون Al di meola دست را از آرنج با حرکتی سریع در خود می چرخاند.(چیزی شبیه به حرکت دست هنگام بازنمودن کلید) و جهت اطمینان از حفظ فاصله دلخواه و جلوگیری از فرورفتن بیش از حد مضراب به درون سیم ها اغلب با انگشتان a-m و e به نرمی سطح گیتار را می خراشد.

نوازندگی به کمک انگشت:

او اغلب در مواقعی که می خواهد همچون zztop با لهجه غلیظ دهه هفتاد بنوازد و همچنین در مواردی که پایین آوردن Gain توسط Volume قصد ارائه صدایی بسیار شفاف و کلاسیک را دارد،از این تکنیک بهره می برد.البته او بر خلاف اکثر نوازندگان گیتار ناخن هر دو دستش را می گیرد.

فیگورهای دست چپ:

او از هر دو روش کلاسیک و جز بدون هیچ ارجحیتی استفاده می نماید.تکنیک جز Jazz Style:

دراین حالت شصت از بالا بر دسته گیتار قلاب می شود و سایر انگشتان نیز از پایین و به صورتی اریب بر روی سیم ها می نشینند که مورد استفاده این روش بیشتر در مواقعی است که بخواهد از انگشتان برای Bend یا Vibration استفاده نماید.

تکنیک کلاسیک Classic Style:

در این حالت شصت بر پشت دسته گیتار تکیه می زند و کف دست با دسته 

گیتار فاصله میگیرد. انگشتان 2و3 کاملا عمود بر سیم ها می نشینند ولی انگشتان 1و4 تا می توانند از دو طرف باز می شوند.این تکنیک نیز مصارف بسیاری دارد و به خصوص هنگام اجرای لگاتوهای بی پایان وی و آکاردهای بسیار باز او خود نمایی می نماید

Joe Satriani Biography

2008-06-26T14:20:00.000+04:30

Joe Satriani - Engines of Creation

As electronic music hits ever-higher peaks in the current market, the ability to create music has fallen into the hands of anyone with enough cash for a computer and sufficient time to learn how to run the latest music software. And as the scene floods with disk after disk of techno dreck, a question burns quietly among true music fans: What would happen if an actual musician got his/her hands on some of this highfalutin' gear? Would they produce a record with a crafty modernist sensibility and the heart and skill of a bona fide player?

Engines of Creation can be said to mark a startling new phase of creativity for Joe Satriani, one of the most celebrated and accomplished guitar players of the last decade. The record is diversely cutting-edge, riddled with musical riddles and satisfying answers, laced with stunning sonic handiwork and astounding melodic assaults. At first listen, you may not realize this was a record made by a guitar player--but once you've heard the guitar, you'll most certainly know who's playing it.

Yet Engines of Creation also simply represents a new level of sonic achievement for an artist who has for years been employing electronic textures, severely altered guitar tones and jump-cut dynamic and compositional gestures. The disk is as much a snapshot of where that evolution has taken him and his listeners as it is, only coincidentally, a musical statement which speaks directly to the current state of electronica, ambient, drum 'n' bass, and hip-hop. Since the beginning of his recording career, Satriani has been a searching producer and eccentric composer--one who, only coincidentally, happened to be a monstrously talented guitarist as well. His first album, a ground-breaking self-titled white-label job sold out the trunk of his car, was created entirely by altering, re-tuning, battering and otherwise manipulating the guitar in the pursuit of utterly new and striking sounds.

And for all its wildness and scope, Engines of Creation is the result of a meticulous effort to again tap into those artistic areas, rather than simply to superimpose a batch of virtuoso guitar performances onto modernized rhythm tracks. The burning "Devil's Slide" is a classic Satriani structure underpinned by forward-thinking grooves and sinister harmonies, while cuts like "Borg Sex" and "Slow and Easy" radically morph any idea about what guitar melodies should sound like.

With the exception of portions of the single "Until We Say Good-bye," which features bass work by noted guitarist Pat Thrall and the drumming of "Late Show with David Letterman" mainstay Anton Fig under the production eye of Kevin Shirley (Aerosmith, Black Crowes), all the Engines tracks were recorded by Satriani and his co-producer Eric Caudieux. Caudieux is best know for his expert digital editing and programming work alongside legendary producer Trevor Horn (Seal, Rod Stewart); and for his extensive editing of the recent Guns N' Roses live anthology. Engines of Creation grew from Satriani's experimental recording sessions in the wake of his recent band project Crystal Planet. Taking the rare opportunity to compose at a keyboard in his home studio, and entranced with such recent music as Crystal Method's Vegas album, the guitarist wrote a group of tunes which he gradually honed during breaks between tours and collected into malleable MIDI files.

When enough friends and colleagues heard the material and insisted that he make the tracks into a proper album rather than an obscure side project, the guitarist acquiesced and turned to Caudieux for production assistance. Over a period of several months at a rented house in Laurel Canyon, Engines of Creation emerged through intensive sessions with nothing on hand but keyboards, guitars, effects and computers.

The result is a heaping helping of sound collage, jarring leaps and mind-altering segues, ripped apart by sudden percussive blasts and liquid flurries of notes. Because of the conveniences afforded by the computer medium, lapses of near-silence can erupt into passages of huge orchestral splendor or ripping space-guitar, while synth pads and chugging basslines move in and out of the music seamlessly It's music equally at home on the dance floor or coming through headphones in the lava-lamp glow of the smoking room.

Though thoroughly and aggressively rooted in topical tones and modern production, Engines of Creation recognizes and holds fast to Satriani tradition; "The Power Cosmic" contains many of the melodic filigrees and displays of warped fretboard virtuosity that landed the guitarist on magazine covers worldwide, while the coda of the bluesy "Champagne?" is a solo treatment of suspended chords as popularized by Keith Richards, the guitarist Satriani temporarily replaced as Mick Jagger's foil when the Rolling Stones frontman embarked on his first solo tour in 1988.

At that time, Satriani was riding the first peak in his long career, having just released the instrumental, highly experimental Surfing with the Alien and watching it ascend the pop charts to eventually sell over two million copies worldwide. In just a short time, he was a long way from Carle Place, Long Island, where as a local guitar hero he was visited by a younger schoolmate named Steve Vai, who showed up at his house with a five-dollar guitar in search of lessons. After an inspired period of mentoring-- Joe's student roster would soon include jazz upstart Charlie Hunter, Metallica's Kirk Hammett, Primus' Larry LaLonde and many others-- Vai returned the favor by getting Satriani signed to his record label, beginning a whirlwind of global acclaim and a series of gold and platinum albums, including Flying In A Blue Dream, The Extremist, and Time Machine.

The years since have seen Satriani mount similar challenges and scale new heights: countless readers' poll awards from magazines, numerous Grammy nominations and sold-out cross-continental tours. His versatility attracted a recent but politely declined invitation to join legendary heavy metal pioneers Deep Purple, with whom he toured in the '90s as a replacement for Ritchie Blackmore. Satriani also masterminded the phenomenal G3 tours, which brought to renewed worldwide attention the talents of guitar artists as varied as Steve Vai, Michael Schenker, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Robert Fripp, Eric Johnson and many others.

Featuring nothing but computer-generated rhythms, timbres and his six-string, Engines of Creation is in some respects a throwback to Satriani's first solo recording, a personal journey through music and sonic mayhem now combined with a raging artistic desire to harness the technology that's developed so radically over the intervening decade. It's a complex blend, but remains Satriani, pure and simple.

Biography in Yahoo Music

Along with teaching some of the top rock guitar players of the '80s and '90s, Joe Satriani is one of the most technically accomplished and widely respected guitarists to emerge in recent times. Born on July 15, 1956, in Westbury, NY, and raised in the nearby town of Carle Place, Satriani -- inspired by guitar legend Jimi Hendrix -- picked up the guitar at the age of 14 (although he was initially more interested in the drums). Quickly learning the instrument, Satriani began teaching guitar to others and found a kindred spirit in one of his students, Steve Vai. By the late '70s, however, Satriani had relocated to Berkeley, CA. With his sights set on his own musical career, "Satch" kept teaching others, including such future rock notables as Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Larry LaLonde (Primus), David Bryson (Counting Crows), and jazz fusion player Charlie Hunter.

In the early '80s, Satriani got a gig playing guitar with power popster Greg Kihn, doing some session work and touring with the group (an archival release recorded around this time, King Biscuit Flower Hour, was later issued in 1996), and issuing his own solo self-titled EP in 1984, financing and releasing the project entirely on his own. But when Vai hit the big time as the guitarist of David Lee Roth's solo band in 1986, he offered praise for his good friend and former teacher in several major guitar publications, leading to widespread interest in Satriani's playing. The timing couldn't have been more perfect for Satch, as he'd just issued his first full-length solo album, Not of This Earth, which automatically made ripples in the rock guitar community.

But the best was still to come, in the form of his sophomore release, 1987's Surfing with the Alien. Almost overnight, Satriani was widely regarded as one of rock's top guitarists, as the album earned gold certification and the guitarist would finish at the top of guitar magazine polls for years afterward. He was even handpicked by Mick Jagger to accompany the famous singer on a tour of Australia and Japan around this time. A stopgap EP, Dreaming #11, combed both studio and live tracks and was issued a year later, and in 1989, Satriani issued his third solo full-length, Flying in a Blue Dream. Another sizeable hit, the album also marked Satch's debut as a vocalist on several tracks. His career received another big push the same year when his song "One Big Rush" was included on the soundtrack to Cameron Crowe's hit movie Say Anything.

The '90s began with Satriani creating his own line of guitars for the Ibanez company (the JS Joe Satriani model), but it wasn't until 1992 that he would issue his next solo release, The Extremist. The double-disc set Time Machine followed a year later (a combination of new tracks, live material, and the long out-of-print Joe Satriani EP from 1984), and in 1994, Satch filled in on tour for the departed Ritchie Blackmore for heavy metal pioneers Deep Purple. Although he was asked to become a full-time member, Satriani turned down the offer to return to his solo career.

Satriani issued two more solo albums during the '90s -- 1995's self-titled release and 1998's Crystal Planet -- and also started the G3 guitar showcase tour with Vai in 1996, becoming an annual event and issuing a live document of the tour's initial run, G3: Live in Concert, a year later. 2000 saw Satriani issue his most musically daring release yet, the electronic-based Engines of Creation, and a year later, Live in San Francisco. Engines was nominated for a Grammy the next year, and after a successful tour he stepped back into the studio. The result, Strange Beautiful Music, was released in 2002. Electric Joe Satriani: An Anthology arrived in 2003, followed by Is There Love in Space? in 2004, Super Colossal in 2005, and Satriani Live! in 2006. In addition to his own albums, Satriani has guested on several other artists' albums over the years, including Blue Öyster Cult's Imaginos, Alice Cooper's Hey Stoopid, Stuart Hamm's Radio Free Albemuth, Pat Martino's All Sides Now, and Spinal Tap's Break Like the Wind. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide

Written by Greg Prato

Joe Satriani

2008-06-26T14:05:00.000+04:30

Joe Satriani

Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani live on February 4, 2005.
Background information
Also known as	Satch
Born	July 15, 1956 (1956-07-15) (age 51) in Westbury, New York, U.S.
Genre(s)	Instrumental rock, jazz fusion, hard rock
Occupation(s)	Guitarist, Songwriter
Instrument(s)	Guitar, Bass guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, Harmonica, Banjo
Years active	1978 - present
Label(s)	Epic
Associated acts	Mick Jagger, Deep Purple, G3
Website	Official website
Notable instrument(s)
Ibanez Joe Satriani Signature model

Joseph "Satch" Satriani (born July 15, 1956 in Westbury, New York, U.S.) is an American guitarist and former guitar instructor. His self-released debut album, Not of This Earth in 1986, opened the way to a world of instrumental rock music in what was then a pop-dominated world.^[1] He is heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck.^[2] Since 1990, Satriani has used his own signature guitar, the Ibanez JS Series, which is widely sold in stores.^[3] He also has a signature series amplifier, the Peavey JSX.

In 1988, Satriani was recruited by the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger as lead guitarist for Jagger's first solo tour.^[4] Later, in 1994, Satriani was also the lead guitarist for Deep Purple.^[2] Satriani has also worked with a wide range of guitarists from many styles, including Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Eric Johnson, Yngwie Malmsteen, Patrick Rondat, Paul Gilbert, and Robert Fripp through the annual G3 Jam Concerts.^[1]

Biography and playing history

Satriani was inspired to play guitar at age 14 after learning of the death of Jimi Hendrix.^[5] He reportedly heard the news during a football training session, where he immediately confronted his coach and announced that he was quitting to become a guitarist.

In 1974, Satriani studied music with jazz guitarist Billy Bauer and with reclusive jazz pianist Lennie Tristano. The technically demanding Tristano greatly influenced Satriani's playing. Satriani also began teaching guitar, with his most notable student at the time being fellow Long Island native Steve Vai.

In 1978 Satriani moved to Berkeley, California to pursue a music career. Not long after his arrival he resumed teaching. His most notable California students included Kirk Hammett (Metallica), David Bryson (Counting Crows), Kevin Cadogan (Third Eye Blind), Larry LaLonde (Primus, Possessed), Alex Skolnick (Testament), Rick Hunolt (Exodus), Phil Kettner (Lääz Rockit), Geoff Tyson, and Charlie Hunter.

When his friend and former student Steve Vai gained fame playing with David Lee Roth in 1986, Vai raved about Satriani in several interviews with guitar magazines. In 1987, Satriani's second album Surfing with the Alien produced popular radio hits and was the first all-instrumental release to chart so highly in many years. In 1988 Satriani also toured Australia and New Zealand with Simon Doull in support of his suffering cricket career.^{[citation needed]} That same year, he helped produce the EP The Eyes of Horror for the death metal band Possessed.

In 1989, Satriani released the album Flying in a Blue Dream. The album sold well, particularly in Texas.^{[citation needed]} "One Big Rush" was featured on the soundtrack to the Cameron Crowe movie Say Anything. "The Forgotten Part II" was featured on a Labatt Blue commercial in Canada in 1993. "Big Bad Moon", one of Satriani's few songs to feature his vocals, was a minor hit in late 1989.

In 1992, Satriani released The Extremist, his most critically acclaimed and commercially successful album to date. Radio stations across the country were quick to pick up on "Summer Song", while "Cryin'", "Friends" and the title track were regional hits.

In late 1993, Satriani joined Deep Purple as a short-term replacement for departed guitarist Ritchie Blackmore during the band's Japanese tour. The concerts were such a success that Satriani was asked to join the band permanently^{[citation needed]}, but he declined, having just signed a multi-album solo deal with Sony, so Steve Morse took the guitarist slot in Deep Purple.

Satriani live with G3 in Milan in 2004

In 1996, he formed G3, a concert tour featuring three instrumental rock guitarists -- originally Satriani, Vai, and Eric Johnson. The G3 tour has continued periodically since its inaugural version, where Satriani and Vai are returning members, featured with a floating third member, including among others Eric Johnson, Yngwie Malmsteen, John Petrucci, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Robert Fripp, Uli Jon Roth, Michael Schenker, Adrian Legg and Paul Gilbert.

In 1998 Satriani recorded and released Crystal Planet, which went back to a sound more reminiscent of his late '80s work. Planet was followed up with Engines of Creation, one of his more experimental works featuring the 'Electronica' genre of music. During the subsequent tour, a pair of shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco were recorded in December 2000 and released as Live in San Francisco, a two-disc live album and DVD.

Over the next several years, Satriani regularly recorded and released new music, including Strange Beautiful Music in 2002 and Is There Love in Space? in 2004.

In 2006 Satriani recorded and released Super Colossal and Satriani Live!, another two-disc live album and DVD recorded May 3, 2006 at the Grove in Anaheim, CA.

On August 7, 2007 Epic/Legacy Recordings re-released Surfing with the Alien to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its release. This was a two-disc set that includes a remastered album and a DVD of a previously never-before-seen live show filmed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1988.^[6]

Satriani's newest album, titled Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock, was released on April 1, 2008. ^[7]

It was revealed on May 29, 2008 that Satriani is involved in a new hard rock project with former Van Halen members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith.
The band, which will feature Hagar on vocals, Satriani on guitar, Anthony on bass and Smith on drums, is currently tentatively called "Chickenfoot" and is currenty writing material and getting ready for the recording of their debut album which will start in the summer.^[8]

Other work

Joe Satriani in concert, Rijnhal, Arnhem (June 12., 2008)

Satriani is also credited on many other albums, including guitar duties on Alice Cooper's 1991 album Hey Stoopid, Spinal Tap's 1992 album Break Like the Wind, Blue Öyster Cult's 1988 album Imaginos, band members Stu Hamm and Gregg Bissonette's solo albums, and many others including countless guitar hero-style albums. Interestingly, he was credited with singing background vocals on the 1986 debut album by Crowded House. In 2003, he played lead guitar on The Yardbirds's CD release Birdland. In 2006 he made appearances on several tracks for Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan's solo CD/DVD dual disc Gillan's Inn. On Dream Theater's 2007 album, Systematic Chaos, Satriani contributed spoken lyrics to the song "Repentance".

He is also featured in the Christopher Guest film, For Your Consideration, as the guitarist in the band that played for the late-night show.

Technique and influence

Satriani is widely recognized as a highly advanced, technical rock guitarist, and has been described as a virtuoso^[9]^[10]. He has mastered many performance techniques on the instrument, including Legato, two-handed tapping, sweep-picking, volume swells, harmonics, and extreme whammy bar effects. One of his trademark compositional traits is the use of Pitch Axis Theory, which he applies with a variety of modes.^{[citation needed]} During fast passages, Joe favors a technique known as legato (achieved primarily through hammer-ons and pull-offs) which yields smooth and flowing runs. He is also adept at other speed-related techniques such as speed picking (a rapid form of alternate picking) and sweep picking, but uses them relatively rarely.

His success is notable in a genre typically unfriendly to instrumental musicians. Satriani has received 14 Grammy nominations^[11] and has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide.^[12] Many of his fans and friends call him "Satch," short for "Satriani". Other guitarists sometimes refer to him as "Saint Joe"; there are numerous t-shirts to this effect.^{[citation needed]}

Gear

Satriani has endorsed Ibanez's JS Series guitars, and Peavey's JSX amplifier. Both lines were designed specifically as signature products for Satriani. However, Satriani uses a variety of gear. Many of his guitars are made by Ibanez, including the JS1000, and JS1200. These guitars typically feature the DiMarzio PAF Pro (which he used up until 1993 in both the neck and bridge positions), the DiMarzio Fred (which he used in the bridge position from 1993 to present day), and the Mo' Joe and the Paf Joe (which he uses in the bridge and neck positions, respectively, from 2005 to present day). The JS line of guitars is his signature line, and they feature the Edge Pro, which is Ibanez's exclusive vibrato system, although he's always used the Original Edge unit. The mirrored 'chrome' guitar he is primarily associated with and used on the Live in San Francisco DVD is called Chrome Boy. Satriani also uses a number of other JS models such as the JS double neck model, JS700 (primary axe on the self-titled CD and seen on the 1995 tour "Joe Satriani", which features a fixed bridge, P-90 pickups, and a matching mahogany body and neck), JS600 (natural body) , JS1 (the original JS model), JS2000 (fixed bridge model), a variety of JS100s, JS1000s and JS1200s with custom paint work, and a large amount of prototype JSs. All double locking bridges have been the original Edge trem, not the newer models, which point to a more custom guitar than the "off the shelf" models.

Satriani and the band

Satriani has used a wide variety of guitar amps over the years, using Marshall Amplification for his main amplifier (notably the limited edition blue coloured 6100 LM model) up until 2001, and his Peavey signature series amps, the Peavey JSX, thereafter. The JSX began life as a prototype Peavey XXX and developed into the Joe Satriani signature Peavey model, now available for purchase in retail stores. Joe Satriani has used other amplifiers over the years in the studio, however. Those include the Peavey 5150 (used to record the song 'Crystal Planet'), Cornford, and the Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ (used to record the song 'Flying in a Blue Dream'), amongst others.

His effects pedals include the Vox wah, Dunlop Cry Baby wah, RMC Wizard Wah, Digitech Whammy, BOSS DS-1, BOSS CH-1, BOSS CE-2, BOSS DD-2 and a standard BOSS DD-3 (used together to emulate reverb effects), BOSS BF-3, BOSS OC-2, Barber Burn Drive Unit, Fulltone Deja Vibe, Fulltone Ultimate Octave, and Electro-Harmonix POG (Polyphonic Octave Generator), the latter being featured prominently on the title cut to his 2006 Super Colossal.

Satriani has also partnered recently with Planet Waves to create a signature line of guitar picks and guitar straps featuring his sketch art.

Although Satriani endorses the JSX, he has also used many different amps in the studio when recording, including the Peavey Classic. He is also known to have used Marshall heads and cabinets, including live, prior to his Peavey endorsement. Most recently Satriani used the JSX head through a Palmer Speaker Simulator. Joe Satriani has also released a Class-A 5-watt tube amp called the "Mini Colossal".

He is currently working with Vox on his own line of signature effects pedals designed to deliver Satriani's trademark tone plus a wide range of new sounds for guitarists of all playing styles and ability levels. They will be fully unveiled in Summer 2008.^[13]

Recurring themes

Satriani's work frequently makes references to various science fiction stories and/or ideas. "Surfing with the Alien", "Back to Shalla-Bal" and "The Power Cosmic 2000" refer to the comic book character Silver Surfer, while "Ice 9" refers to the secret government ice weapon in Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle. "Borg Sex" is a reference to Star Trek, which features a homogeneous cybernetic race known as the Borg. Additionally, his albums and songs often have other-worldly titles, such as Not of this Earth, Crystal Planet, Is There Love in Space?, and Engines of Creation.

On the album Super Colossal the song titled "Crowd Chant" was originally called "Party on the Enterprise". "Party on the Enterprise" featured sampled sounds from the Starship Enterprise from the Star Trek TV show. But as Satriani explained in a podcast, legal issues regarding the samples could not be resolved and he was unable to get permission to use them.^[14] Satriani then removed the sounds from the song and called it "Crowd Chant." This song is also used as the Minnesota Wild's goal horn.

"Redshift Riders", another song on the Super Colossal album, is "...based on the idea that in the future, when people can travel throughout space, they will theoretically take advantage of the cosmological redshift effect so they can be swung around large planetary objects and get across [the] universe a lot faster than normal," Satriani said in a podcast about the song.^[15]

On the album Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock the song "I Just Wanna Rock", is about a giant robot on the run who happens upon a rock concert.[1]

Discography

Solo albums

1986 - Not of This Earth
1987 - Surfing with the Alien
1989 - Flying in a Blue Dream
1992 - The Extremist
1993 - Time Machine
1995 - Joe Satriani
1998 - Crystal Planet
2000 - Engines of Creation
2002 - Strange Beautiful Music
2004 - Is There Love in Space?
2006 - Super Colossal
2008 - Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock

EPs

Compilations

Live albums

With other artists

Year	Artist	Album
1986	Greg Kihn	Love And Rock And Roll
1987	Danny Gottleib	Aquamarine
1988	Stuart Hamm	Radio Free Albemuth
1991	Alice Cooper	Hey Stoopid
1992	Spinal Tap	Break Like the Wind
1997	Steve Vai / Eric Johnson	G3: Live in Concert
1997	Steve Vai / Alex Lifeson / Joe Perry	Merry Axemas Volume 1
2003	Steve Vai / Yngwie Malmsteen	G3: Rockin' in the Free World
2003	The Yardbirds	Birdland
2005	Steve Vai / John Petrucci	G3: Live in Tokyo
2006	Ian Gillan	Gillan's Inn
2007	John 5	The Devil Knows My Name
2007	Dream Theater (spoken voice only)	Systematic Chaos

Satriani has also composed many songs that are featured in the series of NASCAR based video games including NASCAR 06: Total Team Control.

Satriani's "Summer Song" is included in the soundtrack for the video game Gran Turismo 4. "Summer Song" is also included on the Formula 1 game for the Sony PlayStation, along with "Back to Shalla-Bal." "Summer Song" had also been briefly used during a 30 second advertising spots for both Pepsi, and the Sony Walkman.

Philanthropy

In 2006, Satriani signed on as an official supporter of Little Kids Rock, a non-profit organization that provides free musical instruments and free lessons to children in public schools throughout the U.S.A. Satriani has personally delivered instruments to children in the program through a charity raffle for the organization and, in common with Steve Vai, sits on its board of directors as an honorary member.

Awards and Nominations

Nominations

Grammys 2008 Rock Instrumental Performance "Always with me, Always with you".

Satriani now has the most Grammy Award nominations of anyone (14) without winning.

Nominations
Year	Album	Category
1997	Summer Song	Best Rock Instrumental Performance
2002	Starry Night	Best Rock Instrumental Performance
2006	Super Colossal	Best Rock Instrumental Performance
2008	Always with Me, Always with You (Live)	Best Rock Instrumental Performance

References

^ ^a ^b John R., Luini. Joe Satriani Biography. ForeverJoe. Retrieved on 2007-01-13.
^ ^a ^b Shrivastava, Rahul. Joe Satriani Interview. BBC. Retrieved on 2007-01-13.
^ Harris, Rich. Ibanez JS Joe Satriani Guitar Specs. Retrieved on 2007-01-13.
^ Joe Satriani's G3 rounds up another trio of guitar slingers
^ Hard N Heavy Video Magazine interview - 1989
^ joe satriani - discography > surfing with the alien
^ NEW MUSIC BLOG: Joe Satriani | musicradar.com
^ http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/van_halen_red_hot_chili_peppers_launch_new_project.html
^ Rock Guitar World: Joe Satriani
^ CANdYRAT Records
^ joe satriani - home > news
^ Joe Satriani Interview
^ joe satriani - gear > 2008-01-18 vox announcement
^ http://www.sonymusic.com/artists/JoeSatriani/podcast/super_colossal/13_crowd_chant_podcast.mp3
^ http://www.sonymusic.com/artists/JoeSatriani/podcast/super_colossal/04_redshift_riders_podcast.mp3

External links

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