Reinventing Pink Floyd

January 29, 2018
Music journalist Kopp debuts with a succinct look at Pink Floyd’s work from 1968 to 1973, focusing on the musical rather than the personal developments that led to the creation of The Dark Side of the Moon. Kopp expertly analyzes how the band developed from the idiosyncratic yet “concise pop songwriting” of its founder Syd Barrett, through a range of “musical excursions” including electronic experiments and film soundtracks, to more conceptual albums such as Ummagumma and Atom Heart Mother. By offering detailed evaluations of songs such as “Echoes”—
“a glacial and majestic twenty-three-plus minute piece of music that distills all of Pink Floyd’s accumulated musical virtues circa 1971 into a fully realized work”—Kopp shows that nearly “everything the band did would, in one way or another, provide clues to the band’s eventual and wildly successful direction.” He also provides new insights into how Dark Side was crafted into “a unified work” through live performances and studio sessions. Hard-core Floyd fans will delight in Kopp’s sensitivity to the intricacies of the band’s work, while people only familiar with Dark Side will be alerted to the often “overlooked development of Pink Floyd’s music” that led directly to that masterpiece. Kopp’s smart and well-researched history is a welcome addition to the Pink Floyd library.

February 1, 2018

Music journalist Kopp tells the story of how Pink Floyd developed their iconic sound from The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967) to The Dark Side of the Moon (1973). He interviews engineers and others involved with these early albums to get firsthand accounts. The biggest downside is that no member of Pink Floyd is interviewed for this book, making it speculative at times. Kopp, who's also a musician, describes each of the songs from the earliest albums using some music theory (e.g., chord progression and root notes), which may detract from the reading pleasure for novices. The group's original songwriter, Syd Barrett, his dismissal from the band and replacement by David Gilmour (as well as other band drama) are covered, but not in great detail since the focus is on the actual music rather than the musicians. The author often mentions the 2016 release of The Early Years 1965-1972 box set, so patrons may ask about this. VERDICT Pink Floyd fanatics will appreciate the in-depth exploration of how the band developed their distinct sound. For a complete history of the group, suggest Nicholas Schaffner's Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey.--Jason L. Steagall, Gateway Technical Coll. Lib., Elkhorn, WI

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