If It Had Truly Been The Final Cut?

[Parpa]

Imagine it's 1984 and David Gilmour is truly beginning/resuming a solo career. About Face is done - - though not a great album. Pro's & Con's of Hitchhiking is done - - a bit better than About Face, but not a "great" album. Roger too is a solo artist...and Pink Floyd (the Dave, Nick & Rick version) NEVER HAPPENS. Yes...let's imagine this for a moment. Consider how history may have unfolded if David Gilmour never took up the mantle of Pink Floyd himself. We would have seen a few more David Gilmour solo records (in the 80's and 90's perhaps) and of course Roger is always keeping busy, but this whole scenario begs the question:

Would all four members of Pink Floyd have reunited along the way (between 1985 and 2000) if Dave's version had never occured?

I know it's rather silly to have such chats, but this may be what in the end prevents us from seeing the four of them together ever again. I think (for Roger) the pain was too great, the blow to his pride too dramatic to ever consider reuniting The Floyd again...and I truly think Dave, Nick & Rick WOULD DO IT TODAY if only Roger would concede this bitter game.

But would the wounds have been significantly less if the MLOR & TDB were never produced as "Pink Floyd records?" I think so...

Everyone wants to see the four of them back on stage together - - if not working again in the studio. We see all of the news about funerals and who played, who showed up and what it all means.....but it only indicates one thing and that is that LIFE IS FLEETING. Roger knows this as do the others.

Forget the money (I know everyone would say it's for the money and the money would be HUGE). This needs to happen for two reasons:

1. The legacy of the band
2. The fans

25 years from now it sure would be nice it this thing had ended back where it began...with all of the band intact (no disrespect to Syd). These people are alive and making music...

David Gilmour is (or appears to be) very old - - even for 59 or 60 (however old he is)!!

Roger Waters seems to have recently experienced a rebirth of sorts. A reunion with his audience and it's a beautiful thing. Take the next step Rog, and make this happen.

Rick Wright seems to be on more "stable ground" than he's seen in years! My guess is that he'd LOVE a full Floyd reunion.

And Nick Mason...hmmm, the X-factor in all of this perhaps. He could be the only one in a position of influence on both sides of the fence. Does he want to make another Pink Floyd album? I'm pretty sure he does. Would he like Roger on this album? My guess is ABSOLUTELY!

Would Roger, Nick and Rick ever tour together without Dave?
Hmmmm....

Have I said enough by now?


Enjoy the day folks!

[Stilgar]

I guess Nick and Rick wouldn't work with Rog and WITHOUT Dave as 'Pink Floyd'... it would be... weird... and, by the way, Dave owns a part of the PF name, and I guess he won't allow such thing...

By the way, I agree on that, if MLOR and TDB wouldn't have been made, the band probably would have had a reunion in those past years. But with Dave keeping on with 'Pink Floyd', Roger's ego was seriously hurted, and that is something he'll never forget I believe... he would forgive Nick, and Rick too... but he'll never forgive Dave, IMO.

So, IMHO, a 4-member PF reunion is nearly impossible...

[Keith Jordan]

Would all four members of Pink Floyd have reunited along the way (between 1985 and 2000) if Dave's version had never occured?

Roger is my favourite part of the Pink Floyd thing but he appears to be a self-obcessed egomaniac! He's a narcissist! If he made a decision that big he would not go back on it and admit he may have made the wrong decision.

[Flame-Sky Diver]

I don't think there would ever be a reunion if David didn't start the new band. The result would be that David, Roger and Richard would record more solo albums and do more tours.

[seamusz]

I was thinking this exact thing just today, and I think that a reunion of sorts would have been much more probable if the legal struggle between Rog and Dave wouldn't have happened. But that doesn't change the fact that Rog and PF are forever broke apart. Although I like to think that it could still happen...

[mosespa]

Here's my two cents worth:

I doubt that a reunion would have happened even without Dave continuing the band.

Part of what caused the split in the first place was Steve O'Rourke (RIP) allegedly badgering Roger over contractual obligations for another Pink Floyd album...in essence, the split was partially caused over the idea of the band continuing in the first place.

Roger declared the band "creatively spent" largely because he had been the primary creative force (not saying that he wrote EVERYTHING, but Gilmour wasn't exactly overflowing with new ideas now, was he? And Rick's input...? WHAT input?)

A new Pink Floyd album would have put Roger back in the driver's seat of a band he had no desire to continue working with. By this point in time, since Dave and Nick weren't writing anything, why bother? After all, Roger can hire any guitarist and drummer he wants, and they won't waste his time complaining how this album isn't going in the direction THEY think it should go in.

The session musicians will simply show up and play.

I also have to agree with Keith...Roger simply wouldn't admit that he was wrong about the band being creatively spent. He's pretty sure that AMLOR proves that. (I can't say that I disagree with him, either.)

The time for a reunion of any kind would have most likely been at PF's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. I'm sure Roger could appreciate finally receiving the recognition he deserves and being placed in the same company as his idols...but even THAT wasn't enough to convince him to show up and play with Dave and Rick.

If THAT won't do it, I don't think anything will.

[seamusz]

The time for a reunion of any kind would have most likely been at PF's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. I'm sure Roger could appreciate finally receiving the recognition he deserves and being placed in the same company as his idols...but even THAT wasn't enough to convince him to show up and play with Dave and Rick.

If THAT won't do it, I don't think anything will.

Good point

[nosaj]

Actually, if Dave didn't go on with PF, I think it would have helped the possibility of a reunion or some other similar scenerio (like the Wall in Berlin and the Hall of Fame...), but not neccessarily an album. It would maybe have helped with the release of rare stuff too...

I really respect Roger for saying its over actually (I went to two gigs on the MLoR tour by the way). Contrary to many people's opinion, I think the Final Cut is a great album and a great title for a last album - too bad about how it came about.

The Rolling Stones are a disgusting idea at this point in time, really you want to hear the old stuff, and they're "Act" is for twenty year olds (Pink Floyd seems to have died before they got old , though their style has nothing to do with teenage rebellion and they would look better going on). Led Zeppelin and the Who essentially came to an end around this time...They're last couple of albums weren't as good as the Wall or the Final Cut. Leaving on a kind of high.

In fact, I know the Who are planning an album for 2004...and they have been doing years of last shows, but it kind of works - no statements, just fun, and they throw in solo stuff...

I also think we would have been spared all the subtext of Roger and Dave taking shots at each other in various songs (amusing as it has been at times - This is MY band - They tell me I can just go f#@& myself) if it had been left alone after TFC. We might have ended up with very different albums from all of them - I still think there was a, I'm Pink thing going on...

C' est la vie...que serra serra...Nice!

Amused to Death a PF album!?

[seamusz]

I really respect Roger for saying its over actually

I think that this is where the problem is, Roger decided it was over.

[nosaj]

I think that this is where the problem is, Roger decided it was over.[/quote]

Perhaps you are right...Roger Hodgson left Supertramp and Peter Gabriel left Genesis. These are cases where a seriously creative member of a group left...but the rest went on.

My respect for Roger is that he obviously cares a great deal about his artistic legacy, and in his shoes I might have done the same. Integrity.

But Dave going on was ok (merely ok)

[Flame-Sky Diver]

This is MY band

Reminds me of the stories David and Roger told about Syd attending 1968 gigs and staring at the band.

Amused to Death a PF album!?

Call this a sacrilege, but if there was one other Floyd (Nick Mason seems to be the possible one), if Roger said it's Pink Floyd and if Jeff Beck was introduced as the new Floyd guitarist (!), I would be tempted to say yes. Imagine a Floyd "Amused To Death Tour" with Roger, Nick, Jeff (who is one of the few guitarists comparable to David Gilmour) and some elite keyboardist! For me, the best tracks on Amused To Death are certainly "more Floyd" than lots of AMLOR.

[Alternative 4]

I dont think Roger could get overhimself and rejoin.

[Sampdoriano_Canary]

Its a tough one, Roger is the key, he's my hero but he's actually a well educated version of Axl Rose ......

Lets say Floyd get back now..........its impossible..why? Who will say
what kind of music or topic the members decide on, theres ur first
stumbling block -> Division Bell style or Amused To Death Style?

Birdman

[Diin Jaffa]

but he's actually a well educated version of Axl Rose ......

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????

have you been listening Gilmours propaganda?

[Sampdoriano_Canary]

nope, I dont even listen to the Division Bell much........but as much as he's my greatest hero, Roger is definately getting more and more full of himself

Birdman