Favorite Track from "Broken China"

[David Smith]

Voted Breakthrough, although i must say i do prefer the meltdown version to it. I think of Broken China as an album with no real stand out songs, but it at least stays very consistently above average

[Eclipse]

Along the shoreline rocks!

This album is amazing, very emotional and cohesive. My fav solo album!

[Hudini]

I think of Broken China as an album with no real stand out songs

I think all of the songs with vocals stand out above the instrumental, which are pretty messy IMHO.

[thehumanzoo]

I think of Broken China as an album with no real stand out songs

I think all of the songs with vocals stand out above the instrumental, which are pretty messy IMHO.

Agreed with both points. Somehow, I don't feel that the album ever really gets going until "Far from the Harbour Wall". The first half of the album does drag for me. It would have been amazing to combine the best of the Division Bell with most of the second half of this album.

It is quirky how the guitar playing of David Gilmour somehow perfectly complements the music of Rick Wright - as shown by the Meltdown performance of Breakthrough. That is possibly something that parts of Broken China lacks.

[Hudini]

It is quirky how the guitar playing of David Gilmour somehow perfectly complements the music of Rick Wright - as shown by the Meltdown performance of Breakthrough. That is possibly something that parts of Broken China lacks.

True, though Rick had stated that Gilmour was originally supposed to play on "Broken China" and actually did record some guitars for the album, but all of them finally ended deleted because they didn't fit in very well. Instead, Rick brought Tim Renwick in.

[rosm]

It is quirky how the guitar playing of David Gilmour somehow perfectly complements the music of Rick Wright - as shown by the Meltdown performance of Breakthrough. That is possibly something that parts of Broken China lacks.

True, though Rick had stated that Gilmour was originally supposed to play on "Broken China" and actually did record some guitars for the album, but all of them finally ended deleted because they didn't fit in very well. Instead, Rick brought Tim Renwick in.

I never missed Gilmour on Broken China... and I think Broken China is way better than Division Bell, which has... well, maybe one nice song... Rick has some 'Pink Floyd quotes' on Broken China, while Division Bell is just a Pink Floyd pastiche. imho...

[thehumanzoo]

I've always thought that the reason for those Gilmour parts not making the final cut was the worry that they would steal the show from the songs where Gilmour did not guest. However, I still maintain that a couple of the instrumentals or parts of the first half of the album would be substantially improved with a standard David-solo.

I don't agree that Broken China is better than the Division Bell though. It is, for me however, better than any of the other solo albums other than a few of Roger Waters.

[Hudini]

I've always thought that the reason for those Gilmour parts not making the final cut was the worry that they would steal the show from the songs where Gilmour did not guest.

I don't think they would. As far as I can hear, most of the electric guitar parts on the album are really in the vein of David Gilmour (especially notable on "Night Of The Thousand Furry Toys") and I believe they would have sounded different if not better if David recorded them himself. Though on the other hand I must admit never liked his guitar work other than Floyd or his solo albums much.

As for comparing "Broken China" with "The Division Bell" and other Floyd solo albums, I tend not to do that. It sounds quite different from "The Division Bell" and a lot different than anything other Floyds did on their own.