Pink Floyd / David Gilmour ripping off The Alan Parsons Project & others?

[DarkSideFreak]

Since this has come up again, let's collect all instances of this happening (and ignore for the moment the Floydian elements in the Project albums).

"High Hopes" has the verse melody of "The Raven" as its chorus
"Keep Talking" uses the sequenced pattern of "Sirius", pitched lower and slightly altered
"Marooned" uses the same chord sequences as "Sirius", in a different key and much slower
The swelling strings in "Take a Breath" also are reminiscent of a similar moment in "Sirius" (though I don't know how much Gilmour had to do with the arrangement - might have been Zbigniew Preisner's "fault")
The middle part of "Sorrow" sounds like the middle part of "Stereotomy" slowed down (3:10 onwards:) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pSpmheQ5-s

Not Parsons-related but "Take It Back" also borrows heavily from the Marillion b-side "The Release"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6dAO50gRdE

[The Gunner's Dream]

"Pitched lower and slightly altered"
"In a different key and much slower"

AKA "different" from the recordings in question. Chord changes alone don't really have all that much to do with the identity of a song. How many doo-wop songs in the 50's had a I vi IV V progression?

[Charle44]

All post Roger songs. Says a bit about Davids writing prowess without Roger to lean on

[theaussiefloydian]

"Keep Talking" uses the sequenced pattern of "Sirius", pitched lower and slightly altered

The "Keep Talking" and "Sirius" sequences are arpeggios. They're always likely to sound somewhat similar and that particular sequence isn't novel to APP either. Would you accuse someone using an "up and down" arpeggio of ripping off "House of the Rising Sun"?

"Marooned" uses the same chord sequences as "Sirius", in a different key and much slower

I mean in places, yes, but two songs having the same chords is not necessarily a sign of ripping off. Countless songs in music history share chord progressions. Can one accuse Green Day of ripping off Oasis' "Wonderwall" with "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"?

The swelling strings in "Take a Breath" also are reminiscent of a similar moment in "Sirius" (though I don't know how much Gilmour had to do with the arrangement - might have been Zbigniew Preisner's "fault")

Having played both songs quite a number of times I fail to see the connection. In "Sirius" the climax doesn't come from the swelling strings, it's from the guitar solo jumping in adding an extra level of energy. In "Take a Breath" the strings come up from under the guitar solo, giving the instrumental section more drive. The strings are serving opposite purposes in each songs. Also in terms of what they're playing, the strings on "Sirius" are climbing, whereas on "Take a Breath" they're alternating between two notes.

And as for the other examples I'll have to get back to you on those.

[ZiggyZipgun]

All post Roger songs. Says a bit about Davids writing prowess without Roger to lean on

Roger should've leaned on someone as well, because he hasn't written a good tune since 1983.

[Niebla de Fuego]

While we're at it, can we discuss WYWH (1975) vs Van Morrison's Almost Independence Day (1972)?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scxwMbY1AGA

Or are we talking only post-Waters years?

[ZiggyZipgun]

This was probably more of a subconscious influence, but it's almost too similar to "Wish You Were Here" to not mention.

Dave did say that he'd often be strumming something in the studio that would make Roger's ear perk up, but he'd have to make sure it wasn't just someone else's song that had been stuck in his head.

[Kerry King]

While we're at it, can we discuss WYWH (1975) vs Van Morrison's Almost Independence Day (1972)?
...
Or are we talking only post-Waters years?

Where did Van get it? Better look further back than 1972.

[theaussiefloydian]

Where did Van get it? Better look further back than 1972.

Yeah I'd imagine both parties could attribute that a bit to Bob Dylan.
That said the opening guitar is definitely eerily similar to the "Wish You Were Here" riff.

[Annoying Twit]

An awful lot of songs share similarities with other song. Pretty much any song you choose will be similar to what has gone before in some way.

Songs Waters has written alone typically have very simple chord progressions. There will be a huge number of songs with exactly the same chord progressions.

And, the patented Roger Waters guitar pattern of DUM ----> DA DUM will also have been used. It's so simple and obvious.

I don't think there's anything in the list of similarities above which is particularly noteworthy.

[Charle44]

All post Roger songs. Says a bit about Davids writing prowess without Roger to lean on

Roger should've leaned on someone as well, because he hasn't written a good tune since 1983.

What God wants, perfect sense, amused to death,
The powers that be, deja vu, broken bones.

[ZiggyZipgun]

The powers that be

[Eclipse]

as years have passed, I've gotten lesser interested in post-The Wall Pink Floyd, especially AMLOR and TDB.
And this kind of thing only reinforces that feeling in me. Give me any album from PATGOD till The Wall, any day, over AMLOR or TDB.

[DarkSideFreak]

"Keep Talking" uses the sequenced pattern of "Sirius", pitched lower and slightly altered

The "Keep Talking" and "Sirius" sequences are arpeggios. They're always likely to sound somewhat similar and that particular sequence isn't novel to APP either. Would you accuse someone using an "up and down" arpeggio of ripping off "House of the Rising Sun"?

"Marooned" uses the same chord sequences as "Sirius", in a different key and much slower

I mean in places, yes, but two songs having the same chords is not necessarily a sign of ripping off. Countless songs in music history share chord progressions. Can one accuse Green Day of ripping off Oasis' "Wonderwall" with "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"?

The swelling strings in "Take a Breath" also are reminiscent of a similar moment in "Sirius" (though I don't know how much Gilmour had to do with the arrangement - might have been Zbigniew Preisner's "fault")

Having played both songs quite a number of times I fail to see the connection. In "Sirius" the climax doesn't come from the swelling strings, it's from the guitar solo jumping in adding an extra level of energy. In "Take a Breath" the strings come up from under the guitar solo, giving the instrumental section more drive. The strings are serving opposite purposes in each songs. Also in terms of what they're playing, the strings on "Sirius" are climbing, whereas on "Take a Breath" they're alternating between two notes.

And as for the other examples I'll have to get back to you on those.

I just find it interesting that "Sirius" shows up several times in this context. I think I first noticed the sequence in "Keep Talking". I kept wondering "What does this remind me of" and after a couple of days I made the connection. Then I read somebody else, independently of my observation, point out that "Marooned" is written over those same three keys.

[Eclipse]

the Stephen Hawking vocals are on key, though