"Pink Floyd's finale, 'The Endless River', was shaped by tracks that resonated with the 'big spliff' enthusiasts, finding songs like 'Dogs' and 'The Wall' particularly gripping."
In 2014, Pink Floyd released their final album, The Endless River. This 27-minute suite serves as a poignant tribute to the band's former leader, Syd Barrett, and a testament to their enduring influence on the music industry.
The Endless River is heavily influenced by several of Pink Floyd's prior works, particularly those that feature ambient, instrumental, and atmospheric compositions primarily by Richard Wright and David Gilmour. One of the key inspirations for the album is the 23-minute piece "Echoes" from the 1971 album Meddle. "Echoes" is renowned for its experimental, ambient journey with melodic peaks and emotional resolution, embodying Pink Floyd’s successful fusion of experimentation and accessibility. This influence is evident in the expansive and instrumental nature of The Endless River.
Another significant influence is the song "Us and Them" from the iconic album The Dark Side of the Moon (1973). Composed by Richard Wright, "Us and Them" features jazz chords, spatial production, and a warm saxophone, which are musical and thematic elements echoed in The Endless River's atmospheric soundscapes.
The specific tracks from The Endless River sessions, such as “Skins” (Side 2, Pt. 2 of the album), also relate back stylistically to the band's progressive and jazz-influenced works, including those from Wright’s repertoire.
Compositionally, The Endless River includes music primarily based on unreleased material recorded during the sessions for The Division Bell (1994). David Gilmour’s contributions, known for his emotional and melodic guitar work on classic songs like “Comfortably Numb,” “Wish You Were Here,” “Echoes,” and “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” reflect continuity in compositional style into The Endless River's sound.
Roger Waters, a key creative figure behind conceptually strong albums like The Wall, was not directly involved in The Endless River. Instead, the album revisits the more ambient, instrumental style associated with Wright and Gilmour, drawing on Pink Floyd’s legacy from earlier progressive rock masterpieces.
In summary, The Endless River is influenced most strongly by Meddle (“Echoes”), The Dark Side of the Moon (“Us and Them”), and the atmospheric instrumental style developed across Pink Floyd’s career, especially works featuring Richard Wright’s keyboard work and David Gilmour’s melodic guitar lines.
The Endless River offers a glimpse of the Wright/Gilmour axis rather than the Barrett/Waters dynamic, and it is a patchwork of various moments from Pink Floyd’s history, including "A Saucerful Of Secrets," "Echoes," and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond." The album marks the return of the suite, a portentous piece of grandeur, and it has a variety of styles and improvisations, including possible Krautrock influences and free jazz elements.
In a sense, The Endless River is a deliberate reference to Pink Floyd's past, a fitting farewell to a band that left an indelible mark on the music world.
- The music on The Endless River is heavily influenced by several of Pink Floyd's previous works, particularly those with ambient, instrumental, and atmospheric compositions primarily by Richard Wright and David Gilmour.
- One of the key inspirations for The Endless River is the 23-minute piece "Echoes" from the 1971 album Meddle.
- The expansive and instrumental nature of The Endless River reflects the successful fusion of experimentation and accessibility that Pink Floyd achieved in compositions like "Echoes".
- Another significant influence on The Endless River is the song "Us and Them" from the iconic album The Dark Side of the Moon (1973).
- Composed by Richard Wright, "Us and Them" features elements, such as jazz chords and a warm saxophone, echoed in The Endless River's atmospheric soundscapes.
- compositionally, The Endless River includes music primarily based on unreleased material recorded during the sessions for The Division Bell (1994).
- David Gilmour’s contributions, known for his emotional and melodic guitar work on classic songs like “Comfortably Numb,” “Wish You Were Here,” and “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” reflect continuity in compositional style into The Endless River's sound.
- The Endless River offers a glimpse of the Wright/Gilmour axis, drawing on Pink Floyd’s legacy from earlier progressive rock masterpieces, rather than the Barrett/Waters dynamic.
