Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com

Average Customer Rating:

Easily the best Pink Floyd biography

Customer Rating:

Having read most of the Pink Floyd biographies over the years i was prepared for the worst ie a rehashing of the same old (often apocryphal)stories. But no this uses interviews from just about everyone still around and retains the same comprehensiveness and thoroughness from beginning to end. And refreshingly my unfortunate tendency for retaining ridiculous amounts of knowledge about music in my brain did not lead me to (as it usually does)feel let down by finding factual inaccuracies in the text as I usually do at least somewhere with most books I read ie this is pretty unbeatable accuracy wise. And for a writer rooted firmly in a rock background he even knows that Pink Floyd were one of the few guitar orientated acts influential and played on the Acid House/rave scene...very impressive.. Top book and what Pink Floyd have merited for some time.

As good as you're going to get.

Customer Rating:

If before the only two genuinely essential Pink Floyd books were Nicholas Shaffner's Saucerful Of Secrets and Nick Mason's Inside Out then this is most definitely the best,as 1)it doesn't skimp on scurrilous details (such as Roger Waters' bizarre falling out with Ron Geesin) like Mason's book does. and 2)It gives a far more balanced account of Roger Waters then Shaffner's book,which I think was tainted by his eagerness to please those he interviewed (Mason & Gilmour) by praising the frankly poor Momentary Lapse Of Reason album and criticising Waters at every opportunity.

Dissappointed (again!)

Customer Rating:

As is nearly always the way with stuff about Pink Floyd, there is nothing here which we don't already know. I was , as usually is the case, hoping against hope that there would be something new in this book. Once again, I was disappointed. I was hoping that certain subjects would be elaborated or at least seen from a different angle. I have no doubt that Pink Floyd have changed history and, particularly compared to their tiny catalogue, they are the finest rock band ever to exist with an incredibly rich stack of ideas covered by their relatively short amount of recorded work. This book doesn't really add to the known facts and suppositions. In other words, I learned very little from this book which I did not already know. Inside Out is worth the cover price just to see the famous Polaroid of Syd in Abbey Road during the recording of WYWH. The criticism of this book can be extended to the band. If you must reissue your stuff every five years, couldn't we at least get a bonus disc of rarities like The Cure and Yes have done. I for one would happily re-purchase all my Floyd albums if this were the case but otherwise it's just more of the same....Sorry !

The almost perfect Lear Jet

Customer Rating:

Pink Floyd are my favourite band, have been since 1974 and always will be although Rachmaninov wrote my favourite piece of music. I had to read this book (read the reviews on here) and was not disappointed. It is, as others have written here, a very well researched and well written piece giving an unbiased (I think) view of what Pink Floyd are/were about. I think Nick Mason is quoted (ish) as saying that were their children to behave like the members of the band then they would be very upset with them. Childishness abounds, sniping, rising to the bait, pissing competitions (my gig's bigger than yours) but taking a step back it's just human nature really and I see this around me all the time - I am often involved! What makes it slightly different for me is that these guys didn't want for anything in the end and still they bitched, very acidly, about each other. You see money isn't everything..............apart from the song that is................. and talking of that, I find it incredible (anorak mode on) that when I saw them live in 1994 the video to Money showed an HS125 (executive jet) rather than a Lear Jet - given Mason and Gilmour's aviation knowledge and (as mentioned in the book) the attention to detail I am surprised they missed that one. Mark Blake it to be congratulated on this fine work, and also because he bothered to answer my e-mail about it! Excellent Rob Sawyer

Most enjoyable read

Customer Rating:

I have read a fair few Floyd books now including Nick Masons and i have to say this is by far and away the best and most comprehensive. It starts right back at the begining in the mid 60's right through to 2007, covering literally everything. It also covers their solo ventures during and after Floyd and also gives great info on how all the albums faired in the US and the UK (Solo's included). He must have been working on this book for years. I was very impressed that he mentioned Dave Gilmour turned up on Parkinsons show in 1999 as a session guitarist for Paul McCartney who was having a full show dedicated to him. Dave Gilmour was never mentioned on the show and i only noticed myself that he was there playing. Very impressive research. I learn't a lot about the band and its members that i never knew and will have to read it again as its hard to remember everything. Its a great story and also quite sad (Syd's decline). Roger Waters comes out of it the worst, looks like he gave Gilmour a very hard time and the rest of the band also. His ego and tempermant being his main problem. And considering the abuse he has taken, Dave Gilmour comes out of it with dignity in tact. If your a Floyd fanantic or a casual music listener with a passing interest in the band, its a must buy.