Carrying on the fifteenth anniversary reminiscences of the 1994 Division Bell tour by Pink Floyd that a number of you have been kind enough to submit, we have another review for you.

This time, there's a slight difference: it's a review of the Madison, Wisconsin show that took place on July 3rd, and it is a two-handed look at the show by a couple of friends who went together to the concert. It's a review that they wrote at the time, and posted it to the Echoes mailing list when they got back home.

It is with thanks to them that we now bring it to you. It provides a fascinating look at the thoughts of the pair as each song is performed... and is now UPDATED with pictures from the show, courtesy of Robert Perry who was also there.

The Players:

Jim, a big RushFan(tm), who has hung around Adam too much in college and picked up far too much Floyd trivia and knowledge. Owns DSoTM, TDB, and two boots. Couldn't recognize Echoes if he heard it, but likes Crumbing Land and Raving and Drooling. Didn't Acute Perception come out at about the same time Critical Mass did?

Adam, co-winner DSOM-aholic contest 1994! Finally given up trying to have the US, UK, and Japanese version of all the PF CDs. Trying to decide if he wants to give up collecting radio shows (at Citibank's request). Has had ECHOES on licence plates since before AMLOR and has a cat named Cymbaline. Tries to educate the RushFan(tm) about everything Floydian.

J: Snuck in to stadium at 2 pm or so. Adam got pics of the stage. Unable to sneak in for soundcheck. All we needed was a concessions pass, and we'd have been in with cameras rolling for the soundcheck.

A: No problem getting past security. Made a big mistake not just staying in the stadium until soundcheck. Soundcheck was actually really really short. They did the beginning of KT and then the whole thing and then the last minute of AD.

Set One:

Astronomy Domine

J: Fantastic! Guilty confession: Not being the biggest Floyd fan, I couldn't remember what this sounded like until I picked up the TIB single. In retrospect, I wish they would have had the wiggly oil projection for more songs. Nice to see Dave singing the high descending part (wheeeeeeee).
A: Fabulous! The five of them sounded so nice and tight I don't see why they think they need more people on stage. I'm still not so sure about that AD to LTF transition. The oils are great, much more psychedelic than the lasers! I don't really understand how people could have thought that it was taped or at least lip-synced.

Learning To Fly

J: Got a decent response from the crowd. Perhaps it was the first song they recognized? Heck, most of the crown, when hearing AD thought "Hey! This isn't on the new album, the Wall, or Dark Side! What gives?" Also, could someone please chain down Gary Wallis the percussion monkey. Do we need two drummers? Why no Learning To Fly film from the last tour?
A: I have to admit that the first time I saw Gary Wallis was with The Power Station (a horrible concert, but OMD opened, so I was happy). Tim Renwick is slowly turning it into his song with his solo at the end. And I am surprised that they are STILL putting the Young Lust riff in at the end.

What Do You Want From Me

J: Rain began. And didn't stop!
A: I wanted Dave to give me a raincoat!

On The Turning Away

A: Good response, but I think that it is time to retire it and add another TDB song. The version in Ames, Dave sounded truly inspired, this one he was just going through the motions. It's also neat to see how Dave goes to the Bruce Springsteen school of band control to tell everyone that he's finished soloing.

Take It Back

J: The hit single. Nice version, sounded like a different arrangement (new age TIB?).
A: I really didn't notice a big difference, except that the beginning was a lot longer (like OTTA on the ALMOR tour).

Great Day For Freedom

J: Groan. Looks like no Poles Apart. Damn.
A: Would have killed for Poles. Out of three shows I get GDFF twice. Yea! Almost cleared the stadium as fast as Put It There at McCartney in '89.

Sorrow

J: A real good showcase for dave to go braaaww with his guitar. For fun, try counting how many songs have the brrraaawww sound starting the guitar solo. It's fun!
A: I'm a big brrraaaawww fan! Sorrow just keeps getting better and better. Why does Guy have to jump during the end though? Definately one of the highlights of the whole show (Sorrow, not Guy jumping.) Brrraaawwww!

Keep Talking

J: Second hit single of the night!
A: The quad sound was pretty cool where we were sitting, but it was funnier to hear Stephen Hawking before soundcheck with no other music.

One Of These Days

J: Now I'm biased here. When I hear one member of a band play a really neat part, I expect the others to follow suit (is it obvious that Rush is my fave band?). It could have used a Les Claypool bass solo though. Pretty good version, though I liked the one big pig version better. (Check out the Here Comes The Pig ROIO that Adam has for a good version) Since it was Madison, shouldn't they have been cows or badgers?
A: I thought that the pigs were too evil looking. I also would have liked it had they wandered around a bit. My big question is: Why does everyone who isn't playing anything (including Dave) have to leave the stage? Liability? Also, did the pigs get tossed out at all of the shows? At Ames they stayed in their pens. About the Here Comes The Pig ROIO/VOIO, when Jim and I saw PF in Cedar Falls in '88 a guy next to us was videoing the whole show. During OOTD, his friend says "Here comes the pig" and it really stood out! So naturally then the shot shifts to the pig. What directing!

Set Two:

J: You see, I like the old stuff live. OK, so its really the overplayed DSOTM/Wall stuff. So sue me!
A: These intermissions keep getting shorter.

Shine On You Crazy Diamond Parts 1 - 5

A: I still don't get the video. I thought I saw Anjelica Houston in one shot though.

Breathe
Time
Breathe Reprise

A: It's nice to get this instead of the On The Run/Time duo of the last tour. For those of you left to see the show, here's something to watch for: When Nick is done hitting the toms with his neon (hi!) sticks, Gary (always picking up the slack) starts playing the main part of the song while Nick gets back to his seat. Then Nick takes over and Gary goes back to being a monkey. Kind of interesting to watch; pretty well done.
J: OK, "tolling of the iron bell" was nice, although it should have been only once. You didn't have to lead it into High Hopes so obviously.
A: I agree! Too much bell too early and it was mixed too high.

High Hopes

J: Good. I think it fit in just fine here. Nice film.
A: I guessing that Dave thinks that HH is a keeper and thus put it into the second set. Film is good. Who was it that saw them filming it in Cambridge? Now that Roger's gone, Nick has to play gong.

Great Gig In The Sky

J: OK boys and girls, lets play the great gig game. Who sang their part the best? Tonight's winner was contestant #2! Durga! Dugra! Durga!
A: Durga is the hands down Gig champion, but if Rachel Fury was on tour...

Wish You Were Here

A: I like the radio intro and Dave sitting down, but by this point of the show I feel sorry for him because he really can't wander around too much.

Us And Them

A: Nick shines on this one! I'm not sure why, but his drumming really stand out during Us And Them.

Money

J: This is my winner in the "What old sing should we get rid of?" contest. We didn't really get any of the "Get up money children" reggae stuff. Bummer.
A: I used to really look forward to Money. On the last tour it just kept getting better and better and longer and longer, and this time, it's just not happening. However, at least we don't have to watch Scott Page sliming around Dave. No instead we get the backup singers aerobisizing around Dick Parry (who doesn't really play that much: yet another reason to do more new stuff in the first set). I STILL don't get this film either. Jim could explain up to the UFO, then he got lost.

Another Brick In The Wall Part 2

J: Is the backup stuff rerecorded? The kids sounded different. I would have liked to hear the phone ringing and Roger ranting (or at least Jon ranting).
A: I thought so too. (I also thought that the cash registers in Money sounded off tempo). The "hey, teacher" was neat to finally see. (At Ames and MPLS I was on the floor and couldn't see it.) The intro is a definite keeper, but they should jam a bit more at the end.

Comfortably Numb

J: Three keyboard players? Hey, don't they trust Rick or something? He's no Tony Kaye, but just who the hell is? :)
A: I think Dave cut the solo short due to the rain. The mirror ball was really cool in the rain (and at this point it was coming down in droves). I liked the AAAHHH part with the lights blinding us again.

Encore:

Hey You

J: Nice to see that Jon Carin can do a reasonable Roger rant, but why was he limited to only one song? Have him sing all the Roger stuff! It's just not right to me to hear the lines in Run Like Hell passed around from person to person like a hot potato.
A: I thought that he screamed too much. If they wanted to do a lot of Wall stuff they should have put in Young Lust, which is actually co-written by Dave. Interesting choice.

Run Like Hell

J: Yes, we got "Send you back to Madison in a cardboard box!"
A: Guy should not be allowed to sing, I'm mean yelling. We ran like hell back to the car to get out of the rain. Didn't wait to see if Dave mentioned anything about coming back next year. I started worrying on the way back that perhaps they'd do an second encore of Rain In The Country, but then I figured not.

Overall comments:

J: Too many people on stage. Toss the percussion monkey, and let Jon Carin sing all the Roger stuff. Perhaps the backup singers should sing something else besides OOOHHH and AAAHHH.
A: Always a good show. If I sound negative it's just because I'm bitter that I didn't see them in '71, or at least see Echoes in '87. The rain was kind of a neat effect. The sound was perfect throughout. I feel sorry for the guy on alt.music.pink-floyd who was far (did he mention far) away from the stage because the stadium was HUGE! Sadly no more shows for me on this leg. I guess I'll just wait and see if they come back next year! Tapes anyone?