ROUGH GUIDE TO PINK FLOYD

Rough Guide to Pink Floyd Toby Manning (pub. Rough Guides)

The first part of the book ("The story") is an excellent, well-researched and well-paced look at the band's history. Using many quotes from the band members and other key personnel, it sets out their career well and would particularly suit those fairly new to the band.

However, all fans will find things of interest here, as - rarely - events are put into a proper timeline so normally disconnected events are brought together, rather than treated as completely seperate entities.

In typical Rough Guides style, there are "box outs" at various times, covering material that is important, but that doesn't quite fit into the narrative flow. As with any use of box outs, this can sometimes disrupt your reading as you have to break from the main text to catch the extracted info.

Manning makes a good attempt at making sense of the band break-up and "rebirth" period, with a particular focus on the Gilmour, Mason and Wright situation. The pressures and feelings of each are gently probed, without falling into the trap of many books of taking sides with either Roger, or the others.

There is a feeling that Manning rushed the final section, which covers 1995 to the present day. Broken China, for example, gets a mere two sentences and whereas earlier chapters are models of clarity and order, this part is rushed and muddled. In a rare rash of factual errors, one of Roger's shows is misplaced by two years and one continent, and details of Roger's recent releases aren't right, either.

After such patient, detailed and contextual passages, it is a shame that the most recent days are not given the same sort of coverage. Ca Ira and On An Island barely get mentions, David and Roger's tours (including, for example, Nick Mason's appearance in both shows) are not covered, and the book obviously went to press before the sad passing of Syd.

The second part of the book ("The Music") takes a measured and critical look at each album in turn, then lists (the author's?) "Floyd's Finest 50" tracks, ordered by era. It has a wrap-up of the various soundtracks, compilations, and a scoot through the very tip of the very large iceberg of bootlegs. The boots mentioned are a curious ragbag of titles which possibly shows that the author hasn't experienced some of the better unofficial recordings out there in the wild...

The solo albums are then covered, along with the various band members' session works. David's own exploits here are naturally just an overview, bearing in mind his activities especially in the 1980s.

The final part ("Floydology") gathers up the remaining pieces of the jigsaw. There's a look at the various films that the band/members soundtracked, along with live video releases, running from the very earliest examples right up to some of the more dubious (in content and quality) "unauthorised" releases of the last couple of years.

There's also a look at the various books that have been published over the years, drawing into sharp relief the pros and cons of each; an analysis of the various Floyd websites (BD comes off rather well!); and a look at tribute bands, tribute albums, and cover versions.

The book makes fairly sparing use of pictures, presented throughout in black and white, but the ones it does use, tend to be good ones. One or two are particularly unusual, such as a very nice shot from the Astoria in 1993, showing Richard, David and Bob Ezrin in action on a track from The Division Bell.

Manning has put together a very well researched guide to all aspects of the Floyd's career. Their story is told accurately and with much supporting comment from the musicians themselves, and the book provides enough reference pointers in the rear to provide the newer Floyd fan with plenty of paths to go down in search of more information or particular music to listen to.

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