The Division Bell

Date of Release Apr 12, 1994

The second post-Roger Waters Pink Floyd album is less forced and more of a group effort than A Momentary Lapse of Reason -- keyboard player Rick Wright is back to full bandmember status and has co-writing credits on five of the 11 songs, even getting lead vocals on "Wearing the Inside Out." Some of David Gilmour's lyrics (co-written by Polly Samson and Nick Laird-Clowes of the Dream Academy) might be directed at Waters, notably "Lost for Words" and "A Great Day for Freedom," with its references to "the wall" coming down, although the more specific subject is the Berlin Wall and the fall of Communism. In any case, there is a vindictive, accusatory tone to songs such as "What Do You Want from Me" and "Poles Apart," and the overarching theme, from the album title to the graphics to the "I-you" pronouns in most of the lyrics, has to do with dichotomies and distinctions, with "I" always having the upper hand. Musically, Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Wright have largely turned the clock back to the pre-Dark Side of the Moon Floyd, with slow tempos, sustained keyboard chords, and guitar solos with a lot of echo.

ALBUM RELEASES
1994 CD Columbia 64200
1994 CS Columbia CT-64200


PERSONNEL
Michael Kamen Arranger, Orchestration
Nick Mason Percussion, Drums
Tim Renwick Guitar
Richard Wright Keyboards, Vocals
Sam Brown Vocals (bckgr)
Jon Carin Keyboards, Programming
Bob Ezrin Percussion, Keyboards, Producer
David Gilmour Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Programming, Vocals, Producer, mixing
Keith Grant Engineer
James Guthrie mastering
Andrew Jackson Engineer, mixing
Carol Kenyon Vocals (bckgr)
Tony May photography
Durga McBroom Vocals (bckgr)
Dick Parry Sax (Tenor)
Guy Pratt Bass
Doug Sax mastering
Jackie Sheridan Vocals (bckgr)
Jules Bowen mixing assistant
John Robertson mixing assistant
Gary Wallis Percussion, Programming
Storm Thorgerson Cover Design
Ian Wright Artwork