"Remember a day before day, a day when you were young. Free to play alone with time, evening never came."
-Remember a Day
Musicians, artists, and writers have long been my her
oes. Although many are truly regular men and women in most every other respect, I cannot help but marvel at the ability of these people to create a lasting work that inspires emotion and thought days, months, years, or even centuries after their birth. And I cannot help but feel a loss when someone of talent passes - all the potential works that could have enriched humanity are lost forever in that moment.
Richard Wright died today.
I cannot speak to Richard Wright's life or his merits. If I had met him on the street yesterday, I would not have known who he was. All I can speak to is how his artistic work enriched my life.
Richard Wright was a founding member of Pink Floyd.
As a musician, his organs and keyboards provided a lush landscape upon which Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, and Nick Mason could further develop the psychedelic sounds which propelled the imagination.
As one of the band's primary vocalists in the early days, his light, clear, yet strong voice provided a needed contrast to Syd's madcap cackling, Roger's barely restrained barking, or Gilmour's often ironic indulgence. When Richard lent his voice to a track, he imbued the song with an honesty that often was missing from the others' vocals.
As a lyricist, he maintained a tone of wistful longing on tracks like Remember a Day, See-Saw, or Summer '68 that seemed more appreciative of the human condition than the mania of Barrett or the growing experiments and sarcasm of Waters. As an example, here are the lyrics to Summer '68, a song about a one night stand.
Would you like to say something before you leave?
Perhaps you'd care to state exactly how you feel
We said goodbye before we said hello
I hardly even like you
I shouldn't care at all
We met just six hours ago
The music was too loud
From your bed I gained a day and lost a bloody year
And I would like to know
How do you feel?
How do you feel?
Not a single word we said
Delights still without fears
Occasionally you showed a smile
But what was the need
I felt the cold far too soon
The wind of '95
My friends are lying in the sun
I wish that I was there
Tomorrow brings another town
Another girl like you
Have you time before you leave to greet another man?
Just you let me know
How do you feel?
How do you feel?
The song conveys the honest complexity of human emotion. It was supposedly one night's pleasure, and yet the narrator is perplexed by the distance between him and his partner. This isn't a bawdy song of lust or conquest, it is a reflection of the conflicting desire to connect emotionally while remaining detached from a random sexual partner. And it's a well composed musical piece as well, beginning with a gentle rolling piano section before a blare of horns forces a start upon you, just as the dawn of a new day shocks the narrator from his momentary reverie.
It is my regret that Richard Wright's contributions seemed to dwindle as Pink Floyd grew. While much of their later pieces are wonderful testaments to the talents of Waters and Gilmour, the output after
Dark Side of the Moon began to lack the frank simple sentiments that Wright managed to incorporate into earlier work.
While there is little to celebrate when a man or woman of talent and vision passes, at least we can be comforted that their efforts will live on in their creations.
Thank you for the music and the inspiration, sir.
-DJ Cheshire Cat
http://djcheshirecat.com
djcheshirecat@djcheshirecat.com
