Books on Pink Floyd

[DoubleDrummer]

Based on previous posts on PE, I have recently read the following books on the subject of Pink Floyd:

Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd (Nick Mason)

Echoes - The Complete History of Pink Floyd (Glen Povey)

Pink Floyd - Their Mortal Remains (various)

I enjoyed all three of these books and, between the three, there is included an awful lot of information.

Each book had its own strengths...............
The Mason book reflects the "I was there" personal experience;
The Povey book provides a remarkable chronological journal of event (rehearsals, recordings and gigs) detail;
Mortal Remains provides beautiful photographs of album art, instruments, posters, etc.

Any fan of the Floyd will enjoy all of these............however, if you had to choose just one, get the Povey book.............excellent work.

[Ground and Sky's Ghost]

Based on previous posts on PE, I have recently read the following books on the subject of Pink Floyd:

Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd (Nick Mason)

Echoes - The Complete History of Pink Floyd (Glen Povey)

Pink Floyd - Their Mortal Remains (various)

I enjoyed all three of these books and, between the three, there is included an awful lot of information.

Each book had its own strengths...............
The Mason book reflects the "I was there" personal experience;
The Povey book provides a remarkable chronological journal of event (rehearsals, recordings and gigs) detail;
Mortal Remains provides beautiful photographs of album art, instruments, posters, etc.

Any fan of the Floyd will enjoy all of these............however, if you had to choose just one, get the Povey book.............excellent work.

I bought Inside Out from the merch stand when Mason's Saucerful of Secrets played in Philly. Enjoyable book, although I thought it went into too much detail about the very early days and then skimmed over the "famous years" too quickly. Still a well-written account of the band, with lots of understated humor and that insider's perspective that you mentioned.

Oddly, my copy was missing pages 16-32 and then made up for it by repeating pages 33-48 twice. I had to borrow a copy from the library to read the missing bit.

[Buddhabreath]

Lost in the Woods is a pretty good read as well, however it focuses exclusively on Syd and early Pink Floyd.

[pb2015]

Nicholas Schaffner's book was great.

[SunshipVoyager1976]

Nicholas Schaffner's book was great.

Jinx!

[ronmac]

Nicholas Schaffner's book was great.

His Beatles Forever book is great.

[SunshipVoyager1976]

I always felt Nicholas Shaffner's "Saucerful of Secrets: the Pink Floyd Odyssey" was pretty damned good.

[GuitarGeek]

I always felt Nicholas Shaffner's "Saucerful of Secrets: the Pink Floyd Odyssey" was pretty damned good.

I thought it was a good book, but I recall there were a few errors here and there, which apparently the result of the book being edited by someone else as Schaeffner was sort of on his death bed at the time (he died of AIDS just months after the book came out). I remember spotting a few of them myself, but the only one I can remember right now is the comment that 1977 was the first time they had played stadiums and arenas, when they in fact played such venues on the 1975 North American tour.

I love the slightly dry humorous aspect to things. Like when he mentions that they didn't play anything from The Final Cut on the A Momentary Lapse Of Reason, followed by a "(no surprise there)" crack. Also the "Careful with the scimitar, Abdul!" line when he's talking about Pros And Cons Of Hitchhiking always made me laugh. Another good bit was the bit how Roger Waters tried to ban everyone from his former band from coming to any of his shows on the Radio KAOS tour, but Scott Page sneaked by because "Nobody knew what Pink Floyd's new sax player looked like".

I seem recall reading that Schaefner also wrote one of the definitive books on The Beatles.

Another one I liked a lot of is Pink Floyd: In The Flesh The Complete Performance History. The Visual Documentary was a good book too. It's funny, I can remember getting these books back in the 90's, and just drooling all the cool concert photos, particularly the ones of Gilmour playing all those cool guitars. But now when I flipped through them, it's kinda "meh-been there, done that". Weird.

Still need to get Nick Mason's book (though I loved the plug Jeremy Clarkson gave to it on Top Gear)

[ronmac]

I seem recall reading that Schaefner also wrote one of the definitive books on The Beatles.

It was one of the definitive books at the time. But, they've all been eclipsed by Lewissohn's work.

[moecurlythanu]

I don't have any other Floyd books to compare it to, but A Visual Documentary By Miles has great photos.

[Halmyre]

I don't have any other Floyd books to compare it to, but A Visual Documentary By Miles has great photos.

Yes it has, the text is mostly contemporary articles and press cuttings but none the worse for that.

[GuitarGeek]

I don't have any other Floyd books to compare it to, but A Visual Documentary By Miles has great photos.

Which version do you have? There's at least three editions that I'm aware. The first was published in 1980 or 1981, and such ends with The Wall concerts (last page has a photo of the collapsed wall from the finale of one of the shows). Then circa 87-88, an updated version was put out, covering the preceding 7 or so years. And the one I have came out in 1994, following the end of the Division Bell tour, but before the release of Pulse. I wonder if it's not been updated again since then.

I spent a lot of time during the latter half o the 90's look at the pictures in that book.

Edit: checking Amazon, there's been at least four editions of A Visual Documentary. The first came out in 1980, and has a photo of the band onstage from 1977. The second edition came out in 1982, and has a picture of them performing Run Like Hell (you can tell because Gilmour is playing a Telecaster) in front of The Wall. The 1988 edition (the "21st anniversary of the first single" edition) has a photo of the band from the A Momentary Lapse Of Reason tour, with red lasers. And the 1994 edition (which I don't see listed on Amazon) has a photo of them onstage during the 94 tour.

[moecurlythanu]

Which version do you have? There's at least three editions that I'm aware. The first was published in 1980 or 1981, and such ends with The Wall concerts (last page has a photo of the collapsed wall from the finale of one of the shows). Then circa 87-88, an updated version was put out, covering the preceding 7 or so years. And the one I have came out in 1994, following the end of the Division Bell tour, but before the release of Pulse. I wonder if it's not been updated again since then.

I spent a lot of time during the latter half o the 90's look at the pictures in that book.

Edit: checking Amazon, there's been at least four editions of A Visual Documentary. The first came out in 1980, and has a photo of the band onstage from 1977. The second edition came out in 1982, and has a picture of them performing Run Like Hell (you can tell because Gilmour is playing a Telecaster) in front of The Wall. The 1988 edition (the "21st anniversary of the first single" edition) has a photo of the band from the A Momentary Lapse Of Reason tour, with red lasers. And the 1994 edition (which I don't see listed on Amazon) is the 1994 edition.

Mine has a 1980 date. It's printed in Japan but appears to be the UK edition. It covers up through The Wall tour and has a painting of an exploding wall on the front cover, and a picture of the band standing in front of the collapsed wall on the back. The last page is a b&w photo of a forest scene at dusk with some objects (lights?) forming a question mark. No mention of a revision or later version. I don't recall when I bought it, but probably not later than 1990.

[pb2015]

The second edition came out in 1982, and has a picture of them performing Run Like Hell (you can tell because Gilmour is playing a Telecaster) in front of The Wall.

When I was a young Floyd fan around 1983 or 4 I had that book, and a book of Floyd's lyrics (Dark Side through The Wall) that also had a couple of Waters interviews.

[Cygnus74]

Pigs Might Fly by Mark Blake is an excellent thorough account of their story that goes up to the Live8 reunion. Recommended

[Trane]

I know I enjoyed immensely Mason's book (small version)

I have another one, but can't think of its title - I'll look it up this w-e if I think about it.

[bigbassdrum]

I have a paperback, "The Pink Floyd" by Rick Sanders, copyright 1976 (although the cover simply shows "Pink Floyd")

It's a nice account of the band up to just releasing Wish You Were Here

[GuitarGeek]

I have a paperback, "The Pink Floyd" by Rick Sanders, copyright 1976 (although the cover simply shows "Pink Floyd")

It's a nice account of the band up to just releasing Wish You Were Here

That was the very first book about the band. I've never seen it. Any photos in it?

[bigbassdrum]

That was the very first book about the band. I've never seen it. Any photos in it?

Yes, 8 pages right in the middle of the book, thus 16 b&w photos. The first is "february 1967, Signing the recording contract with EMI. Syd, Beecher Stevens, Roger, Nick, Rick, Andrew King"; the last is simply "The Pink Floyd post-concert" which I'm guessing is 1976.

There is also a Chronology, a Discography, and "record lore"

[GuitarGeek]

Yes, 8 pages right in the middle of the book, thus 16 b&w photos. The first is "february 1967, Signing the recording contract with EMI. Syd, Beecher Stevens, Roger, Nick, Rick, Andrew King"; the last is simply "The Pink Floyd post-concert" which I'm guessing is 1976.

Well, Pink Floyd didn't play any shows in 1976, so if the last photo is "post-concert", then it would have to have been no later than 1975.

[rickawakeman]

I have the Sanders paperback too. Picked it up in London in ca.'78

[happytheman]

I have a paperback, "The Pink Floyd" by Rick Sanders, copyright 1976 (although the cover simply shows "Pink Floyd")

It's a nice account of the band up to just releasing Wish You Were Here

I've never seen this one.. Amazon has a used copy for $20.. if this is the same book you are referring to.. for me Saucer was a great book.. I have several others..
20 bucks.jpg

[bigbassdrum]

I've never seen this one.. Amazon has a used copy for $20.. if this is the same book you are referring to.. for me Saucer was a great book.. I have several others..
20 bucks.jpg

Yes, that is the book I have. The spine shows THE PINK FLOYD Rick Sanders

[Rarebird]

I have a paperback, "The Pink Floyd" by Rick Sanders, copyright 1976 (although the cover simply shows "Pink Floyd")

It's a nice account of the band up to just releasing Wish You Were Here

I have that one as well.
-
And I have Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin - Pink Floyd all the songs (in a Dutch translation)

[interbellum]

Although I do have a book on PF (written in Dutch by Wouter Bessels last year) and one about Syd Barrett (Crazy Diamond) all other books on PF I own are about their album-covers. So a lot of Hipgnosis-stuff plus the already mentioned Their Mortal Remains.