Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey

I remember reading this book about 8 years ago. It still sticks with me. This book is huge. A lot of details about the early days of the band. I think almost half of it is about the Syd Barrett days. I recommend it to any true fan of Pink Floyd, Syd, or of Rock N Roll in general. I wish I didn't lend it out. I will be buying it again for sure. It's well worth it.

Secrets is the best, even handed and articulate book on every phase of Floyd that has been written. Every book I've looked at after argues for Barrett's Floyd, Waters' Floyd or Gilmour's Floyd vs. taking a fair look at the accomplishments of all versions of the band. It's a pity that no journalist has chosen to update the late Nick Schaffner's book. It doesn't cover the very last album made under Gilmour's lead (which, despite much critical bashing, I feel is among their best).Schaffner had access to both insiders and many rare sources when he put this book together in the late 80's (it was published after his death in 1991). His knowledge as a musician also helps give a fairness to the best and worst of Floyd. I was particularly interested in the section that discusses the recording of Barrett's post Floyd solo albums and Wright, Gilmour and Waters' involvement in helping out their own, fragmented friend.There's also a selected discography that includes the results of The Amazing Pudding's '89 Readers Poll of Best and Worst FLoyd albums. The for (pardon the pun)record:Best- Wish You Were Here, Dark Side, The Wall, Animals, Piper at the Gates. The Worst- The FInal Cut. Bestselling (at the time of the book's publication)-Dark Side, The Wall, Wish, Animals and Momentary Lapse. Best Floyd songs-Comfortably Numb, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Echoes, Wish You Were Here, Time. Worst: The Dogs of War.Worth picking up although, again, it obviously lacks any information after 1991. I'd rank Secrets as one of the best books written on the band.

For all Pink Floyd fans who would like to learn more about this extraordinary assemblage of talent, this is the book for you. Schaffner takes us from the earliest years, from before Dave Gilmour was a part of the band, all the way up to the tour for "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason" (the recording of which was later released as "The Delicate Sound Of Thunder"). After reading these pages, one is transfixed with the idea that he has actually known the Floyd personages first-hand. We feel sympathetic for Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett while he slowly (but not subtly) goes insane. We gain a newfound respect for the interchange between Roger Waters the poet & Dave Gilmour the musician. It is fascinating to trace the band's career thru the years as they get along, then don't get along, end up filing lawsuits and (eventually) start taking shots at each other via their music (as in the case of Gilmour's "High Hopes").Most importantly, however, is attention levied on the Floyd's dedication to their craft. Unlike perhaps 90% of the rock bands of today, the Floyd was / is not about image. No dancing with pythons wrapped around their neck, or posters of them with Jack Daniels, or any other nonsense. No, the Floyd has always been about a group of serious musicians getting together to make great things happen. It is no wonder that the late great Leonard Bernstein was such a big fan of theirs. For that matter, it is also no surprise that the Floyd was a big fan of his as well. [You can read all about this relationship / correspondance here, too!]Here is their story, laid out in a exquisite clairty and sensitivity that you will not find in other bios. Schaffner takes us thru the ups, the downs & the in-betweens of one of the most innovative and talented rock bands to ever grace vinyl, audiotape and compact disk. A must read for Pink Floyd fans everywhere.

For those left on the dark side of the moon wondering what happened to Pink Floyd at the end of the 80's, this book goes to the heart. Reading a biography helps you listen to music in a whole different light, leaving you less a fanatic and more sympathetic to how a group of artists (first lesson, normal artists act alone) handle fame and relationships. The Floyd handled it predictably, with denial and immorality: the whole rock star life. Sadly, the life we long for but don't really understand. Nick portrays all this with a close attention to human nature. Not to mention he's followed the band all his life, and was rewarded with rare access on a few occasions. It is not a pleasant read in the fact that many of your preconceived notions of who Pink Floyd "are" will be demolished. Even the "evil" Roger Waters we have all come to love and stereotype is a family man with failings, and we see that his songs simply come out of that frustration with the everyday. His war stuff is just the war stuff we'd write if we put our office rants to paper. And he writes it much better. And Schaffner captures the flavor. This is a very good book.

Though the bad blood between Roger Waters and David Gilmour is no big secret, here we start to understand how it and the biggest band in "psychodelic" music came about. From its "crazy" founder Syd Barrett to the Roger Water's "The Wall" concert in Berlin, Schaffner shows how egos and talent built and tore apart this band. "Saucerful.." seems a bit one sided at times. Waters is almost always depicted as a need-to-be-in-charge egomanic, and despite being kicked out of the band some 25 odd years ago, Barrett's story takes up almost half of the book. This doesn't however take away from the information that's presented here. All of the thoughts, feelings, and goings-on that were present during the making of "Dark Side...", "Atom Heart Mother", "Animals", "The Wall", and all the other great Floyd albums are well described here.This book is a must read for any Floyd fan to see how it all became to be.