
A little over a week ago Richard Wright, most famously known for his work as the keyboard player in Pink Floyd, died on the 15th of September after a short battle with cancer.
The bigger part of Wright's career started in 1965. Wright, along with his college friends Roger Waters and Nick Mason founded the band The Pink Floyd Sound together with guitarist and vocalist Syd Barrett. They set off Pink Floyd's mainstream career with their debut album "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn", which is now hailed as one of the greatest psychedelic rock records in history. Only to go on and make even more critically acclaimed records in the 1970s like "The Dark Side of the Moon", "Wish You Were Here" and "The Wall", just to name a few. Wright's role and importance is often one that the media tend to push back behind the other members of the band, especially behind Waters and Gilmour (Gilmour joined, and eventually replaced Barrett in '68). Nick Mason said last week that Wright often ended up being "the George Harrison of the group" since his contributions are frequently forgotten regardless of their massive importance.
While Wright is said to have had more impact on songwriting and more of a leadership status (behind Barrett), in the early years. It is his compositions in the middle years of Pink Floyds career that is really important. Wright's very unique jazz and neoclassic infused style ended up being one of the main trademarks of the band, his otherworldly and often ghostly and spiritual sounds are easy to make out. "Interstellar Overdrive", "A Saucerful of Secrets" and "Echoes", along with "The Great Gig In The Sky", "Us And Them" and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" are all great examples of Wright's sheer musical brilliance. His playing is often what bridged the gap between the other sounds and instruments, in many ways Richard Wright was the binding force of the band's music and an important ingredient in pushing Pink Floyd from great, to legendary. None of the band's albums would have been the same without him (ignoring his brief split with the band after "The Wall"), and neither would the last 45 years in music.
Rest in Peace Richard Wright
Enjoy The Great Gig In The Sky..
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