Thoughts with Whiskey: 2025-07-11

Tonight's beverage:  Weller Special Reserve.  For the price and availability, probably the best value in my opinion.

Currently reading:  The Innovators.  Walter Isaacson is a great writer, and the history that led to the computer- from the theories of Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace through the invention of the transistor, microchip, and computer- is a powerful story.  I'm learning a lot.

Currently playing:  Nothing.  I have an issue where computer games with first person perspective usually gives me vertigo.  Could use a good new PC game (preferences are for mystery/puzzle/RPG games).  Recommendations are welcomed.

Current recommendation:  Game Changer, from Dropout.  It's a simple formula- take a bunch of comedians, put them in a game where they don't know the rules, and run with it (Taskmaster operates on the same principle, and the episodes are free on youtube).  This year's games have been utterly chaotic and brilliant, and Game Changer alone is worth getting Dropout.

The Pink Floyd retrospective continues next week.  I've known the band's most famous albums, but almost nothing of their earlier stuff.  It's a fascinating group- musically talented, with a lot of ideas- but with their early albums they are still trying to put it all together.  It's not until their eighth album that it finally comes together.  The journey is long but it's worth it.

Pink Floyd Retrospective: Album 03- Soundtrack from the film 'More'

 

For the third album, Pink Floyd makes a soundtrack...

Album:  More (Film Soundtrack)

Year Released:    1969

Lineup:

 Pink Floyd

• David Gilmour – vocals, electric guitar (2, 3, 8–11, 13), acoustic guitar (1, 5), classical guitar (3, 6, 12), percussion (12)
• Nick Mason – drums (2–4, 8–10, 13), bongos (6, 7), percussion (11)
• Roger Waters – bass guitar (1–6, 8–10, 13), tape effects, percussion
• Richard Wright – Farfisa organ (1, 4–6, 8–9, 11, 13), piano (4–6, 9), vibraphone (3, 11), Hammond organ (1), backing vocals

Additional personnel

• Lindy Mason – tin whistle (5, 7)
• Brian Humphries – engineering
• Hipgnosis – sleeve design
• James Guthrie – re-mastering supervision
• Doug Sax – re-mastering

Track Listing:

Side one

No. Title                                                           Length

1. "Cirrus Minor"                                          5:18

2. "The Nile Song"                                  3:26

3. "Crying Song" Waters                          3:33

4. "Up the Khyber" (instrumental)                 2:12

5. "Green Is the Colour"                               2:58

6. "Cymbaline"                                             4:50

7. "Party Sequence" (instrumental)  1:07

Total length: 23:24

Side two

No. Title Length

1. "Main Theme" (instrumental)         5:27

2. "Ibiza Bar"                                 3:19

3. "More Blues" (instrumental)         2:12

4. "Quicksilver" (instrumental)         7:13

5. "A Spanish Piece"                                 1:05

6. "Dramatic Theme" (instrumental) 2:15

Total length: 21:32

Overall Thoughts:

The year after releasing "A Saucerful of Secrets", Pink Floyd created the soundtrack for a movie called More.  The movie itself sounds horrible and unpleasant- a pair of young adults meet, fall for each other, go to Ibiza, and destroy each other with drugs.  Umm, yay?  

But this is about the soundtrack.  Pink Floyd is a good band for soundtracks- the music works in the background.

Pink Floyd continued to be experminetal, adding non-musical sounds into their music.  They lead off the album with the bird chirps right off the bat on the first song, "Cirrus Minor".  "The Nile Song" is the hardest song the group had recorded, venturing into heavy metal.

The music is good.  Nick Mason does great at drums on "Up the Khyber", and Wright's piano and keyboards are excellent.  Half the songs are instrumentals.  

The album isn't bad (Okay, "A Spanish Piece" is awful, but it stands out for being so annoying)... but it's forgettable.  Much like "A Piper At The Gates of Dawn", it's fine to put on in the background, but it's not an album you go out of your way to listen to.  Pink Floyd would be a few more albums away from putting everything together.

Ranking of Pink Floyd Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. A Saucerful of Secrets
2. More
3. Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Top 10 Pink Floyd Songs (changing as more albums are reviewed):

1. "Let There Be More Light", A Saucerful of Secrets
2. "Set The Controls For the Heart of the Sun", A Saucerful of Secrets
3. "Remember A Day", A Saucerful of Secrets
4. "Cirrus Minor", More
5. "Flaming", A Piper At the Gates of Dawn
6. "Astronomy Dominé", A Piper At the Gates of Dawn
7. "A Saucerful of Secrets", A Saucerful of Secrets
8. "Crying Song", More
9. "The Nile Song", More
10. "Matilda Mother", A Piper At the Gates of Dawn

Pink Floyd Retrospective: Album 02- A Saucerful of Secrets

 

So what happens when the heart of your band emotionally disintegrates?

Album:  A Saucerful of Secrets

Year Released:    1968

Lineup:

Pink Floyd

• David Gilmour – guitars (all except 2 and 7), kazoo (4), vocals
• Nick Mason – drums (all except 2), percussion (1, 5, 6, 7), lead vocals (4), kazoo (7)
• Roger Waters – bass guitar (all tracks), percussion (3, 5), vocals
• Richard Wright – Farfisa organ (all tracks), piano (1, 2, 5, 6), Hammond organ (1, 4, 5), Mellotron (5, 6), vibraphone (3, 5), celesta (3), xylophone (6), tin whistle (7), vocals
• Syd Barrett – vocals (7), slide guitar (2), acoustic guitar (2, 7), electric guitar (3, 7)

Additional personnel

• Norman Smith – producer, drums (2), backing vocals (2, 6), voice (4)
• The Stanley Myers Orchestra (4)
• The Salvation Army (The International Staff Band) – brass section (7)

Track Listing:

Side one

No. Title                                                                   Length

1. "Let There Be More Light"                                 5:38

2. "Remember a Day"                               4:33

3. "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun"   5:28

4. "Corproal Clegg"                                               4:12

Side two

No. Title                                                                  Length

5. "A Saucerful of Secrets"                                  11:57

6. "See-Saw"                                      4:36

7. "Jugland Blues"                              3:00

Overall Thoughts:

Hypothetical situation:  The band Queen releases their first album.  There's some good songs- it's a promising group.  You look forward to hearing more music from them.

And then.... Freddy Mercury just vanishes.  *Poof*.  Gone.  No more singing from him, no more songs written by him.

The rest of the band still produces music- but does "Bohemian Rhapsody" exist?  What type of music do they make?  Do they become the hitmaker we think of?  What is the band "Queen" like without their msot charismatic member?

That's pretty much what happened to Pink Floyd.  The first album was dominated by Syd Barrett- he wrote most of the songs, he played the lead guitar, he was the primary singer- he was the core of the band that was signed, and he is the heart and soul of "A Piper at the Gates of Dawn".

And then, a combination of drugs and mental illness made Barrett unresponsive and apathetic.  He stopped playing during concerts and caused several shows to be cancelled.

The rest of the band (Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Richard Wright) brought on David Gilmour to take over guitar duties, with the intention to have Barrett focus on songwriting.  For a short while Pink Floyd was a five person band... but as Barrett's condition worsened, the Band chose not to pick him up for a show, and ousted him.

Barrett's contributions to the second album amounts to one song ("Jugland Blues") that he wrote and sung, and some guitar work.  

And just like that, the core of the Pink Floyd's first album disappeared.  Barrett later had a couple of solo albums before retiring in 1974, shying away from public life.  He passed away in 2006.

As for the album itself-  "A Saucerful of Secrets" is still a psychadelic, progressive album.  But it's more focussed, and the band has levelled up.  Adding Gilmour (an outstanding guitarist) to the band IMMEDIATELY improved the quality of the music, right from the start of the first song, "Let There Be More Light".  Richard Wright's keyboard work is also excellent, especially on "Remember A Day".

The lyrics are less weird than "A Piper At the Gates of Dawn", but also not that memorable.  At this point in their careers, Pink Floyd is more focussed on music than lyrics

"A Piper At the Gates of Dawn" is background music- but you actually listen and pay attention to the music of "A Saucerful of Secrets".  The band has a direction, and focus, and it shows in a clearly better record.

The centerpiece of the album is the title track, which is almost 12 minutes in length.  It hits all of the notes of a long, prog-rock epic... strange title, meanding song, additional sounds besides instruments.  As a bonus, there's even some Orchestral music.  It's not awful, just forgettable.

The album ends with "Jugland Blues", the only song Barrett wrote for the album.  It's disjointed and random.  There's signs of good music, but it only highlights the contrast with the early part of the album.  And confirms why Pink Floyd improved by adding Gilmour.

Ranking of Pink Floyd Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. A Saucerful of Secrets
2. Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Top 10 Pink Floyd Songs (changing as more albums are reviewed):

1. "Let There Be More Light", A Saucerful of Secrets
2. "Set The Controls For the Heart of the Sun", A Saucerful of Secrets
3. "Remember A Day", A Saucerful of Secrets
4. "Flaming", A Piper At the Gates of Dawn
5. "Astronomy Dominé", A Piper At the Gates of Dawn
6. "A Saucerful of Secrets", A Saucerful of Secrets
7. "Matilda Mother", A Piper At the Gates of Dawn
8. "See-Saw", A Saucerful of Secrets
9. "Lucifer Sam", A Piper At the Gates of Dawn
10. "Take up Thy Stethoscope and Walk", A Piper At the Gates of Dawn

Pink Floyd Retrospective: Album 01- A Piper at the Gates of Dawn

 

Another musical retrospective- this one for the classic prog rock group Pink Floyd.  Should be fascinating, as I know their later works very well but hardly anything of their early albums.    

Album:  The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Year Released:    1967

Lineup:

• Pink Floyd

  • Syd Barrett – lead guitar, vocals
  • Roger Waters – bass guitar, vocals
  • Rick Wright – organ, piano, vocals
  • Nick Mason – drums

  Additional musicians

  • Peter Jenner – intro vocalisations ("Astronomy Dominé")
  • Norman Smith – drum roll ("Interstellar Overdrive")

Track Listing:

Side one

No. Title                                                       Length

1. "Astronomy Dominé"                             4:12

2. "Lucifer Sam"                       3:07

3. "Matilda Mother"                       3:08

4. "Flaming"                               2:46

5. "Pow R. Toc H."                               4:26

6. "Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk"   3:05

Side two

No. Title                                                       Length

1. "Interstellar Overdrive"                       9:41

2. "The Gnome"                       2:13

3. "Chapter 24"                       3:42

4. "The Scarecrow"               2:11

5. "Bike"                               3:21

Overall Thoughts:

In 1967 EMI Studios signed a British Band that was earning a reputation as a great underground Psychadelic group- Pink Floyd.  They were led by art student Syd Barrett and architexture students Roger Waters, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason.  Much like another British Classic Rock group from the 1970s (Queen), Pink Floyd was a group of STEM-Oriented musicians with one extremely artistic muse fronting the band.  Barrett's time at the band would be short, but impactful.

Later in the year, they released their first album, "A Piper at the Gates of Dawn".  This is the only album that Barrett dominated- he was the primary songwriter, lead singer and lead guitarist.

It's... a strange album.  It feel less like a group of songs than a collection of sounds.  

Some songs and records grab your attention- from the music or the lyrics, there's something that make you focus on them.  "A Piper at the Gates of Dawn" isn't like that- it's good music, but it's in the background and sets the mood.  It's a good album to put on while focussing on something else- or meditating.

Muscially, they were very experimental and directionless, bringing all sorts of sounds in addition to the basic instruments (guitar/keyboard/bass/drums).  It's mellow and psychadelic.  The songs are short with the exception of the instrumental "Interstellar Overdrive".  It's prog music, but a softer prog than Rush.  

It doesn't sound quite like the Pink Floyd from their biggest hits- this album is driven by Barrett, who isn't involved in their later works.  But there are elements- specifically, adding everyday sounds into the music- that are familiar.

Lyrically... they get weird.  Here's the lyrics from the first verse of "Take up Thy Stethoscope and Walk":

(Doctor, doctor)

I’m in bed (Doctor, doctor)

Aching head (Doctor, doctor)

Gold is lead, (Doctor, doctor)

Choke on bread (Doctor, doctor)

Underfed (Doctor, doctor)

Gold is lead (Doctor, doctor)

Jesus bled (Doctor, doctor)

Pain is red (Doctor, doctor)

Dark doom

Gruel ghoul, greasy spoon

Used spoon, June bloom

Don't expect comprehension of understanding from their lyrics.  Barrett's Floyd doesn't tell a story- it sets an ambiance.  And it often works (not always- "DOOY DOOY", from "Pow R. Toc H." is awful)

Is it a great album?  No.  But it's a pleasant collection of sounds, and it's a good starting point for the band.

Ranking of Pink Floyd Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. A Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Top 10 Pink Floyd Songs (changing as more albums are reviewed):

1. "Flaming", A Piper At the Gates of Dawn
2. "Astronomy Dominé", A Piper At the Gates of Dawn
3. "Matilda Mother", A Piper At the Gates of Dawn
4. "Lucifer Sam", A Piper At the Gates of Dawn
5. "Take up Thy Stethoscope and Walk", A Piper At the Gates of Dawn
6. "Interstellar Overdrive", A Piper At the Gates of Dawn
7. "The Scarecrow", A Piper At the Gates of Dawn
8. "Chapter 24", A Piper At the Gates of Dawn
9. "The Gnome", A Piper At the Gates of Dawn
10. "Bike", A Piper At the Gates of Dawn

Thoughts with Whiskey: 2025-05-25

Current drink:  Maker's Mark.  Not my favorite bourbon, but extremely solid, and a great deal for the price.

• Finished the episode "Who Are You?" from the show Andor.  Absolutely brilliant.  One reason it works is that it's the first show since the 1977 original movie to make the Empire actually competent and scary (the later movies made the Sith scary and the Empire as just their lackeys).  A good guideline for Star Wars is that the more emphasis they put on the Force, the weaker the world gets.

• I'd like to thank Tyrese Haliburton for being the NBA villain they didn't know they needed.  He and the Pacers are both very good and very obnoxious.  Part of me roots for them to lose- the other part wants them to win it all this year so my beloved Cleveland Cavaliers can knock them off next year.

• The House passed the "Big Beautiful Bill" this past week.  Two thoughts:

• Speaker Mike Johnson is, much like Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell, really good at his job.  He twisted enough arms to get the bill passed when it seemed unlikely.
• I'm an old school Conservative.  I like tax cuts, and I think the government overspends.  But with a current debt at over $36 trillion and a current deficit at over $1 trillion (that's over $1,000,000,000,000.00), we really need spending cuts and tax hikes.  This bill does nothing to deal with the debt seriously

• Current game:  The life and suffering of Sir Brante.  Fascinating "Chose Your Own Adventure" type game going over an entire life.  Really enjoying it

Everyone have a great holiday:  Some Gave All 

Thoughts With Whiskey: 2025-05-16

Today's beverage:  Weller Special Reserve.  Probably the best value for bourbon, in my humble opinion.

* The Cleveland Cavaliers of 2024-2025 may be one of my favorite teams to have ever followed, and it was heartbreaking to see them go out in the 2nd round of the playoffs.  I would run it back with the same players; stability is criminally underrated in basketball, and I do think this was a learning experience (though a painful one) for them.  

* Watching season 2 of "Andor" now.  Best Star Wars tv show, even over the Mandalorian.  My plan is to finish the season and then rewatch "Rogue One".    And it continues my theory that the less involved the Force are in the Star Wars Universe, the better.

* I'd chat about politics... but what's the point?  I want my elected officials to be competent, decent, and boring.  Text me when that option becomes available.  

* Pete Rose and 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson are now eligible to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  I lived in Kentucky when Rose broke Ty Cobb's record, and he was deified in that part of the country.  He was a great baseball player and horrible human being.  Though I suppose the same also applies to Ty Cobb and others who are actually in the Hall of Fame.  

* Be well, everyone.  It's rough out there.  

NBA 2025 Lottery Booking

Another year, another potential franchise player that everyone wants.  Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Mister Cooper Flagg.  All of the NBA teams want him, and the teams who did not make the playoffs are in the lottery to earn the right to draft him (if the teams haven't already traded away their picks).  And the draft is supposed to be deep enough that anyone who gets into the top 4 should get an excellet player.  I don't think the lottery is rigged.... but IF it was, here's how I'd book things.

Cooper Flagg

My Crazy Dream Booking: Portland, Sacramento, Houston, Chicago.

When in doubt, pick franchises that haven't ever won the NBA title.  I'm also in favor in giving all of the fanbases hope- and Portland certainly needs some hope.

As an added bonus, if Philadelphia drops from 5 to 7, they lose their pick to OKC.  Add in Phoenix losing their pick to Houston, and it's a lesson in not trading away unprotected draft picks.

  
What Should Happen: Winners of the lottery:  Washington, Charlotte, Toronto, Chicago, 

One thing I've noticed- all of the top prospects end up in the Western confernce. Wembeyana ended up in San Antonio; Zion ended up in New Orleans.  It's one of the reasons the Western Conference is tougher than the Eastern Confernce.

We need some balance- and Washington needs some hope.  Let's give the Eastern conference the top 3 picks  

What Will Happen: Winners of the lottery:  Utah, Washington, Brooklyn, Charlotte

Fourtune favors the worst teams, and the three worst teams end up in the top 4 picks.  Brooklyn is a large city franchise that ends up with a top 3 pick.

What I’m Terrified Will Happen: Dallas, Atlanta, New Orleans, Philadelphia

I don't like rewarding teams that make foolish moves.  Dallas traded Luka Doncic and got an older, injury-prone Anthony Davis for him.  The Dejounte Murray trade cost Atlanta their pick (to San Antonio)- and then Atlanta traded Murray for New Orleans' pick.  

If I Was Booking This And I Hated You: The Lakers get Cooper Flagg

Not possible- but the Lakers have the "I win.  I always win" button.  So never say never...