I've seen a lot of mention of TDB on this forum, mostly either saying it is a sad testiment to the "old Pink Floyd sound" or that it is a good album... but I haven't seen much elaboration on the issue of the album alone.

I was wondering if we could all take a stab at giving the Division Bell objective reviews in detail, so we could talk in depth about what is good and bad on the album.

When I first heard it, I hadn't known the whole Pink Floyd story... and assuming the original band were all still together... I stated "Boy that's really quite a light-hearted Pink Floyd album... The others all seem very dark."

Obviously it was distinctive in some way from the others... but interestingly enough, I didn't think MLOR was that different from the prior albums.

Anyway... I think the gentleness of the piano and the guitar on Cluster One is really wonderful... that it leads into WDYWFM very nicely...

However... I think WDYWFM has too much of a gospel-y sound to it. Actually, I feel like the whole album has way too much "choir singing" going on... and that this is one of the big downfalls of the album.

The guitar on WDYWFM is nice... very nice actually... but the melody is just, well, plain I think...

Poles Apart I LOVE. Dunno why... just love it. I guess I favor that echoey sound that permeates much of Pink Floyd and that this song is like a much brighter sounding version of their past work. Plus it's about Syd, so how could it not sound that way... haha... Does anyone else think the carnival sounding interlude in the middle of Poles (3:36 into the song on CD) sounds a lot like those on The Wall? I swear it was taken right from the Wall, but I don't know which part. That's the only part of the song I think doesn't fit and is bad.

I'm completey disappointed with Marooned, although I think it's one of the songs that more sounds like the way Floyd "used to be". It's too drawn out and unemotional... repetitive I feel.

A Great Day For Freedom at least has some decent lyrics... sorry all... but even though I really love Dave's musical abilities, I still think his writing lacks A LOT. This song is OK but doesn't do much for me.

Inside Out... now this is a good melody... a good MOOD song... like the guitar solo too... the only complaint I have here is that Rick Wright sounds like he's absolutely DYING while singing it... like it's using up all the energy he has to actually get the words out into audible sounds... but then... that's the whole theme of the song isn't it - that he's "overrun"? And again... what's with teh gospel crap in the background???

Take It Back... here's a good song too... I like the uplifting nature of it... and the lyrics are decent here too...

Coming Back to Life - possible the best lyrics on the whole CD and ironically, those written by Dave himself. I like this song a lot too... but the only thing I would have changed is the da-dah da-dah beat in the background... it's a little nerve-wracking.

Keep Talking - I love the sound effects and guitar on this one, especially in the beginning... very good song... I think it sounds a little more like the earlier work...
Of course, here we are AGAIN with teh gospel crap...

Lost for words sounds like a bad country song I think. I don't like it very much. And I think the lyrics are not poetic enough... Of course, I guess this song relates to Roger Waters and Dave's disagreements... especially the last line... but it sounds really frustrated on Dave's part and even more disturbing... it sounds like Dave is trying to be mystical - "there'll be no safety in numbers/when the right one walks out of the door" riiiiiiight... the "right one"...

A lot of the songs on TDB address Roger, even if it is in a very subtle way... I think this was obviously on purpose since the whole theme of the record is "communication" (or lack thereof on Roger and Dave's parts).

High Hopes is absolutely wonderful. Love the bell ringing. Love the sound effects. Love the melody and chorus. Wonder what you all think of the lyrics. They're supposedly Dave's recollections of his life, from a middle-aged perspective. I think he sounds sad about what happened to all the band members... but then says they're "still looking to the horizons"... I dunno... I just like this song... It's my favorite with Poles Apart.

What do you all think of TDB? :smile: