Fuck man, I’ve been out of town, not paying attention to music news. I wondered why the flags were at half-mast in Vancouver… I’m only half-joking here. Founding member of legendary progressive / psychedelic rock band Pink Floyd, Richard Wright, passed away on Monday from cancer. This is the first I’ve heard of it, so sorry about the late news. Best known for his organ playing in the band, Richard Wright was responsible for much of teh band’s sonic palette, combining piano, organs and early synthesizers into an etherial backdrop for Roger Waters’ rich lyrics. Wright was dismissed by the band in the early ’80s for purported drug abuse, then re-hired when guitarist David Gilmour revived the band in the mid-’80s.

Richard Wright was kinda the George Harrison of the group, if you will (except, really, Wright’s solo albums were pretty bland.) His contributions to Dark Side of The Moon (”Us and Them” and “Great Gig in the Sky” specifically) were monumental, and while his influence on Pink Floyd’s music after the mid ’70s is debatable, his re-joining the group after Water’s departure certainly helped the new lineup hold water against the band’s former fans/detractors. Time to dust off that copy of Live at Pompeii…

From AP:

LONDON (AP) — Richard Wright, a founding member of Pink Floyd, died Monday. He was 65.

The rock group’s spokesman, Doug Wright, who’s unrelated, said Wright died after a battle with cancer at his home in Britain. He said the band member’s family did not want to give more details about his death.

Here’s a picture of the Deathstar trying to blow up the Dark Side of the Moon prism which is the source of all rainbows for Earth.

For the guitar geeks out there, this one is a treat: Fender is announcing a September 22nd release date for Pink Floyd’s axeman David Gilmour’s signature Stratocaster. The original guitar which is being reproduced, the legendary ‘Black Strat’, has been used heavily on classics like Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall. The original has been heavily modded since its original purchase by Gilmour in 1970, and the re-release is set to contain reproductions of all the upgrades. The press release is kind of TL;DR, but I’m stoked on it so I’mma post it in full.

For many years, guitarists have clamored for and indulged in much wishful thinking about one guitar in particular—a David Gilmour signature model Stratocaster® based on Gilmour’s famous “Black Strat.” They’re about to get their wish.

In a most eagerly awaited musical event, the Fender Custom Shop and Gilmour will at last make available just such an instrument on Sept. 22, 2008—the David Gilmour Signature Series Stratocaster® guitar—which coincides with the release of Gilmour’s three-disc Live in Gdansk CD/DVD set. The instrument is based on Gilmour’s beloved Black Strat and was created by Fender Custom Shop craftsmen to mirror the look, sound and feel of the original instrument.

Gilmour’s original black Stratocaster has become the stuff of legend among guitarists and discerning Pink Floyd fans. Heavily modified and experimented on over the decades—often by Gilmour himself—the guitar became a cornerstone of Pink Floyd’s surreally psychedelic sound as soon as Gilmour got it, and it was featured prominently on seminal chart-topping albums such as The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979), in addition to Gilmour’s acclaimed solo albums David Gilmour (1978), About Face (1983) and On An Island (2006).

Gilmour bought the stock original at Manny’s Music in New York in May 1970, in time to use it on Pink Floyd’s fifth album, Atom Heart Mother. It quickly became his main guitar onstage and in the studio, and, famously, he and longtime guitar tech Phil Taylor were constantly modifying it and experimenting with its neck, hardware and electronics. The black guitar acquired a black pickguard in summer 1974, thus assuming its darkest and most famous incarnation, plus an enduring nickname—the Black Strat.

The Fender Custom Shop worked closely with Gilmour and Taylor in recreating the Black Strat as the new David Gilmour Signature Series Stratocaster guitar. Main features include an alder body, black over Three-color Sunburst finish, a black pickguard, a one-piece straight-grain maple neck, custom pickups and electronics, and a shortened vintage tremolo arm. The guitar will be available in N.O.S. (new old stock) and Relic® treatments.

Further, the guitar comes with a custom case, an Evidence high-end guitar cable, the Live in Gdansk CD/DVD set and Taylor’s 2007 book about the guitar’s history, The Black Strat. The first 500 sold in either finish option will include a limited edition copy of The Black Strat autographed by Taylor.

I got back from camping at the Bobolink Festival on Monday and I still haven’t been able to wash the hippie out of my hair. Shit, at least I didn’t come back with dreads…

This weekend I threw down the traipsing of indie rock and reverted to the 19 year old Spencer who traded ’70s Pink Floyd bootlegs with other longhairs; the one who found neither the smell of patchouli oil nor the color scheme of tie-dye totally atrocious. And I’m supposed to be writing about it for the Synthesis Weekly right now. But for some reason, the only thing i want to do is watch Jake and Amir videos and get stoned.

See this cat? His name is John Staton, he plays the skins for On The One, formerly of Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe. Staton stole the show for me, even after The Living legends’ Grouch and Eli tore it up the night before. On The one laid it down. God, I really should write this fucking review… Jake and Amir? Save me.