Pink Floyd's Richard Wright: A Brief Appreciation

As noted yesterday, Richard Wright, the longtime keyboardist for Pink Floyd, passed away yesterday at the age of 65 [a competent obit can be found on the BBC]. Though perhaps the quietest of all the members, even dating back to founder Syd Barrett, Wright's contributions were crucial to the distinct sonic character of Pink Floyd's sound. It's everywhere - the minimoog runs on Shine On You Crazy Diamond, the lone ping that the 23 minute-long Echoes was developed around and, of course, the minor key meditations of The Great Gig in the Sky, which explode into controlled despair before reverting to quiet hopelessness. Naturally, Wright's contributions to the PF canon were many, and not all were/are as well known as the "hits." What follows are suggestions for, as they say, further listening. Pour a nice glass of something expensive and check out:

San Tropez: Wright's jazz influences are pronounced on San Tropez, a breezy lilt from the Meddle (1971) album. The verses find Wright augmenting guitar strums and quietly sung vocals with relaxed chords, before barely letting loose with a stately solo that skips along leisurely, ably complimenting the comforting resort imagery depicted in the lyric. [Listen to the studio version]

Any Colour You Like: This instrumental track, nestled in the final third of Dark Side Of the Moon (1973), finds Wright providing heavy synth textures that both support and interlace with David Gilmour's wet, staccato guitar play. Though an instrumental, the music helps convey the helplessness and inevitabilities of modern society that is the theme of the entire record, an effect due in no small part to Wright's emotive playing. [Listen to the studio version, or watch live footage here]

See Emily Play: This early single (1967), emblematic of the Barrett-led psychedelic sound that defined the band before Gilmour joined, finds Wright contributing to the barely-controlled chaos with a swirling organ that helps the titular Emily "lose her mind." The childlike trip is given added shots of whimsy in the chorus via the plinking of Wright's toy-like piano. [Watch here]

Of course, there's also Remember a Day, and Welcome to the Machine, and Pigs (Three Different Ones), and Summer '68, and...