Another piece of notable Rock and Roll history evaporated into the ethers of death Monday when Richard Wright succumbed to the cancer that had recently afflicted him.  As a founding member of Pink Floyd, he was there during the psychedelic Barrett years and was there during the highly successful string of hit albums that began with Dark Side of the Moon.  Not only did he provide the memorable keyboards heard on many classic tunes from all of those albums, but he also helped in the writing of some of those songs.

High profile turmoil marred the accelerating greatness of the band in their continued recording after Animals.  But that conflict never smeared the output that now lives on in light of the death of Richard Wright.  Richard Wright left a legacy behind that will forever be remembered.

We’re so very lucky that Pink Floyd reunited in 2005 during the Live 8 benefit concert.  That moment in time is one of the more valuable streams of Rock ‘n’ Roll history and I’m glad that it occurred.  The reformation of Pink Floyd at this juncture is now a moot point.  It would not hold the same magic.

So when you look up into the constellation of stars tonight, you’ll note one shining a little brighter than the rest.  That will be Richard Wright.  I think it appropriate at this point to say to Mr Wright, who has blessed us with his imaginative contributions to music, to Shine On You Crazy Diamond.  We Wish You Were Here.

Now, it is only fitting that you pull out a copy of your favourite Pink Floyd album and listen to it, even at maximum volume.  The wind of that music will escort Richard Wright to his rightful place in The Great Band.

Richard Wright
1943-2008
RIP

We have two new reviews for you that include the latest album by Al Stewart called Sparks of Ancient Light as well as Hybrid by indie artist, Elsiane.  On Monday, we’ll bring you two multi-disc reviews.  The first will be the collection of Japanese mini-LP styled reissues from Eno of a significant part of his career catalogue.  Also, we have a review of the recent reissues of albums by Thunder.

We will continue to provide you an opportunity to vote on the Black Sabbath ‘Best Album’ poll, results which will be posted on Monday, September 22.

We'll see you again on Friday with more.

If you have missed the last As The Disc Spins (updated), check it out here.

To access the previous site and catch up, click here.

Ghostlight Records will issue an album by Klea Blackhurst and Billy Strich, who will take the songs of Hoagy Carmichael and give it their personal touch.  The album is called Dreaming of a Song – The Music of Hoagy Carmichael and will be available on October 28.

Columbia will be releasing a 1CD Essential Collection and a 2CD Ultimate Essential Collection for Celine Dion.  The single CD will contain 17 songs that include a previously unreleased track (“There Comes a Time”), while the 2CD version will add nine additional songs.  These collection sets are scheduled for October 28.

The 5CD set called Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr Hunter S Thompson is a massive collection of spoken words from the good Doctor.  The five discs in the set run the gamut from Hell’s Angels to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas to Fear and Loathing in Saigon.  Intended as a companion piece to the recently released film called Gonzo, this 5CD set will be a great addition to the serious collector of Hunter S Thompson wit and wisdom.  For those of us who revered the sometimes insane perfection of the Doctor’s perceptive style, this 6x12 lidded Box will be unmatched.  The Box also contains a 44-page booklet with photos and more.  This set is geared to a release date of October 28, which is slightly ahead of the Magnolia Pictures DVD release of Gonzo slated for November 18.  Essential!!

Arista Records will release the next Dido album called Safe Trip Home, scheduling the album for November 4.

Shout! Factory will release Greatest Bits for Rodney Dangerfield on November 4.

Columbia will release a Special 1CD package from Bob Dylan, gleaned from his Bootleg Series (Volume 8) called Tell Tales Signs.  This CD will contain 13 tracks featuring previously unreleased material and alternate versions of songs from Bob Dylan’s vaults.  This is set for release on November 4 and coincides with the Simon & Schuster release of a Bob Dylan book.

Eagle Rock Entertainment will release a DVD in their Classic Albums series.  This one is for the Duran Duran album, Rio and will be issued on November 4.  Eagle Rock Entertainment will also release a Various Artists DVD called Come Together: A Night for John Lennon’s Words and Music.  It is scheduled for November 4.  The label will also release a CD for ZZ Top called Live From Texas.  It’s on the calendar for November 4.

EmArcy will release a DVD for Sonny Rollins called Sonny Rollins in Vienna and will release it on October 28.

Trustkill Records will release Singularity from Adversary on November 11.

Fontana International will release Anthems for the Rejected by April on November 4.

Geffen Records will release Gold for Bo Diddley planning the album for October 28.

Al Stewart has been in the business of music for many years. At a point, he was a spopular as you could get with his spectacular Year of the Cat album. His newest, Sparks of Ancient Light does a magnificent job of traveling those same pathways.

After Rod Argent's departure from The Zombies, he formed a resilient band that has produced some memorable songs, some even hits for other bands. This collection overviews Argent's songs and does a fine job of it. The Singles Collection for the releases of Argent is a fine issue.