Richard Wright - Broken China
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Free Music Notes for Broken China
Free Music Review: It's nice music
Hit: 4 Stars
I expected more form Rick Wright, but he is not Gilmour nor Waters. It's good music, although. But Pink Floyed fans could find it plain.Free Music Review: Arguably Rick Wright's best solo album to date
Hit: 5 Stars
Pink Floyd keyboard player Rick Wright released his second proper solo album Wet Dream in October of 1996 in Europe and here in the US in March of 1997.
Broken China was Rick's first solo album under his own name since his 1978 classic but wrongly overlooked Wet Dream (we're not counting 1984's debacle Zee Identity collaboration with ex-Fashion member Dave Harris).
On Broken China, Rick collaborates with Anthony Moore, whom had worked on Pink Floyd's 1994 album The Division Bell writing Wearing The Inside Out's lyrics and Anthony wrote some lyrics on 1987's A Momentary Lapse of Reason. Like Floydmate singer/guitarist David Gilmour, Rick can't write lyrics well but excels writing great works of music.
Broken China's concept is based on actual events Rick had experienced with his then-girlfriend and now-wife Millie whom battled clinical depression which she triumphed over.
Wright employed a team of superb musicians to assist him on Broken China including guitarists Tim Renwick and Dominic Miller (Sting), drummer Manu Katche (Peter Gabriel and Robbie Robertson) and bass player Pino Pallidino(The Who, David Gilmour among others). We also hear cello from Sian Bell, oboe by Kate St John (ex of Dream Academy) and guest vocals by Sinead O'Connor.
Broken China opens with the beautiful instrumental "Breaking Water" which is musically the son of Cluster One from The Division Bell. It segues into the track "Night Of A Thousand Furry Toys" which is a very catchy song about those precious influential early years of one's development as an impressionable child. The subject of child abuse is discussed in "Hidden Fear" in which Wright showcases some hidden vocal talents that wasn't heard in the Floyd catalog since Obscured by Clouds' Stay and soon we're back into instrumental territory with the sinister Runaway which ends the "catalyst leading to condition" portion of the album.
The next two tracks "Unfair Ground" and "Satellite" are great instrumentals with Renwick playing great solos on the latter. The album's standout track "Woman Of Custom" is next and Dominic's acoustic guitar is accented by a strong vocal delivery by Rick. The second section closes with "Interlude" in which the album reaches new dark conceptual lows sealing depression.
The short "Black Cloud" is a intro to the album's greatest track "Far From The Harbour Wall" which is the closest representation of what clinical depression is on album and also Rick's reaction to it. "Drowning" is a downward spiral yet powerful instrumental into total darkness. "Reaching For The Rail" features Irish songstress Sinead O'Connor delivering a vocal performance that must have hit pretty close to home for her, given her abusive childhood experiences. Though I didn't like Sinead's music, she does a great job on this track as does Renwick whose guitar solo here is SUPERB.
The album's last four songs finds happiness starting with "Blue Room in Venice" which is a great piece. Next is the gorgeous "Sweet July" which is a great showcase of Rick's tasteful piano, coupled with Miller's guitar. The rocker "Along The Shoreline" is next and sounds like the son of "Run Like Hell" but is positive though, and serves as an epiphany of love and respect with Renwick adding another Gilmour-esque solo and a superb Wright keyboard solo. Sinead O' Connor gets the album's last word on "Breakthrough" which gives the album a happy ending. Her voice is perfectly well suited here too in what's naturally a song to be sung from the female perspective. Works out perfectly! Rick performed this track with David Gilmour on the latter's 2002 Royal Festival Hall concerts which was documented on the David Gilmour in Concert DVD in 2002.
While Broken China is a great solo record, the album was overlooked as Hanson and The Spice Girls heisted the music scene in the US and UK. Sales notwithstanding, this record is superb.
RECOMMENDED!
Free Music Review: A must have....
Hit: 4 Stars
After TDB RW had teh audacity to compose and play this album, is not an easy listener, but you have most wonderfull sound landscapes as well as very nice crafted songs.
It's a long album, and a weird album, and a nice album, one someone who has just listened to "turning the inside out..." would easily understand the master playing touch for this wonderful piano player.
Free Music Review: Stop pumping this terrible CD...
Hit: 1 Stars
I recently purchased this CD used at used CD shop and had to go back the next day and sell it back to the shop at a loss. It is a terrible CD and no one should waste their money on it.Free Music Review: I cannot put it down.....!
Hit: 5 Stars
When I first purchased this album in Sept.2006, I haven't been able to put it down since.
It took a few "listens" until I really appreciated this great piece of work by Rick. It appears to give me something a little different each time I listen to it. I had thought that there was nothing better than Water's "Amused To Death" but boy was I wrong. What a rich and profound album this is! You get a little bit of everything FLOYD here and it just all comes together perfectly. The begining (underwater sequence) is unbeleivable in Q sound right up until "A Thousand Furry Toys" where the story now begins. You will think that YOU are in a coma but you are quickly brought out of it and now realize that being a child, as in this case, an abused one, is being tossed about by it's parents into a bizzar world of obscurity and demise. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel for this poor child and in the end reaches for the sun just like a "banner unfurled and gently blown, and then before your wondering eyes a self you've never known".
Thanks Mr. Richard Wright ! Let's do it again........soon.