Often lodged somewhere in between the Roger Waters and David Gilmour strife, Rick Wright was often overlooked in the Pink Floyd framework. He lived a very private life, but whether working on a solo album or helping out Gilmour on his own work, Wright would always turn up somewhere, which is why his passing on Sunday really hit me.
With Pink Floyd, he was always there in some capacity but hardly ever announced his presence, as he simply danced around somewhere on the outskirts of the band's notoriously dark sound. He helped immensely to create the enigma that defines the Floyd aura that we still enjoy today.
Unlike Gilmour, Wright was a founding member of Pink Floyd. While Waters set up the disillusioned themes for Gilmour to sing, it was Wright who helped to put them into context by conveying the mood with his keystrokes. Wright, who was also an accomplished vocalist, complemented Gilmour's smooth vocal graces on a number of harmonies, with my favorite being from the song "Echoes" - a 20-minute journey into the deep that starts with Wright's sonar-like piano opening.
Consider The Dark Side of the Moon without the songs "Us and Them" and "The Great Gig in the Sky," which were two of Wright's most prominent compositions. These songs, although not outwardly boasting the arrogance and might of the Dark Side's classic rock-radio gems, were just as important in the creation of the masterpiece. Without them, you could argue that Dark Side would have been just another amazing Pink Floyd album, not the creed for an entire lost generation. The stars always seemed to line up perfectly for Pink Floyd, which I am convinced had much to do with Wright's subtle musings. Gilmour even said, "In my view, all the greatest Pink Floyd moments are the ones where he is in full flow."
Gilmour went on to say, "In the welter of arguments about who or what was Pink Floyd, Rick's enormous input was frequently forgotten. He was gentle, unassuming, and private, but his soulful voice and playing were vital, magical components of our most recognized Pink Floyd sound."
In an ode to one of my musical heroes, I sought out to complete this piece in less than 42 minutes and 52 seconds, which is the length of The Dark Side of The Moon. Fittingly, I write this last sentence as Wright's Hammond organ explosion guides the transition into "Eclipse."
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