Apple has a tendency of doing things that just constitute icing on the cake. Like, recently I discovered that when I started a video chat, it conveniently paused my iTunes track that was playing so that I could hear the other person talk, and resumed it again when I stopped chatting.

One of Apple’s most recent icing on the cake features is Gapless Playback in iTunes and iPod. That is to say, Apple has finally removed the nasty little half second gap between songs that plagues most computer-based music, and iPod fans in particular.  Having applied the iPod updates, I’m pleased to discover that the fruits of Apple’s big iPod/iTunes announcements this week have trickled down to us older users.

However, while music aficionados are praising Apple for Gapless playback in opera, classical, and live music, my ultimate playback challenge is of course Pink Floyd.  Pink Floyd music has that timeless appeal of the concept album, and more often than not songs fluidly flow from one into the other in an atmospheric treat for the ears.  I was thrilled to discover that Dark Side of the Moon played perfectly in iTunes 7, and more thrilled to discover that it played flawlessly on the iPod as well.  Glad I didn’t have to upgrade to get this feature!  Thank you Apple!

I’m back! I realized that my blog has been sitting idle for some months, primarily because I moved to a new server that supports Ruby on Rails, and I’ve been too lazy to migrate my blog with the site.

But, it was this morning while migrating my blog postings for the past year+ that I realized how valuable this blog is. It really doesn’t matter to me that no one reads my blog (assuming the scant reader sees this, my apologies for calling you no one!), what matters is that I’ve captured some stuff that I personally find interesting, such as my thoughts on the media during the Katrina crisis. Then looking at the dates and times that these entries were posted, it really adds an interesting perspective to things. I mean, here I am less than a year since my “Considering a Mac” post, and now I have not just an iMac, but a MacBook and an iPod as well.

With all that said, with the transfer I thought I’d try something a bit different: moving to WordPress. WordPress is one of the de facto standard open-source blogging softwares, and it has some features that my former blog, Nucleus CMS, didn’t have. If nothing else, I’d like to make sure that the MySQL that my entries are in are supported enough to be flexibly moved.

I’ve got quite some catching up to do, as many of the last things I’ve mentioned have changed (PULSE is FINALLY released, but founding member Syd Barret has sadly since passed away, Star Trek XI is confirmed to be un-stalled–with teaser poster no less, Dreamworks have released a teaser trailer for the upcoming live-action Transformers movie, Airbus has fallen into a bit of a crisis and are now playing up the A350XWB, Fox News and Newt Gingrich have declared World War III, and so on). Additionally, I’ll need to migrate the look and feel of this blog back to being similar to my main website at www.kenpardue.com. Shouldn’t be too hard, but I’ll have to put my CSS hat on again.

I’ve got David Gilmour’s new solo album, On an Island.  Given that this isn’t a Pink Floyd album, it does have several moments on it reminiscent of the last two Floyd albums headed by Gilmour.  It opens with a very mood-setting atmospheric track (Castellorizon), and several of the songs are reminiscent of some of the pre-1973/Dark Side era.  Where we Start in particular could be right off of Meddle, had I not known better.

All in all though, it’s very distinct from anything prior.  It’s Gilmour’s chance to move into a different direction, not one that is predefined by what people expect Pink Floyd to be.  And he does it well, in 51 minutes of an ethereal, new age blusey bliss.

Now the other side of this is that I found out that the release of the Pulse DVD was delayed primarily just so that the release of On an Island and Pulse wouldn’t occur at the same time!  Doh!

Every now and again, an old lyric strikes me with a paritcular philosophical, emotional, or political meaning.  Such is the case with this old Roger Waters song, originally written as an anti Communist-vs-Capitalist mantra, called Towers of Faith.

The prophet reclined

When the gates are closed after dark

Finally, after years of long waiting, Pink Floyd is releasing their 1995 PULSE concert on DVD.  It was announced on both Brain Damage and Fleeting Glimpse, two of the most reliable Floydian news sites.  The date, which is now actually official from EMI and not an estimate set forth by Pink Floyd Management, is December 5 of this year… my birthday.  I know what my present to myself is!

Here’s the finalized track listing:

DISC 1

Concert Part 1:

Shine On

Learning To Fly

High Hopes

Take It Back

Coming Back To Life

Sorrow

Keep Talking

Another Brick In The Wall (part 2)

One of These Days

Screen Films:

Shine On

High Hopes

Learning to Fly

Bootlegging the Bootleggers:

What Do You Want From Me

On The Turning Way

Poles Apart

Marooned

Shorts:

Time (Eames)

Money (Alien)

Speak To Me 1987

Pulse TV Advert

Videos:

Learning To Fly

Take It Back

DISC 2

Concert Part 2:

Speak To Me

Breathe

On The Run

Time

The Great Gig In The Sky

Money

Us And Them

Brain Damage

Eclipse

Wish You Were Here

Comfortably Numb

Run Like Hell

Screen Films:

Speak To Me (graphic)

On The Run

Time 1994

The Great Gig in the Sky (wave)

Money

Us And Them 1987

Brain Damage

Eclipse

Alternate Screen Films:

The Great Gig In The Sky (animation)

Us And Them 1994

Behind the Scenes Footage:

Goodbye to Life As We Know It

Wish You Were Here:

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Photo Gallery

Further to this entry, Pink Floyd Management have just announced via representatives at Brain Damage that the PULSE concert DVD has been delayed yet again. The news was “They are hoping that it can still be released later this year, but in an effort to manage expectations, warn that it is not guaranteed. It may slip into the early part of next year.”

Although the concert is finished, they are putting together documentaries and special features. They are ensuring that the special features will be well worth the wait, but I am wondering at this point whether or not the sun will go out before PULSE sees a DVD release. I dare not even wonder where Delicate Sound of Thunder is hiding.

As one fan in the audience had it well stated on a homemade sign, “Pink Floyd Reunited – Pigs Have Flown — Live 8 London”. I was fortunate enough to see it live on MTV and again on ABC’s rebroadcast. It was a historic event for a fan of the band to see these four faces together again. Despite MTV’s cutting away during the guitar solos during Money and Comfy Numb, and ABC’s only playing one song (Money), it was a remarkable experience. All of the band members were on with the exception of Roger sounding a bit tired.

Next day reactions are that Pink Floyd stole the show. More than 60,000 people have voted at AOL Music, with Pink Floyd ranked as the #1 gig at 35% of the votes. Second place was Robbie Williams and Madonna in at third. Pink Floyd’s album sales have skyrocketed 1,343% as people scramble out to pick up their Best-Of disc: Echoes. David has stated that all profit from the sales spike will be given to charity, stating “Though the main objective has been to raise consciousness and put pressure on the G8 leaders, I will not profit from the concert,” continuing with “This is money that should be used to save lives.”

So what’s next? I sincerely doubt that the Floyd are going to reform to produce any new material, or likely even get together again. All of the members, primarily David Gilmour, feel that they are all too old to tour again as Pink Floyd. David has indicated that this is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Roger has also stated that he doesn’t feel anything will likely come out of the reconciliation, but finishing with “never say never.”

Wow, now here’s something that I’d never be writing about as truth. Rumor mills have been speaking of Pink Floyd (David GIlmour, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason) reuniting with co-founding member Roger Waters since Sir Bob Geldof (Irish rock star and the actor who played “Pink” the movie version of The Wall) announced that he was organizing an African Aid Concert the likes of which has never been seen before.

Well, Pink Floyd Management has just confirmed the rumors. Pink Floyd is reuniting with Roger Waters for Live8. This will be the first time the four-man Floyd will be together since The Wall in 1979. Roger booted Richard Wright from the band before they made The Final Cut in 1983, and the album was barely out before Roger went his own direction citing differences with the rest of the band.

I wouldn’t have even written anything about this, but probably the most reliable Pink Floyd site is reporting it, and what’s much more, so is the BBC and CNN. Hell has officially frozen over.

Sites reporting on the event:
BBC News
CNN
Brain Damage

This is something that, for Pink Floyd fans, is almost more of an expectation than news. Pink Floyd super site Brain Damage is reporting that PF Management are now saying that it’s looking like the release date for the 2 disc PULSE DVD will be September/October of this year… after saying that mid-2005 is the likely release date… after saying that March is the likely release date… after saying that Christmas 2004… you get the picture. This has been going on for about two years now.

Eventually, the 1994 concert might see the light of day. Guess the thermostat in Hell is still set too high.