The announcement of a new Pinkloyd album - the first in twenty years - resembled a bang. The decision of Messrs. Gilmour and Mason to do little or no promotion at all for their tribute to their deceased band colleague Rick Wright, though. This approach raises many questions. Don't the old masters believe in themselves and their output? Do you think the whole thing might already be a mistake? Or did they just hire the wrong PR agency? eclipsed about the trials and tribulations surrounding "The Endless River".
At the end of August the world still seems to be in order. Pink Floyd's PR agency LD Communications, based in London, offers the label the prospect of interviews and far-reaching media cooperation. And at first she seems to be able to keep her promise. For example with daily listening sessions on board the "Astoria", David Gilmour's famous studio houseboat on the Thames, where not only the album is presented, but also co-producer Andrew "Andy" Jackson is present to give the journalists who found their way to Hampton, northwest of Central London, basic information on their way: The tracks originate from the sessions of "The Division Bell", are purely instrumental except for one number, "Louder Than Words", were produced by Jackson, Youth (Killing Joke) and Phil Manzanera (Roxy Music), last between fifteen and twenty minutes and consist of several parts like a suite. The song titles are still secret at this time, and so that the rest of what you hear doesn't reach the public so quickly, there are multi-page contracts including a blocking period: Stories may not be published before the 10th, record reviews not before the 16th of October. Which is irritating enough, because a story can also contain everything about an album.
So far so weird. Strange is also the short-cut nature of the flippant PR lady, who treats her media partners like enemies and pays meticulous attention to the fact that no photos are taken, no one is pushed into areas of "Astoria" where he has no business, and Mr. Jackson is not verbally overtaxed. The band will soon be doing extensive interviews with the youthful Fiftysomething, who has been Pink Floyd's house and court sound engineer for thirty years - since the soundtrack to "The Wall" -, has collaborated on Gilmours and Roger Waters' solo albums, was responsible for the live sound on the "Pulse" tour, and perhaps even knows more about Floyd than the band itself.
But then week after week, there is not even an answer to requests for the promised talks, until in mid-September it is said completely surprisingly that the group has changed its mind and doesn't want to comment on the release. For a release of this relevance and a band of this status an absurdity. Which only allows one conclusion: Something must have gone wrong. Did Gilmour/Mason realize that they galloped with "The Endless River"? Can it be foreseen that it will hail nasty tears? Or has there been trouble with media that have not adhered to the treaties? But instead of an explanation, one relies on nonchalant silence.
