FEUD PERSISTS

Gilmour joined Pink Floyd in 1968 three years after it was formed, and has led the band since its bitter 1980s split from musical mastermind Roger Waters, who went to court in an unsuccessful bid to prevent his former colleagues from touring under the Pink Floyd name.

Gilmour said he was fascinated to learn that drummer Nick Mason has recently become friendly again with Waters. Claiming an inability to hold a grudge, Gilmour said he would be happy to make up with Waters but the feeling is not reciprocated.

"Being enemies over something as trivial as who does what within a pop group is pretty childish stuff, isn't it?" Life is too short, Roger; but then again, I prefer Pink Floyd when Waters isn't running the group: The Wall is probably my least favorite of their classic-period albums - too much whining and not enough tunes.

Check out my interview with Wall producer Bob Ezrin for some background on the recording and the personalities involved:

"Initially the album was to be written by Roger alone, but there were holes. I insisted that we go through Dave's repertoire. At that point, there was tension between them, and I had to be the glue," Ezrin says.

"Dave played a bunch of demos, and after one - I don't even remember what the lyric was - I said, 'This must go on the album.' Roger resisted, but demurred, wrote the lyrics, and that song became 'Comfortably Numb.'"

The contoversy surrounding the song continued. Waters and Ezrin felt that the orchestra was integral to the song and Gilmour did not. They fought about it until the last three days of mixing. Imagine "Numb" without the orchestra and you will know how good Ezrin's ears are, as well as his powers of diplomacy.

"Numb" wasn't the only bone of contention. There was also a fight over "Another Brick in the Wall," which Ezrin says was originally "one verse, one chorus and out.

"I said 'this is a hit.' They said 'we don't do hits.' I said 'yes you do' and so forth. 'This is going to be a single.' They said 'fuck you' and wouldn't play it. So [the song on the album] is the same track twice with a drum fill that I found and edited between the two of them.

"We got the [singing] kids from the London Arts High School: 20 tracks of kids, ten different performances of the second verse and edited it all together. When I played it for Roger, he about flipped he loved it so much."