Spare Bricks - Under New Management!
As you may recall, Spare Bricks founder Rick Karhu announced last issue (Winter 2002) that he was stepping down from his position as editor and publisher, but that the magazine would carry on. This issue marks our first tentative steps in that direction.
Not that it's a particularly bold, new direction.
I've been contributing to Spare Bricks since the beginning--before the beginning, if truth be told--and I've been helping Rick with the editorial duties since issue #4. But until this issue, I never realized just how much Rick did to make this magazine happen. He's a big part of the reason this magazine is what it is.
I have to thank Rick for his continued work in assuring a smooth transformation of the articles from raw text into something aesthetically pleasing and readable. I should also thank Mike Feeney and Joakim Nordlander for all their help in ironing out some of the technical wrinkles that came up along the way. They prove that you can, in fact, teach this old dog a new trick or two.
But despite all these behind-the-scenes goings on, I sincerely hope (and expect) that you, the readers, will notice nothing substantially different about Spare Bricks. We are not changing our focus, our content, or our goals. We've added 5 new staff members since the last issue was finished, in an effort to keep bringing new insights and perspectives.
Pink Floyd: extravagant stage productions... expansive, technology-heavy production values... spaced-out sonic explorations and electronic improvisations... right?
Well, not this time.
In this issue, Spare Bricks examines the acoustic side of the Floyd--those unplugged arrangements that add so much depth and range to the Floyd's sound, both onstage and off. They weren't the first band to balance their hard, heavy side with a softer, acoustic side, but they were among the best. The Floyd showed that acoustic guitar and piano aren't just for love songs and ballads, but they can also be used to great effect in dark, somber numbers (such as "Goodbye Blue Sky" and "The Narrow Way").
Some of this issue's highlights:
New staffer Bob Cooney explores his favorite Floydian acoustic guitar moments.
Gerhard den Hollander and Phillipe van Roy debate the merits of David Gilmour's Meltdown show, and some exclusive photos of the gig are displayed in Featured Images.
Johnny Valenzuela explains how the Floyd's acoustic side helped him cope in the aftermath of September 11. (Coming soon.)
Acoustic guitar wizard Kelly Joe Phelps is profiled by guest contributor Joe Penczak.
Ed Paule explains exactly who pulled the plug on the famed Clydeside shipyards.
Patrick Keller and Dave Baker reflect on whether the Floyds are really retiring.