Favourite Pink Floyd Solo and Spinoff Albums

I like the music, the lyrics, and the subject matter. This would have been another 1st class EPIC Pink Floyd release, if only the other members gave a hoot and done some work. I wish he had tied the strings tighter to the ending about aliens concluding 'we were amused to death', but What God Wants' needed to be said also. I also like his vocal tonality, it has character. If the world can tolerate Dylan's voice, Roger's vocal cords should be a cinch.

 

Madcap Laughs all the way. One of the greatest records ever made.

 

I was 18 when it came out and still had lots of wonder left in me! I'd been familiar with Floyd for a few years already, but the only time I'd seen one of them live was when Dave played with Bryan Ferry at Live Aid. Loved AMLOR, but loved KAOS more. Acquired coach trip tickets from Preston to Wembley to see KAOS live in 1987 and had an amazing day out! Everybody smoking on the coach all the way to London, an astounding gig, people laughing everywhere when the house lights suddenly went up for the (unexpected) interval because 80% of them were rolling a joint on their program, and there was literally a thick cloud of cannabis smoke floating above the entire crowd. Clare Torry, Paul Carrack, Andy Fairweather Low, Graham Broad, Mel Collins, Mr Screen, Jim Ladd, surround sound etc. Just amazing!

I also shared his optimism post-Live Aid. I was literally one of those 'kids in the sun', and I truly believed that things were going to be better, and they were for a little while. It was a short-lived period of hope though and, for me, Radio KAOS was a big part of the soundtrack to those years of my life. I was just the right age, at the right time, for it to have a profound effect on me I think

 

David Gilmour

 

This is basically my top three as well.

 

Amused To Death
David Gilmour
Broken China
On An Island
Rattle That Lock
Radio KAOS

 

Waters Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking is my favorite by some measure.

 

The one you didn't list is my favourite by a mile; The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking

 

Thanks for pointing that out. I left it out by accident.

 

These are the only PF solo I play and enjoy.

Syd Barrett – Barrett
Syd Barrett – The Madcap Laughs
Syd Barrett – Opal
Roger Waters and Ron Geesin – Music From the Body
Nick Mason – Fictitious Sports (really a Carla Bley album, but I am sure it was a much better seller than if she was the headliner.)
David Gilmour- David Gilmour
David Gilmour – About Face
Richard Wright – Wet Dream

 

My favorites are On an Island, Is This the Life We Really Want?, Amused to Death, and David Gilmour, in roughly that order. I like most of the albums by Waters, Gilmour, and Wright at least somewhat. Only sampled a little bit of one of Mason's and it wasn't speaking to me at all.

You're not wrong, but I also enjoy a number of the solo albums because they call back to aspects of that magic formula and remind me of it without being it. Which I think is often how it goes with solo albums from members of great bands. I will say that I think all of them underachieved a little bit on their solo albums, probably because they all needed a worthy collaborator to shore up their weaknesses, and none of them ever totally found it.

 

Even though I like that album a good bit, I will say that you're not wrong here. A lot of the songs are underwhelming as well--outside of "What God Wants," which is a classic, there aren't many solid TUNES on the album. But I love the lyrics, the production, the art, and the guitar playing. And "What God Wants" of course. An album with a lot to recommend it, but it could have been great and it's not quite.

 

I'll say a few nice words for Identity, since I don't think anyone else will. It is the most anti-Floyd of all their solo albums, from the omnipresent Fairlight to the neon artwork, which probably explains why everyone hates it. I won't claim it's a lost masterpiece or anything, but I do enjoy playing it once in a while. There are some nice grooves in there, and at least one hidden gem in "Seems We Were Dreaming," maybe the most Floyd-like thing in there.

 

Madcap
Amused to Death
Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking

Sorry, I don't have Gilmour's efforts or Broken China.

 

1 Amused to Death
2 David Gilmour
3 The Pros and Cons...
4 Radio K.A.O.S.
...

 

David Gilmour – David Gilmour

The rest is far behind.

 

Syd's albums.
Waters' first.
Dave's albums.
Rick's first.

 

I LOVED "Amused to Death" when I was in high school. Played it a lot on a cross country drive with the family. Can't say I've played it much in my old age.

I enjoy both of Syd's albums as well. I think I like "Barrett" a drop more as Rick brings a little more musicianship to the proceedings.

 

My one wish is a total remix of Opel clearing off some of that 80s reverb they stuck on it and a hi res release. But it was my first intro to Syd (it was released around the time I was discovering Floyd for the first time - introduced by The Wall movie at a 'midnight madness' showing at the local movie theater) and the one of his I listen to the most.

 

Pros & Cons
KAOS

 

About Face
Profiles

 

Syd Barrett – Barrett
Syd Barrett – The Madcap Laughs
Syd Barrett - Opel
David Gilmour – Rattle That Lock
David Gilmour – On an Island
David Gilmour – David Gilmour
David Gilmour – About Face
Richard Wright – Wet Dream
Richard Wright – Broken China
Roger Waters - Is This the Life We Really Want?
Roger Water - Pros and Cons

 

Surprised nobody has picked AMLOR or Division Bell yet. I kid, I kid. Seriously, though, my favorite would be the Gilmour S/T, which is unlisted for some reason. Honestly, this thread should be made into a poll (and add the missing albums like Gilmour's S/T and Waters's TPaCoH).

 

David Gilmour - David Gilmour is listed middle of the pack in the first post.

 

The one artist of the bunch I'm simply not as familiar with is Syd. I got An Introduction to Syd Barrett years ago, which I do like for what it is, and I think I've played his solo albums maybe once on streaming out of curiosity. But all in all his stuff hasn't stuck with me. It might be a bit too "unsettled" for my taste.

I like the Rick albums. (Happen to be listening to Broken China now.) Even Zee.
Roger probably has the best/most complete sounding albums with Amused to Death and ITTLWRW. But I find Pros & Cons to be unlistenable. KAOS is an interesting time capsule with some good moments.
I like Gilmour's albums, but his later ones have sort of fallen out of any regular listening. I did enjoy revisiting On an Island, though.
Nick's albums are interesting diversions, but not really essential.