The image used on the cover introduces their interview with Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis, the legendary photo-design studio that created some of the most memorable album sleeves from the late 1960s to the early 80s. Following the untimely death of Hipgnosis co-founder Storm Thorgerson in April, Creative Review talked to Powell about the work the studio created from 1968 to 1983, and they were given a brief tour of the company archive which he is in the process of organising.
The sketch on the issue's cover is the "mechanical line drawn artwork" for The Dark Side of the Moon album, illustrated by George Hardie, and is what was sent to the printers of the gatefold design, complete with a series of hand-written notes that appear next to the artwork for the imagery of the back.
For Powell, the Dark Side sleeve changed everything for Hipgnosis. In fact, 1973, he says, became something of a classic year for the studio who went on to create the cover for Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy a few months later, and the magazine includes some exclusive images of that shoot. "It wasn't just that the design was unique," Powell recalls in their interview. "It's a very simple design, it's not very Hipgnosis, it's not photographic, but it was the combination of Pink Floyd at that time, plus the design [with] all the interior bits and pieces, a poster of the pyramids, the stickers. It was the combination of everything."
The interview is accompanied with exclusive images, and should be well worth tracking down an issue. It can be found in better retailers, being more of a specialist publication. However, you will shortly be able to order it online through this direct link. Our thanks to Steve Holt for letting us know about this magazine's feature.
Roger Waters: The Man Behind the Wall is a new book by music writer Dave Thompson, coming from the respected Hal Leonard publishers through their Backbeat Books imprint.
To be published on September 17th, 2013, the book is described as "the first full biography of the author of The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and, of course, The Wall. It traces his life from war-torn suburbia to the multitude of wars he has fought since then – with his bandmates, with his audience, and most of all with himself. Packed with insight and exclusive interviews with friends and associates, Roger Waters: The Man Behind the Wall dismantles the wall brick by brick, revealing the man who built it in all his glory."
We'll bring you a review of this publication as soon as copies are available, but in the meantime, the 288-page book is available for pre-order. You can take advantage of Amazon's "pre-order price guarantee", automatically paying the lowest price they offer the book at between now and day of publication, by ordering through the following direct links, saving up to 36% off the recommended price at time of writing: Amazon UK, Amazon.com (US etc.), Amazon.ca, Amazon France, Amazon Germany, Amazon Espana and Amazon Italy.
Rockarchive, which was established by ace photographer Jill Furmanovsky in 1998 with a view to make her own work (including her wonderful shots of Pink Floyd), and the work of other rock photographers and visual artists, more accessible to fans and collectors, are holding a very special event soon.
None other than Nick Mason will be holding a signing at their pop-up gallery in Monmouth Street, London WC2 on Thursday, May 30th. The gallery itself will be open every day from 11am – 7pm until Monday, June 3rd, but we suspect those fans who are free on the 30th will be making that their priority.
Nick will be available at the Rockarchive pop-up between 5pm - 6pm to sign an edition of 50 exclusive photographic prints of himself at the drums, made specially for the occasion by Rockarchive, available at a reduced price of £100 for the night only. To see the picture selected for the special print, visit the Brain Damage Facebook page. Pink Floyd fans are also invited to bring along one item of personal Pink Floyd memorabilia that they wish to be autographed. In addition to meeting Nick they will also be able to admire the extensive collection of Pink Floyd prints displayed in the gallery, including works by the late Storm Thorgerson and enter a raffle to win a signed pair of Nick's drum sticks.
The event is being held as part of a special 20% off traffic free shopping evening running throughout Seven Dials and St Martin's Courtyard between 5pm - 9pm. All prints displayed at the Rockarchive Pop-up Gallery are being sold at a 20% discount for the evening. For those unable to make it to the new pop-up store there is opportunity to view the extensive gallery of rock and roll prints at Rockarchive's online site www.rockarchive.com.
The Theatro Municipal de São Paulo has this month been host to four very special performances of the opera by Roger Waters, Ca Ira. First performed live to much acclaim in Rome, Italy, in November 2005, it has subsequently had further live performances in countries as diverse as Poland, The Netherlands, and Brazil, who last hosted it in 2008 (a report, with various photographs and video clips, can be seen here). Lika Geribello, the executive producer of those performances, produced the new ones alongside Cristiane Rossetto, and thanks to Lika, and photographer Bob Toledo, we have a selection of pictures from the event below.
We've also got a selection of pictures from the venue and performance, from John Floyd, who also got his programme signed by Roger - you can see this to the left. As with the pictures below, click the thumbnail to see the image larger. The contemporary new look and feel to the performance comes across vividly in the photographs below, and we hope that this new production can be seen elsewhere at some point in the future.
Just prior to the pictures, below, here's a video of Roger being interviewed about this new adaptation:
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