What do people really remember about Pink Floyd? Not the serious fans, but people in general? The concept albums, especially "The Dark Side of the Moon" and "The Wall". These were after years of experience, and were mainly the concept of Roger Waters with Syd Barrett long gone from the scene.
Would they be remembered if "Games for May" was all to remember them by? Probably not. We do not have Keller's comments on their later work. He might have said: "Well, they finally grew up!"
Keller was certainly no fool, but he did make a bit of an ass of himself here - and I speak as a classical music fan and as a Floyd fan. I heard an unrelated story about him doing a radio him broadcast of some "experimental" music which consisted of him wandering round the studio hitting things and recording the sounds - then repeated the "performance" a few hours later and nobody noticed any difference! He certainly knew his stuff, he just wasn't prepared for anything like Pink Floyd.
Keller wasn't an idiot, by any means, he probably just underestimated them. He was doing his job interviewing them that day. No-one can be spot on all the time.
I find Hans Keller to ne a pompous jerk here. All he is doing is trying to cut down a "pop" band and complain about youthful experimentation. His whole thing about the volume of Pink Floyds performance was absulutely stupid. What an ass. If Syd Barrett wants his guitar to split ears, then let it. I love the wild free flowing songs Syd Barrett era Pink Floy wrote, so maybe I am a bit biased, but I feel that Keller completely missed their point and was unfairly critical of them..
Further to my comment below - it's not that profundity and ambiguity of emotional expression are unknown in jazz, or folk, or pop; they're just rarer there than in so-called classical music! Incidentally, Keller loved a lot of 20th century music too: Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Shostakovich - their most challenging pieces are MUCH wilder and more avant-garde than Pink Floyd even at their most pseudo-experimental could ever have conceived.
".....Keller analysed so perceptively, so provocatively will continue to inspire, astound and fascinate music-lovers long after Pink Floyd are totally forgotten."
Problem with your take is that Pink Flody will not be forgotten, Truly a legendary band both when fronted by and after the depature of Syd Barrett. Loved by many members of even today's budding generation. I have the strong belief if anyone will be "fogotten" in the music world it is your heroic crictic, Hans Keller. Hans who?
No, wheels1984, the music later known as "classical" was NOT the popular music of its time. In 18th/19th cent Europe most people listened to "folk". Many classical composers were of "humble" birth but their audience consisted largely of aristocrats & upper middle class professionals. A sadly restrictive situation but each of the greatest composers evolved a unique way to create music of unprecedented harmonic/rhythmic/textural/structural complexity & profundity/ambiguity of emotional expression
Interesting clip showing early Floyd's good tight live musicianship (one of the very few?) and the fact that they could reproduce AD in the studio so well. Obviously the BBC reckoned PF were worth commenting on ~ great antipublicity. Actually Keller was spot on with the "regression to childhood", had he heard all of Piper (secret fan) ~ I wonder! Would be interested in Keller's views on Stockhausen.
Oh, indeed - a wonderful, fascinating clip! For all my frustration that the music is discussed in relatively superficial terms, it is heartening to see how civilised and respectful the tone of the discussion is. These days, the media bigwigs would try to turn any such debate over differences of opinion into a mud-slinging, polarised slanging match!
Keller was no snob: when he perceived genuine musical invention in popular music (eg: Lennon-McCartney, Gershwin), he did not hesitate to praise it. Though he's a little unfair to this early, pseudo-experimental version of Pink Floyd (they're actually LESS repetitive than most pop!), I'm sure the great masterpieces of "classical" music that Keller analysed so perceptively, so provocatively will continue to inspire, astound and fascinate music-lovers long after Pink Floyd are totally forgotten.
@BarbaraAnnLovegrove Why is it I wonder that petulance was so much apart of this supposedly 'objective' school of musical analysis - as it was for Adorno who did his own version of the above by denouncing Joan Baez anti wars songs - Eisler had it right when he described their demi-god Schoenberg as a "revolutionary conservative' for the only thing they valued as radical were musical techniques and little else.
Pink Floyd will never be forgotten as long people listen to recorded music. Quality is never forgotten, misplaced for short periods, maybe. I love the term classical music, otherwise known as the "popular" music of its time. No doubt with its detractors who thought like yourself it would be totally forgotten.
Pity it was so short and Keller didn't have more chance to explore the thought that, to a musician, what they played might be thought unrewarding.
Keller had a fine musical brain, and was always fascinating to listen to. He developed a method of analysing musical works without verbal intervention.
Keller says he doesn't want to prejudice the viewer by talking before the performance, and then he does just that! Unrelated note - it was totally normal for TV presenters back in the 60s to smoke on screen, but now it stands out a mile its so noticeable!
What do people really remember about Pink Floyd? Not the serious fans, but people in general? The concept albums, especially "The Dark Side of the Moon" and "The Wall". These were after years of experience, and were mainly the concept of Roger Waters with Syd Barrett long gone from the scene.
Would they be remembered if "Games for May" was all to remember them by? Probably not. We do not have Keller's comments on their later work. He might have said: "Well, they finally grew up!"
SamBlob 1 month ago
Keller was certainly no fool, but he did make a bit of an ass of himself here - and I speak as a classical music fan and as a Floyd fan. I heard an unrelated story about him doing a radio him broadcast of some "experimental" music which consisted of him wandering round the studio hitting things and recording the sounds - then repeated the "performance" a few hours later and nobody noticed any difference! He certainly knew his stuff, he just wasn't prepared for anything like Pink Floyd.
HerringElwood 1 month ago
Keller wasn't an idiot, by any means, he probably just underestimated them. He was doing his job interviewing them that day. No-one can be spot on all the time.
glarpspooge 3 months ago
LOL, this guy is a fucking jackass
ledzeppize 6 months ago
I find Hans Keller to ne a pompous jerk here. All he is doing is trying to cut down a "pop" band and complain about youthful experimentation. His whole thing about the volume of Pink Floyds performance was absulutely stupid. What an ass. If Syd Barrett wants his guitar to split ears, then let it. I love the wild free flowing songs Syd Barrett era Pink Floy wrote, so maybe I am a bit biased, but I feel that Keller completely missed their point and was unfairly critical of them..
DangerMcDeathface 9 months ago
Further to my comment below - it's not that profundity and ambiguity of emotional expression are unknown in jazz, or folk, or pop; they're just rarer there than in so-called classical music! Incidentally, Keller loved a lot of 20th century music too: Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Shostakovich - their most challenging pieces are MUCH wilder and more avant-garde than Pink Floyd even at their most pseudo-experimental could ever have conceived.
BarbaraAnnLovegrove 10 months ago
".....Keller analysed so perceptively, so provocatively will continue to inspire, astound and fascinate music-lovers long after Pink Floyd are totally forgotten."
Problem with your take is that Pink Flody will not be forgotten, Truly a legendary band both when fronted by and after the depature of Syd Barrett. Loved by many members of even today's budding generation. I have the strong belief if anyone will be "fogotten" in the music world it is your heroic crictic, Hans Keller. Hans who?
LiLBastard67 10 months ago
No, wheels1984, the music later known as "classical" was NOT the popular music of its time. In 18th/19th cent Europe most people listened to "folk". Many classical composers were of "humble" birth but their audience consisted largely of aristocrats & upper middle class professionals. A sadly restrictive situation but each of the greatest composers evolved a unique way to create music of unprecedented harmonic/rhythmic/textural/structural complexity & profundity/ambiguity of emotional expression
BarbaraAnnLovegrove 10 months ago
Hans Keller clearley couldnt accept that this untamed sound would quickly influence a whole new genre of music and inspire millions.
maxearle1 1 year ago
this is way before ole Syd's meltdown...and I love Roger's passive aggressiveness
marnold6879 1 year ago
7:03
Roger: "What the fuck is this guy talking about???"
gtrplyr5204 1 year ago
It's cute to watch Roger's little wheels turning when he's taking in all these questions.
charadeyouareha 1 year ago
Interesting clip showing early Floyd's good tight live musicianship (one of the very few?) and the fact that they could reproduce AD in the studio so well. Obviously the BBC reckoned PF were worth commenting on ~ great antipublicity. Actually Keller was spot on with the "regression to childhood", had he heard all of Piper (secret fan) ~ I wonder! Would be interested in Keller's views on Stockhausen.
SuperNevile 1 year ago
Oh, indeed - a wonderful, fascinating clip! For all my frustration that the music is discussed in relatively superficial terms, it is heartening to see how civilised and respectful the tone of the discussion is. These days, the media bigwigs would try to turn any such debate over differences of opinion into a mud-slinging, polarised slanging match!
BarbaraAnnLovegrove 1 year ago
It's a wonderful clip to have, just the same.
Composerland 1 year ago
Keller was no snob: when he perceived genuine musical invention in popular music (eg: Lennon-McCartney, Gershwin), he did not hesitate to praise it. Though he's a little unfair to this early, pseudo-experimental version of Pink Floyd (they're actually LESS repetitive than most pop!), I'm sure the great masterpieces of "classical" music that Keller analysed so perceptively, so provocatively will continue to inspire, astound and fascinate music-lovers long after Pink Floyd are totally forgotten.
BarbaraAnnLovegrove 1 year ago
@BarbaraAnnLovegrove Why is it I wonder that petulance was so much apart of this supposedly 'objective' school of musical analysis - as it was for Adorno who did his own version of the above by denouncing Joan Baez anti wars songs - Eisler had it right when he described their demi-god Schoenberg as a "revolutionary conservative' for the only thing they valued as radical were musical techniques and little else.
IrishClaudius 1 year ago
@BarbaraAnnLovegrove
Pink Floyd will never be forgotten as long people listen to recorded music. Quality is never forgotten, misplaced for short periods, maybe. I love the term classical music, otherwise known as the "popular" music of its time. No doubt with its detractors who thought like yourself it would be totally forgotten.
wheels1984 10 months ago
Pity it was so short and Keller didn't have more chance to explore the thought that, to a musician, what they played might be thought unrewarding.
Keller had a fine musical brain, and was always fascinating to listen to. He developed a method of analysing musical works without verbal intervention.
uranrising 2 years ago
Keller says he doesn't want to prejudice the viewer by talking before the performance, and then he does just that! Unrelated note - it was totally normal for TV presenters back in the 60s to smoke on screen, but now it stands out a mile its so noticeable!
dannycheesums 2 years ago 3