Pink Floyd FAQ: Everything Left To Know… And More!
by Stuart Shea

Almost enough Floyd books out there to build a wall

Chicago-based author Shea’s Pink Floyd FAQ is an enjoyable blend of fact and subjectivity. Over 30 chapters, we travel from Animals to Zee and back again. Sections include the 10 best moments for the five Floyds, notable guests, influences and live shows. The American angle is especially interesting and the How Did The US Discover Pink Floyd? FAQ is particularly illuminating.

Ron Geesin, John Leckie and, interestingly, Toni Tennille (who sang on The Wall) all contribute. Great too are Ginger Gilmour’s recollections in the afterword, giving a view from life inside the Floyd bubble at the height of their stadium phase. What Were Pink Floyd’s Missteps? is also fantastic, raising issues such as Not Paying Clare Torry More or Those French Soft Drinks Ads. There’s also humour – not perhaps all entirely successful, but entries the likes of Ten Things Roger Waters Doesn’t Need (you guessed it, it starts with “Education”) show that Shea isn’t afraid to have some fun with his subject.

Though Toby Manning’s superior Rough Guide covers similar ground, Pink Floyd FAQ is an important entry into the burgeoning Pink Floyd bookshelf. It’s a breezy read, written clearly by someone who loves the group but, importantly, is not besotted.

ISBN 9780879309503, 400 pages

Reviewed by Daryl Easlea
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