With the sad, untimely passing of keyboardist Richard Wright from cancer in September 2008, 1994's "The Division Bell" is now, officially, the final studio album by Pink Floyd. Even though Roger Waters' presence on the album is missed, "The Division Bell," while not scaling the heights of classic Pink Floyd albums like "Dark Side Of The Moon," "Animals," or "The Wall," is a fine Floyd album in it's own right. It's a good improvement over 1987's "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason," which suffered somewhat from a late-80's polished production, too many session players, and very few contributions from Wright & drummer Nick Mason. With "The Division Bell," both Wright & Mason are prominently back behind their instruments where they belong, and the album certainly *sounds* much more like a Pink Floyd recording than it's predecessor. The rockers "What Do You Want From Me" & "Keep Talking" smack of classic Floyd, and the instrumentals "Cluster One" and the Grammy-winning "Marooned" are simply dreamy. The band also loosen up quite refreshingly on radio-friendly tunes like "Take It Back" and "Coming Back To Life," two songs that might have left some Floyd purists aghast, but I enjoy them. "Lost For Words" is an obvious look at the then-ongoing Gilmour vs Waters feud (although the two men aren't feuding so much anymore), while "Wearing The Inside Out" marks the wonderful return of Richard Wright to the microphone, his first lead vocal on a Floyd album since "Dark Side Of The Moon." Finally, "High Hopes" ends the album on a very haunting, Floydian note. Although still using the services of session players, Gilmour, Mason & Wright are all up front in the mix, playing together with great style. Gilmour's lead-guitar work still rocks, Wright's keyboard-playing is terrific, and Mason, though drumming a bit slower this time out, still keeps the beat strong & steady. And Gilmour's voice still sounds quite good as well, whether he's singing smoothly on the softer numbers, or belting out the rockers. Unfortunately for the world's Floyd fans, Gilmour basically lost interest in the band after the tour for "The Division Bell," deciding to spend more time at home as a family man than recording & touring as a Floyd man. Pink Floyd never toured again, and Wright's passing in 2008 officially puts the Floyd to rest for good. I wish they had done at least one or two more albums before the end, but "The Division Bell" is still a very strong album for this legendary band to exit with. So, with deep respect, I say so long, Pink Floyd. Thanks guys---including Roger and Syd Barrett---for all of your magnificent music. And shine on, Richard. Say hi to Syd for us.

From start to finish THE DIVISION BELL is truly a masterpiece. Pink Floyd express a rainbow of emotions and thoughts like no one else; they are unique and true artists. The depth and beauty contained here can not be expressed with words, it must be felt with the heart. I have loved Pink Floyd since day one but I'll tell you, I never knew how much until THE DIVISION BELL came along.

Fans of Pink Floyd are united together due to our mutual respect and pleasure we take from every CD they have given us. Pink Floyd will continue to entertain, impress and profoundly impact us. If for some reason you aren't a fan, you are missing out on an awesome band and an amazing CD. If you are a fan, you should enjoy this continued journey into the heart of Pink Floyd.

It's "A Great Day for Freedom!" Buy this and you'll see what I mean. There are really no words to express how great THE DIVISION BELL is, you have to hear it to believe it.

The Division Bell features David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Rick Wright coming together and recording a very unified and reflective Pink Floyd album. All three with bassist Guy Pratt were the primary performers on the album produced once again by Gilmour and Bob Ezrin.

The album's primary theme is the breakdown of communication between people. The opening track Cluster One is a eerie and atmospheric collage of sounds and music. What Do You Want From Me features Gilmour's howling guitars. Poles Apart is a etheral and somber song. Marooned is a instrumental reeking of atmosphere and ironically earned the band it's first grammy award. Take It Back is a earnest and anthemic song about man's relationship with the earth, Lost For Words is apparently about Roger Waters, and the closing song High Hopes is a powerful and uplifting song about one's past, present and future.

The Division Bell may not be a true return to epic the albums of their past but it a welcomed return for Pink Floyd as a true working unit and showing that their music can stand up on it's own and not just in the shadows of their past.

The division bell was one of the greatest albums from the great PINK FLOYD regardless of what rolling stone said.this superb cd contains classics like HIGH HOPES and MAROONED and gets FIVE STARS from me.very very highly recommended.PLEASE IGNORE THE ONE STAR REVIEWS AND GET THIS CLASSIC.

Even with the full-fledged return of keyboardist, Richard Wright, Pink Floyd is not truly Pink Floyd without their driving force, former lyricist, Roger Waters who resentfully left the band in 1985. That aside, 1994's the Division Bell is quite a pleasing album. Although Waters will always be the quintessential Pink Floyd lyricist, guitarist David Gilmour, with help from his girlfriend and former journalist, Polly Samson, is not bad at all. ("Not life devalues day by day/As friends and neighbors turn away/And there's a change that, even with regret, cannot be undone/Now frontiers shift like desert sands/While nations wash their bloodied hands/Of loyalty, of history, in shades of grey "). Wright's return puts the band back into shape musically. The silky, cloudy sound of his keyboard and synthesizer interacts beautifully with Gilmour's punchy guitar on the instrumentals, "Cluster One" and the Grammy-winning "Marooned" as well as the considerable wordless portion of songs such as "High Hopes" and "Coming Back to Life," which features Gilmour's most riveting guitar solo since his masterpiece on "Comfortably Numb" from 1979's The Wall. In general, a warm, fluid sound, reminiscent of 1975's Wish You Were Here, echoes through the Division Bell. Meanwhile, the candid, reflective sentiments of songs like "Lost for Words" and "Poles Apart" rebel against the long-held idea that Floyd are soulless stadium rockers. Despite the fact that years of animosity drove away a vital component of Pink Floyd long ago, the band's current line-up managed to record a very welcoming, enjoyable album with the Division Bell.