I was unaware of this until I jumped over to Yeeshkul! at 8:00PM EDT.
He was truly the heart of their sound, and the one true link to their past.
Here is the link to the story on Yeeshkul!, which includes a rapidly
escalating bunch of posts.
You should especially take note of WRomanus's post quoting Dave
Gilmour's website statement for Rick.
http://www.yeeshkul.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12304
And, here is my post from Yeeshkul!:
Subject - :( I never said I was frightened of dying.
For long you live, and high you fly, Rick.
I had been pretty much in a news blackout due to the demands of work
until just minutes ago, and this took me completely by surprise.
We all were expecting the fateful announcement for Syd, and many of us
(as I did) probably even felt a sense of relief that Roger Keith "Syd"
Barrett was no longer going to be tormented by his emotional breakdown
and inability to cope.
Syd's specter hung over this greatest of bands to inspire some of the
finest, most consequential pieces in music history.
Rick, however, was a member who was a major part of band that carried
on, influenced by Syd, but also honoring him in song and in deed.
To me, Rick truly was the real anchor of the sound and the one real
constant that defined the connection with the earliest years through the
years of superstardom.
Rick was the man who created such beautiful textures as "Celestial
Voices," "Behold the Temple of Light," "Paintbox," and most of all, the
sublime "Shine on You Crazy Diamond," "Us and Them," and the one that
really pulled me into becoming a hard core fan: "The Great Gig in the Sky."
Today, I did what I did not do when Syd died...I actually broke down and
cried.
Saying that, I will offer up the lyrics to a beautiful Wright-penned
song that featured both him on keyboards and vocals and Syd on slide guitar.
Remember a day before today
A day when you were young.
Free to play alone with time
Evening never came.
Sing a song that can't be sung
Without the morning's kiss
Queen - you shall be it if you wish
Look for your king
Why can't we play today?
Why can't we stay that way?
Climb your favorite apple tree
Try to catch the sun
Hide from your little brother's gun
Dream yourself away
Why can't we reach the sun?
Why can't we blow the years away?
Blow away
Blow away
Remember
Remember
Thanks, Rick, and may God go with you.
:~(
