...ten years have got behind you; no one told you when to run; you missed the starting gun."These simple yet powerful lyrics have guided me, here and there, for most of my adult life. As in: make the most of your time, because you only have a certain amount of it.
Richard Wright made the most of his time. In a little more than forty years of public life and performance, his music and quiet elegance and inherent dignity have affected millions of people worldwide, bringing tears, joy, and inspiration across multiple generations. Wright was known for intentionally putting "spaces" in the middle of busy music (illustrated here). remaining true to his own affection for the music of Miles Davis, who himself said that the spaces between the notes were much more important than the actual notes in and of themselves. Couldn't the same thing be said about a certain amount of the time we have?
David Gilmour recently referred to the musical connection that he shared with Wright as ''Telepathy". True that, David.
In 2006, when I found out that Wright would be touring with David Gilmour's band in support of On an Island, I was thrilled. While I was unable to attend one of the 6 shows they played in the United States, I was able to scour bittorrent sites for links to scratchy, noisy bootlegs of the tour. Fueled by headphones and marijuana, i imagined myself in attendance at one of the $800 theatre seats (curse you, ebay ticket brokers!!), absorbing the same haunting harmonies of Echoes more than 25 years later. It didn't really matter that I didn't attend, as I followed their progress throughout Europe and North America. Shortly after I arrived in Oregon, I purchased the concert DVD and have enjoyed it a zillion times since.
My point is this, I suppose: Richard Wright went out quickly and quietly, surrounded by his family, at home. This, of course, is all any of us could hope for. However, Rick went out at the top of his game. His musical skill was at its apex, and he had just completed a highly successful tour with those friends he loved, sharing his gift with many, many people all over the world. In the aforementioned DVD, he shared many little tidbits in the included documentaries about how much fun and joy-filled his time with his musical partner has been. Coincidentally, his band released a full concert DVD of their show at the historically important Gdansk Shipyards in Poland only a few days after his death. While I haven't yet seen the film, I have listened to the show, and it truly does show Wright at the top of his game. Make sure to check out the usage of tuned crystal wine glasses during "Shine on you Crazy Diamond". organic, simple, gorgeous overtones.
So, thanks for sharing some of your time with us, Rick. Say hello to Syd for us, and know that those simple keystrokes and important spaces between have given those of us left attached to this mortal coil much to think about, and much to enjoy. Shine on.
