I’M RARELY SURPRISED by the response when interviewers, including those for this magazine, ask musicians, “Did you have any idea your record would be a hit.” The answer is almost always “no.” It’s the rare artist who knows when he or she has on a hit on their hands.
It’s a question David Gilmour has been, and while his answer has always been a definitive “no,” he could be excused for saying “yes.” After all, Pink Floyd worked the album on the road through the first five months of 1972 before entering Abbey Road Studios to record it, then continued to tour their magnum opus while putting the finishing touches to tape. From all reports, the fans were ecstatic about what they heard at those shows, even if the work’s concepts eluded them.
