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Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd | 
| Author: Nick Mason
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Category: Book
List Price: $35.00
Buy New: $13.95
You Save: $21.05 (60%)
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Rating:  54 reviews
Sales Rank: 299652
Media: Paperback
Pages: 360
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4
Dimensions (in): 11.3 x 8.3 x 1.2
ISBN: 0811848248
Dewey Decimal Number: 782.421660922
EAN: 9780811848244
ASIN: 0811848248
Publication Date: March 17, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Here, for the first time, is the story of Pink Floyd from the inside out. With 116 million albums sold worldwide and 25 years on the pop charts to their credit, Pink Floyd is one of the most successful rock groups in history, yet their story until now is one of the least known. The only continuous member of the band through its entire 40-year history, Nick Mason has witnessed every twist, turn, and sommersault from behind his drum kit. The journey begins with the band's origins as the darlings of London's late 1960s underground and the creation of the classic Pink Floyd sound, all the way through to The Wall and those legendary stadium shows. Here are the players who shaped the band's history and the story behind the story the inside perspective on, for example, the deterioration and departure of Syd Barrett; the overwhelming success of The Dark Side of the Moon and the resulting pressures and conflicts within the band, including the rift with Roger Waters; and Nick and David Gilmour's decision to put their reputations on the line and continue as Pink Floyd. Packed with rare photographs and vintage Floyd graphics from Nick Mason's extensive private archive, Inside Out is an eye-opener for both veteran fans and those just discovering the group. And, in keeping with the classic Floyd style, the book's cover was designed by Storm Thorgerson, creator of such iconic images as the Dark Side pyramid. Always candid, by turns poignant and funny, Nick's own memories are augmented with extensive research and interviews, making Inside Out a comprehensive history of one of the most brilliant and imaginative bands the world has known and a masterly memoir of rock and roll.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 49 more reviews...
 Pink Floyd history with minimal warts May 27, 2009
zvirbulis
I would agree with many of the reviews here - it provides a comprehensive, if superficial, history of the band. As many have pointed out, it could use details like:
- more on Syd! this I think is my major complaint about the book - it glosses overy Syd. I imagine the abandonment of Syd would be painful to write about, but this is one of the most tragic chapters in the history of the band, and needs to be expanded
- more on Roger vs Dave - it seems like Nick has gone out of his way to try not to offend either, thereby leaving a rather sterile overview of both men
- it would have been nice to read more about the songs themselves, but for that, I assume we will have to wait for the Waters autobiography (which will be very balanced, I'm sure!)
This book is mainly meant for new fans of Pink Floyd. For those who have obsessively picked up magazines with stories about the band, unfortunately, you will find very little here you didn't know already.
Oh what could have been... February 28, 2009
quoter
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The other reviews written about this book that mention the fact that Nick Mason left a lot of the "juicy stuff" out of his story are exactly right. I was ready to learn so much about the dysfunction of this great band, personal stories about the breakdown of Syd, and learning more about the creative riff between Waters and Gilmour. Sadly, I was left with nothing really concrete or descriptive on these matters.
The book conceptually is very well done, and the great pics alone are worth the price. After reading the whole thing, my opinion of Nick Mason is that of a drummer who saw a lot of things going on but never really wanted to get involved with the nasty stuff himself so he took the path of least resistance.
I had many questions I was hoping to get answers to before picking the book up. Were there any specific accounts by Mason as to the band members talking directly to Syd about his problems? How did they decide between Gilmour and Waters who would sing which song? Were there any big blowout fights between Waters and Gilmour (and the band)? What did Waters get specifically for settling out of court and allowing Pink Floyd to carry on with the name? Why did Mason and Gilmour even bother helping to make The Final Cut? - Sadly, I didn't really find the answers to any of these.
Still, the book is a good read and I recommend it to any Floyd fan. I can honestly say there isn't much I didn't already know that this book focuses on.
 The actual inner workings and stories of Pink Floyd, as told by their drummer! November 18, 2008
Mavdog101 (USA)
This is a truly magical read and a must-have for all Pink Floyd fans! Nick Mason gives us perspective from within the band, from the beginning and through the end of Pink Floyd's wild ride as master's of the rock-n-roll universe for over 4 decades...
Great background on Pink Floyd without tabloid gossip August 15, 2008
Mitchell Fedruk (The Bay Area, CA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Nick Mason writes a very clean and detailed history of Pink Floyd without the tabloid gossip that probably would have sold more copies. He is an English gentleman first and foremost. This book is light on 'dirt' but does cover the entire career of Pink Floyd very well. There are hints along the way which would suggest that Nick Mason spent some time getting plastered with various celebrities at various points over the years, but rather than focus on 'who shagged who', he covers the subject material with clear language and balanced tones. All of the major subjects are covered... what happened to 'Syd', what happened during the 'divorce' of Roger Waters from Pink Floyd, etc. I enjoyed this book quite a bit and did receive a fresh perspective on several subjects that I had already been introduced to.
Musician Spills Beans, Perhaps Eggs January 29, 2008
David Czuba (Bellingham, WA USA)
For those looking for the detailed low-down on why Pink Floyd achieved intense fame before the celebrity of their faces being recognized on the street, other reviewers have said 'search elsewhere'. Nick, though a fine writer, reveals few tidbits that the more fanatical PF fan wouldn't know. However, the inadvertant genius of the book is certainly its timing, and I'm fortunate to write this review a few years after its release. Of second mention is that drummer Nick Mason opens a sort of secret door on how small the world artistic community is, even if you don't subscribe to the six-degrees-of-separation theory.
On April 15, 2005, I attended Nick's book signing at Seattle's Experience Music Project, where he simply answered the standard questions fans throw out about Syd, Dark Side of the Moon and the Wall, will the Floyd ever reunite... For my part, I asked how he felt about the recent settlement (for hundreds of thousands of pounds) with Claire Torry, singer on The Great Gig in the Sky. He felt she got paid long ago, but people always seem to want more. He is actually a very quiet, normal guy, and can be transparent in his emotions. If he were American, he'd be watching NASCAR. Nick explained he had to get on and write the book quickly, as people who knew the band's intimate history were already passing. More on that presently.
Well, to everyone's surprise, Pink Floyd reunited to play Live 8 on July 2, 2005, to show their support for African Debt relief. Perhaps we have Nick Mason to thank, as he has undoggedly served as 'negotiator' between Roger Waters and the rest of the band, and not grudgingly maintaining friendship with Waters through all these years.
Throughout Nick's book, it is clear PF has spent an enormous amount of their wealth funding and backing philanthropic enterprises. That they should reunite just once for Live 8 shows their combined continued commitment to causes. For those who missed the show, AOLs broadcast was the best. A literally touching moment came during the stage bow when Richard Wright reached around the shoulder's of Dave and Nick to touch Roger's arm. Recall that Roger vociferously demanded Wright's outing from the band, resulting in Rick's non-appearance on The Final Cut. Nick speaks a lot about Roger's less-than-appreciation of Rick on p.247.
Also, we did lose Syd Barrett in July, 2006.
The book's photos put together in one place a sort of cut-short family album. There are Nick's personal photos of his meeting with Jimi Hendrix. (We don't see Hendrix's photos of Nick.) There's a photo of people on the beach with toddler-age Naomi Watts, daughter of PF road manager Peter Watts. Readers attempting to piece together a broader picture of the band will appreciate Nick's focus on gadgets the band used for sound and image enhancement. In that, one can see the PF propensity for technological superiority and delicateness, before the arms race for decibels reached fever pitch in the 70s.
The naysayers might comment that the book is too picture-bound, but one must strongly consider the band's emphasis throughout their career on imagery. It is commendable that Pink Floyd used every available gimmick to expose their work to the public. Cynics may say that have enough money, but for artists, it is as much a giving relationship through the expression of music and its requisite ancillary cover and stage art. That the band members have private lives is difficult for us to fathom. Nick Mason subtely ensures we're aware of that.
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