I believe that Pulse by Pink Floyd is the first double album I've reviewed so far. Despite having the high price of $34.99 (~$76 in 2025), it debuted at #1.

Pulse is a live album which I often have mixed feelings about. On the one hand, they can have different energy than a studio album, but they can also go awry with bad mixing or extended and aimless modifications to songs. This album is kind of neither of those. I don't think the energy of the songs is improved compared to the studio versions, and there aren't that many changes to the live songs. Pink Floyd was a Progressive Rock band which are known for their extended solos in live performances. This album lacks those for the most part, which I'm grateful for, but lacking changes to the songs removes the point of a live album.

According to the internet's brain, early versions of the CD album included a battery-powered flashing LED. A pulsing LED, one would say.

I don't think that this album amounts to much. If you like Pink Floyd, you might as well check it out, but I wouldn't cancel any other plans you have to listen to it.

Finding this album at #1 is both surprising and unsurprising. Pink Floyd was (is?) the greatest Prog Rock band of all time. Prog Rock reached peak popularity in the 70s, but by 1994 it was being supplanted by newer forms of Rock like Metal (Pantera) or Grunge (Soundgarden). The fact that The Division Bell was able to reach #1 is a testament to the greatness and popularity of Pink Floyd.

Among the Pink Floyd albums, this one definitely ranks behind their best, like Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and their double album The Wall. The track Comfortably Numb off of The Wall has two of the greatest guitar solos of all time in the same song. I've listened to this album two or three times and I can't think of any guitar solo that caught my attention. There are guitar solos, yes, but they don't have the same emotion.

I think that's the main problem with this album, it feels a bit too procedural. Pink Floyd had been popular for a couple decades by the mid-90s, and frankly, they were no longer starving musicians. Being a bit desperate and unloved can help a musician make great music. It is not bad music. Pink Floyd didn't suddenly forget how to make music, but there's nothing in this album that sparks emotion.

Not all albums an artist or group makes are going to be great. I'll still listen to Pink Floyd's great albums, but this one will probably get very few spins from me going forward.