Mother - The Pink Floyd

‘Mother should I trust the government?’ 

My favourite line in ‘Mother’ from Pink Floyd’s 1979 double concept album ‘The Wall’. Since it’s release we’ve had a few governments, a few wars and a few health scares. With the latest Coronavirus providing an unprecedented heightened level of worry as maybe, like me – I don’t place any trust in the Government at all.

I mean their track record isn’t good…

Four years ago for instance there was another health scare in the UK – acknowledged by Public Health England in a letter sent out, nationwide, to every Doctors’ Surgery in the UK in January 2016 informing of a heightened level of Guillian-Barre Syndrome (GBS) cases in South Wales (10 for your information). By February 2016, the number of cases had reduced and sadly for me, no further action was taken. On March 21^st I was taken ill with GBS. No-one had a clue what it was in two visits to my GP’s surgery and a further two visits to the University of Wales Hospital. With that in mind for Covid-19 and as a person defined as being ‘at risk’ – ‘No’, I don’t trust the bloody Government!

I’d rather put my trust in common sense and listen to those around me who know exactly what to do and what course of action to take. In my opinion – it’s going to get a lot worse from here on in. The world is changing, and changing too fast – 1979 is merely a dot in the rear-view and long forgotten.

You see over the last forty years the world has changed - things kinda speeded up somewhere around the Millennium and went into overdrive mid 2000’s and since then it’s spiralled out of control. The latest news has Boris and Trump are telling us that everything is under control and that everyone within the government and it’s departments are working overtime to contain the spread of one the world’s most contagious viruses – you couldn’t write this stuff let alone imagined it back in ‘79. Boris and Trump – as much use as the Chuckle Bros.

Back then, we trusted more – I believe we had more faith. Back then as a 17 year-old young man I was still trying to find out who I was and spent a lot of energy experiencing life for the first time. My those times were exciting – carefree, innocent perhaps but not frightening as they are today and becoming bleaker every hour.

So if you’d like my thoughts - What happens during this next few weeks and months may become completely out of our control. I for one will be listening and making my own judgement on what to believe/not to believe and taking a course of action based on a) what I know to be true and b) what’s the best for me and all my loved ones.

Until then, trust only in yourself and have faith in what you believe.

1,052 Marathons - 255 Ultras - 9 Guinness World Records - 15 Marathon des Sables

Gilmour v Hackett

It’s actually a serious question and for those of you who haven’t got a clue whom David Gilmour or Steve Hackett are, they are guitar heroes of mine and many a prog rock fan from 70's Supergroups, Pink Floyd and Genesis.

You see, the question illustrates perfectly that we are not always 100% convinced of our choices and of our feelings -  and that we can change our minds on a whim to what we think we believe in most.

In this particular case in 99/100 times, historically I would instantly say Gilmour. The solo in Comfortably Numb is often highlighted as #1 solo of all time, yet maybe it has that ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ quality about it as most folk when asked what their favourite Queen song is, never choose it. My Pink Floyd choice is actually Sheep, and Queen is Hammer to Fall, so that backs my theory up quite nicely.

It was all going Gilmour's way then this week I started listening very closely to the early Genesis ‘Hackett’ albums and his later Solo and Live work and I think my hard and fast opinion of some 40 years’ changed. Yikes, I’m swinging Hackett’s Way.

I feel a bit of a ‘Pink Floyd Traitor‘ if I’m being honest and it’s confusing as in my monochromatic world I’ve always made things into a ‘yes/no choice‘ rather than saying I like ‘two things at the same time’. Back as a teenager in the 70’s, we were identified by the music we liked and the bands logos we had drawn on our schoolbags and books. For me it's always been Pink Floyd.

It’s also interesting that only Gilmour and Hackett were in the frame as there are plenty more incredible guitarists that I could have chosen. Jimmy Page, Steve Howe, Alex Lifeson etc. and no matter how much I love Zeppelin, Yes or Rush, none of them match either of the above.

Anyway, I'll cut to the chase and my thought today is that choice isn’t as black and white as maybe I’ve often made it - and that it will and CAN ebb and flow with life and it’s challenges. Let’s see if I’m thinking and feeling the same way this time next year.

Oh my choice... Well today it’s Steve Hackett sorry David.

1,046 Marathons - 254 Ultras - 15 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records