Richard Wright Broken China CD

This rather humdrum effort from Pink Floyd's keyboard player does have touches of his former band's haunting ambience, but the tracks on Broken China lazily skim along on shallow waves of new age-like synthesizer passages and lilting rhythms rather than engulf its concept of a man who is experiencing the repercussions of clinical depression, which is in itself Pink Floyd-like. The album is divided up into four sections, each representing a different stage of the character's mental illness. The idea is interesting enough and, while Wright's vocals are eerily reminiscent of Roger Waters, the concept fails to gain any momentum from one cycle to another. The music is dark...but too dark, and the lyrics are abstract...only they're too abstract. Wright gets too caught up in the complexities of his imagery, so much so that he fails to extend his concept outwardly in the form of music or message. Rather than jut out or take hold, the tracks all converge into each other with little or no rhythmic resurgence or elevation. "Reaching for the Rail" and "Breakthrough" are sung by Sinead O'Connor, one of the album's upsides, while oboe and cello add noticeable weight to the music's somberness in all the right places. Wright's first solo release, entitled Wet Dreams, is a much more entertaining effort, as is Zee-Identity, his 1984 collaboration with Dave Harris. ~ Mike DeGagne

Inspired by a friend's battle with clinical depression, Broken China is an intriguing effort from Richard Wright. Throughout the album, Wright explores African polyrhythms along with new-age and classical instrumental textures, creating a shimmering series of soundscapes that revel in its own moodiness. For listeners unwilling to follow Wright through his sonic paintings, the two tracks featuring vocals by Sinead O'Connor -- "Reaching for the Rail" and "Breakthrough" will be more digestable, yet any fan of Pink Floyd's most ambient moments will find something of interest here, although the worldbeat rhythms may be intially off-putting. ~ Rodney Batdorf

Sophomore solo album from the late, great Rick Wright, best known as the keyboardist with Pink Floyd. Originally released in 1996, Broken China is a musical exploration of the four phases one might experience during clinical depression. While the atmosphere of the album is very much like Floyd, Wright takes the listener to darker, more abstract places with his music. Features guest appearances from Sinead O'Connor, Pino Palladino, Kate St. John, Dominic Miller and others. The cover art by Storm Thorgerson is brilliant. EMI.

Audio Mixer: James Guthrie.

Recording information: Studio Harmonie, France.

Photographer: Tony May.

Arranger: Anthony Moore.

Personnel includes: Rick Wright (keyboards); Sinead O'Connor (vocals); Pino Palladino (bass); Manu Katche (drums).

Personnel: Richard Wright (vocals, keyboards, programming); Sinéad O'Connor (vocals); Dominic Miller (guitar, acoustic guitar); Steve Bolton, Tim Renwick (guitar); Sian Bell (cello); Kate St. John (oboe); Manu Katche (drums); Anthony Moore (programming); Jason Reddy (computer); Moz Palladino (background vocals).