The late great Richard Wright doesn’t get his flowers as much as larger-than-life Pink Floyd figures like Roger Waters and Syd Barrett. However, he deserves quite a bit of credit as a foundational member of the prog-rock band that changed everything. Based on Richard Wright’s own comments, let’s explore a few of the famed keyboardist’s favorite albums of all time! Naturally, his music taste was impeccable.
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1. ‘Jeff Beck’s Guitar Shop’ by Jeff Beck
Richard Wright was a big fan of Jeff Beck, particularly the 1989 record Jeff Beck’s Guitar Shop. Wright went as far as to say he saw the former Yardbirds member as an “all-time hero” of his.
“As far as rock guitarists go [Jeff Beck’s] got to be my all-time hero,” said Wright. “He started as a blues guitarist just like [Eric] Clapton, but he’s investigated the possibilities of the instrument much more. You probably won’t know this, but when Syd [Barrett] left Pink Floyd we actually asked Jeff Beck to join, he was our first choice.”
2. ‘Porgy And Bess’ by Miles Davis
Richard Wright’s favorite albums include quite a few classics, which isn’t all that surprising. He continued to honor his jazz roots until the very end, and once said that Miles Davis’ legendary record Porgy And Bess from 1959 was one of his favorites.
Though, Wright also said that he could “happily give you ten Miles Davis records” on a list of his favorite records of all time.
3. ‘Passion’ by Peter Gabriel
This former Genesis frontman has a solo career that easily rivals his time with that particular band, and Wright was a notable fan of some of that very solo work. Wright once said that he was a fan of Peter Gabriel’s 1989 album Passion, in particular.
“I admire just about everything Peter Gabriel has ever done,” said Wright of his contemporary. “From progressive to world music to pop, he’s a great man with great ideas. Oh, and he’s a great musician.”
4. ‘Music From Big Pink’ by The Band
Music From Big Pink by The Band is one of Richard Wright’s favorite albums of all time, and for good reason. Wright first saw the enigmatic rock outfit perform live in the 1960s, and that performance stuck with him for the rest of his life.
“I can virtually hear them singing ‘The Weight’ at that gig even now,” said Wright of the first time he saw The Band perform at Albert Hall in London around the late 1960s. “The way the song is sung is so emotional I really can hardly describe it… The Band were the best thing happening at that time.”
Photo by Jon Furniss/WireImage
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