Effectively it’s post-Roger Waters Pink Floyd, more widely known as David Gilmour-era Pink Floyd, and a sister release to The Early Years box set of 2016. My little lot, the 4-CD set version, clocks in at something close to four and a half hours ... that’s a whole lot of Pink Floyd. Overdose levels of Pink Floyd. More spaced-out Gilmour guitar solos than you can shake a funny cigarette at. More than you’ll ever really need.
I’m fairly certain almost all of this is already out in the public domain, sans the remastering offered here. And of course, a lot of the live material harks back to releases that pre-date “the later years” ... confused? Me too. Don’t sweat it.
Of most interest for me are those “odds and sods” ... Division Bell-era leftovers like ‘Blues 1’, ‘Rick’s Theme’, and ‘Marooned Jam’, if only for the fresh novelty elements they throw into the mix. And the “early version” of ‘High Hopes’ is a timely reminder of just what an underrated, often overlooked, classic that tune is within the band’s wider canon.
On one hand, The Later Years is probably a completely unnecessary release if you’re already a committed fan, given that you’ll already have most of this stuff in one form or another, yet on the other hand, committed fans with money to throw around, and/or band completists, will just as likely see it as essential.
