By Lori Perkins
Who says rock’n’roll dinosaurs are irrelevant?
First Neil Young gave Spotify a lesson in ethical podcasting, and now Pink Floyd, the prog rock band whose members have been at war with each other on and off for decades, managed to come together (partially) and release a new song to benefit the Ukraine.
Boombox singer Andriy Khlyvnyuk, a Ukrainian national went back home after war broke out, cutting his U.S. tour short. He posted an instagram image of himself in fatigues, a rifle and a NY Yankee cap playing a Ukrainian protest song from the First World War, “The Red Viburnum in the Meadow.” He posted, "A little motivation from the leader of the group 'Boombox' Andriy Khlyvnyuk,"
Members of Pink Floyd saw the video, were inspired, took Khlyvnyuk's vocals and composed a charity single around it — the band's first new original music since 1994's "Division Bell."
The new track, "Hey Hey Rise Up," features 90 seconds of David Gilmour's blistering guitar solo, and Floyd drummer Nick Mason. Alas, Roger Waters is noticeably absent from this new release.
The song title refers to the last line of the protest song: "Hey hey, rise up and rejoice."