PINK FLOYD

Leftover bricks from "The Wall"

This would have been the third disc for the Wall. Pretty substandard album, Pink Floyd only in name. The problem by now was Roger Waters humongous ego running roughshod over the rest of the band. He had Nick Mason and David Gilmour relegated to the role of studio musicians, and poor Rick Wright wasn't even on the album, Waters had already had him removed. It was Roger Waters that tore Pink Floyd apart and on this album the music suffered for it. There are, in my opinion, only two great songs on The Final Cut, but they are so great they make the album worthy of ownership, by far. They are the roaring Not Now John, and , Two Suns In The Sunset, which is a very chilling song . A sad end for a truly great band. But Division Bell would in my opinion be musical redemption. 2.5 not somewhere to start with Floyd.

In 1945 George Orwell published his allegory on communism, the acclaimed Animal Farm. 32 years later Pink Floyd took the idea of portraying humans as animals to criticise society and politics for this concept album, proving that Orwell's ideas are timeless and effective, by simply changing communism for capitalism, observing greedy businessmen, fake people, mindless sheep and others. Fun fact when I first listened to animals I never even knew it was an album based on George Orwell's "Animal Farm"

The album consists of five songs, two of them 1 1/2 minutes and the other three at least 10 minutes long. The album opener and closer Pigs on the Wing doesn't quite fit into the concept, it's a rather positive song that's played on an acoustic guitar. The main focus lies on the three tracks in between which have long and indulging instrumental parts and a rather bleak and pessimistic focus. Just like "The Wall" this album is basically Roger Waters' album and he proves that he can write brilliant tracks on his own which would lead some to say that "Roger Waters is Pink Floyd" .David Gilmour's only lead vocals are on Dogs, but there they are some of his finest ever and his guitar work is flawless on the entire record.

While this album is consistently great and has no low points like some of Floyd's filler tracks off of other albums, there's nothing that strikes me as absolutely outstanding, some of the songs are a bit lengthy and the concept of the album doesn't always work with most listeners. Nevertheless, these are 42 minutes of terrific music and Pink Floyd's Magnum Opus without a doubt. 5.0

It's almost universally agreed that Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here is a masterpiece in '70s progressive rock. To me, this is an album that can go toe-to-toe with The Dark Side of the Moon - which isn't an easy feat. Lyrically, Dark Side might be arguably better, according to the listener, but the commentary on the music industry and the tribute to the legendary bandleader who formed Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett, proves that the songwriting here is quite formidable. To fans of Syd Barrett especially, this album is sure to be an impressive and melancholic listening experience.

WYWH is also among the most 'progressive' albums by Pink Floyd, from a musical standpoint. The only other album that embraces progressive rock better than this is probably 1977's Animals - which is a masterpiece in its own right.

The soundscape of WYWH, especially the two longest tracks: parts 1 & 2 of Shine On You Crazy Diamond, is quite psychedelic, like Dark Side was; Pink Floyd was always presented a highly psychedelic take on prog rock. It is also a relatively approachable record that'd be quite accessible for even those who aren't usually fans of the genre.

A tribute to Syd Barret.

It's about time I dive into one of rock music's most praised and celebrated albums of all time, Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here. If some of you don't know by now, Pink Floyd is easily one of my favorite bands of all time (top 3 actually), and their four-album run from 1973's "The Dark Side of the Moon" to 1979's "The Wall" is one of the greatest runs in music history. But today we are talking about Wish You Were Here, because... s incredible.

Wish You Were Here is the band's seventh studio album. Its predecessor "The Dark Side of the Moon" is obviously one of the most iconic albums of all time, arguably Pink Floyd's most celebrated effort in their discography, and also their commercial breakout, gaining the band massive recognition. Dark Side of the Moon was the band first true masterpiece, and it resonates with listeners even 50 years after its initial release So yeah, after such an enormous success with Dark Side Of The Moon the expectations were high, and the band's label pressured them to deliver another great project sooner rather than later. Of course, Pink Floyd blew expectations out of the water, and answered their label in a classic Pink Floydish way, with an album mainly revolving around the corruption of the music industry. The album is now considered one of the most essential albums of the 70's.

Production-wise, this album is prog rock at its peak. Although arguably not as ambitious as the band's predecessor, on a technical level, this album is more impressive, displaying even further the band's talent in creating complex compositions, intricate song structures and of course it showcases David Gilmour's stellar guitar work, with chord progressions that are more adventurous than the ones presented on Dark Side Of The Moon. The band is genuinely the definition of a musical machine on the project, forming sonic highs and dense dynamics that are so mind bending that they almost didn't manage to deliver such a cohesive project musically once again in their career (Animals exists).

Some of the most timeless melodies of all time are on this album, if we are talking about the band's most popular song with the title track "Wish You Were Here", which features some of David's most memorable melodies, or the 9- part opus "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", that you'll recognize immediately thanks to its repeated musical motifs, iconic riffs and transcendent melodies. Talking about musical motifs, the album is a masterclass at creating these repeating nuances that are giving the album its personality sound-wise, like the bombastic noisy synthesizers on tracks like Welcome to the Machine and Have a Cigar, the blues elements or the similar melodic lines throughout most of the songs.

The vocal performances from the band are stunning. There are three vocalists throughout the project, which are the two band leaders David Gilmour and Roger Waters, and there is also a guest appearance on the song Have a Cigar, that features the amazing Roy Harper. The three of them did an impeccable job, each one delivering a different type of emotion according to the song, if it's Roy's mockery vocal delivery on Have a Cigar, David's hunting singing on Welcome to the Machine or Roger's gorgeous vocals on Shine On You Crazy Diamond.

Thematically, the album is presenting a loose yet clear concept revolving around the exploitative nature of the music industry. Now, I want to get something out of the way, many people believe that this album is a tribute to the band's past member Syd Barrett, who was the lead singer of the band on their debut, then later replaced with David Gilmour, because he suffered from serious mental health issues. But he was always a source of inspiration for the band.

Syd Barrett certainly influenced Wish You Were Here, , the 9-part Shine On You Crazy Diamond is clearly a homage to him. However, Syd is only playing a role in the concept of the album, he represents what can happen to a musician due to the merciless and carless nature of the music industry. Wish you were here is an important commentary on the exploitative music industry, labels are seeing the musicians as dollar bills, and not as human beings. It's also about the alienation, loneliness and disconnection from society that one can experience from stardom, losing yourself in the industry and in the fame. It's represented through Syd's experiences as well, alongside Roger's own feelings of alienation on the title track Wish You Were Here. It's Syd Barrett work with them and the band saying "We Wish You Were here"

Wish You Were Here is an essential listen, a larger than life masterpiece by one of the best bands of all time. It's a crucial fearless commentary about the exploitatively soulless use of the music industry in its artists, and it's an emotionally powerful expression of longing for a lost friend and for the innocence before stardom.

Perhaps the best thing about the 'Ummagumma' experiment is that Pink Floyd never repeated it, right? This is a fascinating musical document of the early development of one of Britain's legendary bands, and it also happens to be one of the most unorthodox double albums in the history of psychedelic rock, with one side comprised of live tracks, and the other comprised of the individual contributions of each band member. This is an ingenious approach, which is something that might not surprise us knowing who the artist is, but it also predisposes Floyd to ridiculous amounts of experimentation - something that can lead to music that is greatly overblown and occasionally even unlistenable, when lacking a clear objective. The live disc comes first and features four staples from the band's early shows. Of course, the sound of these recordings is quite rough and exploits the avant-garde and improvisational side of Floyd, which by all means defines their early works. Certainly, a fascinating piece of work, indicative of the unique and transcendent atmosphere of those early musical meanderings of Pink Floyd.

The second disc features the solo contributions of the band members, and this is where things get even more exhilarating. There is a daring peculiarity to all of these compositions, but they should be taken merely as experimental trials that do not reveal the full extent of each musician's capabilities in terms of playing or songcraft, since the band was occupied with presenting themselves as an obscure act that does not follow the norm. 'Sysyphus' is Rick Wright's part of the studio album - this 13-minute piece is an abstract composition on organ, piano and Mellotron that offers a somewhat promising beginning but derails into a hodgepodge of disconnected sounds, never really going anywhere. 'Grantchester Meadows' is one of the two Roger Waters compositions - a laid-back, acoustic and folky tune that proposes a more pastoral approach compared to the striking nature of Wright's piece. 'Furry Animals' is made up of various effects, with Waters manipulating his voice and the speed of the recordings, a weird but welcome entry on 'Ummagumma'. 'The Narrow Way' is Gilmour's contribution, perhaps the most consistent offering from the studio album, moody and melancholic, there is a greater sense of apprehension to this 12-minute-long suite. Finally, there is the 'The Grand Vizier's Garden Party' from Nick Mason - a drum piece with various effects that can sometimes be difficult to go through. As an isolated solo piece this does not work as well as all previous parts of the album.

'Ummagumma' is an album you can either be fascinated by or indifferent to. It is one of the most obscure offerings from Floyd and its rough, experimental nature serves as an obstruction to its complete appreciation. Punctuated by moments of sheer enthusiasm and occasionally ingenious ideas, this kind of music is a difficult listen nevertheless and only hints at the capacity of the band.

If there is one album I would universally recommend to anyone wanting to get into prog rock it's this one. Pink Floyd are certainly no strangers to the structure of an epic opener, an epic closer and a handful of shorter songs in between, but no other album pulls it off quite as well as this one in my opinion. There is no filler here. It's one of those rare albums where it seems that if you made any changes at all, you'd inevitably end up making it worse, because all the pieces are in the right place and everything was executed perfectly.

The four albums Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall are often considered to be the golden age of Pink Floyd. One could easily make the case that Wish You Were Here is at the Peak of that age. The best of the best not only in Pink Floyd's catalog, but modern music history.

In no attempt to discredit the status of 'Meddle' as a classic album of the early 70s, we must admit that it is a weird Pink Floyd release that captures that transitional period for the band where you get some leftovers of the Barrett-era psychedelia and a first glance into the conceptual and far-reaching prog side of the truly classic period yet to come. And as the story goes, the band entered the studio without any clear idea of the album's direction, which is of course, reflected by the decent but never really exciting music on 'Meddle'. This album is a somewhat eclectic mixture of styles that pertains to both psychedelic rock and progressive rock, yet it is not a great album by the standards of either of these genres - instead, it is an experimental offering that anticipates the future direction of Floyd.

The opening track is naturally one of the signature Floyd instrumentals - 'One of These Days' works finely and serves as an example of good writing from the band, really tight and with a clear direction, with its keyboards protruding the space of the song like blades, and the gradually distorting and trippy guitar sounds of Gilmour. This is followed by 'A Pillow of Winds', a very mellow track that is nothing short of boring, virtually nothing happens there, and if that's not enough, what follows is an attempt to have a quirky folk song interpolated with a show tune from the 1940s. 'San Tropez' is an attempted jazz-versed tune with vocals from Waters, while 'Seamus' is a dismal entry with dog barks for vocals - none of the abstract and directionless tracks here work. 'Echoes' then occupies the entire second half of 'Meddle', a track often considered seminal for the period; it is a fine, tranquilizing excursion of a song that is at times an overlong patience test. And in a more summary tone we could conclude that 'Meddle' is fine but not great, with just the first and the last track worth a listen.

I am a Korean who likes progressive rock.

첫 프로그레시브 록 음반입니다.

사실 타이틀 곡 위주로 듣지 음반 그 자체를 듣는 습관은 없었습니다. 이 음반이 명반이라는 추천을 가장 많이 받아 한 번 들어봤어요. 첫 번째 트랙, Speak to Me부터 70년대에는 익숙하지 않은, 기존 록 사운드와는 다른 효과음이 흥미를 이끌었어요. '한 곡이 길구나'라고 생각을 할 무렵, 벌써 세 번째 트랙이었어요. 그래서 '아! 이 음반은 수록된 곡들을 하나의 곡으로 만들었구나'라는 생각이 들었습니다. 그리고 네 번째 트랙, Time이 들리는데 감탄을 금치 못했습니다. 멜로디가 좋아요. 사용되는 모든 악기가 한몫하는, 사운드가 꽉 차는 느낌을 받았어요. 어디 하나 흠잡을 곳이 없습니다. 정말 잘 만들었어요. 그리고 마지막 다섯 번째 트랙, The Great Gig in the Sky의 여성 보컬에 마음을 사로 잡혔어요. 황홀합니다. 앨범 표지도 마음에 들어요. 개인적으로 취향을 타는 음반 같지만, 음반 그 자체를 듣는 습관을 지니게 해준 가장 좋아하는 프로그레시브 록의 '필수' 음반 중 하나입니다. 감사합니다.

There are many reviews of The Wall?some focusing on its exceptional production work, others on its lyrics. Today, however, I want to propose something different: a literary review. An analysis of the psychosocial construction of Pink, the boy who stars in the album's suites, using Theodor Adorno's book "The Authoritarian Personality" as a theoretical basis. It is not possible to categorically state that Waters was inspired by Adorno's studies when shaping Pink's traits. However, there are noticeable convergences when evaluating the character's psychological profile and narrative.

In the plot of The Wall, Pink's childhood is marked by the absence of his father (lost in the war) and the presence of a mother who, although affectionate, is overly protective and, at times, oppressive. These characteristics align with elements that Adorno highlighted in the early development of the authoritarian personality: the inability of a family structure to provide emotional security and encourage individual autonomy. The absence of a father figure and the mother's overprotection create an emotional ambivalence, in which the subject internalizes the idea of ​​authority in a distorted way. This context fosters the development of a personality that oscillates between repressed hostility and the need to submit to external figures. By building his emotional wall, Pink tries to protect himself from a world that, since childhood, has deprived him of any real opportunity to develop an autonomous identity.

Another central element in Pink's trajectory is his school experience, powerfully portrayed in Another Brick in the Wall. The educational system, symbolized by relentless discipline and the imposition of rigid rules, functions as a mechanism that reinforces the repression of individuality and creativity. Adorno argues that institutions that prioritize uniformity and punish dissent tend to foster an authoritarian personality, where blind obedience becomes a defining trait. (This, in turn, explains why so many fascists in Brazil support military schools.) In The Wall, school is not merely a place of learning, but an environment of domination, where each brick, that is, each experience of repression, contributes to the construction of the psychological wall that isolates Pink from the world.

By analyzing the family structure and the educational system within the narrative, it becomes possible to see Pink as a fictional social representation of what Adorno identified in the authoritarian personality: an individual who, having been exposed from an early age to repressive environments, develops defensive instincts that end up transforming into emotional barriers (the wall) that, in turn, make it impossible to establish a healthy relationship with one's own existence and with others.

Pink Floyd's live appearance at Wembley in 1974 is an absolutely epochal performance from the band. Naturally, they performed the entirety of The Dark Side of the Moon, which by the point had been so extensively road-tested that they'd had it down to a fine art and worked in a number of variations from the studio release which makes this performance an intriguing alternative spin on the album.

In addition, the encore was a fabulous performance of Echoes - and before Dark Side they rolled out performances of Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Raving and Drooling, and You've Gotta Be Crazy, the latter two songs eventually making it onto Animals with somewhat tweaked lyrics as Sheep and Dogs, which really showcase how the core of their next two studio albums were, musically speaking, essentially already worked out even at this point in time.

Unfortunately, there's a big problem with this live release of the show... it doesn't include the full performance! Only the Dark Side of the Moon is included here; the other tracks have seen official releases, but if you want to get legitimate copies you'll need to go trawling through various expensive boxed sets from the band. This is not only highly irritating, but also kind of self-defeating on the part of the band - if they'd put out more full shows as standalone releases they'd surely be able to put a dent in the swathe of deeply inferior bootleg recordings circulating of their material. As it stands, the sound of the Wembley concert is exceptionally good - it's just a shame that it's such a pain to actually assemble the whole thing in the best possible quallity. Five star performance, five star concert setlist as a whole, but this can only ever be a four star release at most because of the terrible decision not to just release the whole concert as a unit.