WISH YOU WERE HERE

If Dark Side of the Moon is number 1, than Wish You Were Here is 1A. Another album of sheer brilliance but unlike many other groups who have just had its commercial breakthrough, the Floyd do not create a follow-up that is basically the same. Unlike its predecessor which moves from one track to another with a controlled, manic energy and an army of special effects, WYWH mostly moves at a more leisurely pace. It has two tracks over 12 minutes in length (Shine On You Crazy Diamond parts 1-5 and part 6-9) that bookend the album and take their time in releasing it's beauty as the individual parts of the tracks stroll from many different types of music (prog, jazz/fusion, pop/rock and dare I say even new age, but way before the term existed). Like DSotM and most all of the Floyd catalog, the impeccable production and the space between the notes allow the listener to revel in every note, but no better was it done then here.

Again, there are no weak tracks here. Have a Cigar is a pretty straight ahead mid-tempo rocker with some outstanding guitar work from Gilmour. Welcome to the Machine is a mechanical, scifi-ish where Richard Wright's keyboards dominate a song were Waters tees off on the record business. The title track is part ode to their lost former leader, Syd Barrett, and with imagery and undercurrent of Waters pessimistic view.

Wish You Were Here has a perfect balance of outstanding music and lyrics. This would be the last album that Pink Floyd would make as full semi-democratic band, as Rick Wright would have greatly decreased input into Animals and The Wall.