ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL

'The connection between Alice Cooper and Pink Floyd'

The first time I listened to 2-LP The Wall (early December 1979) I was confused, and disappointed: an interesting rock opera idea, mindblowing FOC graphics by Gerald Scarfe, but no epics, no long instrumentals and a cascades of dark lyrics. I couldn't get into the music and some tracks even disturbed me: the disco beat in Run Like Hell and especially the poppy overtones in Another Brick In The Wall Part 2. But 9 months later I was heading towards Earls Court in London, to witness Pink Floyd performing The Wall. On the boat one of the many Pink Floyd fans started to play Another Brick In The Wall Part 2 on his guitar and soon we were all singing 'We don't need no education. We don't need no thought control.' Wow, that was a great atmosphere!

The story of Another Brick In The Wall Part 2 started during the Animals tour in 1977, when Roger Waters told Bob Ezrin (producer for Alice Cooper, Lou Reed and Kiss) about the concept of The Wall. Bob Ezrin: 'It was Roger his wife Christie who approached me about doing The Wall. She had worked with me on an Alice Cooper project. The idea was, because this was so much Roger's own project and not a group effort, he needed a kind of referee between him and the rest of the band ' someone who could help him realize his vision and deal with the rest of the band without creating problems between him and them. '

After their meeting in 1977 Roger played Bob a demo that was essentially a 90-minute-long song. 'It started and just kept going. At that point, it didn't have any sort of commercial potential. In fact, it wasn't even organize-able in its form, but it was the genesis of a great idea.' Although Waters decreed there would be no singles on the album, Ezrin knew Another Brick In The Wall Part 2 was a hit the first time he heard it.

1. Another Brick In The Wall part 2 : The foundation of this composition is a pumping bass, a tight drum beat and catchy rhythm guitar. The magic comes from Roger his cynical voice, singing the provocative lyrics, the kids chorus and Gilmour his subtle and sensitive guitar solo, slowly fading away in the end. This is topped by a captivating video clip featuring the children, and the marching hammers, emphasizing the contrast between the innocence and happiness of children and the manipulation and destruction of adults.

The first version of the song had no kids on it. It was just one verse, one chorus, and out. Ezrin told the band, 'That's too short. We need it as a single. It's a smash, and we have to have it. Having done School's Out, I knew the effect of kids, If you want to touch people, most people respond to the sound of a child, for whatever reason. Whether it's children laughing or children crying, that seems to be more touching than hearing the very same thing coming out of the mouth of an adult. In all the cases where I've used kids, it's been for dramatic effect. And particularly in anything that has to do with school! I played it for Roger as a surprise, and the grin on his face was unbelievable. From that point on, not only did he get it, but I think he probably believed it was his idea in the first place!'

As Greek philosopher Aristotle said 'The whole is greater than the sum of its parts': this song is more than the sum of the music, the lyrics, the graphics, the videoclip, so much more and thanks to the genius triumvirat Roger Waters, Bob Ezrin and Gerald Scarfe I finally discovered it!

By the way, Another Brick In The Wall Part 2 turned out to be the huge hit single that Bob Ezrin had foreseen, but how ironical that Roger during The Wall behaved like the nasty and brutal teacher he was singing about!

2. One Of My Turns : This compelling song starts with the ultimate contrasting moods of the groupie her lust and Pink his depressed words, with melancholical keyboards. Then an agressive explosion by Pink, verbally and fysically, with a tight beat and fiery rock guitar. The final words of Pink are 'Why are you running away?', heartbreaking loneliness and despair, Pink seems to slide in a negative spiral of self-destruction (immediately I had to think about Syd Barrett and his infamous turns, due to his battle with the mentally desintegrating schizophrenia - my personal view - but overshadowed by heavy drugs abuse). A very impressive track with strong, pretty emotional vocals from Roger and intense raw guitar work from David, it matches perfectly with the agressive climate.

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