WISH YOU WERE HERE

I'm surprised to see so many people hail this as the ultimate prog masterpiece. It's not even Pink Floyd's best album. Don't get me wrong, it's good, very good even. But a masterpiece of PROGRESSIVE music? Not quite.

That said, I must admit that much of the material is solid. Perhaps even exceptional. The title track is a standout, one of their most emotional acoustic pieces, although I've grown a bit tired of it due to its relentless overplay on classic rock radio. Then there's "Welcome to the Machine," the most intriguing and atmospheric track on the album. It's beautifully arranged, with an acoustic backdrop and some excellent keyboard and synth work, all enhanced by David Gilmour's haunting vocals. In my view, these are the two strongest tracks on the album. "Have a Cigar" is less impressive. A nice rocker, but fairly straightforward in structure. Gilmour's solo near the end adds some edge, saving it from being entirely generic. And of course, there's that iconic transition into "Wish You Were Here", one of the most original transitions ever put on record.

The main issue for me is the suite, "Shine On You Crazy Diamond." Many praise it as one of the greatest prog pieces ever, but I struggle to see what's so remarkable about it. Apart from the intro, which is indeed a masterclass in mood-building, what we have is essentially a 20-minute blues song. That's right. A blues song. The first part, after the intro, is just blues, albeit well-played, but certainly not the greatest blues ever written. And remember, we're supposedly talking about a PROG masterpiece here. What's so prog about blues, especially in 1975?

The second part is mostly an instrumental jam, and while Pink Floyd excels at creating atmosphere, they aren't exactly virtuosos. So, when they aren't crafting a spacey or dark mood, their instrumental jams don't have much impact. The second part begins with a dark bassline that gradually builds, but it's less effective than the opening of the album. We then get a reprise of the familiar chorus from part one, followed by more instrumental jamming that drags on for about six minutes without being particularly impressive, either musically or emotionally. It just feels drawn out. That's my main gripe with this 2-part song. There are good sections, but they don't know when to stop. Of its 26 minutes, maybe 10 or 15 are truly creative. The edited version on the "Echoes" compilation works much better than the full album version, though if I had my way, I'd trim it even more (though certainly not to 6 minutes, as on "A Collection of Great Dance Songs". The intro is one of the best parts and needs to be heard!).

Overall, my evaluation of this album is still more positive than negative. There are classic moments here that rank among the greatest things Pink Floyd has ever done. I considered giving it 4 stars because it truly is an 'excellent addition.' However, given the overwhelming number of enthusiastic reviews, I felt it necessary to emphasize the album's flaws (even if they are fewer compared to its strengths), which many people seem to overlook in their rush to award it five stars without much critical insight. So, I'm giving it a 3 (or rather, 3.5 rounded down). It's GOOD, but not essential, especially when compared to some of the milestones of progressive rock, like "In the Court of the Crimson King," "Close to the Edge," "Thick as a Brick," "Selling England by the Pound," or even "The Dark Side of the Moon."