WISH YOU WERE HERE

If there was a 6/5 rating I would certainly give it that rating along with Meddle, DSotM, and Animals, but I'm reviewing Wish You Were Here right now. The album starts off with the illusive first five parts of Shine on you Crazy Diamond, which well documents the soloing abilities VERY well of David Gilmour, Dick Parry, and some great organ work from Rick Wright. Good collaborative singing, sung by all except for Nick Mason. Great opening piece for the album, and documents well the talents of the band without compromising sounds, as Pink Floyd usually does. I'd give this track 5/5. Segues into Welcome to the Machine. Creepy keyboards and sound effects, creepily places guitar strums, and even a creepy bassline, which makes it sound like a machine. Semi-despressive song, because of the creepy style and only decorative percussion effects as opposed to Mason usualy style of playing. Rick Wright gets more recognition for this piece than he does in most pieces, with his keyboard "solos." They did a good delivering what they promised on this song; that is a very textured and creepy machine- like song. I give this track a 4.5/5. A more upbeat song, not by much however. Funk sounding guitar and bass, and even drums. Keyboards enter with the first melody, with its utter creepiness. Roy Harpers vocals come in and well compliment the song, and while the singing melody travels along there are little fills put in by Gilmour here and there. Drum beat change to 16th hi-hat beat, and guitar solo comes in and documents some funk sounds, while piano changes back to that creepy keyboard effect, creating neat polyphony. That fades out into the beginning dialogue of WYWH and it sounds like a tin can radio. I give this song 4.5/5 Wish You Were Here, a classical acoutstic piece by all members. Starting off with the quiet radio sounding guitar riff, and then a normal recording of the initial solo comes in, then allows for the rhythm to come back to full strength (good use of sound levels). Drums and piano later come in, and a second solo appears, building up well to the verse again. A scat vocal solo comes in at the end, and segues into the last 4 parts of Shine on you crazy diamond. I give this song 5/5. Excellent conclusion to a truly excellent album with only one verse instead of two, and about a minute shorter this song goes along the same lines of style as the first. Starts out with a neat guitar/bass rhythm, complemented by keyboard and drums. Keyboard solo comes next, with guitar's complementing rhythms. Numerous solos, and an overall ingenious song. I give it 5/5.