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Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here CD (album) cover

WISH YOU WERE HERE

Pink Floyd

 

Psychedelic/Space Rock

4.64 | 4644 ratings

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rangerm13
5 stars THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE! Indeed, just like the Highlander, this album kills all other albums and takes their powers! OK, back to reality... As far as I'm concerned this is not only Pink Floyd's best album, but it is the best rock album of all time. Five stars do not do it justice! I recognize the genious of 'Dark Side Of The Moon' and 'The Wall,' but these records don't speak to me on the same level as 'Wish You Were Here.' Who would have guessed that a chance encounter with Syd Barrett would cause Pink Floyd to construct their most beautiful and deep piece of work. In many ways, Barrett never really left the group since his decent into madness served as a heavy influence on Roger Waters' song writing. This album represents the band finally finding an outlet for dealing with Barrett's specter. Whether it was intentional or not, Waters' lyrics end up taking on a much more universal context. Anyone who has ever felt lost in life or weighed down by the expectations of family and society as a whole will likely identify with the overall sense of helplessness in this album's music. Waters and Gilmour sing about a person whose every move and action is scrutinized beyond reason by an uncarring superior who can only see dollar signs rather than humanity. Burried under the mountain of expectations is a tired and weak individual who is trying desperately to regain control of his life but finds cage bars all around. Musically, this is Pink Floyd returning to their longer-form song writing ("Shine On You Crazy Diamond" was originally a 25 minute epic reminiscent of "Echoes" and "Adam Heart Mother Suite"). However, unlike 'Adam Heart Mother' and 'Meddle' the non-epic tracks are also worthwhile. Gilmour's solo on "Have A Cigar" remains one of my all-time favorites, and you have to love that classic line "Oh by the way, which one's Pink?" While Gilmour's guitar playing is impressive, much of this album belongs to Rick Wright and his multi-textured, ambient keyboard work. Wright is at his best during the majestic intro to "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part 1)" and the stark, eerie portions of "Welcome To The Machine." To sum up, this album has everything going for it: great music, inspired lyrics, and an amazing backround story. I have yet to hear anything better.
| 5/5 |

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