features in: Album Chart of 1975 ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1970s ● 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die  |
30 months on from “Dark Side Of The Moon”, the quartet's highly-anticipated follow up finally arrived in September '75. Once again, the lyrics, and therefore the album's central themes, are entirely penned by Roger Waters. As he would later remark: “At the beginning of the recording sessions most of us didn't wish we were there at all, we wished we were somewhere else.” Carrying the weight of expectation that came with stadium rock stardom didn't help group tensions. All of this informs the subject matter - as does a seven-years-ongoing regret that founding member Syd Barrett is no longer a part of the group. Beautifully, their troubled former leader is eulogized in the 26 minute epic “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” which bookends the album, pts 1-5 at the beginning and pts 6-9 at the end. The album is nine minutes old when the first lyrics appear: “Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun, shine on you crazy diamond”. The sentiment is just lovely. Pity about the endless solos left, right, centre, centre-left and centre-right again. Jeez, do's a favour. The ending on side two is even more tedious than side one's beginning. In-between those two suites, “Welcome To The Machine” closes side one in a wash of synthesizers and acoustic guitars. Thematically, Waters describes the piece as “a symbol of musical discovery and progress betrayed by a music industry more interested in greed and success”. The title-track is the best thing in the set and, surprisingly, flirts with Americana as it eases on down the road. According to Waters it's about “being present in one's own life and freeing one's self in order to truly experience life”. The amazing success of the group continued as “Wish You Were Here” became their first LP to hit #1 in both the UK and the US. Huge. It's beyond me.
The Jukebox Rebel
26–Feb–2016
| Tracklist |
| A1 | [13:32]  Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I–V) (David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Richard Wright) Prog |
| A2 | [07:32]  Pink Floyd - Welcome To The Machine (Roger Waters) Prog |
| B1 | [05:24]  Pink Floyd - Have A Cigar (Roger Waters) Soft Rock / A.O.R. |
| B2 | [05:40]  Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (David Gilmour, Roger Waters) Soft Rock / A.O.R. |
| B3 | [12:29]  Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI–IX) (David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Richard Wright) Prog |
