Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Pink Floyd
Label: EMI Records
Release: 1975
Length: 44:28
Rating: 5/5
After the release of their timeless masterpiece “Dark Side Of The Moon” (1973), Pink Floyd were on an unstoppable run, and it was only a matter of time before they’d settle onto the throne of progressive rock with total confidence. The next concept album, “Wish You Were Here”, made that triumphant leap happen, and in plenty of artistic details it even topped its fantastic predecessor. I won’t beat around the bush: I’d call it their most mature work, one with which this legendary British prog rock outfit created yet another milestone in the story of popular music. To this day, every music gourmet talks about it with nothing but the deepest respect.
By the time “Wish You Were Here” was being made, hardly anyone except the most loyal fans, the ones who’d been there from the very start, still remembered the band’s original image as cult but obscure pioneers of psychedelic rock and avant-garde in the second half of the 60s. In the meantime they’d grown into one of the sonically most sophisticated and respected rock bands of the 70s. And right when they were basking in the glow of worldwide fame and racking up record-breaking sales, something unexpected happened, tied to the band’s past, and it played a key part in shaping the sound and concept of this album.
During the recording sessions, a grotesque, totally unrecognizable figure suddenly turned up in the studio, one that seemed to belong to some distant, long-forgotten past. Who among the band could have recognized their tragic former musical companion Syd Barrett in that chubby man with a shaved head and shaved eyebrows, scratching himself with a toothbrush, bouncing around playfully and making inarticulate noises?
Syd, their original guitarist, singer and main lyricist, still regarded by many as one of the most gifted musicians of the 60s, a sort of “rough diamond”, remains one of the most tragic figures in the story of popular music. After being the chief visionary and artistic leader in their early days, he was hit by mental problems, made worse by the use of various psychedelic drugs, that made it impossible for him to go on with his music.
After leaving the band, followed by a short and unsuccessful solo career, he quit making music for good and later, in his sister’s care, devoted himself to amateur painting. From then on, his mental state often swung from what the “experts” would call perfectly normal to openly schizophrenic. Quite a few people doubt his “madness” and are convinced he simply wanted to escape the pressures of unexpected fame and the expectations of the music industry. The legendary artist will clearly remain a great enigma, one that will keep spawning legends.
All four of his former bandmates needed quite a while before they finally recognized him. At this shocking reunion, tears welled up in the eyes of both Dave Gilmour, who’d joined the band as Syd’s replacement, and Roger Waters, his former best friend. Keyboardist Richard Wright and drummer Nick Mason were deeply shaken too. It was also, purely by coincidence of course, the day of Gilmour’s wedding, during which Syd suddenly vanished and never again showed up in public. The most heartbreaking part of it all is that this was Syd’s last meeting with his old friends before his death in 2006.
This harrowing encounter played a key role in “Wish You Were” taking on wider dimensions than many expected. In the end it became much more than just another top-notch concept album: it grew into a dramatic and deeply moving tribute from the band members to their tragic companion. Since his death the album sounds even sadder than ever before, if that’s even possible. They also dedicated the album’s centerpiece to Syd’s memory, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”, a fantastic epic suite in nine sections, split into two halves (at the start and at the end of the album). Many fans consider it their very best creation, comparable only to the unforgettable “Echoes”. And the irony and tragic symbolism don’t stop there, given that Syd showed up in the studio right while this monumental piece was being made.
The dramatic anthem about the rise and fall of the “crazy diamond” is the essential, but far from the only, conceptual thread of the album. In other respects too, “Wish You Were Here” isn’t your typical concept album revolving around one central theme or a story with a plot and an ending. It’s a collection of interconnected, pretty profound messages about life. What ties them together is a shared lyrical theme of loneliness, being misunderstood, and the entrapment of a gifted individual in a modern technocratic, materialistic society that glorifies mediocrity, greed and hypocrisy.
From the band’s point of view, it’s also a rather biting critique of the corruption of the music industry of the time, which cared more about money than about the quality of artistic achievements (the songs “Welcome To The Machine” and “Have a Cigar” deal with this). The band members often felt its inhumanity first-hand. Waters in particular grew more and more disillusioned and bitter over the years because of it. That in turn led to his later estrangement from the rest of the band and added extra spice to his ever-growing lyrical cynicism.
Meanwhile, the lyrical message of the evergreen title ballad is one of the most beautiful musical confessions about loneliness and the inability of two people to get close, two people between whom, under different (social) circumstances, “something more” might have bloomed. It also speaks wonderfully to reliving memories of a lost friendship or love, a theme the band kept coming back to again and again in the years that followed.
The album was originally conceived as a collection of individual pieces. Gilmour was the keenest on such a project, but at Waters’ urging the concept idea won out in the end. This opened the first crack between Waters and Gilmour, which over the years grew into a real chasm, to the point where they simply stopped communicating with each other (and not just musically).
Through it all, an incredibly melancholic atmosphere flows through the album, fitting perfectly with Waters’ harrowing lyrical messages about alienation and loneliness in a sterile social system that drives people apart instead of bringing them together. It’s downright ironic that the band members, who during the recording were emotionally almost completely drained, mostly because of the unexpected, roaring success of the previous album, and quite estranged from one another, ended up creating their most emotionally mature work.
Once again the classic Pink Floyd lineup proved itself unrivaled masters of creating gripping emotional expanses, through which they easily lead the listener to otherwise unreachable horizons of their consciousness. The individual musical motifs are the product of incredible magic, created above all by Gilmour’s trademark melancholic and delicate slide guitar solos, the interplay of Waters’ socially conscious lyrics, and the dramatic contrast of their vocals. As always, Wright’s masterful work on synthesizers also plays a very important role, especially on the VCS3 synthesizer, the Minimoog and the Hammond organ, which provide piercing, ethereal symphonic curtains of sound in the background.
This time too, Pink Floyd managed to merge the different styles of the individual instrumentalists and the musical influences from their rich past into the very picture of perfection. Besides the palette of atmospheric keyboard curtains that constantly deliver an exceptional esoteric feel, and Gilmour’s instantly recognizable, mostly blues-leaning guitar passages, there was also room for extended saxophone solos, once again the work of special guest Dick Parry. The album also features a few small experiments with jazz fusion and the acoustic pastoral vibe that was present on some of their older releases. The latter adds an extra dose of nostalgic pathos, which runs through most of the compositions anyway.
The monumental opening of the album, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part One)”, the first part of the unforgettable epic masterpiece dedicated to the memory of the misunderstood genius of the “crazy diamond”, is a work of art that still stands as one of the greatest achievements in the annals of progressive rock. Just the refined way they add individual musical motifs and slowly weave a harrowing, melancholic mood is reason enough for complete emotional and spiritual ecstasy.
The first section is heralded by an ambient intro that opens with the melancholic curtains of Wright’s synthesizers. These then give way to short passages on the Hammond organ, while plenty of synth effects linger in the background. In time Gilmour’s weeping slide guitar solo comes in, with extensive use of various guitar effects. It takes on epic proportions and heightens the melancholic mood even more. Then suddenly a mysterious motif cuts in, one that repeats several times throughout the entire third section. Gilmour doesn’t hold back later on either, delivering another mouthwatering and exceptionally subtle guitar solo that goes straight to the heart in an instant. Finally Nick’s drums join the composition, and over dramatic riffs the slow tempo of the song picks up a little.
That makes way for the central, monumental motif of the whole suite, which instantly paints Syd’s tragic story before your eyes. In the fourth section, Wright’s Minimoog solo impresses the most, along with Gilmour’s third guitar solo, this time with a bit more of a bluesy flavor. In the fifth section Waters’ vocal comes in, dramatically accompanied in the choruses by vocal harmonies from Gilmour, Wright and the guest singers. After the superb, heart-wrenching vocal performance, dual guitar harmonies take the foreground, repeating the same riff throughout. The already exceptionally wide artistic scope of this phenomenal composition gets extra seasoning from Parry’s baritone and tenor sax solos, which add a touch of jazzy charm to the piece. Together with the synth solos and on the wings of Gilmour’s arpeggios, the first part of this epic masterpiece suddenly fades out.
Over mechanical sounds, the album slides straight into the dark and fairly schizoid masterpiece “Welcome To The Machine”, the very picture of Waters’ musical and lyrical genius. It’s a sharp attack on a music industry that cares more about greed for money than about fostering musical development and complete artistic freedom. At the same time it radiates the band’s openly hostile attitude toward the modern technocratic and dehumanized world. Not only lyrically but musically too, it’s one of their best and deepest creations, and with its drama and its metaphor of a helpless cry for freedom it stays relevant for all time.
Here Pink Floyd once again prove themselves great innovators and experimenters in the advanced music technology of the day. Throughout the song they use a colorful palette of processed effects, mostly on VCS 3 synthesizers. After repetitive effects that create sonic echoes, Gilmour steps in with his tormented vocal. You can feel the total resignation of someone who has succumbed to technocratic domination and now appears only as the voice of one crying out in a synthetically processed desert. The harrowing lyrics come without Waters’ usual sarcasm this time. Dramatic acoustic guitar passages, backed by multi-layered synth textures and a whole sea of melancholic effects, create an extremely gloomy and sad, almost depressing atmosphere, the kind only they could pull off and the kind Waters would only crank up further on their future releases.
Through special effects reminiscent of a siren wailing, recordings of loud conversation cut in. It flows straight into the excellent “Have a Cigar”, another Waters gem of composition and lyrics, with the popular British folk singer Roy Harper guesting on lead vocals. This is yet another uncompromising exposé of the music industry’s hypocrisy, only this time in a somewhat more typical, sarcastic Waters fashion. The lyrics were further fueled by unpleasant run-ins with some music industry suits, who until then had often thought Pink Floyd were a solo act with a frontman named Pink.
Vocally, the track is one of the rare singing moments in their history without any of the band members involved. Waters reportedly couldn’t hit the high notes they wanted and nearly damaged his vocal cords trying. So it was pure luck that Harper happened to be near the studio, with a similar timbre to boot, and he did a great job. His dramatic, sarcasm-laced vocal delivery is the core of this splendid song. Compared to the other compositions on the album, “Have a Cigar” is built on a much more direct and compact rock foundation, with scorching riffs on electric guitar and bass up front. These are complemented by surging textures on synthesizers and electric piano. It all wraps up with another superb Gilmour guitar solo, cut across by strange synthesizer effects.
After a short interlude that sounds like a collage of snippets from various radio stations, comes the best-known piece on the whole album and one of the best-known by the band, period. I’m talking, of course, about the immortal acoustic ballad “Wish You Were Here”, which delivers a rare moment of light, hope and optimism, although exceptional melancholy and Waters’ lyrical resignation dominate here too. The lyrics speak of human alienation and the inability to communicate normally in a modern, materially saturated and sick capitalist world. At the same time it’s yet another touching tribute to the “crazy diamond”, who remains misunderstood even after his death.
Leaving aside the rather sad lyrics, this is one of their most beautiful ballads, mainly thanks to Gilmour’s exceptional vocal and instrumental performance. The way he spins a gentle, hypnotic pastoral melody on acoustic guitar with tasteful riffs, not to mention the colorful solo, can melt even the iciest heart. The incredible warmth and melodicism of his vocal is what finally won over all those fans who prefer emotion-laden romantic arrangements to the often gray existentialist philosophy found in Waters’ artistic line. Wright’s passages on Minimoog and piano add extra romance, nostalgia and ethereal feel.
The immortal acoustic classic ends with the rustling of wind (effects on the VCS 3 synthesizer) and flows, or rather returns, into the continuation of the fantastic epic suite and centerpiece of the album. The fifth section, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part Two)”, is opened by rattling bass riffs and melancholic synth passages. After Gilmour’s guitar holds the rhythm, it all spills into another subtle solo on steel guitar, backed by piercing Minimoog sounds in the background. In the seventh section the identical but shortened motif from the fifth section returns: that harrowing chorus built on Waters’ vocal with backing vocal harmonies. The eighth section is built on an interplay of subtle electric guitar riffs and rattling bass, while playful synth passages wander through in between. The closing section is the most harrowing of the whole suite, since it sounds like a funeral march with a dramatic build-up on drums and keyboards. In the outro, over increasingly distant synthesizer waves, you can hear a short snippet of the main melody of “See Emily Play”, one of Syd’s signature songs.
“Wish You Were Here” isn’t just one of the band’s key achievements. It’s one of the greatest achievements in modern music, and in the annals of progressive rock it still shines as brightly as ever. Pink Floyd managed to create yet another musical masterpiece that is also one of the most beautiful musical tributes to a fellow human being. With it, in my opinion, Pink Floyd reached the peak of their classic era: thanks above all to the timeless relevance and humanity of its musical and lyrical messages, they created their most mature and complete work, one on which they still worked as a unified musical collective. Sadly, that was over in the years that followed. Disagreements between the members kept growing and Waters eventually took complete artistic control. That led them into even more socially engaged, cynical and dark waters, embodied by their next two concept masterpieces. The seed of the broken Gilmour-Waters relationship had also started to spread more and more. With a band that strung together so many excellent albums, it’s very hard to decide which one is their best, but if I had to pick my favorite, it would definitely be “Wish You Were Here”. Thanks to it, the spirit of the “crazy diamond” will keep shining in undiminished glory.
Lineup
David Gilmour – guitar, vocals
Roger Waters – bass guitar, vocals
Richard Wright – keyboards, backing vocals
Nick Mason – drums, percussion
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Dick Parry – baritone and tenor saxophone
Carlena Williams – backing vocals
Venetta Fields – backing vocals
Production
Pink Floyd
Tracklist
1. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part One) (1-5)2. Welcome To The Machine
3. Have A Cigar
4. Wish You Were Here
5. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part Two) (6-9)
