Pink Floyd Retrospective: Album 09- Wish You Were Here

 

Pink Floyd hits a second homer out of the park...

Album:  Wish You Were Here

Year Released:    1975

Lineup:

Pink Floyd

• David Gilmour – lead vocals (tracks 2, 4), vocal harmonies (tracks 1–2, 4–5), electric lead guitar (1, 3, 5), electric rhythm guitar (tracks 1, 3, 5), acoustic guitar (tracks 2, 4), Twelve-string guitar (track 4), pedal steel guitar (tracks 4–5), bass (track 5), EMS VCS 3 (tracks 2–3)
• Nick Mason – drums (tracks 1, 3–5), timpani (track 2), cymbals (track 2)
• Roger Waters – lead vocals (tracks 1, 5), vocal harmonies (track 1), bass (all tracks), EMS VCS 3 (tracks 1–4)
• Richard Wright – vocal harmonies (tracks 1, 5), keyboards (all tracks)^A, Steinway piano (tracks 1, 4–5), vibraphone (track 1), minimoog (tracks 1-5)
• Unidentified member – singing glasses (tracks 1, 5), sound effects (tracks 1, 5), EMS VCS 3 (track 5)

Additional musicians

• Venetta Fields, Carlena Williams – backing vocals (tracks 1, 5)
• Dick Parry – saxophones (track 1)
• Roy Harper – lead vocals (track 3)
• Stéphane Grappelli – violin (track 4, only on Experience Edition)

Track Listing:

Side one

No. Title                                                                           Length

1. "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)"           13:33

2.     "Welcome to the Machine"                                        7:25

Total length: 20:58

Side two

No. Title                                                                          Length

3. "Have A Cigar"                                                  5:08

4. "Wish You Were Here"                                          5:35

5. "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-IX)"          12:24

Total length: 23:07

Album Length:  44:05

Overall Thoughts:

With "Dark Side of the Moon", Pink Floyd hit upon a winning formula- Roger Waters wrote the lyrics and created the concept, and the rest of the band created the music.  They followed that same formula with their ninth album, "Wish You Were Here".

On this album, Waters focussed on two themes- sadness about their fellow bandmate Syd Barrett as he succumbed to mental illness, and criticisms about the music industry.  For the first theme, the album is bookened by a nine-part Progressive rock track ("Shine on You Crazy Album") and the title track.  The lyrics on "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" are sparse but powerful:

#Remember when you were young

You shone like the Sun

Shine on, you crazy diamond

Now there's a look in your eyes

Like black holes in the sky

Shine on, you crazy diamond#

"Wish You Were Here" is about feeling alienated.  Waters was inspired both by Barrett and his own growing feelings of alienation.

The other songs were an attack on the music industry- "Welcome to the Machine" is downright dystopic, while "Have a Cigar" is bitter and sarcastic (and features the brilliant lyric):

#The band is just fantastic

That is really what I think

Oh, by the way, which one's Pink?#

There are only five songs on the album (four if you consider "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" as one track)- but every song is brilliant.  Pink Floyd goes from emotional and bittersweet to sarcastic and snarky, and the music flows between the themes.  

"Dark Side of the Moon" is more well known- but this album is my choice as their best work.

Ranking of Pink Floyd Albums (adding as more albums are reviewed):

1. Wish You Were Here
2. Dark Side of the Moon
3. Meddle
4. A Saucerful of Secrets
5. Obscured by Clouds
6. Ummagumma
7. More
8. Piper at the Gates of Dawn
9. Atom Heart Mother

Top 10 Pink Floyd Songs (changing as more albums are reviewed):

1. "Wish You Were Here", Wish You You Were Here
2. "Money", Dark Side of the Moon
3. "Us and Them", Dark Side of the Moon
4. "Welcome to the Machine", Wish You Were Here
5. "Time", Dark Side of the Moon
6. "Fearless", Meddle
7. "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)", Wish You Were Here
8. "The Great Gig in the Sky", Dark Side of the Moon
9. "Have a Cigar", Wish You Were Here
10. "Brain Damage", Dark Side of the Moon