Classic Album Review: Pink Floyd - The Wall

Posted by Anthony - 23rd May 2011

With Roger Waters currently on tour in the UK with The Wall Live concert, and with Pink Floyd's back catalogue going to be reissued later this year in a bewildering array of formats, now would be a good time to look at The Wall album. It was the Floyd's 8th studio album and their 2nd biggest seller.

In 1973 Pink Floyd had released their album Dark Side of the Moon. It became an instant classic, to date has sold over 45 million copies and is the 6th bestselling album of all time in the UK. It was written and performed by Pink Floyd and engineered by Alan Parsons. Technically the album is renowned for its high recording values and stereo imaging.

After DSOTM came Wish You Were Here followed by Animals, both good albums but not achieving the same classic status. Then in 1979 Pink Floyd released a double LP rock opera called The Wall. This was unlike anything either they or anyone else had done before and became another instant classic. It is currently available as a remastered double CD.

The Wall was written largely by Roger Waters, the bass player and singer, and was about his own angst ridden life. There was much use of additional instrumentation and choirs giving a larger musical palette that on the previous Floyd albums. Although Alan Parsons was not involved here the final sound quality was excellent and well up to the usual Floyd high standard.

The Wall is a concept album telling the story of Pink, a character based on Roger Waters' early life. His father was killed during World War 2 and Pink is brought up by his domineering mother. He has a grim time at school at the hands of sadistic teachers who suppress his individuality. He leaves to become a rock star and descends into a life of drugs and violence. He builds a wall around himself to protect him from the cruel world, each brick being one of his demons. There he hallucinates and turns into a Fascist dictator who, racked with guilt, orders violence against his fans. Finally he puts himself on trial during which his wall is torn down allowing him to escape back into a better world.

If all this sounds depressing I've got good news for you, it isn't. The quality of the songs and the superb musical arrangements make this rock opera both an exciting and emotional experience. Some of the work is outstanding e.g. the song Comfortably Numb which features the now well known David Gilmour guitar solo. Unusually for Pink Floyd a single was released from the album, Another Brick In The Wall, which became the Christmas best seller in 1979.

Subsequently Pink Floyd toured with a stage version of The Wall. This was quite an experience. A high wall was slowly erected across the stage and by the end of the first half it had completely blocked off the stage from the audience. During the second half the wall was used in various ways by the band to perform the songs. Gerald Scarfe designed animations were projected onto the wall and huge mobiles floated above the audience. Finally the wall came crashing down at the end of the trial. It is a show not to be missed if you like the album. You will not see anything else like it and Roger Waters' current version is very good even though the rest of Pink Floyd is not involved.

There is no doubt that this is an album you will either love or hate. It is not music for playing in the background; you need to sit down and become totally immersed in it. The sales figures show that millions do just that and love it. For me this album is one of the all time greats.