1 of 1 thought this review was well writtenThe eleventh studio album by progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in 1979, is a concept album, like the previous three albums released by Pink Floyd. The album is about a character named Pink. His father was killed during World War II. He was oppressed by his mother. He had abusive teachers. All of these events are "bricks in the wall." As Pink becomes a rock star, his marriage crumbles, and he deals with drug abuse. Once the wall is complete, Pink is isolated from humanity.
With 26 tracks, you'd expect there to be some filler, and there is. There are also a few tracks that stand out, and are much better than the rest (Another Brick In The Wall, Comfortably Numb, Hey You, Mother, etc.). Many tracks could have easily been left off the album, musically, but because of the concept, some of the tracks are needed. Almost all of the songs on the wall segue into the next track, so some tracks seem to blend together. The Wall is pretty much one 81-minute song broken up into 26 parts. The more I think about it, the more sane it seems. The Wall really could have been released as a Thick as a Brick, epic, one gargantuan song album.
There's a lot of experimentation on this album, with a lot of speech fragments and sound effects. Sonically, The Wall is very strong. The mood is a little erratic, but The Wall flows so well. The songs go hand in hand with one another.
There's one song I have to talk about on The Wall, and it's Comfortably Numb. It's definitely the best song on the album, and it serves as a sort of climax of the wall. It's the longest song, also. The verses are great, with very good lyrics, and the chorus soars. The best part of the song for me, though, is the solo/outro. It's one of the greatest solos I've heard. It's just so epic.
While it isn't Pink Floyd's best, it definitely has it's moments, and it's a cohesive piece of art. The concept is great and relevant, and it's a little experimental. The Wall's strongest moment, Comfortably Numb, is brilliant.
This album is Pink Floyd's last great album. It's a great, great piece of art, and it completes the tetralogy of the best albums put out by the best space rock band of all time.
