Review Summary: Special, but for all the wrong reasons.
Hidden in the cusp of any devoted progressive rock fan's music collection lies a name so universally known and appreciated for being one of the godfathers of progressive music as we know. A band that has touched generation upon generation, immortal and untouchable to many are none other than Pink Floyd. The name resonates in waves around the world and with it holds a myriad of emotional connection that some feel for it. But for once, could we
please just forget just who Pink Floyd really are? That's not to take away anything from arguably one of the most iconic bands in music history, but the point I'm eagerly stressing is if we take away this obsession, nostalgia and iconic power they have, will the music still hold its own ground?
Because in all honesty? It's good, but nothing
great.
The oozing atmosphere is the main selling point here, through synthetic organs, slow drum patterns and emotional solos. One could easy see the appeal of this and it starts off extremely promising with 'Shine on You Crazy Diamond', boasting wonderfully blissful aesthetics, only to be ruined with guitar rhythms and solos that overstay their welcome, tarnishing whatever progress the song made thus far. To put it simply, it's this continuous theme of never ending solos which ultimately prevents this album from being the fantastic classic it's claimed to be by many. The flaws are prominent throughout, with another notable one being the vocals. On the track 'Welcome to The Machine', for instance, the song once again is able to craft an ethereal atmosphere which shows its promise but is inevitably brought down with the distastefully strained vocals. What makes this a bigger pity Is that the song is basically flawless otherwise, with the instrumentation being far subtler than the opener which centres around an acoustic guitar with sample-like synths popping in and out - one of the few songs that don't feel needlessly long in length or repetition.
It's not only the timbre of the vocals that are corrupt, the melodies are at equal fault. Pink Floyd's fervent efforts to compose enthralling melodies seem to be done in vain based on the end product. Title track, 'Wish You Were Here' is culpable, surrendering its melody to lazy songwriting that does everything except maintain interest. Not guilty alone, however; 'Have a Cigar' unsurprisingly also falls prey to sloppy songwriting, as does 'Welcome To The Machine', once again.
That's not to say that there aren't highlights, even if they are quite sparse. It would be a false accusation to say that the instrumentation was anything other than that of a very high standard and the layered production truly brings out the best in these qualities. The last track, for instance is brimming with these enjoyable soulful instrumentals that run deep for several minutes long. Despite this, it's difficult to not consider that Pink Floyd could have possibly put their assets to better use, for it isn't necessarily skill that compromises a good track, but also the composition behind it. This track in particular refuses to acknowledge any concept of balance within repetition and length. To plainly put it, it honestly appears to be endless upon listens and becomes almost frustrating at times, which essentially prevents tracks from being as sublime as they could have been.
Overall, it's the qualities like astounding instrumentation and lush, even beautiful atmosphere's which make
Wish You Were Here good. But it's sadly the qualities such as appalling melodies, vocals and endless repetition that suppress the album, thus preventing it from being
great. To put this into context of its influence on music and culture then and now would make
Wish You Were Here invaluable. However, it has to be said that once this is taken out of this context and stripped of all its cultural glory, it could possibly find itself unable to stand on its own two feet.
