Review Summary: The pinnacle prog rock album!
It's mind-blowing to imagine how this was initially panned by multiple critics, and seen as a disappointment after the last release, when nowadays it is rightfully regarded as a milestone in recording processes, tape effects, and music in general.
Wish You Were Here is their most consistently unified album, and despite Roger taking more increasing control and writing everything himself now, it is still a band effort. The dedication to the long-left Syd Barrett gives this record an emotional connection that really resonates within the band and allows for their use of synthesizer to be given an emotional texture, and Gilmour's riffs to make comments of emotional longing with Waters' lyrics being straight-up brilliant as usual.
Syd actually visited the recording studio, though his former bandmates didn't recognize him at first. The once mysteriously mythical make-up wearing curly-haired piper was now majorly overweight, eyebrow-less and bald. Upon recognizing him, Roger was reduced to tears, Mason was reportedly "horrified" and both David and Nick felt awful for their long-lost friend. They played him part of the "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" suite, which was a song dedicated for Syd, and funnily enough, it is reported that he hated it saying it was "old".
Moving onto the quality of the album, each cut ties together wonderfully and the record flows smoothly from track to track, keeping the overall concept of alienation, the corruption in the music industry, and madness caused by it quite well. The album starts with parts 1-5 of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" with wine glasses being used in the first part to create a symphony as Rick plays the synthesizer which comes in introducing the main melody. The lyrics talk of the anguish of their former friend and the loss of him in a beautiful tear-jerking tribute, and goes through many unique chord changes, a refrain of "Syds theme", and uses creative working of guitar overdubs to impact the listener. The saxophone on this is done by the legendary Dick Parry, who also played on "Money". This song is a masterpiece, and one of the greatest works of all time. It fades in again at the end of the album from "Wish You Were Here" functioning as a bookend, ending in a slow 4/4 funeral march which gives it a feel of finality and as if the good times had gone passed, adding to the emotional impact and the experience of the song overall!
"Welcome To The Machine" is what I find to be the second best on the album, being the second track and is yet again a masterpiece, it is groundbreaking in tape manipulation. Featuring unique variations in its metre and time signatures, each bass hit of the VCS synthesizer is in quarter note, switching from one side of the stereo to the next. The verses and chorus are in 4/4 but on the line "It's all right, we know where you've been", a measure of 7/4 is inserted, and the left-right stereo panning gets reversed. The instrumental section uses acoustic guitar to its advantage which makes the song stand out and have its own unique feel against everything else. The lyrics are incredible and about the manipulation of artists in the music business, and how they're like cogs in a machine. It's truly biting social commentary, and with all this in mind this song is utter brilliance.
"Have a Cigar" is the second hit single, and is a very good funk rock tune that has Roy Harper guest star on vocals as Roger and David couldn't decide on who would sing it. It is a critique on greed in the music business and really adds impact to the album. There isn't too much to say about it except that it is indeed exceptional despite being the weakest track. The title track segues from the previous track in such a creative way, something I've not heard done before, which is having a radio tuned from one station through multiple others, interpreting a radio play of Tchaikovsky's fourth symphony where a new station plays the beginning of "Wish You Were Here" with the intro processed on Gilmour's twelve-string to sound like its playing from the radio before switching to the main melody. Everything about this song is impeccable down to its core of genius.
Overall, this album is a timeless work of art and definitively the band's peak. Every piece adds up to a whole and it is an emotional roller coaster packed to the brim with beautiful music. If anyone were getting into progressive rock or Pink Floyd in general, this would be the album to go with to show them, it is a perfect starting point.
Track By Track:
1.Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts 1-5): ★★★★★
2. Welcome to the Machine: ★★★★★
3. Have a Cigar: ★★★★
4. Wish You Were Here: ★★★★★
5. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts 6-9): ★★★★★ 🎖️
