THE WALL - 30 Years Later

[toddpolt]

Whether you think its Pink Floyd's best album (I don't), or consider it at its worst a bloated pretentious whiney egocentric hubris....The Wall is certainly a 2 disc album of classic something.

I would consider several PF albums before The Wall. Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Meddle, Piper at the Gates of Dawn, etc. But never the less, The Wall is still a kick butt rock classic. No not perfect because Roger Waters stressed story over the music's rhythmn, but none the less its still a rather impressive theatrical ambitious rock opera.

The Wall was released 30 years ago today, and is the #3 all-time best selling album in America. Behind The Eagles: Their Greatest Hits, and Michael Jackson's Thriller. Also produced that great band's sole #1 single chart hit: "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)"

It also gave us some other classic tunes you hear on the oldies stations alot: "Run Like Hell," "Comfortably Numb," "Young Lust,", "Hey You," etc. Also inspired an equally epic concert tour and of course the 1982 Alan Parker cult classic which equally divides people. Some call it a visionary influence on MTV music videos. Others call it a bore.

Either way, happy birthday Wall. Those teachers and wives and groupies and drugs all tried to get you down, but you prevailed.

[Smokey McTrees]

Factor in the fact it was a DOUBLE LP and in a way it's truly the greatest selling album of all-time. In fact, it was the first album to be awarded Diamond status by our old pals the RIAA

[toddpolt]

In unrelated news, apparently Roger Waters is "considering" touring The Wall in '10/'11 like he did recently with Dark Side of the Moon.

And it's also becoming....a broadway play?

Interesting.

[Franchise]

In my opinion, the greatest writing of an album of all time.

[Jimmy]

Nov 30, 2009 2:13:40 GMT -5 Franchise said:

In my opinion, the greatest writing of an album of all time.

Agreed.

[TOTB - Think Outside The Box]

Waaayyy back in 2006, right here in the WC forums, (thumbs up, cheap pop) I actually wrote a track by track detailing from The Wall. Here is that post, in it's entirety.

Track Breakdown:

***note: This is the album version. If you want a listing of the movie tracks, there's always Wikipedia.


1. In The Flesh? - If you listen closely at the very beginning of the track, you will hear "....we came in?" This was looped from the last track on the second album. More on this later. This was basically an intro into Pink's life, present time. Kind of like a "Welcome To The Show", more or less. This song will be reprised again later.

2. The Thin Ice - The opening cries of a baby let you know that we are flashbacked to Pink's infancy. Like most lives start out, this begins with a mother, and a father doting over their new child. Life is good, and THIS is the only moment in Pink's whole life that is "normal".

3. Another Brick In The Wall (Part One) - Henceforth, will be referred to as ABITW. We learn it is a few years later, and that "daddy's flown across the ocean". Young Pink has now learned of his father's death in WWII, and is devastated. Pink begin's to build his "wall".

4. The Happiest Days Of Our Lives - Because his mother could not control her son during his time of grief, Pink is sent to a boarding chool, where the teachers "mold" their students into the "right" shape.

5. ABITW (Part Two) - The biggest single to come off the album. This track is a concept where the other kids in the school begin to lash out back at their teachers, with the slogan being "Hey, teachers! Leave those kids alone!" Pink, of course, doing as he is told, is even more isolated now. The wall get higher.

6. Mother - Pink's mother is shown to be very smothering in this track. She wishes for Pink to always be by her side, even in adulthood. When Pink has a girlfriend, Mother disapproves, no matter what. Mother also stacks a few bricks onto Pink's wall for her actions.

7. Goodbye Blue Sky - This song explains Pink's depression as a result of being forced to grow up in a postwar world with only his overprotective mother to care for him. It also describes Pink's sadness as a result of having the childhood he should have, being taken away from him before he was even born.

8. Empty Spaces - Pink is now married, and living in America. However, he and his wife are having marital issues, due to the wall he has halfway built up at this point.

9. Young Lust - Now a rock star, Pink begins to live to cliche of the "Rock N Roll Lifestyle". Not seeing his wife in months, he begins to invite groupies into his hotel after shows. The end of the track has a telephone conversation between the operator, Mr. Pink, and Mrs. Pink's new lover, whom she has been having an affair with all this while.

10. One On My Turns - An accelerated mental breakdown shows Pink, with a groupie, in his room. After unsuccessfully trying to garner his attention, Pink goes off in a fit of violence, destroying the room.

11. Don't Leave Me Now - Pink has an imaginary coversation with his wife, asking her to stay in his life, then blaming her infidelity for his anguish. Also, the wall is near completion.

12. ABITW (Part Three) - This track shows Pink basically shunning everyone, stating the he needs nothing, no one, and no help. Due to his actions, beliefs, and mental idealism, Pink has dismissed everyone in his life as "bricks in the wall", of whick is now totally completed.

13. Goodbye Cruel World - Pink has finally realized his total seperation from his world, and cuts ties completely from it.


Second Album


1. Hey You - Another huge selling single from The Wall. Pink now realizes the mistake he has made by building this wall. To no avail, he is trying to call out to anyone. Also, the facist movement "The Worms" make their debut.

2. Is There Anybody Out There? - This is a question that will be answered in the next track. Pretty self-explanatory, as Pink is now talking to himself, asking if anyone is out there to help him.

3. Nobody's Home - See? Told You. Basically, Pink is lamenting how lonely his life is, and all he has are his "mortal remains", and his possessions to keep him company.

4. Vera - This song is a reference to Vera Lynn, a British singer during World War II and her popular song "We'll Meet Again". The reference is ironic, as Roger Waters (and his fictional character "Pink") would not meet his father, lost in the war. The lyric "Vera, what has become of you?" suggests that Vera Lynn herself, like her promise, vanished. It has also been interpreted to mean that hope is gone.

5. Bring The Boys Back Home - Pink flashbacks to a time where
he is waiting at a train station, for his father. Not having heard the news of his death yet, Pink joins the crowd in chanting the title to this song. Furthur depressing him, and showing him that unity is the way out, Pink takes on everything that has happened to him, and collapses before a show.

6. Comfortably Numb - My FAVORITE tune from Pink Floyd. Pink, feeling completely isolated from society, cannot stand the pressures of life as a rock star and collapses in his hotel room before leaving for his concert. A doctor is sent into the room and gives Pink an injection that gives him the energy he needs to perform.

7. The Show Must Go On - Pink's managers and record execs have control over his life, and even though he does not want to continue to perform, he must. We see a slight turn into The Worms again as well.

8. In The Flesh - Here is the reprise I mentioned waaaaayyyyyy up there. This time, Pink is hallucinating, thanks to the drugs given to him before the show. He now fancies himself as a dictator of sorts, giving orders to security to throw out the people that do not live up to his standards, saying that "if I had my way, I'd have all of you shot!" This was VERY akin to Hitler's rise in power, im my opinion.

9. Run Like Hell - Still hallucinating, Pink turns his audience into a hate mob, sending them outside to eradicate all the minorities, in this case, people who are "normal". Again, STRONG resemblence to Hitler.

10. Waiting For The Worms - Pink has lost all hope and has let bad ideas, or "worms", control his thoughts. In his hallucination, he is a fascist dictator who spreads hatred, with the promise that his followers would see "Britannia rule again" and "send our coloured cousins home again," and announces he is "waiting to turn on the showers and fire the ovens."

11. Stop - Pink is tired of his life as a fascist dictator and the hallucination ends. He is also tired of The Wall, and puts himself on trial in his head. The song is also about the realization he has that everything that led up to his wall was all his own fault, hence the line "Have I been guilty all this time?"

12. The Trial - This track is one heck of a piece. Pink, who having lived a life filled with emotional and (later) substance abuses has reached a critical psychological break. "The Trial" is the fulcrum on which Pink's mental state balances. Through the course of it, he is confronted by the primary influences of his life (that have been introduced over the course of the album):

* his smothering, overprotective Mother,
* the rigidly strict and abusive Schoolmaster, and
* his emotionally distant, adulterous Wife.

Each displays their case, as the schoolmaster still wants to shape Pink, but couldn't due to the "Bleeding Hearts and Artists". His wife simply wants five minutes alone with Pink, to assumingly lay the smackdown on him for his adulterous ways. Mother pleads for the Judge to let her take care of him. All the while Pink finally realizes that he has gone completely insane. The Judge sentences him to be exposed before his peers. He orders the wall Pink built to be torn down.

13. Outside the Wall - Basically, this tracks bears a cyclical nature to it. The wall, now destroyed, discusses that many people have social barriers, and that there is a "revolving door". As one person leaves the wall, another comes in. Also, the very end of this track, you hear "Isn't this where..." to coincide with the "...we came in" heard on Track One of the first album.

[Hugh Mungus]

And here are the events that led Waters to building The Wall (*LANGUAGE WARNING*):

New York City, 3 July 1977:



Montreal, 6 July 1977:



Montreal is where Waters gets screwed.


And here's some articles describing Waters' breakdown, which happened over time during the tour:

www.oreopolis.com/Pages/2003/070103.html

www.angelfire.com/va/battersea/spit.html

Again, language warning.

[Jay Peas 42]

I SEE HIM BROTHER! IT'S THE WALL, BROTHER! CHOKESLAM! DUDE, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO HULK UP AND DEFEAT HIM, MEAN GENE!

[ani]

I like it but I think most of Disc 1 is meh. Disc 2 is amazing though.

[Bo Rida]

Bring on the wall!

[happygilmore]

Coincidentally, listening to The Wall now. I can see where people would be kinda turned off by it, feeling it kinda bloated.

But, personally, I love this album. For "Comfortably Numb' which is my all time favorite song. And the whole, "How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?" thing.

[Johnny Flamingo]

I must admit, I love the album and I really dig the movie, even if its way way way out there.