Symbolic and surreal, ‘The Wall’ defies categorisation of genre: animated film; musical; contemporary art?
I first watched ‘The Wall’ (directed by Alan Parker) when I was 15. Even then I could see the powerful messages which were being portrayed through the use of ... Read review
The Wall - Pink Floyd
The Wall is less a collection of songs than a single work, which is sometimes frustrating; ... more
the plot lacks enough coherence to hold the snippets of music together. However, there are occasional flashes of brilliance on what arguably ranks as Pink Floyd'...
The Wall - Pink Floyd
The Wallis less a collection of songs than a single work, which is sometimes frustrating; ... more
the plot lacks enough coherence to hold the snippets of music together. However, there are occasional flashes of brilliance on what arguably ranks as Pink Floyd's...
The Wall (2CD) - CD
Disc 1 In The Flesh Thin Ice Another Brick In The Wall Happiest Days Of Our Lives Another ... more
Brick In The Wall Mother Goodbye Blue Sky Empty Spaces Young Lust One Of My Turns Don't Leave Me Now Another Brick In The Wall Goodbye Cruel World Disc 2 Hey You ...
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A review by HappyBunny on Wall, The (Remastered) - Pink Floyd June 27th, 2001
Author's product rating:
Originality
Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics
Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks
A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Good
Value for Money
Advantages:
Stunning animation, thought - provoking, excelent music
Disadvantages:
Concentration
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Symbolic and surreal, ‘The Wall’ defies categorisation of genre: animated film; musical; contemporary art?
I first watched ‘The Wall’ (directed by Alan Parker) when I was 15. Even then I could see the powerful messages which were being portrayed through the use of imagery, cinematography and the music and lyrics of Pink Floyd. However, to fully appreciate the depth of ‘The Wall’, the film becomes even more enjoyable when watched more than once.
So over the years I have revisited the life of Pink (Bob Geldof), a musical performer who in a drug induced state revisits his past and looks at a future where he is a powerful neo-Nazi style dictator.
The animation (Gerald Scarfe, best known for his caricatures) provides the basis for the symbolism and imagery in the film. The symbolic wall is transformed into the physical, which engulfs the soul of Pink. In another scene Pink imagines his adulterous wife with her lover. Symbolising this is the ‘copulation’ of two flowers (sounds odd, but it is effective) with one consuming the other (a judgement of his wife in how she treats men perhaps), whilst the music plays ‘Empty Spaces’, with Roger Waters’ lyrics and scathing voice urging to ‘build the wall’.
The musical arrangement and lyrics within Pink Floyd’s music provides the narration, drama and impetus of the story. Most famously, ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ is reprised throughout as a reminder of the facets and isolation of his life. ‘Comfortably Numb’ portrays the feelings of Pink and others around him as he’s escorted to his next performance in a drugged stupor.
Leading players in Pink’s life are the main concentration in his thoughts. His mother shows all signs of being the stereotypical matriarch; his wife who’s having an affair and his father who died when he was a child in the war. This is a problematic part of the film however. Pink focuses, understandably on the loss of his father, but the film does have a major emphasis on war (one example being Floyd’s war cry in ‘Bring the Boys Back Home’). Again another use of symbolism, with the war that Pink faces, but somewhat tenuous. I suspect this focus is the political thoughts of the band themselves than a major link in the film (their next album release “The Final Cut” takes on this theme as the major subject).
The concept of the film and Pink Floyd’s album excellently portray the personality and life of Pink. The symbolism is endless (there’s far too much to go through all in detail here) and it really is a thought-provoking film which is in the same league as “A Clockwork Orange” and “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest”. There is sensational animation, perfectly timed and written music and excellent cinematography, which combine in a collage to produce a cult which never loses it’s power.
Advantages: Great songs, use of instruments and brilliant innovative style Disadvantages: Some parts seem to drag on a bit
...of Another Brick In The Wall, the livelier, up-beat version that includes the more meaningful singing by the children. However, at the end of this track comes the most amazing guitar solo suiting the album one hundred percent. After this comes more soulful guitar strumming reflecting tough times in the war. Within track ten comes a good, lively number with a clear rock influence containing immaculate guitar solos, great piano playing and amazing ... ...so brilliant. However the best part of disk one is clearly left to the end. From a powerful intro leading in from the previous track of an explosive smashing sound and bass, comes Another Brick In The Wall part three sounding very up-lifting and the kind of beat you cant resist tapping your foot to.
So, on to disk 2, the final disk, with more excellent instrumental genius and meaningful lyrics. However on the first track the lyrics seem slightly ...
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07.03.2004
Outstanding Review ofWall, The (Remastered) - Pink Floydby
garethd
Advantages: Great Songs Disadvantages: A bit on the long side
This album just shows what a brilliant live band Pink Floyd are, as the album captures brilliantly the entire double album `The Wall` (originally released in 1979), with the shows from which the album was taped held between 1980 and 1981. The album is really as good as the original studio album, and captures its electric and powerful sound from the hardest guitar riff right down to the band`s trademark sound effects. There are however a couple of ... ...namely `Run Like Hell` and `Another Brick In The Wall (part 1)`. Also this album features two tracks that were left off the studio version, namely `What Shall We Do Now` and `The Last Few Bricks`. The album is great and no doubt all of the band`s fans will buy it, but there is nothing drastically new here and I just wish the band would come up with some fresh material as it`s been 5 years since their last album. ...
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Advantages: Classic Pink Floyd Disadvantages: Some won't like it! You've been warned
...purchased a cd entitled the Wall, the film, quite different to the usual album, the cd is a soundtrack of the actual film and has a couple of tracks not on the original recording such as When the Tigers Broke Free and The Boy That Santa Claus Fogot.
Truly both the album, artwork and album are timeless classics. ...
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10.10.2001
Quick review of Wall, The - Pink Floyd Review ofWall, The (Remastered) - Pink Floydby
gigm
pink floyd is defintely one of the top 5 bands from the 20th century, i can't stop my self from lissinging to it when i'm upset, it is not just music but art, it is definetly worth buying, 9.9/10
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26.10.2007
Another classic ! Review ofWall, The (Remastered) - Pink Floydby
KarenUK
Advantages: Comfortably Numb is the best song ever !! Disadvantages: There are a couple of weaker tracks
The Wall is possibly the best known of Pink Floyd's many albums over the decades, especially because of the accompanying film starring Bob Geldof as the notoriously insane pop star who shaves off his eyebrows ! The track Another Brick in the Wall was also a huge hit single, staying at Number 1 in the charts for several weeks. Personally, my favourite song on this album is the lesser known Comfortably Numb, which is also my favourite song of all time ...
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Album Notes: Pink Floyd: David Gilmour (vocals, guitar); Richard Wright (vocals, keyboards); Roger Waters (vocals, bass); Nick Mason (drums). Additional personnel: Bruce Johnston, Toni Tenille, Joe Chemay, John Joyce, Stan Farber, Jim Haas, Islington Green School (background vocals). Producers: Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour, Roger Waters. Recorded at Superbear Studios, Miravel, France; Producer's Workshop, Los Angeles, California; CBS Studios, New York, New York between April and November 1979. Digitally remastered by Doug Sax (The Mastering Lab, Los Angeles, California). THE WALL was Roger Waters' crowning accomplishment in Pink Floyd. It documented the rise and fall of a rock star (named Pink Floyd), based on Waters' own experiences and the tendencies he'd observed in people around him. By now, the bassist had firm control of the group's direction, working mostly alongside David Gilmour and bringing in producer Bob Ezrin as an outside collaborator. Drummer Nick Mason was barely involved, while keyboardist Rick Wright seemed to be completely out of the picture. Still, THE WALL was a mighty, sprawling affair, featuring twenty-six songs with vocals--nearly as many as all previous Floyd albums combined. The story revolves around the fictional Pink Floyd's isolation behind a psychological wall. The wall grows as various parts of his life spin out of control, and he grows incapable of dealing with his neuroses. The album opens by welcoming the unwitting listener to Floyd's show ("In The Flesh?"), then turns back to childhood memories of his father's death in World War II ("Another Brick In The Wall [Part 1]"), his mother's overprotectiveness ("Mother"), and his fascination with and fear of sex ("Young Lust"). By the time "Goodbye Cruel World" closes the first disc, the wall is built and Pink is trapped in the midst of a mental breakdown. On disc 2, the gentle acoustic phrasings of "Is There Anybody Out There?" and the lilting orchestrations of "Nobody Home" reinforce Floyd's feeling of isolation. When his record company uses drugs to coax him to perform ("Comfortably Numb"), his onstage persona is transformed into a homophobic, race-baiting fascist ("In The Flesh"). In "The Trial" he mentally prosecutes himself, and the wall comes tumbling down. This ambitious concept album was an across-the-board smash, topping the Billboard album chart for 15 weeks in 1980. The single "Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)" was the country's best seller for four weeks. THE WALL spawned an elaborate stage show (so elaborate, in fact, that the band was able to bring it to only a few cities) and a full-length film. It also marked the last time Waters and Gilmour would work together as equal partners.
Album Reviews: Rolling Stone (12/11/03, p.116) - Ranked #87 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" - "...Hypnotic in its indulgence....Rock-star hubris has never been more electrifying..." Q (1/03, p.64) - Included in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums Ever" CMJ (1/6/03, p.12) - Included in CMJ's list of "Top 25 College Radio Albums of All Time" CMJ (1/5/04, p.6) - Ranked #1 in CMJ's "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1980".
Titles on disc 1
1.: In The Flesh
2.: Thin Ice
3.: Another Brick In The Wall (part 1)
4.: Happiest Days Of Our Lives
5.: Another Brick In The Wall (part 2)
6.: Mother
7.: Goodbye Blue Sky
8.: Empty Spaces
9.: Young Lust
10.: One Of My Turns
11.: Don't Leave Me Now
12.: Another Brick In The Wall (part 3)
13.: Goodbye Cruel World
14.: Hey You
15.: Is There Anybody Out There
16.: Nobody Home
17.: Vera
18.: Bring The Boys Back Home
19.: Comfortably Numb
20.: Show Must Go On
21.: In The Flesh
22.: Run Like Hell
23.: Waiting For The Worms
24.: Trial
25.: Outside The Wall
Titles on disc 2
1.: Hey You
2.: Is There Anybody Out There
3.: Nobody Home
4.: Vera
5.: Bring The Boys Back Home
6.: Comfortably Numb
7.: Show Must Go On
8.: In The Flesh
9.: Run Like Hell
10.: Waiting For The Worms
11.: Stop
12.: Trial
13.: Outside The Wall
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