Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
1975
Album Summary
Wish You Were Here is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 12 September 1975 through Harvest Records and Columbia Records, their first release for the latter. Based on material Pink Floyd composed while performing in Europe, Wish You Were Here was recorded over numerous sessions throughout 1975 at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios) in London. The album's themes include criticism of the music business, alienation, and a tribute to founding member Syd Barrett, who had left seven years earlier due to his deteriorating mental health; Barrett coincidentally visited the band during the album's production. Like their previous record, The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Pink Floyd used studio effects and synthesisers. Guest singers included Roy Harper, who provided the lead vocals on "Have a Cigar", and Venetta Fields, who added backing vocals to "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". To promote the album, the band released the double A-side single "Have a Cigar" / "Welcome to the Machine". On its release, Wish You Were Here received mixed reviews from critics, who found its music uninspiring and inferior to their previous work. It has retrospectively received critical acclaim, hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time, and was cited by keyboardist Richard Wright and guitarist David Gilmour as their favourite Pink Floyd album. It reached number one in the US and UK, and Harvest's parent company, EMI, was unable to keep up with the demand. Since then, the record has sold over 20 million copies.
WikipediaThis is the band your uncle puts on at the end of a family BBQ when he wants to get deep about his divorce.
I mean, it's a masterpiece. It's just so good I don't even care that there's a saxophone solo in it. Three monster hits (Welcome to the Machine, Have a Cigar, and Wish You Were Here) bookeneded by two 12+ minute pieces of some of the best prog-rock music ever written. No complaints, only positive vibes for this one.
Loved it. Listened to it with a blanket and read a couple chapters of the Hobbit. Pink Floyd is best enjoyed by the album rather than the song.
If there’s ever a list compiled of albums that should be listened to before you die, I reckon this one should be on there. A great mix of synth & guitar that they kind of ply on think compared to the normal amount of vocals on an album
It was early 2010's. Life was fairly simple. Youtube and Spotify are not yet swarming with ads so this particular young man decided that exploring new music is more worth it than exploring new porn vids. He discovered "Hotel California," as well as "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Stairway to Heaven," "Nothing Else Matters," and the Glee version of "Hey Jude" because the original was geo-blocked. But all of those infamous songs are nothing compared to what he eventually discovered: "Comfortably Numb - Live at Pulse." His mind was blown away. He was never moved by music in that way before. "Definitely better than porn," he thought. So it went on. He slowly got into some album about the moon, then he got absorbed in a 22 minute colossal song, then something about a wall... But no matter how mind-blowing those Pink Floyd treasures that he found, a particular song still stands out: Shine on You Crazy Diamond. And no, he didn't even know some guy named Syd exists. But there he was, amazed beyond words. The slow build-up, the haunting four notes, the melancholic lyrics and theme, and the incredible and emotional latter parts... he was captivated by it all. ... ... ... Years later, the man remembered those moments. He wished he could experience them for the first time again. The thing with Pink Floyd is, while there are other legendary and influential artists, none of them transformed his perception of what music can be in such degree as Pink Floyd did. As of now he heard things about a piper, as well as the moon, a wall, some bell, a cow, a submerged ear, some animals, and even that "ummagumma" thingy. But that burning man shaking hands with someone still remains the best for him. It has the Pink Floyd equivalent of "Yesterday," and two sharp tracks, sandwiched with the best song of all time. A masterpiece. . . Yeah, it's a bit overhyped. But with such experience, it's understandable I guess?
pink floyd has an ability to make their extremely long songs sound very short. they take you on a beautiful experience, and every second is full of amazing music. they do use their lyrics to make a point or message (which are noble!), but i couldn't care less about what roger waters wrote (okay i do). the actual music is the best part of this album! i can't think of a single aspect that is lacking. as a fan of musicals, i love when musical themes repeat. the iconic diamond melody is beautiful and peppered throughout the album to give it a cohesive sound. there are a lot of little touches that make this album stand out. the barely there sound effects--wind, soft laughter, tv static, and so on--aren't overdone. the variety of instruments and how the instruments were used stands out, too. the timpani instrument in "welcome to the machine" creates the beat, and i swear it feels like a heartbeat pounding away. this album easily stands as one of the most influential, forefront progressive rock albums. it's incredible from start to finish, and it's so easy to lose yourself in the music. really, for being experimental, the album sounds so beautiful. i'm happy to add it to my 5 stars and my regular album rotation.
“Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd (1975) Music for thinking—heavy, synthetic, slow, deep, expansive. Languid chord progressions providing space for lament and reflection. This is a concept album in the purest sense: Pink Floyd wishes founding former member Syd Barrett were here, and bemoans the reasons why he isn’t (his mental illness and the dehumanizing realities of the recording industry). These are reasons why, in answer to Rodney King’s famous plaint, “we can’t just get along”. “The Machine” you see, welcomes you, sucks you in, rolls you around on the tongue, chews you up, and spits you out. And the sooner in life we learn this, folks, the better. Pessimism, skepticism, and cynicism are justified justified by their aborted progeny. Contentment is only a commodity for those willing to invest in wisdom. On the negative side, this album lacks the depth of the preceding “Dark Side of the Moon”, and the later “Animals” and “The Wall”. Also, it is too (communally) self referential, and relies too much on the inside backstory, so its feelings translate to the uninformed listener but obscurely. And comparing this to the rest of the Pink Floyd oeuvre reveals a certain unfortunate reliance on a repeated tropes and grooves (Haydn had the same problem. Beethoven definitely did not). But the precision, musicality, superlative studio work, and virtuosity of Waters and (especially) Gilmour make this a very good album. Sagacity is wasted on the young. 4/5
Pink Floyd is by far one of the worst bands of the Psych rock movement. I’m pretty sure if you play this album in public you can get arrested for public indecency because of how much they jerk themselves off in this album
1/5. There's very little on this record that I can enjoy. All of the songs have the same plodding, druggy tempo with a somniferous vocal delivery to match. Synthesizers are used in a basic way: neither mixed low enough to just add depth to the sound or distinctive enough to make the arrangements richer. Guitars are bluesy and noodle across many of the numbers - even giving some parts a west coast desert vibe that reminds me of The Eagles. The lyrics are pretty crappy which is surprising since your average boomer will call modern hip-hop a trash medium and then defend their position with Pink Floyd... a band who rhymes "school" with "fool" or "guitar", "steak bar" and "Jaguar".
Solid album. Not my favourite Floyd but I totally understand why it's considered one of their best. The Shine on the Crazy Diamond, all parts are unforgettable and a great way to begin and end the album.
Brilliant album. One of my favorite things about Pink Floyd is that they let their songs breathe as it were. Each musical passage is allowed to be savored and developed in its own timing. David Gilmour is one of my favorite guitarists for his ability to craft melodies and solos that are exactly what the song needs. Furthermore, the lyrical makeup is at once specific to Sid Barrett’s mental breakdown, yet universalizing in some of its themes of exploitation, genius, longing, and sadness.
Spacious, hurt, cynical, and haunted by absence. beautifully played. A classic.
There is literally nothing I can say about this album that hasn't already been said.
This is one of my all time favorite albums. One of the very few I would consider to be perfect 10/10s. I can't say a single bad word about this. There are no dull moments, no bad songs. It's honestly kind of scary how absolutely amazing this entire album is, and it just gets better the more you read about it. The story behind this is incredible and I can't believe there hasn't been a huge Syd Barrett movie yet. Shine on.
Somehow it's both unfairly overlooked (which is inevitable considering it's the follow up to Dark Side Of The Moon) and still a bit overrated. The title track is a classic, and your mileage may vary on the Syd Barrett bookend tributes. Sometimes these can sound like something The Doors would do after losing Jim Morrison. If I can listen again after finding a suitable edible, the overall score will likely jump to a 5. But that's probably the result with every Pink Floyd album. I enjoy this album heaps more than The Wall, edibles be damned. And on some days, I even prefer it to Dark Side Of The Moon. As of this writing, Wish You Were Here is one of the Top 10 best reviewed albums on the list. Seems high.
Sprawling and Epic and in my opinion far superior to the hugely overrated "Dark side..". Written as a tribute to Syd Barrett it holds the attention and is moving throughout. Is it a bit over the top and overly produced with not enough songs? Probably. Am I going to deduct a point due to the prevalence of Prog rock in the non singles? Of course I am. But its a genuine classic none the less. 4/5
Sorry, but I thi k this is one of the most over rated albums of all time.
God, Pink Floyd are so very boring. I don’t know why they are supposed to be good. I would not want to listen to this stoned! It just sounds like music boring old men would listen to, and drone on about.
I’m sure I fall victim to listening to this album too late, but I really don’t understand the Pink Floyd hype. Vocals aren’t great and the instrumentals aren’t anything overly impressive. I think for the time it was released it was a Revolution, but I can’t say this is an album I’d ever care to listen to again.
Has a very timeless sound that you can't believe came from the 70s, but this one didn't really work for me sadly. Found it a bit boring to be honest. All the long, downtempo instrumental sections were lost on me, despite some interesting harmonic progressions here and there. Perhaps best enjoyed on a psychedelic drug trip, not when you're perfectly lucid. Sorry.
Yeh, more self-indulgent noodling from the kings of pedestrian prog rock. Maybe, if it was 1975, and I was 20, and it was midnight, and I was stoned looking at my lava lamp, this could work for me. But as is it holds little interest or appeal. Some funky moments, some decent poetic lyrics but all very overhyped and I’m left very underwhelmed.
20 mins in and its just sort of in this space rock groove. Still haven't gotten it yet. half an hour in and i still don't get it and im really starting to not like it. seriously what the hell was that?
post syd pink floyd is trash, i’ve never understood what emotion they were trying to get across, maybe none?
I just don’t get Pink Floyd. Usually if something isn’t for me I can appreciate it without liking it, but I’m afraid this band utterly baffles me.
Fantastic, epic rock album. Equal parts beautiful and bombastic. Fave tracks: Shine On You Crazy Diamond (1 and 2) and Wish You Were Here.
I have a hard time picking a favorite Pink Floyd album. In my mind, they can almost do no wrong. If you put a gun to my head, I'll probably say this one. Or maybe it's The Wall. Or maybe Animals (I'm aware this is an unpopular opinion). No, it's probably this one. Best track: Wish You Were Here
I don't think it's as high level conceptually as The Wall or even Dark Side, but as an enjoyable collection of tracks it's hard to beat this in Pink Floyd's discography.
This one is a masterpiece. I've listened to it a ton, every song is great. Best enjoyed by listening to the whole album
I wish I could give this album an 11. Of all the Floyd albums (Including Dark Side), this is still my favorite.
Wish You Were Here quizá no fue un disco que cambiara el destino de la música (como lo fueron otros discos de Pink Floyd u otros discos de la lista) sino que es el disco que lleva a la cima las ideas de la banda y lo que pueden hacer en música y en letras. En particular, años de escuchar 'Shine On I-V' y aún me encanta cada detalle que oigo. Amo las subidas, bajadas, cambios de instrumentación, todo. Algo así con 'Wish You Were Here'. Pese a ser una canción que he oído miles de veces y que podría ya estar quemada en mi cabeza, cada vez que empieza la disfruto y aprecio.
Difícil dar una reseña de un disco que he escuchado decenas de veces, en éste mes por lo menos lo escuché unas 6 e inclusive esperé a que llegaran mis audífonos nuevos sólo para estrenarlos con este disco. La primer vez que escuché el disco completo fue por curiosidad ya que un viejo amor me dedicó y me cantaba wish you were here allá por el 99 o 2000 y quedé marcado de por vida tanto por la canción como por la banda ya que de ahí partió una búsqueda del sentimiento que he de confesar aún tengo hacia ésta persona. Cada canción tiene su sentimiento por qué más que sentido o ritmo o compás para mí cada canción de Pink Floyd es un sentimiento. El disco es un viaje de sentimientos tan profundos hacia diferentes direcciones. Tal vez la canción fue escrita para Syd pero bien ya ha sido tomada para hacerle saber a alguien que se le extraña. Hay una versión de Mandowar con mandolina que le da una vuelta más al coro que es como creo yo que debería ser por qué es muy corta la versión original y siempre quieres más wish you y más Pink Floyd https://open.spotify.com/track/3uTNBjOrKWhBfEL1Ii8kay?si=pF0lCkkpT8WyeOt3P_yMCw&dl_branch=1 también hay una versión alterna con Stephane Grapelli https://youtu.be/8sAF-7F4m2E Simplemente es Pink Floyd y punto
Dar una reseña de este disco va a ser complicado. ¿Qué podría decir que no se haya dicho ya en otras reseñas? Me gustan mucho los arreglos y el uso de sintetizadores, especialmente en “Shine on”. Me recuerda a la música de Naranja Mecánica; un uso vanguardista de los efectos y la tecnología disponible en la época. Es una delicia escuchar este disco, pero confieso que me gusta más Dark Side of the Moon.
One of my favourite albums by one of my favourite bands. Enough said there really.
Syd y sus problemas, maldita industria y los problemas que traemos. Es impresionante como un disco de 576 palabras puede comunicar sentimientos de manera tan marcada y clara. Shine on, a mi gusto, comienza más espacial, más nostálgica y termina con algo de enojo, stress; quieres, te duele y te enoja Syd. Maldita industria cínica, nos vamos a juntar a grabar un disco porque tenemos y al menos aprovecharemos para morder la mano que nos da de comer, Welcome y Have a cigar. Me gustaría que estuvieras aquí, tú amigo que te atacó la psicodelia, tú amigo que sigues conmigo desde el inicio, desde antes del Piper, tú amigo genio emergente que viene a salvar y revolucionar las cosas. Pero con los problemas de salud y los de la propia industria, puedes estar físicamente y no estar realmente en el cuarto. No estar y si lo estás, para qué estarlo? Para pelear? Para venderte? Todo envuelto en un genio musical bestial y lo muestran de forma eléctrica, espacial y acústica. Songs: Wish You Were Here, Shine 1-5, Welcome to the Manchine
Pink Floyd nunca hubiera podido haber sido lo que fue sin Syd Barrett... Pink Floyd nunca hubiera podido haber sido lo que fue con Syd Barret. Es cierto, buena parte del disco es sobre la ausencia de Syd pero, a mi parecer el disco que realmente habla sobre su partida es DSOTM, aquí, aunque anímicamente se encontraran en un lugar bajo durante su composición, se siente más como una carta de despedida y un cierre a una situación tremendamente triste. A sabiendas de la historia son claros los paralelos pero creo que la temática patente de entrada del disco lo sostiene por completo sin necesidad de saber la historia subyacente. En el momento en que habían explotado después de DSOTM hacen el que, a mi parecer es su mejor disco; con una temática brutalmente incisiva sobre el trato de las disqueras a los artistas. Siempre me ha gustado tanto la idea de la biografía prefabricada que la disquera quiere inventarle al artista para que venda más en Welcome to the Machine y la línea "By the way, which one's Pink?" en Have a Cigar es simplemente brillante y creo sintetiza por completo de qué trata el disco. Musicalmente no hay forma de que fuera mejor, absolutamente nada le falta ni le sobra. Shine On en todas sus partes y tan larga como es jamás se siente lenta, ese sonido undulante del sintetizador que es exacto y característico, presente tanto aquí como en Welcome to the Machine, esos solos brillantísimos blueseados, esas letras escuetas pero perfectas y al punto. Creo que a la fecha no hay banda de progresivo que pueda acercarse a la simpleza y perfección de esa suite completa. Las otras canciones igualmente de brillantes, inventivas y centradas. Para cuando llega la canción titular todo desaparece y queda una canción con guitarra acústica que si bien relata y se crea con un sentido específico es universalmente familiar para creo toda persona y aplicable de manera personal, no hay persona a quien esa canción no le "llegue." Termina con la segunda mitad de SYD que igualmente se va como agua. No quiero explayar demasiado, es un disco que inevitablemente me es demasiado subjetivo, lo he escuchado literalmente completo cientos y cientos de veces en 25 años que tengo de conocerlo. Sin la complejidad a veces barroca del Dark Side se siente incluso a mi parecer como un disco más sólido y de concepto más sólido, a mi gusto personal este es el mejor disco de Pink Floyd (sin pretender quitar lo brillante del otro proyecto, realmente del 73 al 79 estamos hablando de cuatro discos seguidos perfectos o casi perfectos). Un punto interesante es que como mencioné, he escuchado esto cientos de veces e incluso hoy en día sigo encontrando cosas que no había notado... En esta ocasión fueron dos: Durante Have a Cigar el ritmo se lleva entre bajo y sintetizador escuchandose uno al lado izquierdo y uno en el derecho, en un ritmo de 4/4; excepto que en el tiempo "7" a veces se mete un tiempo acompasado adicional y en ese momento las pistas cambian de lado y así se van intercambiando, nunca lo había notado y se me hizo muy interesante. Otro punto nuevo.... Al final del disco, ya al cerrar la última parte de Shine On se puede escuchar en el fondo a alguien tocando una parte de la canción See Emily Play, nunca había notado esto y siento le da ese cierre triste pero en homenaje a todo el asunto de Syd Barret. Disco de 10 o 5 o como le quieran llamar, es un disco sin un solo fallo en mi opinión.
I've loved this album for far too long to have any objectivity. Flawless. Fave track - "Wish You Were Here", I guess, but really I think the whole album should be consumed as one cohesive unit...
One of my favorite albums - if not my favorite - of all time. The title song is the first song I learned to play on guitar and is still my go-to “noodling” song when I pick up the instrument. I love everything about the album and all of its weird little idiosyncrasies.
Great record! Really enjoyed listening to it again, start to finish. Good soundtrack to a chill morning frying bacon and eggs for the fam.
I’ve only ever heard radio edits of these songs, and album is much better than I thought it’d be.
What should I say - one of the best album ever. A milestone in the music history I saw Pink Floyd in Dortmund operating "The Wall"
I have listened to this vinyl more than 10x in the last week. This is a gemstone, a travel through the ages, sadness, nostalgia, joy, and every feeling in between. A political, social and cultural statement that breaks chains and gets you through a vortex of timeless music.
Incredible piece of music imo, great album, very cohesive for it's time 😉
I love this music; I've listened to it many times before so I'm pretty biased. Pink Floyd albums are an immersive experience. This album in particular takes me back to driving through southern Utah deserts in the middle of the night, helping to make me feel like I was on a different planet. This music is so intense, so surreal, so expansive. Plus so much history behind these songs. This is why people still love Pink Floyd.
its a 5 every day of the week. Reminds me of being late teens, drugs, mates. Great.
Such a drastic change in quality compared to the other prog rock record from yesterday. Pink Floyd was in their prime with this one, and this a huge fucking stride to hit. Instrumentally rich, compositionally unmatched, structured perfectly. Only gripe I have is with David Gilmour's occasionally strained vocals, but man is it easy to look past. One of the best albums ever.
Rustgevend album met goeie, opbouwende nummers. Er zou wel een moment kunnen komen dat ik deze nog eens opzet
Dit is en blijft zo'n goed album. Pink Floyd heeft zo'n typische stijl die je meevoert.
Ill give it a five just for wish you were here, the shine on you crazy diamond is a 4.