Wish You Were Here

This 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.

There is literally nothing I can say about this album that hasn't already been said.

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.

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?

Wibbly wobbly, rhymy wimey. Felt like a 45 minute intro.

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

“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

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".

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.

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.

This is one of the greatest albums of all time from one of the greatest bands of all time. I could spend hours gushing about Wish You Were Here and I'll TRY to keep this short but godamn do I love this album. Right off the bat Shine on you Crazy Diamond hits you with that bassy synth section accompanied by one of the most hauntingly beautiful solos ever written in the history of music. this shit just puts you in a mood and it never let's up for all 13 and a half minutes. Welcome to the Machine was an anthem for me as I'd ride the city bus to go clock in at a shitty dead end job. Musically this song is absolutely perfect and I wouldn't change a thing. Have a cigar is a hilariously sarcastic song about the music industry. You just have to nod your head to its funky groove. Roy Harpers delivery on lyrics such as "it can be made into a monster, if we all pull together as a team" is lyric that somehow finds a way to almost always be stuck in my head Wish you were here is an ode to Syd Barret their original singer/song writer (as is Shine On... I'm fairly positive) and its probably the "weakest" song on the album. I only say that because one song has to be worse than the others. The line "We're just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl" has for whatever reason just never worked for me both lyrically and on delivery. yet it still somehow manages to be a masterpiece. The acoustic riff that drives the song is an absolute earworm Then you got the 2nd half of Shine on you Crazy Diamond which caps off what is potentially the greatest prog rock song of all time. While I prefer the first half over the 2nd the guitar work here is still top notch and it ends the album just as strong as it starts. This is one of the few "perfect" albums I've heard in my life. Even though it more than likely won't be the only album I give a 5 star rating to as I continue using this app I hold it in much higher regard than I do pretty much all the others (spoilers warning: I like Animals even more than I like this album).

Yes, this album is increcibly self-indulgent. Yes, it may attract a particular kind of annoying fan that likes to drone on about how this music is so much better than "the garbage that's made nowadays" (it's not). Yes, Roger Waters is a dick. And yet...

One of my all times favorite. A cynical, desperate, sarcastic but longing song writing that never fails to amaze. Might not be Pink Floyd's most ambitious or iconic, but it is, in my opinion, one of their most enticing. Beautiful.

There is no band quite like Pink Floyd, their ability to craft a piece of music that can resonate emotionally is unmatched. This album, being a tribute to Syd Barrett, could have been something very dark and miserable, but instead you can feel the fondness in his memory, mixed in with their sadness and grief, in the tracks. Shine on you crazy diamond manages to make four simple notes carry such weight. There is obviously a lot happening instrumentally, but those four notes are what I always remember about the song, and how powerful they feel among everything else happening. Two long bookends to the album, but this song (and the whole album really) are something that require really stopping everything and just living in the music, giving it your full attention. It's a masterpiece. Welcome to the Machine, and Have a Cigar are very different tracks, both about the music industry, and each are great in their own way. You can feel the sleaze in Have a Cigar, while Welcome to the Machine focuses on the clinical churn of capitalism. Finally we have the title track, the most well-known out of those on this album, and a personal favorite of mine. It's so satisfying to play the intro on guitar, and there is so much joy and nostalgia in the sound. Easy 5 stars, definitely belongs on this list. This is an album I'll always go back to and enjoy for the rest of my life.

Spacious, hurt, cynical, and haunted by absence. beautifully played. A classic.

Elevated elevator music. Boring. Progressive, yet anti-climatic.

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

5 booms BOOM 💪 BOOM 💪 BOOM 💪 BOOM 💪 BOOM 💪

This is an album about grief. Grief for what once was and has been lost, grief for what currently was and is to be and grief for the future that can't promise anything. What once was is obviously Syd, whose there-but-not-there presence provided an eternal blueprint to be followed and a tragic cautionary tale about what it's like to fall down the well. What currently was and is is mainly Pink Floyd's venomous ire for the machine that they occupy; a seething place in which they would angrily document in ever more epic and colossal ways. The future that couldn't promise anything is the band's overall reliance towards each other, a bond that had mutated and transformed into someone altogether unsustainable in the long run; thus leaving us with what was and will never be again. Wish You Were Here is Pink Floyd's most important album, the likes of which they will never make again. One final collective thrust for the common goal, that is to honor their friend and to damn the industry that chewed him up and spat him out. Grief comes in many forms and this is their way of expressing it. Shine on.

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.

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.

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.

Sorry, but I thi k this is one of the most over rated albums of all time.

Fuck yeah

Without hesitation, one of my top 5 albums of all times. Serious. It is Pink Floyd ash their truly musically best. Amazing. Get wept away with "Shine on you Crazy Diamond parts 6 - 9?" its a 10 not a 5. Darkside is also top but more so for the production and creativity; I prefer this to Darkside.

5 Stars, and in my opinion, the best Pink Floyd album. For me, this release arrived at a most impressionable age. I used to put it on, sit on the floor and stare at the burning man, read the lyrics on the liner, and just listen. In later years, with a little grass, i’d spin it and run wild with imagination. Now, many years later, it still stops me cold. Music is truly an amazing medium. It has seeming endless reasons and uses, and is ever evolving. Many tracks are there to add or enhance your current experience, like dancing or driving or fucking. For most, it’s just to provide background. This album tells a story, using lyrics, but mostly with music and sound. To truly experience, listen at night, alone, by fire or candlelight, preferably as a storm rages outside. Use good headphones…. you’ll want it loud, to catch notes and sounds played so quiet and delicate. If you enjoy recreational drugs, definitely use them here. And just listen. And imagine. Damn near Spiritual. God Bless Pink Floyd.

Very glad to see I still have this fresh in the collection despite not playing it for nigh-on 30 years (more?). No need, even the less-famous tracks are hammered to death on US radio, and with good reason - "Welcome to the Machine" and "Have a Cigar" are both fantastic heavy prog workouts that are always welcome. Mix in the unimpeachable title track and the psych wigging flankers and you've got yourself a classic, sir. Inspired a much enjoyed all-day Floyd session here

It was fantastic. Made me go on a pink floyd binge for the next two hours. One of those albums that just feels refreshing every single time its played. Great tribute to Syd Barrett and a incredible journey that the band takes you on through their thought process of leaving their former frontman and friend behind (Syd didn't die btw he just lost his mind from too much acid)

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.

Really enjoyable prog rock album. Their musicality really shines. Another reviewer mentioned that Pink Floyd is best enjoyed as a whole album, and I completely agree. This album is a vibe on a Sunday afternoon. Highlights: shine on you crazy diamond (both), wish you were here

Generally if an album requires a particular mood I don't give it a 5, but this is truly a perfect album. Shine On You Crazy Diamond is just stunningly good. The opening keyboard solo, followed by David Gilmour's tasteful guitar solo, followed by the iconic four notes (B flat, F, G, E - playing the G and E on the open strings. So good). Then some of the best lyrics Roger Waters ever wrote. The whole song is just a wonderful journey. Welcome to the Machine is dark and industrial, again with great lyrics. Have a Cigar is a nice interlude, the only rocking tune on the album (with yet another fantastic Gilmour solo). Then you have Wish You Were Here, another candidate for best song of all time and a must for every guitarist to learn on acoustic guitar. Wish You Were Here swirls back to Shine On You Crazy Diamond and the album ends with an incredibly poignant keyboard solo (as it began) - I always loved the final notes - almost wistful, despite the sad subject (Syd Barrett). Absolute perfection and an easy 5.

This album is of an undeniable perfection from the beginning to the end. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (1-5) begins the album gently and slowly grows in forcefulness and quality. The effect it has on the listener when the guitar riff starts is so insane. Welcome to the Machine contains one of the most beautiful and powerful synth timbres I know. Have A Cigar is the cool and moody break to all this intensity, letting the listener tap the foot a little bit, without being meaningless or easy. Wish You Were Here might be one of the best song ever written, enough said. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (6-9) is like a slow breath of fresh air to conclude the album feeling the best we could.

“Shine On You Crazy Diamond” reminds me of two things. The first is in its entirety, for as it is a song broken into two parts and separated, it reminds me of Rush’s “Cygnus” suite. It’s multi-sectional, sprawling, beautiful, mysterious, gripping. The other song it reminds me of is Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say?” It’s all in the build up, teasing you at where he is going to finally, at last, come in and cry, “Hey, Mama, don’t you treat me wrong...” Same goes with “Diamond”. Such a build up, teasing you, tricking you into singing a stanza before Waters croons, “Remember when you were young.” I love the simplicity of “Wish You Were Here,” one of the first songs I, like so many others, learned to play on guitar. Basic yet beautiful.

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.

Pretty good. Nothing jaw dropping, but I will listen again at some point.

The structure of this might cause it to lose points with some people, but I love this one. A great album for anyone who’s ever lost a friend, whether to madness or the Los Angeles Lakers. Luka forever.

It's not too terribly often I think about Syd Barrett. I mean, as I've said before, the early years of Pink Floyd aren't exactly my thing. Even as much as I can say I do like those first two albums, that kind of psychedelic space rock isn't usually what I want out of the band (or in general, but that's besides the point). It might be a bit typical, but the run of albums from THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON to THE WALL is way more my speed — alongside records like MEDDLE and (yes, really) THE DIVISION BELL. I've even listened to THE FINAL CUT more; it's honestly not really that bad. And if I don't often listen to THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN, you can imagine how much I've listened to something like THE MADCAP LAUGHS. Now that's an album that requires just a bit too much serious consideration than I'd like for a casual listen. Goodness, it's gonna be fun when my group gets to that one... But all the same, I'd never dare speak ill of Syd Barrett. And frankly, whenever I do end up thinking about him, it's pretty common that I end up coming to the conclusion that he's the most important member of the band. Absolutely, they would not be the same without his influence — even if, specifically and tragically, that influence came from his absence... Like, if it weren't for Syd, would we have "Brain Damage"? Or large swathes of THE WALL? I know for a fact we wouldn't have today's album, that's for sure. Syd and the shadow where he used to be loomed so largely over the band, it's hard not to have respect for him. And there's nothing they ever did where you can feel how much respect they had for Syd, and how much they missed him, as WISH YOU WERE HERE. Let me lay this down right now: this is my favorite Pink Floyd record. Full stop. DARK SIDE OF THE MOON and THE WALL both make good cases for coming close, but in the end, nothing can. Not really. I mean, if I haven't listened to it as much as I have THE WALL, that's only because I'm trying not to lose any part of its magic to overplay. It's... It's just special, y'know? Honestly, for most of the day I was worried I wouldn't have anything to say about it. I was excited as the dickens when my group got it; it was the fastest I'd hopped on listening to an album since ACE OF SPADES. But as for actually talking about it... Well, as I've discussed back when I talked about MY AIM IS TRUE, there are just some albums so deeply entrenched in my soul that it's hard for me to find the words to say about them. And if that's true for MY AIM IS TRUE, then it applies a thousandfold to this album. Part of me can't even really fathom articulating the words. To me, this album's greatness goes without saying. If this album doesn't just speak for itself, then no other does. But if I could try... Well, it's just like I said: there's nothing else in their whole body of work where you can feel how much they loved, respected and missed Syd like this album does. The fact that half of the album is dedicated to a song celebrating Syd should tell you enough all by itself. And... Gawd, "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is beautiful: all nine parts, and all twenty-plus minutes. If it hadn't been split up to bookend the album, it'd beat out "Echoes" as the greatest single track of their entire career. It aches for Syd, and it's very sad that he's gone, but at the same time it doesn't forget to be happy about who he was and what he did for the group. It kind of plays to me like a memorial service, honestly. Like, it's not the funeral, where you're actively mourning someone, but... It's the memories. It's looking back on all the times you had with someone, good and bad. And there's just this... This hole in yourself where they used to be. And I don't think that feeling is better encapsulated on this whole album than those three guitar notes. Like, it's incredible that just those three notes can evoke so much and so many feelings. I'm in awe every time. Chills, seriously. "Wish You Were Here" evokes largely the same feeling, albeit in a smaller setting. If "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is a large-scale celebration of a loved one, surrounded by family and friends, then "Wish You Were Here" is when a song comes on the radio that quietly brings everything back. Like, you're just about to get out of your car, stressed out about some bullshit or whatever, when you hear those notes come over your radio and — and suddenly, you're out of place. You just can't bring yourself to leave until the song's over. You just can't. They're too important to ignore. And, y'know, whoever you're thinking about, they don't even have to have passed on — Syd wasn't when this album was released, and he wouldn't until a few decades later. It's just, whoever you couldn't have imagined living without, but have had to face that reality anyway. And it tears you up inside, because you don't know when you're gonna see them again, but the idea that eventually, some day, you will — that's what gets you through. And speaking of that bullshit that stressed you out, that's what the other half of the album is about — music industry bullshit, specifically. About a cold, unfeeling, mechanical industry that chews up and spits out any talent unfortunate enough to try and get too close. About executives and management who care so little about you compared to the bottom line they can't even be assed to remember your damn name — and yet when the big bucks start pouring in, they act like they had anything to do with it. Well, beyond trying to crush your soul into just another cog, anyway. They're an empty suit in the desert, selling you dreams but leaving you with nothing but burns from broken promises. These songs aren't as clearly angry as the ones on ANIMALS are, but you can still feel it beneath the sarcasm and haunted warnings. "Have A Cigar" is the only other song in the band's discography to have a guest vocalist (here it's Roy Harper), and it says so much to me that someone outside of the band ended up singing these words. It's not exactly a happy album, if you somehow couldn't tell. Honestly, put all together, I can't help but imagine a story. One about someone who tried to hack it in the music industry, but ended up getting so lost in the shuffle and burned out that only the memories of their loved ones could carry them forward. And even that couldn't last forever — after all, that's not them singing "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". Whether or not this reflects Syd's story, I'm not enough of an expert on him to say. But that story, and its emotional resonance... If that ain't one of the big reasons why I keep coming back. And I haven't even gotten around to mentioning the musicianship yet! It's all top form, across the board. Like, I wanna highlight Wright's keys on "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" specifically. They're the star of the song, and most of the reason why it's as good as it is. From the opening solo over those ambient glasses, down to the slow funeral march, followed by the "See Emily Play" that closes the album... Everyone else is amazing, especially Gilmour for playing those three notes on "Shine On" and that opening solo on "Wish You Were Here", but Wright especially deserves credit. Absolutely insane that Waters would later fire and demote him to session musician come THE WALL, goodness. If all my blabbering hasn't made it evident, this is an absolute 5, among the strongest I've ever given. Across 44 minutes, it just does not miss. It's simply the most stunning and beautiful music they'd ever make. Like, I understand why THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON is often held up as the greater achievement. It came first, it has the hits, and people probably generally resonate more with its songs about aspects of life than they do this album and its themes of alienation. And don't get me wrong, I hold DARK SIDE in the same high regard; this isn't a competition about which one is better. I just agree whole-heartedly with Richard Wright and David Gilmour when they say that this is the best Pink Floyd record — 'coz it is. It might just be my favorite album of all time, honestly? If it's not, then it's certainly top 5 — or, heck, top 3, actually. And I still don't know if I've used enough words to express how I feel about it. It's just that big in my mind. And, y'know... I can't imagine being any of them on the day during recording when Syd came to visit — during "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", of all coincidences. Where they couldn't recognize him for minutes because he'd lost all of his hair and grown overweight. I've seen the picture — it's a little hard to look at. Roger Waters was so distressed by how Syd looked he was reduced to tears. And there's this one I've read — I don't know how true it is, but there's one anecdote about the visit I've always remembered. It's when Syd stands up and says that he's ready to play, only for the rest of the band to have to tell him that there's nothing for him to play. It breaks my heart every time I think about it. And that's pretty often when I'm listening to this album. Bless it, for everything it's worth.

Wish You Were Here Pink Floyd are on the list of ‘Bands I really must get into someday’. Today (and yesterday) is that day. Obviously I’ve heard a lot of Pink Floyd songs in the ether and I know many of their songs by cultural osmosis, but listening to this on repeat I can see why people love them, and how people might think that listening to it stoned out of their minds at 3am might give them ‘the answer’. I don’t know what that question is that might lead to a drug fuelled psychic awakening, but this does answer my question of ‘What’s a Pink Floyd album like?’. Listening to this it’s a meticulously built 44 minutes of brilliantly layered, slow tempo sonic atmosphere, movingly structured around a loose concept. Although there are distinct songs it’s really about experiencing the whole thing, the feel and movement of the full run time, with synths, solos, melodies all unfolding at a languid pace, all with an occasional disquieting undertow. The solo on Have a Cigar is particularly good. I don’t know if this is prog rock, I suppose in a way it is, but it’s far richer and far better than the Yes and ELP albums we’ve had. It may share the same seriousness, but it never crosses into unintentional pompousness or silliness, it feels self contained and self possessed in a way those other albums don’t. Having never listened to a Pink Floyd album before, but having been keen to give them a listen I’m glad this lived up to expectations - perhaps today (and yesterday) were supposed to be the day I liked it, the psychedelic mystery of Pink Floyd was fated to reveal itself on this very day (and yesterday). 💎💎💎💎💎 Playlist submission: Shine on You Crazy Diamond (all IX parts)

What a beautiful album.

найс, вайбово, претензий нет. подойдет для вечернего прослушивания, немного напомнило группу space

My favourite Pink Floyd album - the title track is one of the best rock songs ever, poignant and yearning with a beautiful guitar riff. Shine on You Crazy Diamond is an epic tribute to their former friend Syd Barrett, that manages to entertain and build to great moments despite it's length across two tracks Every track is good of course, Have a Cigar and Welcome to the Machine have some great, cynical lyrics and I like the synths too. Love this one even better than The Wall / DSOTM

What a bloody beautiful album this is. I'd give it the biggest metaphorical applause that my two measly ol' hands could manage

LISTENED TO ON VINYL!!! Pink Floyd is once again an example of you need to have a good drummer to be a great band. This album is back to where they left off before Dark Side of the Moon. It's a bit more interesting than Meddle and Atom Heart Mother, but sort of is in the same vain. It does have marketable singles, but the A side is much more experimental than anything on Dark Side of the Moon. Welcome to the Machine is a song that really grows in its perfection with each listen. The whole song just carries this tone that is so enticing and just fills the space so much. I love that synth or whatever the fuck instrument it is, because I can't tell. Have a cigar is just a great tune, the lyrics on top make it even better and more thoughtful, as with most of their songs. Wish You Were Here is an all time classic. Such a brilliantly constructed, composed and recited lyric. It would stand out in any context and most certainly elevates the rest of this album to the classic status. The album really should have been call Shine on You Crazy Diamond, not because of the volume of that section but because of the content of the lyrics within that song. It really sums up the theme of the album. One of regret, nostalgia and longing. Great album with some very memorable parts. Well mixed and superbly performed. The way Pink Floyd writes is just so interesting in a musical way. The fact that they could be so commercially successful is just unreal. But this is a Gilly album and Roger will have his revenge on the next one.

What a beauty. The atmosphere of this album draws the listener in and invokes serious contemplation.

Do yourself a favor and get some headphones and find a place to relax and just take all this in. Especially for first tine listeners. To be fair, I am a fan boy, but there is truly not a lot if anything to hate on here.

Classic. Easy 5 stars

My favorite of the later Pink Floyd albums. The cover is amazing, and to me the tunes feel more personal and emotionally compelling than most of their other work. Beautifully recorded, understated performances from the band at the top of their game. Also, 500 points to Ravenclaw for David Gilmour's elegantly expressive guitar throughout. Highly recommend listening with headphones if you can!

shine on you crazy diamond indeed.

This is probably my second favorite Pink Floyd album. I can hear bits of songs that could have been on Dark Side of the Moon and hints of what was to come with The Wall. There's some pretty tasty David Gilmour guitar and I love how they put this one together. Great stuff!

Masterpiece

Absolutely perfect. Pink Floyd is like a family member that you always enjoy visiting. Enjoying the stories they share. Brilliant, and emotionally stirring.

My favorite Pink Floyd album, probably in my top ten works of art across all media. Just perfect.

Just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl.

I mean, what can I say about this album that hasn't already been said 1000 times. It's literally perfect. This album is pretty much the absolute pinnacle of psychedelic rock, and I don't even think this is Pink Floyd's best album (my favourite is The Wall if you're curious). This album features some of the best guitars I have ever heard, they are so majestic and airy, yet also so heavy at the same time, truly and amazing sound I have never heard from any other band. Not to mention the absolutely fucking insane vocals, again with so much passion where it's almost aggressive, yet simultaneously dreamy. Until today it's been a while since I have heard this album, so I would love to be able to review it in more detail, but unfortunately I don't want to listen to it too many times in a day. The bottom line is, I fucking love this album.

Icon album cover And more icon music. Influential in so many ways , guitar solos are masterpieces. Shine on you crazy diamond is so immersive, it is my favorite album by them. And the reason why I bought vinyl player in first place

great, never listened to the whole album cover to cover. Hopefully this is an indication of the 1001 list trending in the right direction.

Do I really have to say anything? It's an absolute classic. My favorite Pink Floyd record.

This is my favorite Pink Floyd album.

One of the best of all time

Classic Pink Floyd.

OK, I get it, it's a masterpiece, but it's also *four songs long*, and one of those songs is split into two to make it a 5 song "long play" album.... Snark aside, its prog rock at its finest as suite of 9 movements encompasses the aforementioned split "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" bookends, then the 3 songs in the middle are just great, title track being the pick of the bunch but don't sleep on "Welcome To The Machine" (an anthem for disaffected youth that resonates way more than "The Wall") and "Have A Cigar". It's truly an album made for listening all the way through as opposed to individual songs. Absolute aside, "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is a great karaoke song as you get 8:45 in before you even need to sing, and it's pretty anthemic when you do...

The soundscape takes me to a post-apocalyptic world very similar to Terminator 2. Wish You Were Here brings the human spirit back to life in this destitute world that Pink Floyd creates sonically. The acoustic guitar juxtaposes the wailing electric and synth from the rest of the album. The final track comes to a beautiful end as if to remind us that the sun will rise once again. All bright, sparkly and life bringing.

It's a classic album for a reason. Psychedelic rock at its best!

Talk about living in the shadow of your predecessor. But it's f****** amazing.

Great listen! Best with no distractions, taking in the music. Focusing on all the dynamic sound changes, volume changes, dynamic structure changes of the song. Masterpiece!

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year.

Long Time Favorite.

Absolutely amazing. Classic. Emotion throughout every song. Stories are written through the music itself, the lyrics are just another layer to form perfection. Production is out of this world. One of the craziest deliveries from an artist/band of all time. Transports you to another realm of music in your mind. Truly outstanding. One of my personal favorite musical creations ever.

Yes. What can i say, if 1 song is 50% of the album, and that one song is top tier, the album oughta be top tier. Shine on and wish you were here are fantastic Welcome to the machine and have a cigar are a bit on the lower end, but would be top tier for any other band.

Awwwww here we go. Been here. 10/10

5/5. Scary, beautiful, personal, ethereal. This is a perfect album. The instrumentation is the best Pink Floyd has ever sounded and the collaboration was strongest here. The guitar and keyboard/synthesizer really shine (get it?) here. This is one of the rare occurrences that if this album was 10-15 minutes longer, it would be better. Hard to not feel enraptured by the music and lyrics, many different themes but all feel connected and flow so well. This is an album ahead of its time and holds up even today as a new experience for anybody listening to Pink Floyd for the first time. Might be my favorite of theirs, still up in the air.

It’s been a long time since I listened to this album on headphones. There’s a lot of cool stuff happening here that’s hiding in the mix. I remember first hearing the Gilmour throat clear and sniffle back when I was in high school listening also listening on headphones but today at the end of the album there’s what sounds like an accidental wrong chord as the final part of SOYCD is fading out. It seems like Richard or someone hit the wrong keyboard at 12:21. The note sounds like the opening note of Alabama Song by the doors. It’s also on the left channel. I thought I’d write about my listening experience this time around since there’s nothing about this masterpiece of an album that I could say that hasn’t already been said except for personal observations. 5 stars of course!

I can't say I've ever understood this album cover, but I just love it. This album strikes gold on so many levels, it's more along the "albums you must hear 1001 times before you die" since this is probably the 900th time I've listened to it. A five-song album that just never disappoints. Great transitions between songs, Pink Floyd records are not afraid to allow negative space. Waters' cynical disillusion is biting and relatable, certainly seems wiser than the establishment he's railing against. Love the use of noises and weird keyboard sounds as interstitial and integral parts of the songs. The drums sound great (well, the toms do, the snare is a hair wimpy) and this is Gilmore at his best. Crazy that the band has at least two more from the same era that are all among the best of their class.

The best groove EVER to be embedded in a piece of vinyl!

not up to my appeal but it is good for it's own right

It’s 11 am, I’m three minutes and forty-five seconds into Shine On You Crazy Diamond and I’m ready to go back to bed….and I got a good night’s sleep last night, at least 7 hours. Maybe it’s because I haven’t regularly smoked weed for more than a decade, but have Pink Floyd albums always been this slow moving? Like…this song moves at a glacial pace and even when it picks up steam in last couple minutes, it’s still kind of plodding. I get that Pink Floyd played very deliberately, but this feels too deliberate, almost to the point of feeling mechanically manufactured, rather than performed - though I guess that makes sense, given that I’m about to be welcomed “to the machine”. I have a hard time feeling bad for Pink Floyd and their constant complaints about “being successful”. This album and the two subsequent records are ripe with complaints about how hard their lives as millionaire rockstars are. Animals, to its credit, at least has a little venom to it, easily making it the best of the three, even if it’s partially because it’s not completely overplayed. I will say I really love the filter sweep at the end of Have a Cigar. Neat studio trick right there. I’m finding the title of this record amusing this morning, as well - at least as it relates to my present day feelings about Pink Floyd. At one point, I was “there” with Pink Floyd, but now, I’m not really having a lot fun of being “Here” with Pink Floyd.

I enjoyed this a lot. I always thought Pink Floyd would be for me, maybe this will motivate me to listen to some more

Shine On You Crazy Diamond is a very nice journey. The rest is good too, but I understand my dad's frustration about Wish You Were Here outranking Shine On You Crazy Diamond in the annual Top 2000 we listen to. It's just on a different level.

It's Pink Floyd. What's not to like?

Good classic rock with some great guitar solos. A bit too lengthy songs in my opinion.

first album to get 2 listens reminded me of my childhood & good dad

Going into this I only knew the title track, which I've loved for a while. I'm not crazy about Welcome to the Machine, but I enjoyed everything else (to my surprise tbh). The first chunk of Shine On You Crazy Diamond was stronger than the 2nd part in my opinion.

So that's the secret. Instead of putting filler songs on your album, just make 4 or 5 gems and stretch them out. Then release shorter versions on singles and boom - perfect album.

Very good. Brought out real emotion, and the instrumentals are incredible. Album cover definitely inspired heros and villains

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

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.

This album art looks AI generated. sounds good but I am usually not a fan of long tracks, specifically jam tracks. That being said, it was still a well made album.

This was the first time in several decades I have listened to Wish You Were Here, an album that was foundational to high-school me. Yet while the odes to erstwhile bandleader Syd Barrett are poignant — the song "Wish You Were Here" is a classic — this has never been one of my favorite Floyd releases. To me, it marks the point where Roger Waters’ various obsessions and unresolved manias began eclipsing the band and he exerted an increasingly heavy hand over Pink Floyd’s musical and lyrical direction. Things from here would get increasingly heavy, and less fun, conceptually. Musically, I also feel like WYWH personifies the mid-70s rock bloat, with lethargic tempos, fat synths and a reliance on studio wizardry over songcraft. It's kind of a depressing listen.

The opening/closing track is necessarily too long, and my pulse cranked up in anticipation of the four-note motif; I hadn't realised I care. The rest is earnest doodling that passes between the ears with barely a tickle, apart from the hint of air raid siren in a keyboard part near the end of Welcome to the Machine that has me thinking about how most of the British artists on this list were parented by a war-traumatised generation. Most fellow Gen-X'ers I know have at least one set of brutally depressed grandparents who scarred one or both of their parents. Poor Boomers, ey? Gilmore's guitar is one of the final evolutionary forms of the white Brit blues movement, flawless and so non-stick I just slide off. The keyboards make me think of Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, all sleek and alienatingly modish, beamed from somewhere far above - which I like. The title song disappointed me, partly because I realised I conflated the melody with that of the Phil Collins song with all the rain on him, which also made me realise I'm riddled with that ghastly song. The LP cover is trashy pop art. That's all I have. I am certain that Piper and Dark Side are both on this list, and predict that I will be unmoved by the former, and shall fall into a generous nostalgic reverie around the latter.

Long album for only having like 5 songs. maybe 1 or 2 good ones

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.

Listening to this album made me fall asleep. zzz

Feel like I'm going crazy here. THIS is the 6th highest rated album on this site?!? Had high expectations going in as a result, but to say it was a disappointment.. this was like biting into a twinkie and finding a turd inside. No words. Between this shit and Radiohead you people must really love droning synths. At this point I should just record myself taking a shit and layer it over some synths and it'd probably break the top 100 on here. So the album starts with some guitar noodling that doesn't go anywhere, which leads to incessantly vapid lyrics sung as if by a teenager who's afraid of being heard through the walls of their room, as they should be, because these songs are embarrassing. Then we're treated to a Kenny G saxophone solo. Great! The shit storm just keeps coming. Transition to the next song. More cringy lyrics with gratuitous sound effects this time. Make it to the title track. More guitar noodling. More eye-rolling lyrics. More lazy compositions. Whoever is playing the synths on here sounds like me when I first got to touch a keyboard as a kid and just wanted to try out every effect and modulator. Last track. More guitar & synth wanking over 70's porn bgm. Appropriate I guess. Redux of the opening theme, complete with another Kenny G. solo of course. And. It. Just. Would. Not. End. One of the most obnoxious things I've ever heard. 1 steaming turd out of 5 💩

Won’t listen to this bloated monotony!

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.

post syd pink floyd is trash, i’ve never understood what emotion they were trying to get across, maybe none?

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?

Heard it, horrid then and horrid now

Really not a fan of Pink Floyd, this did little to change my mind