Pink Floyd - "The Wall" (1979)
Personnel
Roger Waters: vocals, guitars, synths, and sounds.
David Gilmour: vocals, guitars, synths, and sounds.
Nick Mason: drums.
Richard Wright: organ, piano, synths, and bass pedals.
As with many concept albums, the actual "meaning" and full understanding of the present metaphors in the lyrics, or the apparent storyline (or lack thereof) will be debated endlessly until the end of time. As a writer I have found myself fascinated with the lyrical genius of Roger Waters and David Gilmour, of Pink Floyd. There always seems to be a little twist to everything. Even the simplest of songs turn into ideas with deeper purpose than I'd ever imagined, once I look a little closer. In this I have delighted, and it is my pleasure to present a personal analysis and review of their 1979 classic "The Wall".
It was 1977 and Roger Waters was pissed. While on tour for their previous concept album, Animals (known as the "In the Flesh" tour of 1977) he was so disgusted with the behavior of some of the audiences he'd seen, that he envisioned a wall between himself and the chavs in question. Though he was not the only member of the band to feel disappointment with the tour, Roger felt deep loneliness and isolation because he wasn't enjoying what he previously loved to do. He felt a certain separation from the audience, which troubled him, and he wanted to get down to the roots of his personal struggle. Thus the idea for "The Wall" was born.
Roger and the band went to work in January of 1979, at the golden hands of Bob Ezrin (who had previously worked with rock giants KISS and Alice Cooper). The album was written mostly by Roger, with the help of David Gilmour on the more popular tracks (such as 'Run Like Hell', 'Young Lust', and 'Comfortably Numb'). Bob co-wrote the pivotal track "The Trial". The recording of "The Wall" took place in several places, starting in France and ending up in several studios throughout greater Los Angeles, California. Keyboardist Rick Wright and drummer Nick Mason lived in the Super Bear studio in France during recording; Roger and David lived in separate homes close by. An unfortunate technicality of the situation was Bob Ezrin's marital problems, which eventually came between him and the band on multiple occasions, causing a strained relationship between himself and Roger (who was not amused by Bob's tardiness and flighty behavior during the time of trial in his life).
The relationship between Roger and Rick became strained when Bob was displeased with the methods and volume in which Rick made progress. Roger said he would refuse to allow the album to be released unless Rick got his shit together and left. So he did. Owners of the original LP will notice that there is no mentioning of Rick's name in the sleeve. He would later return for touring as a salaried musician.
The album was released on November 30th, 1979, and charted significantly well, reaching #1 in Norway, Sweden, Germany, New Zealand, and Austria; #3 in the UK, and #9 in Spain in 1979; in 1980 it reached #1 in the United States and France. It also spawned a handful of singles which were equally successful; "The Wall" marked one of Pink Floyd's highest points of their career, commercially, and would continue to be praised after the release of a film adaptation in 1982.
During touring for "The Wall", the band dazzled their audiences with large, startling marionettes and fabulous visual displays. During the course of the concert, a cardboard "wall" would be assembled between the audience and the band, to be torn down at the end of the show.