The Wall (studio album) by Pink Floyd

A concept album about a depressing, empty and vacuous world. It's a pity the music is as well

Mesmerising

From spigelwii 04/15/2024 12:36

As close to perfection any artist has ever reached, and probably will ever reach, with a concept album. Not only the most relatable album ever made, but a masterpiece of musicianship with memorable solos, production, vibe, lyricism, and flow. Spoken with full confidence: There is no album I've ever heard that is easier to get completely lost in.

I could spend time diving into the individual songs, but what's the point? It's well-worn territory. It has become more important now to discuss why the album is successful in its approach. While the themes are always depressing, sad, desperate, or insidious-skirting-evil, they are never fully overwhelming due to the quality of the storytelling. It's like reading a book where the main character keeps making awful choices that anyone would probably not make in real life in such quick succession, but the protagonist's pain is relatable in a way that you feel it all the same. Here, the protagonist's pain is so well-illustrated, that even if you don't envision yourself as the leader of a fascist dictatorship on a regular basis, it's maybe a little bit easier to understand how or why some people eventually have the capacity to get there. Oh hey, now THERE'S an example of modern-day relatability...and I'll leave it at that!

Anyway, The Wall was unbelievable in 2009 when I first heard it as an impressionable teenager. It's unbelievable now, writing this entirely pointless review in 2024. Unbelievable, I'm sure, in 1979. Unbelievable forever.

One of the best double albuns ever made

What an experience it is to listen to this record! The first time I heard this album I was taken aback by just how far Pink Floyd pushed the ideas of a record to its very limits and in my opinion they go beyond music and create something truly special. For me, a concept album is the best type of album you can get but they are extremely tricky to get right as a lot of artists lose their way halfway through or the writing gets stale. This release is the example to follow as this is a masterpiece. The storyline is always progressing with it being well paced and forming a coherent and genius plotline. At the centre is Pink and we are taken on a journey through the trials and tribulations of his life as we discover the many sufferings he experiences. They intelligently use the life of Pink to explore the themes that trouble so many lives such as isolation, depression, childhood trauma, abuse and many more making it one of the most relatable albums of all time and one which is extremely relevant today. The way they explore these issues in life is like nothing I have ever heard before as they utilise sound effects, backing vocals and diverse instrumentation to create this world which will fully engross you. Another way they transport you is through the use of Pink as a sort of gateway between the two worlds as you project yourself onto him and have to empathise with his struggles whilst also understanding and coming to terms with your own issues at the same time. Whilst all of this is going on we are also treated to a simply mesmerising musical display from Pink Floyd with its fantastic multi layering and its grandiose style making for a fulfilling listen. Finally, we have the icing on the cake for me which is one of the greatest endings to an album ever where we are left with the ominous and confusing line "Isn't This Where?" and its not until we link the melodies of the first and last song and add the first lyric of the whole album "...we came in?" do we see Roger Waters true message and it always leaves me stunned and in a state of awe with how amazing this is. Overall, this is a masterpiece with Pink Floyd challenging the limits of the album format and creating something that goes beyond music and into something that is completely otherworldly in my opinion.

To me this is probably the best concept album ever created. I love to listen to it from beginning to end, everytime it feels like seeing an epic theatre play. Love every song on this and love it as a whole.

A depressing masterpiece.

Great album

I think most of the very long prog albums tend to meander a little bit and the Wall certainly does. But it also has a lot of instant classic songs that keep this one a very high score!

Definitely the most ambitious Pink Floyd album and actually executed very well, Comfortably Numb is my top 2 song of all time and Another Brick In The Wall Trilogy, Mother, Goodbye Blue Sky, Hey You and Nobody Home are all excellent tracks. After all I still prefer Wish You Were Here, Animals and Dark Side Of The Moon but it is equally as good it just depends on preference.