# Floyd "The Wall". Haha!



## The Deacon (Jan 14, 2018)

By happenstance, just read this post of mine done on a prog forum some 15 years ago.

My opinion has not changed.

To quote myself:
"I can honestly say I never heard PINK FLOYD'S "THE WALL" 
before today, other than in FM radio snippets way back when.

I will not go so far as to say the lp set is insufferable 
tripe, but it most certainly is an insubstantial, drawn-out TEDIUM.

Yesterday I saw the WALL and ANIMALS given away 
free at the local Reuse Center. So - what the heck.
Having never had previously heard ANIMALS in its entirety,Yours Truely was 
not much impressed, but at least ANIMALS did not leave the foul taste 
in the mouth that WALL did.

You cant really argue that the WALL is oodles of the same old Floyd 
guff -this set has been stripped bare of the trademark early psych-
trippiness of Floyd. Not only its not anything remotely psych, but 
I don't hear even PROG here -or at least 
my take of prog. The WALL is just a dose of lame TOMMY.

How many 2lp prog "masterpieces" can boast at best a whole THREE 
half-decent songs? The remainder of the lp set is but :
1/background dialogue fill

2/vocals exclusively taking the entire melody, with no take from the 
keys or guitar.

3/ utterly boring drumming, nigh infringing on disco in places

4/Water's theatrical whinings which just ooze self-indulgence (not 
to mention a surfeit of mock depression(Yeah -Life is *****..rock 
stars have a bad time of it..Yeah, Im a disturbed, lunatic fecker - 
the product of our disturbed/predator society..Now lets make a 2lp, 
formulistic, narcissistic concept on this. Has it ever been done 
before? Ah, feck it! What the heck, lets give it a go.)

5/the sparseness/bleakness of it all. Must have been a easy one to 
put together.
Maybe only two Gilmour solos.

6/ And the SAMENESS! To take it all in in a single listen is hardly a 
big chore. After the first listen you know it. After the second its 
already beginning to pale.The sameness really drags. Doesnt let up.

Okay, this critique itself is become samey!"

Yeah.
Sucks creamcorn straight from the conium.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

This is only my take, but IMHO the best album Pink Floyd ever did was "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn," when Syd Barrett was doing the song writing, and it was basically pop music.

I liked "Careful With That Axe, Eugene" and the general sound of their live shows with that Farfisa-sounding organ, but they lost me after that. 

I never bought "Dark Side" until recently, when I decided I'd get all their stuff on CD.

Now? I think all of it is listenable, interesating in places, but not "classic." At least "Money" is in 7/4, but that just adds up to a normal 3/4 + 4/4, doesn't it? Plus, I never was impressed with David Gilmour's guitar playing.

I know what it is! Unlike Syd Barrett, they didn't do enough acid!


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

_The Wall_ has aged well as far as I'm concerned - the group had to stop wearing flares some time, pity so many of their live-in-a-timewarp fans never.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

millionrainbows said:


> This is only my take, but IMHO the best album Pink Floyd ever did was "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn," when Syd Barrett was doing the song writing, and it was basically pop music.
> 
> I liked "Careful With That Axe, Eugene" and the general sound of their live shows with that Farfisa-sounding organ, but they lost me after that.
> 
> ...


I'm pretty sure Money is in 7/4.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I'm pretty sure Money is in 7/4.


Ok, I changed my post, I meant 7/4 = 3/4 + 4/4. I hope this doesn't make you look stupid.



elgars ghost said:


> _The Wall_ has aged well as far as I'm concerned - the group had to stop wearing flares some time, pity so many of their live-in-a-timewarp fans never.


You mean like the guy on fire on the cover of "Welcome To The Machine," don't you?

Oh..._"flares"_...you must mean bell-bottomed trousers!

Captain, I'm an aristocrat like you!


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

millionrainbows said:


> Ok, I changed my post, I meant 7/4 = 3/4 + 4/4. I hope this doesn't make you look stupid.
> 
> You mean like the guy on fire on the cover of "Welcome To The Machine," don't you?
> 
> ...


The cover you speak of is Wish You Were Here on which the song Welcome to the Machine appears.
It's caught forever in my quote Million, you can't escape your initial error!


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## haydnguy (Oct 13, 2008)

IMHO, rock music was never intended to be critiqued musically. Just sell records and let teenagers have a good time.


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I'm pretty sure Money is in 7/4.


You're right. It's written in a 7/4 time signature no matter how the beats are divided within it and quite easy to find the sheet music online: https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0044726&cmpid=pad_roigoogleshopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqrfS2Znu5QIV7x6tBh3glABZEAQYASABEgJ-w_D_BwE


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

The Deacon said:


> By happenstance, just read this post of mine done on a prog forum some 15 years ago.
> 
> My opinion has not changed.
> 
> ...


Wait a minute. Write what you d*mn well please about The Wall but I find the above too negative and condescending of a review. It's iconic for its time period and beautifully recorded, somewhat hypnotic that is more than an attempt to write an album of one hit after another. These kinds of reviews leave a bad taste in the mouth and I don't care for any classic album, which this is, being treated with such a dismissive attitude on an album that's lasted for almost 40 years. I don't consider it a bad album-hardly, because there are far worse-but highly representative of its time in its attempt to write something with more than the average depth of thought and feeling. I enjoyed it because I believe it holds together as a whole.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

The Deacon's "review" of The Wall is an example of the folly of bashing others' tastes in music, especially popular music/rock. There are no objective measuring sticks, so those who like a particular piece are left scratching their heads trying to understand the motive of the attacker--what has triggered this venting of spleen, sarcasm, denigration? We begin to speculate on trauma, pathologies......


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

My 2c

My first PF was Relics on vinyl after hearing Careful With That Axe on college radio one night while tripping with friends. That is a fact.

Then I acquired Meddle and Dark Side upon release. Meddle has always been dear to me while DS was more about "hits". Brain Damage/ Eclipse is the main takeaway for me there, and I can skip a lot of the rest.

Then came more "hits" with WYWH but the title song is like stone, enduring. Animals was back to no hits and a less "live" sound in the studio. But Animals really captures Waters at his theatrical best IMO and it was all downhill from there.

Yep, the Wall sucks. It has ONE great song that is really great, and a cool interlude with some funky guitar and that same scream recycled from the Eugene daze. But that does not justify the agony endured to hear the whole thing. 

t did not help that the album came at at time when "album" or "concept rock" was becoming "dinosaur rock" and newer bands were sounding far more creative and original. For me the Wall belongs in the same bin with In Through The Out Door, with the exception of Comfortably Numb. The album that came next was even worse and for me the Division Bell is the best PF album after Animals.

So yes, success does spoil. Waters influence on the band had mixed blessings.


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## The Deacon (Jan 14, 2018)

Sounds like youse two are spoiling for a fight.

It is never wise to challange the words of a PROG MASTERMANCOLOR], especially on his own turf.

Okay, granted it is recorded well. But then so is Sinatra. So are most prog-***** (take Saga as example.) recorded well is saying little or nothing. We are talking about COMPOSITION here. (Also, in its favour, there is some smooth transistion - but that's nowhere a winning point.)

There is much commerciality at play with the feckin' Wall set. It lacks density. Its composed to rock simple-minded off their rockers. Totally of little to merit attention.

No, The Deacon will not hang with this atrocity.

More than ****** to my standards - it is a veritable template of shittttiness.

The last refuge of the taste bereft.

I have spoken.

I don't intend to lockhorns with children.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Captainnumber36 said:


> The cover you speak of is Wish You Were Here on which the song Welcome to the Machine appears.
> It's caught forever in my quote Million, you can't escape your initial error!


When it comes to Pink Floyd, it doesn't matter to me; I'm no expert like you are. You know your Pink Floyd well, which is quite an astounding achievment, my friend.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

haydnguy said:


> IMHO, rock music was never intended to be critiqued musically. Just sell records and let teenagers have a good time.


OK, so then it shouldn't matter to anyone if we bash the Floyd.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Larkenfield said:


> You're right. It's written in a 7/4 time signature no matter how the beats are divided within it and quite easy to find the sheet music online...


But it's not a "real" 7/4; it's based on a a bogus subdivision, similar to the way David Gilmour's guitar solos are just bogus Eric Clapton-isms.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Larkenfield said:


> Wait a minute. Write what you d*mn well please about The Wall but I find the above too negative and condescending of a review. It's iconic for its time period and beautifully recorded, somewhat hypnotic that is more than an attempt to write an album of one hit after another. These kinds of reviews leave a bad taste in the mouth and I don't care for any classic album, which this is, being treated with such a dismissive attitude on an album that's lasted for almost 40 years. I don't consider it a bad album-hardly, because there are far worse-but highly representative of its time in its attempt to write something with more than the average depth of thought and feeling. *I enjoyed it because I believe it holds together as a whole.*


Then "keep on believing" and maybe someday it will come true.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Strange Magic said:


> The Deacon's "review" of The Wall is an example of the folly of bashing others' tastes in music, especially popular music/rock. There are no objective measuring sticks, so those who like a particular piece are left scratching their heads trying to understand the motive of the attacker--what has triggered this venting of spleen, sarcasm, denigration? We begin to speculate on trauma, pathologies......


No, don't focus on the attacker; focus on the music. Pink Floyd is a very popular and lucrative commodity, and as such is simply part of the consumer landscape. So, like elected officials, Pink Floyd is open to any and all criticism. What is done is done; and it is still bringing in money. Pink Floyd is a mirror for consumers like yourself, and reflects the taste for banality and cliché, and empty spectacle.

If Pink Floyd can't take the criticism, it's in the wrong landscape. What is this, religious music?


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

philoctetes said:


> It did not help that the album came at at time when "album" or "concept rock" was becoming "dinosaur rock" and newer bands were sounding far more creative and original.


Philocetes is right; Pink Floyd became dinosaurs when Punk Rock emerged. Too bad; you can't rule the world forever.

People started wanting rock that was closer to its roots, that was approachable, not these Broadway extravaganzas that Roger Waters was dreaming up. I'm sure that Syd Barrett would not have approved.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

"Classic were the literary giants George Bernard Shaw and Gilbert Keith Chesterton. They were diametric opposites, in mind and body. Chesterton was short and rotund, Shaw tall and thin. Both detested each other. One day both approached a narrow London alley from either end. Normally, one waits at one's end for the other to pass, because two persons can't cross without discomfort. Each saw the other, but advanced. Face-to-face midway, glaring but without a word, one finally turned aside to let the other pass. As he brushed past, GK Chesterton bellowed, "I don't give way to fools." Quick was Shaw's whisper: "But I do."

I think I'll be Shaw.


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

Up to the Wall, PF had come up with at least one solid side of music per album, something that sounded original. There is no other motive to criticize but the disappointment that comes when something new sounds old and recycled. Even the socio-political aspects of the Wall, something I don't listen to Floyd for, were dated at a time when newer bands were creating music about world events and cultures.


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

The Wall is where Floyd stopped being fun. I had to ride with a fellow student to a field trip once and he played The Wall in his car and I thought I would go crazy through all the theatrical stuff. If you took all that out and just made a single album out of the 3-4 good songs, and got off the depressing lyrics, it could be another great album.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

edited and deleted.


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