THE WALL

Where to start with this all-around gem of rock music? Pink Floyd have impressed us quite a bit in the past, and then they go and make one of the best concept albums of all time. From start to finish I don't think there is one song I dislike, though it certainly isn't as "proggy" as some of their earlier stuff, so I'll give it four stars. If this were a Rock Archives, I'd say five stars but speaking Progressive, this album is an excellent addition to anyone's music collection.

Here we see Roger Waters in, what some consider, his most ambitious and successful works ever. Not to say he wrote everything; a lot of the album's hits were co-written with Gilmour. Though, Waters is undoubtedly the driving power across this 2-disc, 2-LP, 2-iPod tour de force.

Rather than go through each song, I'll point out my personal highlights from the album.

Disc 1: Starting off with "In the Flesh?", the first Pink Floyd song I ever heard, I was immediately caught off guard by the catchy guitar and extremely overdriven (in a good way) ending. Of course, who could hate the medley of "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 1 - The Happiest Days of Our Lives - Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2"? Certainly not me; that transition between the two latter songs is flawless to say the least. It's hard to not find oneself on Waters' side during his rebellious chorus against all the teachers. Speaking of transitions, this album is full of perfect song meldings if that tickles your fancy. The insanity behind "One of My Turns" echoes beautifully into the darkness that is "Don't Leave Me Now" and the reprise of the "Another Brick in the Wall" theme with Part 3 will send any Prog rocker wild.

Disc 2: "Hey You" is, in my opinion, overshadowed by the other popular songs that surround this album. The heaviness and intensity that peaks during this song lets the listener know that Pink Floyd certainly has enough good material to fill 2 discs/LPs/iPods. Another 3-song medley follows and reprises quite wonderfully, in a way that lets the listener understand what exactly Pink is going through (Pink being a rock star spiraling down into nasty things and the central concept behind this album). "Comfortably Numb" is the rock staple that, with "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2" helped seal the charting success of this concept album. "Run Like Hell" is also a satisfactory hard rock song that gives a beat and vibe. "Waiting for the Worms" is probably my favorite track, simply because of its intensity and oppressive madness that builds up to a point where all you want to do is scream "Stop". "The Trial" ends the madness with one of the biggest 'bangs' in rock history.

Worth mentioning is the ending. "Outside the Wall" is a calm little tune that is honestly, easily forgettable. That's the beauty of it though, the song literally cuts off when someone says "Isn't this where-" and then it just stops. Originally annoying me, I was soon ecstatic to discover that the insanely quiet intro to the very first song, "In the Flesh?" begins with someone saying "-we came in?" and the light continuation of the flute melody before the actual song explodes into view. And herein lies Waters' fascination for cycles and how, in theory, The Wall will never actually end.