WISH YOU WERE HERE

Pink Floyd are different than most of the other well-known prog rock bands because their music sounds much simpler than the other prog stalwarts. Yet, Pink Floyd always found ways to put subtle complexities in their music, whether you could pick it out or not. WISH YOU WERE HERE is an apex in Pink Floyd's classic string of albums, and it's not hard to hear why.

''Shine On You Crazy Diamond'' is essentially one idea that is varied in nine movements. Most of the differences involve dynamic changes or a different instrument would solo. Part I is nothing more than a drone, but it's worth sitting through to hear the remaining eight sections. Other than that, Waters's vocals are painful to sit through and the music can sound sedated. But the funky jams of Parts VI and VIII are too good to pass up.

Three other songs complete WISH YOU WERE HERE. They're all shorter and easier to digest aside from the creepy, eerie ''Welcome to the Machine''. The title track is a slightly weak acoustic ballad and ''Have a Cigar'' is a rather unusual funk-rock track, and I say unusual because it's on a Pink Floyd album (with Roy Harper on lead vocals).

It's a softer, simpler approach to progressive rock that is an excellent springboard for those unsure if they like prog rock.