WISH YOU WERE HERE

Pink Floyd have always been a band that the progressive music world has held in high esteem. Having released such amazing and dynamic works like 'The Wall' and 'Animals,' they are a band that has certainly won my respect and admiration. Of their substantial handful of albums that are lauded as being some of the best in the world however, 'Wish You Were Here' is the one album that leaves me scratching my head.

If there's any point I want to pull across for this review, it's how 'Wish You Were Here' certainly does not deserve the praise it receives from fans across the globe. It's not bad at all; it's a very relaxing and spaced out album that gives the listener a nice vessel of relaxation. But the album feels very one-tracked in the sort of vibe it gives.

Don't get me wrong, 'Wish You Were Here' is a masterpiece for what it is. As for as the composition, performance and production goes, nothing could really be improved without changing the album altogether. What robs it of it's extra star is the fact that I don't enjoy as much as I should an 'essential' album, and my life wouldn't be much different if I didn't have it in my collection.

'The Wall' spanned a great spectrum of sound, feeling and emotion, with a great concept to boot. 'Animals' was a very dynamic effort, with a fantastic climax and an even better concept. 'Dark Side Of The Moon' took me a while to appreciate, but it's overall cohesion and sense of 'darkness' won me over in the end. 'Wish You Were Here' is an album that's good for a few listens, but the sheer sameness of the album (without the same cohesion of 'Dark Side') really seems to wound the lasting appeal.

'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' is an homage to one of the true geniuses of the psychedelic movement, Syd Barrett. The two parts of the composition make up the bulk of the album, and it's definately represents what the album is all out; space and atmosphere. There is a great saxophone solo here, but nothing that really knocks me off my feet. This song, while being a sonically pleasant track (and the strongest work here) more times than not, the track reverts to sounding like the 'Blade Runner' theme music of Vanellis.

'Wish You Were Here,' the title track is overplayed, but a very well written song. The other remaining tracks 'Have A Cigar' and 'Welcome To The Machine' have nothing special about them, and while they are better than mere filler, they don't move me in any real way.

Three stars isn't a bad rating necessarily, it still means 'good' but simply non-essential as well. I think that fits this album. It's a good album, great if you like the 'jam sound' of it all, but while it is a work of masters, it's not essential, at least in my books.

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