WISH YOU WERE HERE

It starts with Shine On You Crazy Diamond I-V. Richard Wright sucks us right in. How he sets the stage, brings us in the mood. We know we are on a journey. Next up is that first note from David Gilmour's guitar, a bit more than two minutes in. Gilmour and Wright play so magically together. Then, at 3.54, Gilmour plays the 4 note theme for the first time. If you weren't already, now is the moment you get lost in the sauce. What follows is a few repetitions of that theme and then Nick Mason's drums kick in. We enter a new stage of the journey. Dominated by an emotional solo from Gilmour. One of his best. And that is saying something. 6.26 minutes in, Wright takes the stage again. As emotional as Gilmour, taking us further on this journey. 7.34 Gilmour manages to bring even more to the table. Then, 8.41 in, Gilmour starts singing. "Remember when you were young...". He tells us the story of Syd Barrett in such a personal and poignant way. It's gripping. His guitar playing tops it off. 11.09, enter the sax, combined with Gilmour playing a variation of the main theme. At 12.00, the music speeds up and the sax switches from baritone to tenor. Bringing the song to a great closure. 10/10

How to have a follow up to such a fantastic piece of music? Well, PF gives us Welcome To The Machine. When Shine On You Crazy Diamond ends I am always happy to know Welcome to the Machine is next. This is a major achievement. Most songs fall flat after Shine, this doesn't for me. At all. Gloomy lyrics and Wright shines again. I love how the time signature changes when Gilmour starts playing the acoustic guitar. And switches back when he starts singing again. 9/10

The album needs songs like Have A Cigar. It makes the whole album even better, rockier, edgier. Have A Cigar is a bitter critique of the music industry. Singing is by Roy Harper. While I don't have issues with that, I don't see why Roger Waters couldn't have done it just as well. Praise to Roger's base and Wright and Gilmour are excellent as always on this album. I love the casual line "Oh by the way, which one's Pink?" Showing the disinterest of the manager uttering the line. And there's another great solo from Gilmour. Though not as impressive and emotional as on Shine. 9/10

Wish you were here. I have heard this track at least 1000 times. As straightforward as it is, it can't get tired of it. It is pure magic. The riff, the lyrics, Gilmours singing, the build-up, the arrangement. Everything. 10/10

The album ends with Shine On You Crazy Diamond VI-IX. Faster paced than I-V, Gilmour and Waters are on two separate basses, setting the stage. Then, at 1.00 Wright brings back the theme of Shine, while Waters and Gilmour continue to play their basses. At 2.26, Gilmour's solo speeds things up even more with a lap steel guitar finding ever higher notes. 4.35, Gilmour picks up his Fender and brings us back to the theme, slowing down the song. Followed by his singing. The final part of Syd's story. At 6.00, Gilmour passes the ball to Wright, supporting his keyboard solo. Wright and Gilmour show absolute mastery of collaboration. 9.03, Wright continues with another solo, in a much slower tempo. He sets us up for the finale of the track, with touches of Gilmour here and there. While Waters and Mason know how to support them. 11.22 we have arrived at the fade-out. The last tunes we hear are "See Emily Play". Another tribute to Syd. 10/10

I like most of Pink Floyd's work. A lot. But with Wish You Were Here, they created their absolute masterpiece. Richard Wright deserves praise. He lifted this album to a higher level.

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