THE WALL

Looking at the PA ratings The Wall is obviously alternating between A Masterpiece and An Excellent Addition, while DSOTM, WYWH and Animals are more close to A Masterpiece. So here on PA the Pink Floyd fans do not consider The Wall at the level of the abovementioned Pink Floyd albums. Personally I was very disappointed when I listened to The Wall for the first time, just after its release, like I was with ATTWT from Genesis, TFTO from Yes, Presto from Rush and Black Moon from ELP. But while I still don't like these albums from Genesis, Yes, Rush and ELP I slowly start to appreciate The Wall, and a few months later I was in Earls Court watching The Wall, mesmerized, blown away, by the music and the visuals. What happened in those months between my first listening session with The Wall and attending the The Wall concert?

Well, at first The Wall sounded to me as a quirky bunch of many styles, from prog and rock to pop and even disco, with the focus on vocals, rather than long instrumental parts. And so many melancholical and theatrical overtones, this was not Symphonic Rock Heaven for me. But one friend of mine kept on playing The Wall at his home, I had to listen, and slowly a prog miracle happened, also due to the mesmerizing cartoons by Gerald Scarfe that helped me to consider The Wall as a concept album, a rock opera. I started to understand the connection between the music, lyrics and cartoons. And Roger Waters turned into a genius for me, as the creator of The Wall.

The great thing for me on The Wall is the wide range of emotions in the songs, from fear and depression to lust and anger. The one moment intense like in Mother, Goodbey Blue Sky, Hey You and Nobody Home. The other moment bombastic like in Young Lust, Run Like Hell, Waiting For The Worms and of course The Trial. These many different atmospheres turn The Wall into a very dynamic and compelling musical experience, fuelled by the excellent vocals from not only Roger Waters but also David Gilmour, each with their own range and expression.

On The Wall the focus is on Roger Waters his vocals, lyrics and compositional skills, but second best is David Gilmour, especially his guitar soli in Another Brick in the Wall (part 2) and Comfortably Numb (one of the best ever in rock history), I will never forget the moment that he appeared on top of the wall, starting to play that Guitar Heaven solo, what a build- up and climax!

I wonder how many rock fans that dislike Pink Floyd will appreciate The Wall as a rock opera, because this Pink Floyd is not the Pink Floyd on DSOTM or WYWH, perhaps more close to the dark Animals, also a Pink Floyd album with strong control by Roger Waters.