The story follows our main character, Pink, through life: he loses his father in World War II, is raised alone by his overbearing mother, is sent to boarding school, becomes a rock star that no one understands he becomes famous and thus isolated, and realizes that performing in front of so many fans is a proto-Fascism. But the most basic explanation, if there could be one, is that The Wall is a concept album and rock opera by Roger Waters. Gilmour shares writing credits with him on five tracks, and wrote three of them alone. The vast majority of the album was written by Waters who based it on his life and personal experiences. During recording, Richard Wright was fired from the group, and Roger Waters, David Gilmour, and Nick Mason fell apart as men and as a band. The Wall is also the beginning of the end of what was known as the traditional lineup for the band (that is, post-Syd Barrett). Many Pink Floyd albums came before and after this series, but they remain the most accessible and recognizable within the band’s discography. The Wall marks the beginning of the end of a run of extremely popular, riveting, and classic Floyd records, preceded by The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), and Animals (1977). It’s one of the best-selling albums of all time and there’s a lot to discuss. But the conflict in the album is what makes it so powerful. Pink Floyd’s The Wall turns 40 years old this week and captures all of this, sonically, emotionally, and metaphorically.įor me, the substance of the record-loss, self-loathing, alienation, loneliness, war, the comfort of being numb-is overwhelming. They mark boundaries, set borders, bear loads, provide a base for artistic expression, hide, reveal, protect, and imprison.
Happy 40th Anniversary to Pink Floyd’s eleventh studio album The Wall, originally released November 30, 1979.