THE WALL by PINK FLOYD (2011-09-27)

Pink Floyd's eleventh studio album The Wall was released in December of 1979 and is a classic and regarded as the band's most ambitious masterwork.This double album ranks up there with other noted classic rock double studio albums like The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Tommy, Exile on Main Street, Quadrophenia, Blonde on Blonde, London Calling, The White Album, Physical Graffiti, Electric Ladyland and many others.The concept for The Wall still holds up over 30 years after its initial release.The idea came to bass player/singer Roger Waters whom was upset with himself after spitting on a fan on the last gig of the Animals tour at Montreal's Olympic Stadium.In 1978, Roger was writing and recording demos that would become The Wall (many to appear on the Immersion Version in 2012). Meanwhile, drummer Nick Mason was off producing other acts (ranging from punk rockers The Damned to prog rocker Steve Hillage) whilst the other two principle Pink Floyd songwriters whom were guitarist/singer David Gilmour and keyboard player Rick Wright were recording their first solo albums in France which both came out in 1978.In late 1978 the band, along with KISS/Alice Cooper/Peter Gabriel/Lou Reed producer Bob Ezrin, began demoing the songs for The Wall at Britannia Row Studios in London (these too are to appear on the Immersion Version in 2012).The band properly began recording The Wall in April of 1979 in two studios in France (and later at studios in Los Angeles and New York) with Waters, Gilmour, Ezrin and engineer James Guthrie producing to avoid the crazy English tax laws as the band was almost bankrupt due to their agents stealing the money in a way that they still owed the British tax companies taxes.All of the songs, save four, were written by Roger. The album's three best tracks "Young Lust", "Comfortably Numb" and "Run Like Hell" were co-written by Gilmour. Then, "The Trial" was co-written by Ezrin.The Wall was a concept album which told the story of a character named Pink (a composite of Roger Waters and Floyd co-founder Syd Barrett).After we begin with the bombast rock of "In the Flesh?", The Wall story begins when Pink goes through a traumatic childhood of losing his father in war ("The Thin Ice" and "Another Brick in the Wall (pt.1)"), cruel sarcastic teachers ("The Happiest Days of Our Lives", the chart-topping single "Another Brick in the Wall (pt.2)"), an overbearing mother ("Mother"), problems with adolescence ("Goodbye Blue Sky") problems with success ("Empty Spaces"), relationship troubles ("Young Lust" (wife leaves him), "One of My Turns" (snapping when the groupie comes in room and many other problems (like the wife beating in "Don't Leave Me Now") one goes through before walling himself off from the rest of the world ("Another Brick in the Wall (pt. 3)" and "Goodbye Cruel World").The second disc starts with Pink walled off from society (starting with the classic "Hey You" and "Is There Anybody Out There?") then ponders his life in a hotel room ("Nobody Home") and thinks back to his father's death ("Vera" and "Bring the Boys Back Home"). The highlight of the album is "Comfortably Numb" which tells the tale of Pink being confronted by a doctor to take something before he could go on with the show. The song was first intended for David Gilmour's 1978 solo debut but was thankfully left off and saved for The Wall. The track is a classic and is always in the Top 10 greatest rock song/guitar solo polls! The track "The Show Must Go On" is Pink being led to the show and then as a fascist dictator Pink is performing like a madman as depicted in "In the Flesh", "Run Like Hell" and "Waiting For the Worms" before having his own trial ("Stop" and "The Trial") and is ordered to knock down his wall to start life fresh ("Outside the Wall").Band turmoil during 1979 reached an all-time high and Roger eventually kicked Rick Wright out of the band citing Rick wasn't doing squat when in fact Roger was setting Rick up to fail from the word go. Rick was let go but stayed to finish the album and did The Wall shows in 1980/81 as a paid musician (the other three members lost money from staging the shows). Rick played on most of the album (even co-producer James Guthrie stated Rick played on more of The Wall than given credit) as does Nick whom is not on drums for half the record (Jeff Porcaro played drums on Mother, Jeff's father Joe played snare drum on Bring the Boys Back Home and there's no drums on some of the tracks).Despite the band turmoil, The Wall became Pink Floyd's third US chart-topping album (stayed at #1 for 15 weeks), sold over 25 million in the US alone (second highest selling album of original material of all time here in the US and best selling double album ever though some configurations were on one cassette and one heavily edited 8-track cartridge), spawned the greatest rock concerts ever produced (documented on Is There Anybody Out There and many boots available) and a classic film.As part of the Why Pink Floyd? reissue campaign, the band re-release this masterwork with a remastered CD painstakingly done by James Guthrie (one of the original co-producers of the album and the engineer of the album) and Joel Plante. Out of the CD issues I have owned of this album, this is probably my favorite version (sure beats the lifeless EMI Europe remasters from 1994) apart from the original vinyl record. Also the booklet is excellent and does a great job replicating the original vinyl LP art apart from the change in color text of front cover writing.The Experience Version of The Wall (which this review pertains to) has a bonus disc consisting of the band's demos (Programs 2 and 3 had been around on bootleg for years in somewhat mixed quality sans the Demos of The Doctor and Run Like Hell). The first program of band demos I never heard before sans Another Brick 1 which was on the Pink Floyd Sampler released late last year. Then "Young Lust" was excellent and songs that became "The Hero's Return" is here as "Teacher Teacher" and I prefer this to what was on The Final Cut. "Sexual Revolution" is better here than on Pros and Cons. The demos sound great and the packaging is digipak and rather nice.Then the Immersion Version is also available which has more demos including a medley of Roger's original demos for The Wall, David Gilmour's instrumental versions of "Comfortably Numb" and "Run Like Hell" (all sounding better than the bootleg versions) out for years and "The Thin Ice (Reprise)" and "It's Not Too Late" outro to the two different demos "Outside the Wall". Then there is a remastered version of the 2000 live album Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980-81 which sounds more crisp and punchier than the version released in 2000. Then the DVD features the 2000 BBC produced documentary Behind the Wall (this time uncensored unlike the US version) plus a taster of the band performing at Earls Court in 1980. The video for "Another Brick 2" looks cleaner than the version on The Wall DVD. The books are nice with some previously unissued pictures and it has a scarf, credit booklet.Some are griping and complaining that there is no 5.1 surround mix of the album. Well, the band and the label had a deadline to get this out. Also James Guthrie stated that the tapes of The Wall were in bad shape and needed to be fully restored so a 5.1 mix will come out on Hybrid SACD/DVD-A at some point. For now, The Wall Experience and Immersion versions will suffice.Highly recommended!

First off, this review will solely focus on disc three which is the ONLY reason and a very good reason to purchase the Experience Edition of this classic Floyd album. I do not think there has been enough mention on here about how GREAT the third disc is, with versions of the songs that easily could have made it on to the original album. Specifically the Another Brick In The Wall songs are fantastic and in my opinion almost better than the album versions. I also must mention that these are vastly different than the songs, with different lyrics in alot of places. It is amazing to hear these to understand the working process of finalizing the songs on the album. Other songs are clearly still in progress and not the polished masterpieces that they would become. Either way, I think that many people are selling this short as I read in one review it was something you only needed to hear once. BS. Many of these demo versions are fantastic and fresh and I will be listening to them over and over. I may even make a mix and add some of the best demo's to the Wall in different places.To mention the re-master: What about the original sound of this incredible album would even make you think it needs to be re-mastered in any way at all!!?? Of course it doesn't!!! I will probably never even listen to it. I bought this set only for disc three which greatly exceeded by expectations. These "demo's" sound pristine and the word demo really does not even do them justice!Lastly, what a collection of crappy reviews on this site that seem to have been written by ten year olds! We don't care if your CD was crushed in shipping or if it never arrived. Those are simply useless reviews. Also, reviewing the original album is fine but what people really want to know is "how is disc three" and how does the re-master sound (if they care about that). I am finished with my rant for the day!

At some point I was thinking “What would it be if PF released this wonderful material within the original issue?” Now it’s clear to me, that good stuff has to wait!I was amazed when I first heard this release, how would it be, fantasizing how RW would have felt and so. This a great album, buy it, you’ll love it 😍

Just the demo music is worth it. You already know the rest. Sound quality is excellent on the original soundtrack but a couple tracks off the 3rd cd are sketchy. With having what sounds like some editing cuts and or sound level changes happening. Just be aware if your listening at high volume. Other then that it's a good buy. You're gonna love it.

Fast shipping and perfect condition. “Thanks for the ride on the way back machine” Audio perfection with gateway sonic range. New demos and versions are included on disc #3 that blew me away. This is one of Pink Floyd’s greatest albums period.Thanks