#264 Pink Floyd, 'Wish You Were Here' (1975)
Previously #211
Recorded in 1975 at Abbey Road Studios, ‘Wish You Were Here’ is the follow up to the seminal album (and my favourite Pink Floyd record), ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon.’ The album was conceptualised by Roger Waters and, amongst other things, takes aim at the music industry. The album starts with 13-and-a-half minute track, ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond.’ A song that features 5 sections, it is primarily a tribute to original Pink Floyd vocalist, Syd Barrett who had left the band 7 years prior. Whilst the band was recording vocals for the song, an overweight, bald man wandered into the studio randomly. It took a while before they recognised Barrett. They hadn’t seen him for years, yet he had chosen that day and that time to wander into the studio. My favourite thing about this song, other than that story, is that the eery instrumental sound you hear at the start was played on wine glasses with varying amounts of liquid in them. You know how you’d make the glass “sing” with your parents’ wine glass when you were a kid? That. ‘Welcome To The Machine’ features one of my favourite Pink Floyd lyrics; “you bought a guitar to punish your ma.” The song is a scathing view into the music industry, or “the machine.” This theme is expanded upon in the next song, ‘Have A Cigar,’ which particularly takes aim at record label execs. The part of the A&R man is played by folk rock singer, Roy Harper. And more favourite lyrics, “Oh by the way, which one’s Pink?,” a reference to people thinking that Pink Floyd was a person in the band.
The following track is one of the band’s most successful songs of all time, and the title track of the record. Once again, a tribute to Barrett, Waters was feeling disconnected from his bandmates at the time and had written this nostalgic track in memory of the early days of the band. The iconic cover was designed by Storm Thorgerson and his partner at Hipgnosis, Aubrey “Po” Powell; Two men shaking hands, while one his on fire, another reference to the empty promises of record labels. The album was the band’s first #1 since ‘Atom Mother Heart,’ 5 years before. It would go on to sell 20 million copies worldwide.
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