Dark Side of the Moon: Pink Floyd (1973)
Pink Floyd entered into their most creative period with Dark Side of the Moon. The album expanded upon musical and thematic excursions and ideas from earlier works. Following Dark Side’s release, Pink Floyd entered into a “super league.” The record examines greed, the passage of time, and man’s inhumanity toward man. It’s dark, grim, and struck a chord with an audience living in a dark, grim time. The themes explored by Pink Floyd remain relevant 40 years later.
Key Tracks:
Time
The Great Gig in the Sky
Money
Us and Them
Wish You Were Here- Pink Floyd (1975)
The band’s success with Dark Side of the Moon directly inspired Wish You Were Here. The album begins and ends with a sorrowful ode to the band’s founder Syd Barrett, who experienced a mental breakdown. The second and third tracks deal directly with rock star fame and corporate demands. The title track is another nod to Barrett and the record’s most iconic song. David Gilmour played “Wish You Were Here” at Pink Floyd’s induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.
Animals: Pink Floyd (1977)
Roger Waters took more and more control of the band and Animals reflects his political and worldview. The album provides a scathing critique of the socio-economic and political situation in 1977 Britain. In addition to social criticism, Floyd changed its musical sound as well. Interestingly, the conditions in the western world that Waters railed against helped spawn the punk movement around the same time.
The Wall: Pink Floyd (1979)
Roger Waters tired of the fans at their live shows. He thought the distance between fans and the band so acute, that he conceived building a wall. The resulting album is a rock opera in the style of The Who’s Tommy. The main character, Pink, is based on Waters himself. Pink’s experiences include the loss of his father in World War II, abusive school teachers, an overprotective mother, and isolation. Eventually, Pink fantasizes that he is a fascist rock star playing at Nazi rallies. His guilt forces him to face his demons and Pink places himself on trial. The resulting tour included a 40 foot wall built between fans and the band. During this period, founding member Richard Wright left the band, but toured to support the album as a salaried musician. The other three members paid for the tour out-of-pocket. As a result, Wright was the only guy who made money.
Key Tracks:
Another Brick in the Wall
Young Lust
Hey You
Comfortably Numb
Run Like Hell
The Trial
Pink Floyd entered into their most creative period with Dark Side of the Moon. The album expanded upon musical and thematic excursions and ideas from earlier works. Following Dark Side’s release, Pink Floyd entered into a “super league.” The record examines greed, the passage of time, and man’s inhumanity toward man. It’s dark, grim, and struck a chord with an audience living in a dark, grim time. The themes explored by Pink Floyd remain relevant 40 years later.
Key Tracks:
Time
The Great Gig in the Sky
Money
Us and Them
Wish You Were Here- Pink Floyd (1975)
The band’s success with Dark Side of the Moon directly inspired Wish You Were Here. The album begins and ends with a sorrowful ode to the band’s founder Syd Barrett, who experienced a mental breakdown. The second and third tracks deal directly with rock star fame and corporate demands. The title track is another nod to Barrett and the record’s most iconic song. David Gilmour played “Wish You Were Here” at Pink Floyd’s induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.
Animals: Pink Floyd (1977)
Roger Waters took more and more control of the band and Animals reflects his political and worldview. The album provides a scathing critique of the socio-economic and political situation in 1977 Britain. In addition to social criticism, Floyd changed its musical sound as well. Interestingly, the conditions in the western world that Waters railed against helped spawn the punk movement around the same time.
The Wall: Pink Floyd (1979)
Roger Waters tired of the fans at their live shows. He thought the distance between fans and the band so acute, that he conceived building a wall. The resulting album is a rock opera in the style of The Who’s Tommy. The main character, Pink, is based on Waters himself. Pink’s experiences include the loss of his father in World War II, abusive school teachers, an overprotective mother, and isolation. Eventually, Pink fantasizes that he is a fascist rock star playing at Nazi rallies. His guilt forces him to face his demons and Pink places himself on trial. The resulting tour included a 40 foot wall built between fans and the band. During this period, founding member Richard Wright left the band, but toured to support the album as a salaried musician. The other three members paid for the tour out-of-pocket. As a result, Wright was the only guy who made money.
Key Tracks:
Another Brick in the Wall
Young Lust
Hey You
Comfortably Numb
Run Like Hell
The Trial
