A Sense of Doubt blog post #3289 - The Comfort of Repeat - Two Songs - Shine On and Lazy Calm - Music Monday for 2402.19
There's a comfort in repeat.
I have been repeating things lately as a comforting balm.
Most days when I shower I play two songs, and sometimes a few more depending on other hygiene tasks.
I thought I had written about my evening music on the blog, but I don't think I have. Ah! FUTURE POST!!
Other repetitions involve just playing the same song over and over and over and OVER, which someone in my life likes to do... often.
I like that.
Then there's articles about Pink Floyd's album, cover art, and Syd Barrett's visit to the studio during the recording of Wish You Were Here.
THE WIKI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shine_On_You_Crazy_Diamond
Just the link for this one, but it's great:
Classic tone: Shine On You Crazy Diamond at Gilmourish
Rock stars just don’t seem to have the same mystique or larger than life personalities that they used to. Musicians are still an interesting bunch, but the wild stories of such icons as Jim Morrison, Sid Vicious, and Mick Jagger seem to be a thing of the past. The times we live in, undoubtedly, play a major role in that. Censorship was a bigger issue in the past, allowing for a greater sense of rebellion. The sixties and seventies were also decades of change and new beginnings; not only in music, but society as whole. If Jim Morrison broke onto the music scene in 2006, would he be the rock god that he was in the sixties? To a degree; he was an extremely charismatic presence, but it probably wouldn’t be like it was then. Everything’s been done. There have been few real legends to emerge over the last twenty years, and the last true rock icon was Kurt Cobain in the early nineties.
Some of Rock n’ Roll’s most interesting stories are also the most tragic, and tragedy often breeds legends. Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd was one of the more colourful characters of the late sixties, but teetered between genius and madness until his disappearance from the public eye in the early seventies. The enigmatic Floyd founder was the band’s main creative force in the early days, but a combination of schizophrenia and massive LSD use led to his dismissal after the group’s second album, A Saucerful of Secrets, in 1968. His erratic behaviour included strumming one note over and over onstage, detuning his guitar onstage, and staring into space during recording sessions. The band had hoped to keep him on as a songwriter, but his arrangements had become to complex and they scrapped the idea. Although his time in Pink Floyd was fairly brief, his effect on the band would continue in their song writing on albums such as Dark Side of the Moon and most specifically, Wish You Were Here. He was gone, but his presence hung over the band like a phantom watching from the balcony.
Syd Barrett’s story is one of talent, tragedy, and madness, eloquently immortalized in the band’s homage to their fallen member, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” from the aforementioned 1975 album, Wish You Were Here. 1975 was an interesting year in music. The old guard was still going strong, but there were signs that a change was on the horizon. Kiss released its breakthrough Alive album, the Sex Pistols played their first concert, and the Ramones released their debut single; and although progressive rock was slowly being challenged by shorter, more energetic songs, Pink Floyd responded with one of its strongest efforts.
The band began playing “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” onstage about a year before it was recorded, when it was just called, “Shine On.” The song was originally intended to be an uninterrupted opus, but was eventually split into the two parts that bookend the album. The recording of Wish You Were Here was an incredibly exhausting experience for the band, and Roger Waters pushed his voice so hard for “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” that an outside vocalist, Roy Harper, had to be brought in for the recording of “Have A Cigar.”
One of the most interesting stories to emerge from the recording sessions was the reappearance of Barrett at the studio, whom during a bizarre coincidence, walked in during the recording of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.” The band hadn’t seen him in years and barely recognized the new look of their former mate. Barrett never wore his insanity well, and had become fat and bald (as seen above), jumping around the studio while brushing his teeth. The sight was enough to bring Roger Waters to tears. The members of Pink Floyd have said that Wish You Were Here was a difficult album to make, but after all these years, more than one has also claimed it as their favourite.
Both David Gilmour and Roger Waters continue to play “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” onstage, although surprisingly, neither performed it at the Syd Barrett tribute concert, after his death at the age of 60 in 2006. Either way, the song is a heartfelt reminder of a wasted talent and a timeless tribute to one of rock’s most elusive icons.
The Cover Uncovered: Behind the iconic artwork of Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish You Were Here’
Through The Cover Uncovered, we will look to reveal the creative decisions behind the artistic direction for some of the music world’s seminal albums. This week we delve into the warped and wonderful minds of Pink Floyd and dissect the brilliant 1975 issue Wish You Were Here.
Released on 12th September in 1975 via Columbia, the album has gone down in history as one of the greatest in rock. Expertly performed by David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Rick Wright, the record is arguably Pink Floyd’s finest work—and that passion and poignancy extend to the artwork too.
Wish You Were Here was sold in one of the more elaborate packages to ever accompany a Pink Floyd album. Storm Thorgerson, the renowned graphic designer, has worked with everyone from AC/DC to XTC and all those in between. He was tasked with the creation of an iconic record sleeve and he didn’t disappoint. But to find an idea that matched up with the band’s intellectualised sound was going to be a difficult one.
The designer decided to accompany the band on their 1974 tour and had given serious thought to the meaning of the lyrics of the band’s new songs, eventually deciding that the tracks were, in general, concerned with “unfulfilled presence” rather than Barrett’s illness as suggested latterly.
This theme of absence was reflected in the ideas produced by his long hours spent brainstorming with the band. Thorgerson had noted that Roxy Music’s Country Life was sold in an opaque green cellophane sleeve—censoring the cover image in the process—and he copied the idea, concealing the artwork for Wish You Were Here in black-coloured shrink-wrap and therefore enacting his vision and making the album art “absent”.
Thorgensen also looked to the tracks to help solidify his thoughts on the project. The concept behind songs ‘Welcome to the Machine’ and ‘Have a Cigar’ suggested the use of a handshake (an often empty gesture), and George Hardie designed a sticker containing the album’s logo of two mechanical hands engaged in a handshake, to be placed on the opaque sleeve. The mechanical handshake logo would also appear on the labels of the vinyl album this time in a black and blue background.
The album’s iconic cover images, featuring two men standing across from one another while one is on fire, were photographed by Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell, Storm’s partner at the Pink Floyd design studio Hipgnosis. The striking image was inspired by the idea that people tend to conceal their true feelings, for fear of “getting burned”, and thus two businessmen were pictured shaking hands, one man on fire.
“Getting burned” was also a common phrase in the music industry, used often by artists denied royalty payments by the greedy record execs. Two stuntmen were used (Ronnie Rondell and Danny Rogers), one dressed in a fire-retardant suit covered by a business suit. His head was protected by a hood, underneath a wig. The precautions allowed for Thorgensen’s idea to come to fruition.
The photograph was taken at the Warner Bros. studios in Los Angeles and added an extra dimension of phoniness. Initially, the wind was blowing in the wrong direction, and the flames were forced into Rondell’s face, burning his moustache and presenting a far more impending danger. The two stuntmen changed positions to avoid any further issues and the image was later reversed.
The album’s back cover is just as interesting as it depicts a faceless “Floyd salesman”, in Thorgerson’s words, “selling his soul” in the desert. It was an image shot in the Yuma Desert in California again by Aubrey ‘ Po ‘ Powell, once again. The absence of wrists and ankles signifies his presence as an “empty suit”.
The inner sleeve shows a veil concealing a nude woman in a windswept Norfolk grove, and a splash-less diver at Mono Lake – titled Monosee (the German translation of Mono Lake) on the liner notes – in California (again emphasising the theme of absence).
The decision to shroud the cover in black plastic was not popular with the band’s US record company, Columbia Records, who insisted that it be changed (they were later overruled). EMI were less concerned; the band were reportedly extremely happy with the end product, and when presented with a pre-production mockup, they accepted it with a spontaneous round of applause.
https://rachitsach.medium.com/wish-you-were-here-374ae3734ec3
Wish You Were Here
A deep dive into the timeless Pink Floyd album.
The 1970’s marked a notable inflection point in rock music as it continued to diversify into numerous subgenres which took on a life and cult following of their own. Each respective genre had prominent front runners and pioneers who continued to push the status quo, not only in terms of commercial success, but also by widening rock’s worldwide appeal. Now known as one of the greatest acts to ever exist, Pink Floyd were often considered the trailblazers of progressive and experimental rock subgenres (Povey, 2008). Pink Floyd, through their aggressive experimentation and innovation of the psychedelic sound, not only pushed the outer limits of rock, but music as a whole. With a discography spanning fifteen studio albums, Pink Floyd defined the music of the 1970’s while changing the face of rock music forever (Bloomberg, 2007). 1973 marked the release of The Dark Side of the Moon (DSOTM), which is widely considered by critics to not only be Pink Floyd’s magnum opus, but the greatest album of all time (Rolling Stone, 2003). DSOTM launched Pink Floyd into mainstream success as it sold over 45 million copies and garnered the attention of highly esteemed critics around the world (Billboard, 2017). Shortly after completing a world tour, Pink Floyd were back in the studio working on a follow up album to rival the success of their previous work. It was in the numerous sessions at the world famous Abbey Road studios that Pink Floyd recorded their intricate, ornate and highly experimental follow up album, Wish You Were Here (Mason, 2005). The album’s themes largely revolved around the condemnation of the music industry, the departure of the band’s founding member, Syd Barret along with the trials and tribulations of everyday life. Similar to the rest of Pink Floyd’s discography Wish You Were Here (WYWH) experimented with unique production styles that revolutionized and transformed the rock genre forever. Upon its arrival, WYWH received largely mixed reviews but as time progressed, the album gained the reputation as one of the most pivotal rock records of all time in addition to being considered as one of the greatest albums in existence (Billboard, 2017).
As soon as WYWH begins, the listener is immediately immersed into the bold, atmospheric and psychedelic production of the album. The album kicks off with an extended, almost-nine-minute, instrumental passage which paints a kaleidoscopic sonic canvas effectively setting the backdrop and tone for the rest of the album. “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” not only opens the album opulently, it also closes the album with similar lush and psychedelic riffs echoing behind the leading vocals. The use of synthesizers is also prominent throughout both tracks, giving the record a more electronic sound, which was an increasingly popular production choice in rock during the 1970’s. As the track list progresses, Pink Floyd maintain consistent yet intricate production which weaved together several themes in the album. “Welcome to the Machine” paints a sonic palette which bears an uncanny resemblance to a production line and sounds as though the listener is being transported through a portal to another dimension. Stark buzzing sounds throughout the instrumental passage create a claustrophobic sense of being moved through a machine and paint a picture of being constrained which is a common theme throughout the project. Bold acoustic guitars dominate the production on the back end of the song as occasional sounds of machinery echo in the background providing the record with a consistent and distinct atmospheric sound. The third track, “Have a Cigar”, continues exploring themes of how music industry professionals exploit artists for sheer monetary gain, while neglecting the artist itself. The sonic characteristics of “Have a Cigar” are similar to traditional rock as it is packed with electric and bass guitars riffing throughout the duration of the track. Pink Floyd still finds room to experiment in the song as they make use of electric pianos and synthesizers which allowed them to craft a futuristic sound; quite similar to progresive rock bands in that time period. The song concludes with an extensive guitar solo, which is often quoted to be Pink Floyd’s signature style. Near the end, “Have a Cigar” makes use of a filter sweep sound effect which gives the listener an illusion of the song playing on an AM radio station while the album seamlessly transitions into its next track, “Wish You Were Here.” The album’s title track continues to use the AM radio station sound effect as the song kicks off, which also adds to the consistent tone of the album. As the title track continues, the band’s vocals enter while several guitars riff in the background throughout the song’s runtime. David Gilmour, the co-lead vocalist of Pink Floyd, described the record as “a very simple country song” and called it one of the band’s greatest songs due to the “emotional weight” it carries, largely referencing the lyrical themes of the track (The Story of Wish You Were Here, 2012). Similar to other seamless transitions on the album, “Wish You Were Here” makes use of wind sounds effects to effectively segue into the final track which ends off the album in a similar fashion to how it was introduced. Effects like these, which are sprinkled throughout the album, provided WYWH it’s unique, distinguishable sound and is one of the many reasons why the album is considered in such a high regard when discussing it’s legacy (Billboard, 2015).
The album WYWH has a conceptual theme, containing a total of five tracks and following several underlying themes within it’s lyricism. It was written entirely by Roger Waters, who co-founded the band and later took on the role of a lyricist, co-lead vocalist and more due to the departure of Syd Barrett (Sokolova, 2011). The album reflects his feelings of how the friendship and mutual trust that allowed the band to develop and thrive were missing (Mason, 2005). The first and final track, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” are a direct tribute to Syd Barrett, who was ousted from the band due to his frequent mental breakdowns which were speculated to be caused by a mental illness and his extensive use of psychedelic drugs (The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story, 2003). Roger opens the song with “Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun” as a reference to Syd’s glory days before his breakdown. He then goes on to say “Now there’s a look in your eyes, like black holes in the sky” (Pink Floyd, 1975) which referenced the deterioration of Barrett’s mental health (Sokolova, 2011). The tracks “Welcome to the Machine” and “Have a Cigar” discuss the industrialization of the music industry and draws many parallels to the machine-like tendencies of music labels. “Welcome to the Machine” begins with an eerie pulsating tone followed by a sound resembling a buzzer, symbolizing the listener entering into a machine. The line “What did you dream? It’s alright, we told you what to dream … You dreamed of a big star” bring attention to the false promises of fame and riches made by labels to young, talented and naive artists (Pink Floyd, 1975). In reality, once the artists are signed to the record label, they are often exploited by executives to earn large amounts of money which allow the managers to enjoy the luxuries of life rather than the artists themselves (Sokolova, 2011). Similarly, the track “Have a Cigar” echoes the message of the machine-like nature of the music industry. Roger says “Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar … they’re gonna love you” (Pink Floyd, 1975) to describe the promises made by the managers of making it big and having all the freedom they desire (Sokolova. 2011). This message is reinforced in the lyrics “The band is just fantastic, … Oh, by the way, which one’s Pink?” (Pink Floyd, 1975). These lines represent the faked interest by the record labels and how they claim to love the band for their music, but are not actually interested and only see the potential profits to be made. In that regard, artists felt “burned out” by their managers, symbolized by the burning man on the album cover (Fowle, 2018). The song “Wish You Were Here” matches the title of the album, and sets a very emotional atmosphere that resonates with the listener. Roger expresses his feelings of how his fellow band members had essentially given up on their streak of success and how they were not ready to produce another album to match the success found from the release of DSOTM (Sokolova, 2011). The title track stands out within the album and is considered one of Pink Floyd’s most recognizable tracks.
The impact of WYWH has left a lasting impact on both, the rock genre and the music industry as a whole. Although it did not sell nearly as many copies as its sister album DSOTM, it allowed the band to share their feelings about the music industry and recent situations the band has endured (Edmonds, 2018). During its initial release, the album received mixed reviews between critics. Critic Ben Edmonds discussed how he was displeased with the band’s “lackadaisical demeanor” and how he felt that the subject of Barrett lacked passion and emotion (Edmonds, 1975). Rolling Stone later went on to change their opinion on the album, rating it a 5 out of 5 stars (Rolling Stone, 2011). Critic Robert Christgau wrote a positive review in The Village Voice stating he found the music to not only be simple and attractive but also cross reference DSOTM seamlessly (Christgau 1975). Today, the album is frequently regarded as one of the best rock albums of all time. The album is positioned at 211 in Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time (Rolling Stone, 2012). Since the band’s formation, they have experienced several changes in personnel over time. WYWH was released in 1975 partly tributing Syd Barrett following his departure in 1968 (Sokolova, 2011). The album included the band’s signature experimental and psychedelic styles while including personalized opinions and feelings expressed which continued to appear in future albums. While the band was feeling uneasy about meeting expectations following the success of DSOTM, WYWH provided the reassurance necessary for the band to carry on and produce six more highly successful projects between 1977 and 2014 (RIAA, 2020). In 1985, co-founder and lead at the time, Roger Waters had left the band due to issues regarding the record label (Rolling Stone, 1987). The band remains as one of the most memorable and influential rock bands of all time, inspiring artists to this day. Few examples of artists influenced by the band are Tame Impala, Radiohead, TOOL and MGMT (Hyman, 2014). The band’s experimental techniques have continued to heavily influence genres of progressive rock and ambient music, allowing rock to branch out of its definitive sound.
Rock is often considered one of the most complex and elaborate genres of music as it has birthed countless subgenres while simultaneously providing a platform to numerous artists around the world. Within the existence of thousands of rock acts, only a handful of bands like Pink Floyd have emerged as the most thought provoking and genre-bending talents. Pink Floyd’s impressive discography stands in a lane of its own as they have repeatedly redefined the fringes of modern music. WYWH proved to be just another example of Pink Floyd’s work which has taken on a life of its own as it is regarded as one of the most influential albums of all time. The intricate production, elaborate songwriting and bold themes peppered throughout the album weave together a narrative like no other. Subtle but intrepid production choices like the AM radio sound effect transitioning “Have a Cigar” into “Wish You Were Here,” the unadulterated critiques of the music industry along with the celebration of Syd Barret’s convoluted life has not only set WYWH apart from other albums, but has left behind a prodigious legacy which few acts have come close to rivaling.
Works Cited
Billboard. (2017, August 2). Pink Floyd’s 15 Albums, Ranked From Highest to Lowest Charting. Retrieved April 8, 2020, from https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/6327670/pink-floyd-15-albums-ranked-highest-to-lowest-charting
Bloomberg. (2007, September 26). Pink Floyd Reunion Tops Fans’ Wish List in Music Choice Survey. Retrieved April 8, 2020, from
Edmonds, B. (2018, June 25). Wish You Were Here. Retrieved from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/wish-you-were-here-3-96417/
Hyman, D. (2014, November 10). Artists on How Pink Floyd Influenced Them. Retrieved from https://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/10/pink-floyd-influence-on-artists/
Mason, N., & Dodd, P. (2011). Inside out: a personal history of Pink Floyd. London: Phoenix.
Pink Floyd: Album Guide: Rolling Stone Music. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20110217230328/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/pink-floyd/albumguide
Povey, G. (2010). Echoes: the complete history of Pink Floyd. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press.
Robert Christgau: Album: Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=2775
Rolling Stone. (2019, July 29). 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Retrieved from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-156826/neil-young-with-crazy-horse-everybody-knows-this-is-nowhere-81797/
Sokolova, Irina. “Pink Floyd — The Story of ‘Wish You Were Here’ (2011).” YouTube, YouTube, 19 Dec. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbM2_-JeDuY.
The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story. (2003)
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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2402.19 - 10:10
- Days ago = 3153 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
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