Since getting back to UVM for Spring Semester, there haven’t been many dull days. I’ve been watching a ton of Lost, watching football, and recently turned 21. The semester’s been a lot of fun so far, and I’ve gotten into a bunch of new music as well. My newest musical obsession is Pink Floyd. Some of my best friends are massive Floyd fans, and I’ve been heavily exposed to their music for the better part of a year and a half. However, I didn’t get into the band for myself until about two weeks ago. My first Floyd album was Echoes, the best of record, because I didn’t know where to start. I liked a bunch of the songs, but didn’t listen to it enough to further pursue the band’s legit albums. Later, I got Dark Side of the Moon, one of the world’s most famous records in any genre of music. Again, I liked a bunch of songs but never further pursed more music until recently. For a while, I badly wanted some new music, and randomly thought of Wish You Were here, the follow-up to Dark Side of the Moon. So, I listened to it, and instantly loved it. It’s great, great progressive rock with a great theme. Since I liked that record so much, I soon got the follow-up, entitled Animals. I was amazed at the fact that Animals is even better than Wish You Were Here, and I realized that I was quickly becoming obsessed with a new band. Animals is another great record both musically and lyrically. Below are simple, general reviews of the three Pink Floyd albums I’m familiar with, as well as ranking.
Dark Side of the Moon:
This is easily one of the most famous and well received albums of all time. This is one of the records that almost everyone owns. I’m not a Floyd expert, and Jon and Matt know much more than I do, but this is definitely a great record. Right now, I like the two follow-ups, Wish You Were Here and Animals better; however I recognize that this is a better album than Wish You Were Here. Dark Side is about the human experience, according to Jon, and I can definitely see that, with themes such as time, money, religion, and others. Time is definitely my favorite song on the album, with great lyrics, catchy hooks and melodies, and an amazing David Gilmour solo. This isn’t a record you can fully grasp on one listen, as are most Pink Floyd albums. I’m getting into it and understanding it more and more each time I listen to it. I can definitely see it rising on my Pink Floyd ranks very soon.
Rating: 9/10
Wish You Were Here:
Wish You Were Here was a more accessible record for me that Dark Side, and I was able to get into it immediately. This may be because it’s more similar to music I’m familiar with than Dark Side, but who knows. The theme of the record is the absence of Syd Barrett, the main songwriter and guitarist in the band’s first incarnation. Shine on You Crazy Diamond, broken up into two parts, and is a prog-rock masterpiece. It’s directly about Barrett. It’s an interesting title to me, because of the irony of “crazy diamond.” On one hand he was driven to insanity by acid, however the band still touted him as a musical genius, hence the “diamond.” I also like in “Have a Cigar” where they parody the music executive who asked “which one is pink.” I’m also a big fan of the title track, although my good buddies dislike it for being a radio hit. The think is, I completely understand where they’re coming from, but I still love the song. This was the first Floyd record I loved immediately so I’ll see this as a special collection of music for a longtime, although it isn’t my favorite.
Rating: 8/10
Animals:
Out of the three Floyd records I’ve heard from beginning to end, Animals is my favorite. It’s a concept album about human interactions, between civilians, businessman, and politicians (I believe). All the songs are flawless, with great guitar solos throughout. My favorite song is Dogs so far, and I especially love where the song calms down and Gilmour bends the strings in a harmony. I also really enjoy how sheep is more up-tempo than the two previous songs. I feel that this is a great way to wind down the record, with great musical variation. This is such a great record, and one of the better concept albums I’ve ever heard. I probably listened to it four times last week, maybe more. Animals is my favorite Pink Floyd record, and one of the best records I’ve heard this year. My next project is sitting down and listening to The Wall. From what I heard, I loved, so I can definitely see myself enjoying it.
Rating: 9/10
My Pink Floyd Album Rankings:
1: Animals
2: Wish You Were Here
3: Dark Side of the Moon
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment