Responsible for some of the most popular and well-regarded rock albums of all time, Pink Floyd would at first seem an unlikely candidate for such wide-spread appeal. Their albums rarely featured anything resembling hit singles, instead, more common were long, psychedelic, progressive rock experiences. Evidently, this appealed to much more than just the stoners among us, with multiple diamond-selling records, but being stoned never hurt either when putting on Pink Floyd.
420 to 30: A Music Retrospective
Here's 7 of my favorites from Pink Floyd.
Week 51: PINK FLOYD
#351/420 - Pink Floyd, “Another Brick in the Wall, Part II”
Perhaps Pink Floyd’s most iconic song, the imagery, the “we don’t need no education”, the “you can’t have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat!” This, the lead single from The Wall, is the crossroads of prog rock and punk rock, released right at the end of the 70s as the stand-out track from Pink Floyd’s last real hurrah.
I remember this song even from childhood, the message is one that is hard to forget and certainly easily bitten into even at a young age. While The Wall, like many walls, could be a little extravagant and melodramatic, this was one of the tracks they really got right, and it remains a mainstay on mainstream rock stations, and one that still stirs up all the same feelings for me as it always has.
#352/420 - Pink Floyd, “Comfortably Numb”
This was one that saw repeated play for me throughout high school. It’s a mellow, moody, existential rock song unlike little else out there in the mainstream and it succeeded in its promise of numbing comfort as it accompanied some of my earliest days of drinking with friends and smoking pot.
It’s a grand production with a lot of small but effective and memorable touches such as the glimmer sound effect following the “pin prick” line and the melodic “ow!” that follows shortly after. The last two minutes give way to a pretty badass guitar solo that closes the song out, a stylistic choice I hadn’t heard used many times at all in other rock music I was privy to prior to this song, but one that is well-used here, plunging you into its madness with no end in sight.
I remember once looping this for almost an entire night even during high school escapades, so yeah, it really is one I can never forget.
#353/420 - Pink Floyd, “Run Like Hell”
Released in ’79, only one month short of the 1980s, it is fitting timing for the era it effectively ushers in, with a sound that Venn diagrams the two decades well. This track is just cool, one of the only quite like it in Pink Floyd’s catalog. David Gilmour, co-writer with Roger Waters, has some of his sweetest guitar riffs in this one, with a sound that practically emits light, improbable and illogical as that may be; he found the chords to achieve the impossible. This is highway sunset driving with the windows down on a warm evening.
It’s my favorite track from The Wall, and, coincidentally, rounds it out for my top 3 to mirror all 3 songs chosen to be released as singles from this album. Well, Pink Floyd, I think ya got your choices really right with these ones, because these three songs (in particular) rock.
#354/420 - Pink Floyd, “Brain Damage/Eclipse”
Dark Side of the Moon is definitely an album of which’s reputation precedes it, and I do believe it deserves the attention it gets overall. Few albums are as cohesive, fluid, consistent, and successful in carrying out a concept. The finale is definitely my favorite part of all, as it brings everything together for a big and satisfying finish.
The madness takes over here, the dark side of the moon acknowledged, and the voices and sounds swell before catapulting off into the darkness of space.
Definitely one I love—my only gripe is that these are almost always two separate tracks on releases of this album, and quite frankly, it is very disappointing when “Brain Damage” comes up in the shuffle and “Eclipse” doesn’t follow. Very disappointing indeed!
#355/420 - Pink Floyd, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”
I rarely go for live recordings over studio cuts. I prefer the technical mastery, best possible takes, and all the sound effects and mixing that go into these ultimate versions. Live, I tend to prefer hearing live as well, but in the case of this track, I have to admit, the qualities I prefer in studio cuts are all here, and the rush of crowd noises like waves make this the ultimate version of this song for me (Parts I-V on the original album).
I recall playing this many nights from as early as high school and on to drift off to. Its chill factor is excellent, never too abrupt, but never lacking in energy or mood.
Interestingly, this album was made after Roger Waters split with the group. David Gilmour takes the lead instead and really makes it distinct. The guitar playing here is exactly what it needs to be; the emotion behind it is perfect.
Two great musicians, two great takes, but this is the best on its own to me.
#356/420 - Pink Floyd, “Sheep”
Animals is one of Pink Floyd’s best albums, and most listenable. It contains three epic tracks sandwiched between two shorter acoustic songs (on the wings). Dogs, Pigs, and Sheep are the focus of the album thematically, symbolic of classes within human society, a la George Orwell’s Animal Farm. The best of these to me is the final, this track, which in my opinion, is peak Pink Floyd, featuring everything that was cool about their music both before and after this album.
Its concept is clear and realized fully, the progression is extremely satisfying with an awesome climax from David Gilmour’s shredding, and it has all the power and sheen of The Wall. The way sound is used to employ images in your mind is excellent. The opening notes and sound effects set the stage immediately and it doesn’t let up for more than 10 minutes. It is a triumph.
#357/420 - Pink Floyd, “Wish You Were Here”
Some days, these song titles could not be more poignant than on the days they fall on, such as today.
My favorite from Pink Floyd is the titular track from their follow-up to The Dark Side of the Moon, done in tribute to former bandmate Syd Barrett. Unlike the previous album, and even the rest of this album, this song is acoustic and calm, and, harkening back to the style of some of their earlier material, shows off their skill in this type of music as well.
It has some of the most memorable and thoughtful lyrics in their catalog as well. The phrasing of “Did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?” has always been striking to me. It is worth imprisonment to stand by your morals?
Although I always enjoyed this song, it was playing it as part of a set I did for a public performance with a friend and former co-worker of mine who played guitar while I sang that really made it my favorite from Floyd. This was my favorite to sing. I really found the emotion and texture behind the vocals to be very meaningful and well within my range which allowed me to explore the subtleties rather than focus on stretching my voice to hit the notes. David Gilmour does a great job here.
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year.
Running over the same old ground, and how we found the same old fears.
Wish you were here.
Pink Floyd was a rare group that permeated pop culture to such a degree that even the art, visuals, and legend surrounding their albums reached the masses. I was fortunate enough to see Roger Waters live at Summerfest during high school and while the show didn’t feature David Gilmour, Waters did do a nearly note-perfect reproduction of many of Pink Floyd’s greatest, including the full Dark Side of the Moon laser light show and the inflatable pig over the crowd for Animals, an experience that was cool to just be some part of. Definitely a group that has been a sound through much of my life and undoubtably more to come.
Next week, another musician responsible for scoring many moments in my life, as well as one of my favorite video games series growing up. His music transcends the video games they appear in, but simultaneously deliver as perfect soundscapes for the worlds they play over on screen. It’s my favorite game composer, David Wise.
420 to 30: A Music Retrospective
Week 2: The Jackson 5/The Jacksons
Week 3: A Tribe Called Quest
Week 4: Weezer
Week 5: Bob Dylan
Week 6: Led Zeppelin
Week 7: 2Pac/Makaveli
Week 8: Billy Joel
Week 9: Electric Light Orchestra
Week 10: Elvis Presley
Week 11: Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band
Week 12: The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Week 13: Nirvana
Week 14: The Doors
Week 15: The Rolling Stones
Week 16: Gnarls Barkley
Week 17: Gábor Szabó
Week 18: Galaxie 500
Week 19: Simon & Garfunkel
Week 20: Gorillaz
Week 21: Ennio Morricone
Week 22: The Moody Blues
Week 23: Koji Kondo
Week 24: Rob Zombie/White Zombie
Week 25: Paul McCartney/Wings
Week 26: George Harrison
Week 27: Phil Spector
Week 28: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
Week 29: Public Enemy
Week 30: The Love Language
Week 31: Barry White
Week 32: Frank Sinatra
Week 33: David Bowie
Week 34: Queen
Week 35: The Offspring
Week 36: Louis Prima
Week 37: The Notorious B.I.G.
Week 38: Nancy Sinatra
Week 39: Stevie Wonder
Week 40: Roger Miller
Week 41: Röyksopp
Week 42: N.W.A
Week 43: Sly and the Family Stone
Week 44: Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
Week 45: Supertramp
Week 46: "Weird Al" Yankovic
Week 47: The Kinks
Week 48: Eminem
Week 49: Mort Garson
Week 50: Foster the People
View the full list of "420 Songs" here: https://tinyurl.com/y8fboudu (Google spreadsheet link)