Pink Floyd: David Gilmour (vocals, guitar); Richard Wright (vocals, keyboards, VCS3 syntheszier); Roger Waters (vocals, bass); Nick Mason (drums). Additional personnel: Roy Harper (vocals); Dick Parry (saxophone); Venetta Fields, Carlena Williams (background vocals). Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, England from January-July 1975. The breakthrough success of Dark Side of the Moon made Wish You Were Here a crucial follow-up in strictly commercial terms. Further pressure came from it being Pink Floyd's first recording for a new label, Columbia. Yet the demands on the band only provided Roger Waters more fodder for his lyrics, which glanced at the band's roots as well as their new responsibilities. The mechanized throb of a VCS3 synthesizer, fed through a repeat-echo unit, signals the opening bars of "Welcome to the Machine," a diatribe against an industry more concerned with money than creative music-making. "Have a Cigar" further establishes Waters' contempt by bringing in singer Roy Harper to play the role of a "faceless suit," who none-too-innocently asks, "Which one's Pink?" The remaining songs indirectly look back to the first casualty of Pink Floyd's growing fame, the group's founder, Syd Barrett. The 20-minute-plus "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" has its roots in earlier pieces like "Atom Heart Mother Suite" and "Echoes." But rather than just another Floydian soundscape, its lyrics make it a paean to Barrett's genius and a requiem for his subsequent breakdown. The first five of the song's nine movements open the album with sax player Dick Parry wailing as effectively as he did on Dark Side of the Moon. The final four sections, which close the album, form a reprise that starts with the sound of wind and David Gilmour's guitar screaming and crying. The band then settles into a laid-back jam that ends with Richard Wright's billowing synth delicately fading out. The title track deals also with Barrett, as well as the tension the idealist Waters was feeling in b Review: Are You Experienced? - Wish You Were Here is frequently referred to as the best Pink Floyd album, by fans and by half the band. It isn't my favorite, but I would still put it somewhere in the top 5 out of the 15 Floyd official studio albums. It contains one of the greatest elegies in classic rock, or any genre, in the form of Shine On You Crazy Diamond. The only thing that subtracts from it is the fact (and by "the fact" I mean "my dumb opinion") that parts 8 and 9 seem real unfocused and low on ideas compared to the rest of the thing. Shine On is a behemoth and it dominates the majority of the album. But the other three songs all stand up; I'd categorize them all as classics. Really, with that in mind, it's no surprise how many people say this is their best. They're highly distinct from each other: Welcome to the Machine is cold, industrial progressive rock, albeit with acoustic guitars, Have a Cigar is futuristic electric Blues-rock, and Wish You Were Here is like an English stoner's version of the Country & Western genre. While the songs are thematically connected, the extreme musical differences between all of them, gives Wish You Were Here a disconnected patchwork quality. The contrast between, say, Have a Cigar and the title track, for example, are so jarring that it sounds like two different bands. I suppose this is appropriate for a band that's said to have been struggling with its own identity by the mid 70's. This apparent disconnectedness works to the album's advantage, making it seem a bit like a nonlinear, surrealist TV or radio drama. Lyrically, you're dealing with a seriously haunted record. It's Roger Waters trademark mixture of human compassion and mechanized cynicism at its most focused. The guy's heart is clearly being pulled in at least two or three directions, and it's messing with the essence of his very soul. If the album could speak it'd say something a bit like this: "Look what they've done to us. Look what they did to Syd Barrett. Look what we did to ourselves. Look what we did to Syd Barrett. Get us out of here, we just want to be a band again." Anyway, right, the bonus material. The coolest cuts on the bonus disc are Raving & Drooling and You've Gotta Be Crazy. They're not quite "lost" songs because they turned into Sheep and Dogs, respectively, but they're different enough from those songs to be pretty fascinating. Without the Orwellian stuff that would later be added, the songs fit in well with the themes of Wish You Were Here. You've Gotta Be Crazy is about sacrificing your sanity to get ahead, to be a "success". Once again there's that underlying, unspoken message: "For God's sake, get us out of here." Raving & Drooling, meanwhile, is brutal-sounding song about the violence of human nature, and the act of "pretending the rest are not real". Without the comical "Sheep" metaphor it's quite disturbing for mid-70's Pink Floyd, a sort of sonic portrait of a full-on psychopath. In addition to those two there's a version of Have a Cigar with Roger's originally vocals on it, the ones he was unsatisfied with and replaced with Roy Harper. I like it better than the version that made the cut. The alternate take of the title track, with the violins, and the live version of Shine On, performed in its entirety, are also great. The two-minute 'wine-glasses' instrumental is kind of underwhelming; it just sounds like the first movement of Shine On You Crazy Diamond, standing on its own. Review: It's all about Shine on You crazy Diamond live and the second CD - There's probably little reason to write a review about the studio album Wish You Were Here. What else can be said about this beautifully amazing album that hasn't already been prosed upon? So I'll concentrate on the 2011 remaster and, more importantly the second CD of the Experience Edition. I have to say that, so far, with the possible exception of Ummagumma, most of the 2011 Floyd remasters have been excellent. I do think that WYWH seems to benefit less than, say, Animals did. Why? I believe it's because that I think WYWH already sounded stellar to start with. There wasn't as much room for improvement as some of the other albums. What does that mean? It means this 2011 remaster of WYWH sounds incredible. If you already have any of the previous CDs and are thinking about getting the single CD Discovery Edition I might think twice. If you've never owned WYWH before you should just as well get the 2011 version to ensure top sound quality. However, the Experience Edition isn't just about the studio album. It's about the second live CD. Let me just spill the beans right here and say just buy it. The sound quality of the 1974 performance is stunning. With the Dark Side '74 live CD and this '74 live CD they are amoung the best I've heard from a live rock performance on CD. The bonus is you get to hear Pink Floyd strut their stuff in concert with Roger, David, Rick and Nick all at their peak. And peak it is. The entire ensemble cast together. What more can you ask for? Shine on You crazy Diamond (SYD) is just something you have to hear and sounds somewhat different than the studio version. I was never a huge fan of Have a Cigar but this alternate take is great and has an acoustic sound to it that adds warmth to the (intentionally) cold song. The title song Wish You Were Here (this is not a live version but an alternate studio version) is a wonderful rendition even if the violin is a bit too forward in the mix. Again, it doesn't seem to have a studion sound and comes through a bit more raw in the best sense of the word. The Household Objects track is interesting but a filler. EDIT: I forgot to add the songs Raving and Drooling and You've Got to Be Crazy live. These were Dogs and Sheep before they were finalized for the Animals album. I prefer You've Got to be Crazy. But that's just me. Either way both songs sound sweet and are a nice treat to hear. My only wish would have been to hear a different take on Welcome to the Machine. Other than that great stuff! I think WYWH and the DSotM Experience versions are essential if you're a Pink Floyd fan. 5 stars without hesitation.
| ASIN | B00536OCZK |
| Best Sellers Rank | #4,127 in CDs & Vinyl ( See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl ) #70 in Progressive Rock #101 in Blues Rock (CDs & Vinyl) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars (7,829) |
| Date First Available | September 19, 2011 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Label | Parlophone (Wea) |
| Manufacturer | Parlophone (Wea) |
| Number of discs | 1 |
| Product Dimensions | 12.32 x 12.36 x 0.31 inches; 8.32 ounces |
Z**M
Are You Experienced?
Wish You Were Here is frequently referred to as the best Pink Floyd album, by fans and by half the band. It isn't my favorite, but I would still put it somewhere in the top 5 out of the 15 Floyd official studio albums. It contains one of the greatest elegies in classic rock, or any genre, in the form of Shine On You Crazy Diamond. The only thing that subtracts from it is the fact (and by "the fact" I mean "my dumb opinion") that parts 8 and 9 seem real unfocused and low on ideas compared to the rest of the thing. Shine On is a behemoth and it dominates the majority of the album. But the other three songs all stand up; I'd categorize them all as classics. Really, with that in mind, it's no surprise how many people say this is their best. They're highly distinct from each other: Welcome to the Machine is cold, industrial progressive rock, albeit with acoustic guitars, Have a Cigar is futuristic electric Blues-rock, and Wish You Were Here is like an English stoner's version of the Country & Western genre. While the songs are thematically connected, the extreme musical differences between all of them, gives Wish You Were Here a disconnected patchwork quality. The contrast between, say, Have a Cigar and the title track, for example, are so jarring that it sounds like two different bands. I suppose this is appropriate for a band that's said to have been struggling with its own identity by the mid 70's. This apparent disconnectedness works to the album's advantage, making it seem a bit like a nonlinear, surrealist TV or radio drama. Lyrically, you're dealing with a seriously haunted record. It's Roger Waters trademark mixture of human compassion and mechanized cynicism at its most focused. The guy's heart is clearly being pulled in at least two or three directions, and it's messing with the essence of his very soul. If the album could speak it'd say something a bit like this: "Look what they've done to us. Look what they did to Syd Barrett. Look what we did to ourselves. Look what we did to Syd Barrett. Get us out of here, we just want to be a band again." Anyway, right, the bonus material. The coolest cuts on the bonus disc are Raving & Drooling and You've Gotta Be Crazy. They're not quite "lost" songs because they turned into Sheep and Dogs, respectively, but they're different enough from those songs to be pretty fascinating. Without the Orwellian stuff that would later be added, the songs fit in well with the themes of Wish You Were Here. You've Gotta Be Crazy is about sacrificing your sanity to get ahead, to be a "success". Once again there's that underlying, unspoken message: "For God's sake, get us out of here." Raving & Drooling, meanwhile, is brutal-sounding song about the violence of human nature, and the act of "pretending the rest are not real". Without the comical "Sheep" metaphor it's quite disturbing for mid-70's Pink Floyd, a sort of sonic portrait of a full-on psychopath. In addition to those two there's a version of Have a Cigar with Roger's originally vocals on it, the ones he was unsatisfied with and replaced with Roy Harper. I like it better than the version that made the cut. The alternate take of the title track, with the violins, and the live version of Shine On, performed in its entirety, are also great. The two-minute 'wine-glasses' instrumental is kind of underwhelming; it just sounds like the first movement of Shine On You Crazy Diamond, standing on its own.
B**9
It's all about Shine on You crazy Diamond live and the second CD
There's probably little reason to write a review about the studio album Wish You Were Here. What else can be said about this beautifully amazing album that hasn't already been prosed upon? So I'll concentrate on the 2011 remaster and, more importantly the second CD of the Experience Edition. I have to say that, so far, with the possible exception of Ummagumma, most of the 2011 Floyd remasters have been excellent. I do think that WYWH seems to benefit less than, say, Animals did. Why? I believe it's because that I think WYWH already sounded stellar to start with. There wasn't as much room for improvement as some of the other albums. What does that mean? It means this 2011 remaster of WYWH sounds incredible. If you already have any of the previous CDs and are thinking about getting the single CD Discovery Edition I might think twice. If you've never owned WYWH before you should just as well get the 2011 version to ensure top sound quality. However, the Experience Edition isn't just about the studio album. It's about the second live CD. Let me just spill the beans right here and say just buy it. The sound quality of the 1974 performance is stunning. With the Dark Side '74 live CD and this '74 live CD they are amoung the best I've heard from a live rock performance on CD. The bonus is you get to hear Pink Floyd strut their stuff in concert with Roger, David, Rick and Nick all at their peak. And peak it is. The entire ensemble cast together. What more can you ask for? Shine on You crazy Diamond (SYD) is just something you have to hear and sounds somewhat different than the studio version. I was never a huge fan of Have a Cigar but this alternate take is great and has an acoustic sound to it that adds warmth to the (intentionally) cold song. The title song Wish You Were Here (this is not a live version but an alternate studio version) is a wonderful rendition even if the violin is a bit too forward in the mix. Again, it doesn't seem to have a studion sound and comes through a bit more raw in the best sense of the word. The Household Objects track is interesting but a filler. EDIT: I forgot to add the songs Raving and Drooling and You've Got to Be Crazy live. These were Dogs and Sheep before they were finalized for the Animals album. I prefer You've Got to be Crazy. But that's just me. Either way both songs sound sweet and are a nice treat to hear. My only wish would have been to hear a different take on Welcome to the Machine. Other than that great stuff! I think WYWH and the DSotM Experience versions are essential if you're a Pink Floyd fan. 5 stars without hesitation.
J**Z
Great listening experience!!!
This Analogue Productions Pink Floyd WISH YOU WERE HERE SACD has to be the best sounding cd version of this classic LP. The synthesizer really just superbly stands out. Wright's keyboard parts just literally speaks volumes and shows just how versatile and innovative Richard Wright was. Great guitars by Gilmour is just so enthralling. This version is the best cd version to own.
L**Q
Wish You Were Here est vraiment l’un des meilleurs albums de tous les temps!!! Avec cet album, les Pink Floyd prouvent indiscutablement qu’il pouvaient égaler si pas même surpasser leur précédent album ; le celebrissime The Dark side of The Moon. C’est simple, dès les premières secondes cet album nous transporte dans une ambiance et un univers sonore incroyable! Le premier titre Shine On You Crazy Diamond qui est la pièce maîtresse de ce disque, vu qu’elle ouvre l’album et le termine; est tout simplement l’une des chansons les plus incroyables du groupes!!! Ensuite s’enchaîne l’intrigant Welcome To The Machine, chanson puissante portée par un David Gilmour vocalement très en forme. Sinon, évidemment il y a la chanson-titre Wish You Were Here chanson poignante qui évoque l’ancien chanteur du groupe Syd Barett! Dans cette œuvre, il y a vraiment des effets sonores époustouflants, c’est véritablement l’un des plus grands chefs d’œuvre de la musique!!! Eh bien si vous achetez ce cd, je vous souhaite un très bon spectacle!
T**E
So cool to get this record, once I pulled it out of the sleeve I could feel the heaviness of the vinyl! All the bells and whistle were there too. Just like when it was originally released! Definitely going to keep the postcard this time! Only thing i hated was, during delivery the box got wrecked and the corner of the album has a slight bend crease … thank got the vinyl was okay! But still, if you buy for new/mint… you shouldn’t have to get slightly damaged items… but that doesn’t take a star off this masterpiece of a record
M**A
Jaren 70-80 of jaren 2020 dat doet er niet toe . Dit is een plaat die nu nog , in 2024 , op nummer 1 zou staan in de lijst van beste albums van het jaar . GRANDIOOS
3**8
音が良くなっています。
F**O
A mi personalmente es el trabajo de Pink Floyd que más me gusta. Tiene una calidad compositiva, ejecución musical, producción, etc, impecable haciendo que sea una obra maestra (otra más) del grupo. Habla de la pérdida de Syd Barrett, critica a la industria musical, apela a la melancolía y está a la altura de "The Dark Side of the Moon" y "The Wall". Pena que vega en una presentación pésima de nula calidad en formato digipack.
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