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)
