Anniversary Album: ‘The Wall,’ Pink Floyd’s Magnum Opus That Collapsed the Group

The Wall stands out as one of the most polarizing classic albums in rock music history. Some people hear it as the culmination of Pink Floyd’s efforts to combine striking music with lyrical themes relevant to humanity, in all its glory and folly. Others hear it as overblown and egomaniacal, the sound of one man’s obsessions overwhelming the best interests of a highly successful band.

Whatever you think about it, it’s almost impossible to ignore The Wall. (And for the record, we think the truth of it lies somewhere in between the extremes listed above, leaning much more to the positive outlook). Forty-five years since it was created, it’s very much alive and well, entrancing and confronting new listeners.

Construction

The common assumption is the idea for The Wall began to germinate in the head of Pink Floyd’s thematic mastermind Roger Waters after he spat on an audience member at the end of a 1977 show, so frustrated had he become with the disconnect between the band’s humanistic messages and the soulless experience of playing to arena crowds. But, as is the case with much of Pink Floyd’s output, you can trace its origins to Syd Barrett as well.

Barrett, the group’s original artistic visionary, was a casualty of the psychedelic era, as his drug use, combined with preexisting mental issues, forced the band to fire him. Waters saw how Barrett needed to retreat from the world to deal with it, and the story of “Pink,” the disillusioned rock star at the heart of The Wall, certainly evokes Syd’s tragedy in many ways.

Waters also filled the story with autobiographical elements, such as the father killed in World War II and the broken marriage. His insistence on hammering the album into a specific form meant the other members of Pink Floyd were somewhat sidelined, and keyboardist Rick Wright was forced out completely. You can argue co-producer Bob Ezrin had more of an impact on the finished product than anybody but Waters, (although David Gilmour certainly has his moments).

The Music of The Wall

The Wall is at its best when hints of Floyd’s former collaborative spirit come to the fore, notably when Gilmour is given time to shine. Obviously, there’s his stunning soloing on “Comfortably Numb.” But he also breathes some sweaty life into songs like “Run Like Hell” and “Young Lust,” which provide for top standalone moments outside the exposition necessary to move the story along.

That’s not to say Waters didn’t step up his songwriting game as well. “Nobody Home” is the band’s best love-gone-wrong ballad, while “Goodbye Blue Sky” is chillingly pretty. “Another Brick in the Wall, Part II” expertly coats bile for the educational system in discofied gloss, and the way Waters brings all the disparate story elements together in “The Trial” is quite impressive.

From a musical standpoint alone, The Wall is far less interesting than previous Floyd triumphs like Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here. And the story goes to some dark places (specifically, Pink’s brief embrace of fascism and bigotry) that really don’t make for a very fun listen when they arrive. But as a hybrid of rock and musical theater, its an ambitious undertaking whose high points far outweigh the lesser moments.

The Wall Lives On

Perhaps no other rock album with the exception of Tommy has enjoyed as many rebirths as The Wall. The band’s initial tour stood out for the way it managed to capture all the bombast of the music. Alan Parker’s movie version provided some unforgettable visuals, but as Waters himself later bemoaned, made it a little hard to care about the main character.

Waters has rebuilt The Wall himself on more than a few occasions. A 1990 staging in Germany to coincide with the fall of the Berlin Wall gave an eclectic mix of musicians and actors (Cyndi Lauper! Thomas Dolby!! Albert Finney!!!) the chance to emote their way through the story. Waters himself took the show on tour from 2010 to 2013, even getting David Gilmour to perform his famous solo from “Comfortably Numb” on one occasion. Operas, tribute albums, et al: You name it, The Wall has been turned into it.

The Wall also was responsible, in large part, for the dissolution of relationships within Pink Floyd, with the other members finally tiring of Waters’ dominance over the proceedings. There was no going back to business as usual after something so all-encompassing. Was it worth it? Debatable. But the fact we’re still pondering this creation 45 years down the road clearly testifies to its impact and import.

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