Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here - A Classical Musician’s First Listen and Reaction

[@-R.Gray-]

Don't ignore their best selling album (50 million by now), Dark Side Of The Moon, which stayed on the top 200 hits list for over 18 years.

[@melaniezette886]

TDSOTM is in another galaxy

[@jonathanhill9748]

Yes- don’t dip- do the whole album. It has to be done!

[@wildwillie5408]

​@jonathanhill9748 agreed if reacting to a Floyd album "dark side of the moon" should be the first choice followed by "wish you were here". Not to dis "the wall", as good as it is, it doesn't measure up to what came before IMO

[@lynby6231]

Wait till she listens to the intro to “Shine on You crazy diamond” 😮

[@zoidster]

You must do Time! , you’ll love it!

[@December314]

The simplicity and the intimacy of this song together with confessing his doubts and vulnerabilities is what makes this song great. There are no big musical numbers, there is no symphony orchestra on the background, there is no opera. It's just a tortured soul sitting alone in a room, listening to the radio, finally finding some music and joining with his guitar. It is intimate, it is honest and it is sad. At the end the wing swipes everything into eternity. We are all lost souls swimming in a fishbowl wishing we had someone with whom to share our doubts and fears. That is why so many millions of people could identify with it.

[@willasacco9898]

That is a brilliant summary of this piece and most of PF’s work. Bravo, from one fan to another 👍

[@brucedowsing5982]

'walk on role in a war for a lead role in a cage' may be talking about prisoners who were sent to the front line.

[@louissonier840]

@@brucedowsing5982 This was during the Vietnam war and America was under the draft. Refusing the summons could draw a prison term.

[@louise_rose]

Agree, it has the same kind of low-key, restrained elegance as Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" or Dire Straits' "In the Gallery" and "Romeo and Juliet". The Floyd were very good at creating these kinds of ballads with a half-acoustic sound and a vibe of personal doubt and wonder. "Fearless"and "Fat Old Sun" are earlier examples of this, though they pan out on a more positive note.

[@bgt7874]

@@brucedowsing5982 Not only prisoners.

[@shupakiko]

Can't wait for your reaction to Shine on you Crazy Diamond, my favorite song from them ! But this one is nice too, Thank you for the video !

[@pabloortizdelatorre3530]

"Shine on you crazy diamond" is a must

[@fliugica]

All 9 parts are being played at my funeral

[@HardcoreIPA]

She needs to do it

[@Autists-Guide]

@@fliugica Best funeral ever! The only way to be heralded towards that great gig in the sky.

[@JayOwinFull]

My favorite as well. The best sequence of 4 notes. I can't play much but I love finding a public piano where I can put the petal to the metal and play (spoiler below) Bb, F, G, E

[@rovcanada1]

For the lines, "trade your hero's for ghosts" and " walk on part ... lead role in a cell", I believe this is Roger lamenting that his Father (hero) was transformed into a ghost (killed in action), despite the fact that he was a Conscientious Objector. Roger's Father had the option of going to war, or going to jail. He went to war was and was killed shortly after arriving at the front line. In some way, I think Roger would have preferred to have a living 'coward' as a Father, than a dead 'hero' Father.

[@wesbaumguardner8829]

Defying a government and facing prosecution for not becoming a murderer on demand under threat of violence is not the act of a coward. Submitting to threats of violence and intimidation tactics of oppressors and becoming a murderer at the behest of evil people is the act of a coward.

[@79BlackRose]

A conscientious objector is not a coward.

[@rovcanada1]

@@79BlackRose You did note that I used inverted commas around the word, coward? That was the contemporary view of Conscientious Objectors, and not mine!

[@vetinaris1297]

It's about Rogers younger self. And growing up to be a famous person.

[@MarioCosta86]

Roger said in several interviews that his vision for that specific part, means that you have to free yourself from your own cage and go live your life even if that means "going to a war". Cheers

[@pabloortizdelatorre3530]

The album "Wish You Were Here" deserves a full listen

[@sootikins]

Absolutely! Listening to only one song does not really "work" - it's far better to listen to the album as a whole, in one sitting. It is, after all, a concept album.

[@michaelgraalum381]

And animals and DSoTM and Meddle and Atom Heart Mother

[@gregmason2434]

I stated below, this "album", however short (only 5 songs), and even over the wall, needs to be comprehended as a full integrated piece. I don't know how many agree or not, simply the way I see it.

[@CFCMahomet]

Within the music, Roger Waters is the tension and David Gilmour is the beauty. The beauty without the tension would lack this discomfort that you feel in the tension, and without the beauty it would lack anything to hold the tension properly for us to actually enter into the experience. This is what makes Pink Floyd so wonderful.

[@jasonthompson3443]

The other 2 members of Floyd are indispensable too. Nick Masons drums, within the music, are an instrument in their own right. He does much more than just support the music. And Rick Wrights keyboards and vocals are a major part of the whole Pink Floyd sound. The beauty of Pink Floyd just wouldn`t be the same without their Works.

[@CFCMahomet]

@@jasonthompson3443 agreed. Pink Floyd is 4 not just 2 or 1.

[@EricSmaug]

@@CFCMahomet SOMETIMES 5

[@missingnola3823]

@@CFCMahomet I would go so far as to say 1 +1 +1 +1 = infinity, in this case. Definitely greater than the mere sum of the parts. Each did some great work solo and supporting others, but those years when they were working together and collaborating really produced some magic. They got the best out of each other, for a time.

[@CFCMahomet]

@@missingnola3823 i’ve often thought that as good as the solo work was - it proved how much they needed each other

[@dazieger]

I lost a dear friend of my youth to madness, and have struggled with mental illness myself all my life, and this song has always spoken to me deeply. "Two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year / running over the same old ground, what have we found? The same old fears." Wish you were here, friend.

[@layinlow77]

I'm sure you're still connected somewhere in all this. Best wishes.

[@DavidJones-lz4io]

❤️ That’s very tough mate. Lovely emotion from you regarding your friends passing.

[@charbelel-hani5199]

That's both tough and beautiful. That the memories make you feel better.

[@julzm7067]

Mental illness...the fear of our own minds. Hugs

[@dazieger]

​@@DavidJones-lz4io In a way it's worse than if they had died, or at least harder to move on from. She -- a promising law student who had gone to an Ivy League school on a full scholarship; a brilliant musician; and a sweet, kind person who I happened to be in love with -- developed intractable schizophrenia in her early 20s (ca. 1990) and has been institutionalized ever since. In other words, much the same thing that happened to Syd Barrett, Floyd's original frontman, and inspiration for the song (and the album as a whole, and Dark Side of the Moon). Listening to this song, or the conclusion of Dark Side ("Brain Damage/Eclipse") is painful but cathartic. As a musician, I've toyed with covering "Wish You Were Here," but can't get through it. Schizophrenia seems to select -- not always, but disproportionately -- brilliant minds. We have lost so many great minds and fine people to it and other mental illnesses (as I know from direct experience doing my time in psych units), it is a tragedy. Schizophrenia can be controlled in many cases with medication, but when it resists that treatment, entire lives can be lost to the disease. Scientists are working on it, developing genetically-based cures. It's a slow process, but maybe someday they'll find a treatment that works for my friend, and she'll be able to live what's left of her life in freedom (she's currently in her late 50s). In the meantime, I can only wish she were here...

[@beardookeashley3946]

"Living in a musical space." Literally describes Pink Floyd as a band.

[@seanmcmichael2551]

6:37 " ... because you can hear echoes" Mmmm .... shout out for Amy getting lost in the sauce for a full album side. ECHOES 😊

[@unshaken95]

@@seanmcmichael2551 I had the exact same thought 😂

[@Lmng.g1.g]

yes, the same thoughts😀

[@stewartnewman6365]

“Lost in the sauce!” Bit of an Andy and Alex fan as well, eh?

[@seanmcmichael2551]

@@stewartnewman6365 You gotta love the noddin' heads !

[@gbsailing9436]

ECHOES next please Amy!

[@robfriesen2341]

One of the main points of this song - the real is better than the comfortable, the price will be worth it.

[@NorthernKitty]

You summarized it far better than I did. 😋

[@pablolazaromartinez3541]

The whole Wish you were here album is about Syd Barrett, the founding member of Pink Floyd Who had to leave the band because of his mental problema. The most beautiful pieces of the album for me are Shine on you crazy Diamond ( allí parts of It)

[@RushfanUK]

It's not, Have a Cigar and Welcome To The Machine are about the music business.

[@dago87able]

@@RushfanUKyou’re right if you take them as individual songs, but in the context of the album they’re still about Syd (and all of them).

[@NBrixH]

@@RushfanUK It is though, those two songs are still about how the Music industry fucks you over, and ruins your life, I.E. Syd.

[@markhamstra1083]

⁠@@NBrixH It’s not, though, and band members have rejected that narrow “it’s about Syd” interpretation, explaining that the song and album are about broader themes of separation, absence, alienation and loss, not just about Syd - even though elements of his story are definitely present at some points in the album.

[@NBrixH]

@@markhamstra1083 yeah obviously it’s not just about him, it’s about a broader subject obviously. But it’s about Syd in the same way that The Wall is about Roger. Even though The Wall is about Pink, it obviously takes a lot of inspiration from Roger himself.

[@We-Do-NOT-Consent-303]

Pink Floyd is very deep, the more you listen to it and the older you get, the more it will make you cry! If you are not crying yet, that means you don't get it, yet.

[@rybakboris42]

!!!!!!!

[@davidfarmer9118]

Still children. Regards.

[@grahamokeefe9406]

My understanding is that this song, in an oblique way, is about former band member Syd Barrett. It's worth reading up on Barrett. His story informs a lot of PF material.

[@fppenque]

you are correct, the song is about Syd and his separation from the group after his mental illness took over.

[@sanga11000]

The whole album is heart breaking knowing Syd Barrett visited the band during the recording. He was wrecked and asked if he could help them in the process.

[@MurrayDecker]

Roger and Syd were very close, and his drift into mental illness was profoundly upsetting to Roger. David took his place in the band, and ultimately as a creative presence to replace what Syd brought to the bad. So many of PF's songs are about alienation and finding a place in society. Syd's mental illness was an ultimate expression of that sense of loss, alienation and questioning everything they assumed to be stable and reliable. The longing of that lyric, "How I wish you were here" is something we all feel on some level.

[@korail4]

​@@sanga11000 yes, this is heartbreaking.

[@markhamstra1083]

Yes and no. Yes, there are elements of Syd’s story in this song and throughout the album. No, we don’t need to follow what too many do in insisting that the song or album is specifically or even exclusively about Syd. At different times, various band members have rejected that narrow “it’s about Syd” interpretation, because the song and album are really more about the broader themes of absence, separation, alienation and loss than they are only and specifically about Syd.

[@djknox2]

When I was 22, and having already know Pink Floyd for many years, I was backpacking around Europe and had arrived in Berlin where the room beside me at a Pension was occupied by these two Italian gals. They were playing WYWH over and over again, clearly engrossed by the song. When they met me and learned that my mother tongue was English, they begged me to transcribe the song word for word for them, as they really couldn't understand the lyrics. Having done that, I then spent the better part of the following week explaining to them what each word and phrase might mean. The thing that amazed me is that they had fallen in love with the song long before they could understand it whereas for me, despite loving the music, it was the message that I though really made the song great. It was an introduction to me about how great music reaches people for many different reasons. To me, this must be one of the great emotional songs ever recorded. It drips of both nostalgia and great loss.

[@ruettenf]

This is a great story and smth. you did not forget. Thanks for sharing

[@majstorrasa6397]

The same goes for me. I bought the album WYWH 1977y. (when I was 18 years old) and immediately fell in love with Wish you where here and Shine on you crazy diamond, even though I only knew a few words in English. Many years later when I learned English I understood what he was singing about, but I felt the same before when I didn't know English. The great writer Ivo Andrić, winner of the Nobel Prize, once said: Music is not an art of this world, it finds its way to the human heart bypassing all earthly borders and obstacles!

[@djknox2]

@@ruettenf and that was 36 years ago! I remember it like it was last year. Somewhere in the basement - about a million photos ago - are some photos of me with these gals. I will have to go find them now 🙂 I often wonder if a singular event like that survives only in my memory or in other's memories too? Are these ladies still friends, do they still like Pink Floyd, and do they remember those times with me? AND, maybe there was someone else at the Pension who remembers this event from a 3rd, more removed perspective? I always seek out old friends because they help bring back to existence memories otherwise forgotten. I would LIKE to think that these gals are still friends and still listen to WYWH. Who knows, maybe one will watch this video and read my story!

[@djknox2]

As a side note, in 1975 when I was 9 and my brother 16, he had tickets with a buddy to see Pink Floyd in Ivor Wynn Stadium ( you can watch that concert today on KZbin kzbin.info/www/bejne/qH6mhH2sjZaHlZIsi=jVJkW718LtQRUQTp). On the day of the concert, his buddy's parents wouldn't allow him to go, and so last minute my parents let me go with my older brother ( I had already been a fan since Meddle was released 4 or 5 years earlier). This was the tour where they played the entire WYWH LP and introduced early versions of Animals along with songs from DSOTHM and Meddle. Pink Floyd opened with an UNKNOWN tune that later became SHEEP. As a 9 yr old I was mesmerized - I was hearing a Pink Floyd tune that the world didn't know yet? Anyway, so when I met those Italian gals 13 years later, I was an old pro of WYWH LOL!

[@djknox2]

@@majstorrasa6397 So cool. I do feel the greatest rock music is a marriage of words with music however, and so the greatest heights must be attained through understanding the message. WYWH is one of such songs... Surely understanding the lyrics has brought your appreciation of the song to greater heights?

[@ДмитрийГолобоков-с4ю]

The whole "Wish You Were Here" album is a masterpiece. A concept album that needs to be listened to from start to finish. Please react to other tracks from this album! Thank you!)

[@flavoredwallpaper]

Особенно "Shine on You Crazy Diamond"

[@dond13]

And watch! There is a movie starring Bob Geldof.

[@louise_rose]

Completely agree, the album showcases much of what made the Floyd so special. Very classy playing, songwriting, vócals and production without ever sounding cheap or predictable: it's a true musical adventure, and I think it reached many people in a deeply personal inner space.

[@louise_rose]

@@dond13 That was from The Wall, a very different album (with Alan Parker's movie coming out a few years later) :)

[@vvassev]

The sad part is: no one makes that kind and quality of music anymore…sad, very sad…

[@LostLar]

It is my firm belief. That most Pink Floyd albums should be listened to . From start to end. Each is a story. Wish you where here. The wall. Dark side of the moon.

[@SpaceCattttt]

Animals.

[@joannemoore3976]

Some of their lyrics are just incredible. Also from the wall, Forward he cried, from the rear, and the front rank died, and the general sat, and the lines on the map, moved from side to side..Genius.

[@nelanncal]

"One does not listen to Pink Floyd on shuffle"

[@Llydrwydd]

​@@joannemoore3976Sorry, that's not from The Wall but from the song 'Us and them' on the Dark side of the moon album.

[@joannemoore3976]

@@Llydrwydd oh my goodness, of course you are right. Old age 🤦‍♀️

[@stopbunsen]

David Gilmour is singing along with his guitar, matching the notes with his voice. It's one of the signature things he does. I really think listening to Shine On You Crazy Diamond from the same album would be great for you next. Now that is a musical adventure! It's long, but it's worth every minute. So much to dig into in that one song.

[@Zundfolge]

Yes, she just make sure she listens to parts I through IX from the album (at ~26 minutes), not one of the shorter versions from the various greatest hits albums (which range from 10-18 min) and absolutely not the ludicrous 4min radio cut.

[@Llanchlo]

As Amy says it is so well done on the album it is hard to split. I was never sure until I saw him doing it live. David has said he sometimes composes his guitar solo's by singing. He is actually a very good vocalist, with tremendous tone control. Some of his early work e.g. on Saucerful of Secrets is amazing.

[@DavidPChristian2]

And using a pedal steel guitar. His secret weapon.

[@stonecoldfloors8200]

Isn't he using his 'Peter framptonophone' on this song..?

[@davidbresson8865]

Roger Waters did a similar thing in The Gunner's Dream from the album The Final Cut where he sings a note with a sax and the fades his voice out while the sax takes over.

[@Jude_196]

The FIRST REACTOR that I've EVER SEEN that TRULY TOOK AN APPRECIATION for THESE UNBELIEVABLE LYRICS!!! One of my favorite Floyd tunes!! Thank You for this reaction!! LOVELY!! ❤❤❤

[@magusscorpiones9276]

Thank you for this thoughtful entry. My friend of over 3 decades was a professional musician and this was one of his signature songs, he would often finish up his shows playing this on the 12 string acoustic guitar that several of us chipped in to buy him one Christmas. We lost him to heart disease 6 months ago and "Wish You Were Here" is both a reminder of him and a strongly felt sentiment.

[@jpirard]

Sorry for your loss...

[@audiophileman7047]

You lost a guitarist just like PF lost a guitarist, but for different reasons. WYWH is about profound loss.

[@magusscorpiones9276]

@@jpirard Thank you

[@BeforeHumans]

When I heard this song for the first time, I couldn't stop crying.

[@offal]

It`s a genius idea, a person listening to the radio, flicking through till he finds a nice guitar tune then, decides to play along, the cough i believe was David Gilmour, after hearing it back he decided to give up smoking.

[@420since1974]

The cough came from Richard Wright. He was so embarrassed, he quit smoking soon after.

[@joegillam1497]

​Gilmour ​@@420since1974

[@canucklehead11]

There are people listening to this song who don't know what the old dial radio was like.

[@offal]

@@canucklehead11 Yes of course, scary isn`t it

[@garylester8621]

Amy, you think this was a long introduction? wait untill to play Shine on You Crazy Diamond.

[@louise_rose]

The restrained elegance of these songs is part of what made them so great.

[@garylester8621]

@@louise_rose Yes!

[@GhostToast5000]

When I see PINK FLOYD on a thumbnail, I immediately click

[@melaniezette886]

Yes we do

[@littlegrandadoutdoors]

You may of clicked onto my page then!. My two great loves are floyd and camping. I mix the two and nearly all my short video's are mixes of Floyd and camping. Take care out there.

[@CarazyDiamond]

Agreed, that's why I am here

[@Ulexcool]

2024 and people still leave this kind of comments 🤣 I guess you are 50+ ?

[@John-k6f9k]

I hate Pink Floyd. They're lullabies for stoned people. And if you don't take drugs, then they're just lullabies.

[@markjz2011]

Amy, "Time" is Pink Floyd's masterpiece!

[@silgen]

At the end Gilmour was harmonising with his guitar. The live version from the 1994 Pulse concert you can see him doing it.

[@firedoc5]

Beat me to it. LOL

[@g0fvt]

Ditto

[@JDSquire]

Absolutely LOVE her perspective. I'm 55 years old and have listened to this song for over 40 years and she's helping me see and hear things I never thought of before. Her breakdown of the lyrics in these videos is fantastic...so brilliant!!

[@Jaxy451]

The whole album is amazing. Probably my favourite Pink Floyd album. And there is some real competition in their catalogue. This one is really worth lingering on.

[@markhamstra1083]

It’s a standout album, but I don’t think that this is the best track on the album even though it receives the most airplay and KZbin reactions. For me, the album as a whole and the multipart bookends of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” bring me back for repeat listenings more than just this one song.

[@iksaglam]

yes, unquestionably their best album for me too.

[@cutthr0atjake]

For me Wish You Were was easily their best album! Eager to here her take on the whole album.

[@Jaxy451]

I don't believe it's easy to rank the tracks on this album from best to worst, so I wouldn't claim it's the best track on the album, but it is my personal favourite. As a lover of the music of Pink Floyd throughout this period, and all the way up to the departure of Waters, I cannot say this is easily their best, as others here claim. But it is the album that has had the most enduring impact on me. I love them all. I love The Wall. I love Animals. I have come to love Dark Side of the Moon. I do like echoes. I do like the Final Cut. Some of the early work is fantastic, if patchy. And the Piper at the Gates of Dawn is a masterpiece too. Anyway you look at it, I'm a fan of the whole catalogue. This album is simply the work I like most.

[@SG-Cichlids]

It was both. David Gilmour is absolutely brilliant. Arguably one of if not the greatest guitarist of all time. One of those rare people. A band like Pink Floyd will never happen again.

[@cerebralfailure8804]

the intro to the song is a listener flipping radio stations finally landing on the music

[@gtjacobs]

...and then starting to play along, hence the clear guitar noodling in the foreground over the faint radio guitar

[@sae1095hc]

AM radio stations at that.

[@bepitan]

@@gtjacobs ..conversing with the past.

[@CoolCoyote]

obviously

[@gryndyl]

@@gtjacobs And hearing himself clearing his throat in the recording is what caused Gilmour to quit smoking.

[@P-Bass_Pete]

It's Pink Floyd, you're supposed to be high, that's why the music is so long. I think you missed the entire point of the songs beginning. It starts off with a radio programme playing (in mono) you hear the listener coughing and moving about, and then he starts playing guitar along with the song on the radio and at the end of his little solo it comes full into stereo and you're pulled into the song.

[@sarahgriffie3310]

This is my favorite pink Floyd song because it speaks to me more than the rest. I feel like the message is that change and growth and being a part of something bigger is what makes life worth living. Change is better than comfort because to remain static is to waste one's life. It's better to have a small part in something big than a big part in something meaningless, etc.

[@seajaytea9340]

Amy, thank you for the reaction and video. I have been a Flord fan for almost 5 decades and i have been waiting for you to both finish, and escape The Wall. I think your videos are truly insightful and i look forward to your analysis and comments. However, with Floyd, taking individual songs from their albums (especially starting with Dark Side of the Moon) is like listening to the 2nd movement of Beethoven's Moonlight sonata without hearing the sublime first or impassioned 3rd movements. You came to the conclusion the you need to listen to the whole album. I could not agree more emphatically. Enjoy!

[@ericgardner5969]

David Gilmour clearing his throat on this recording is what made him quit cigarettes. Saw you make a face when he did that figured I’d mention it lol

[@unshaken95]

Imho as a Pink Floyd fan, almost everything they did before The Wall is better than The Wall

[@UngodlyFreak]

I agree for the most part, but let's be honest, some of their late-60s experimental stuff wasn't exactly great.

[@unshaken95]

@@UngodlyFreak yeah I agree

[@MagicGoblinPrincess]

I agree completely.

[@GhostToast5000]

@@UngodlyFreak Yeah, it was kinda funky before they found their iconic Pink Floyd sound

[@Milios666]

Nope.

[@dongelinas1896]

The most amazing album to me is Pink Floyd's Animals. I do believe that any accomplished musician would be taken aback by the composition and musical talent they actually possess. I will eagerly await your first dive into that album.

[@popsmcgee9775]

Seeing you return to Pink Floyd just made my day :) Thank you, Amy for this thoughtful discussion. I would thoroughly love you to listen to the entire album and I think you'd enjoy it immensely!

[@youtubuzr]

The transitions on Floyd's albums are masterpieces all on their own. It makes listening to the songs in the wrong order a jarring experience. :D

[@samuellord8576]

As the band members have said ad nauseam, it’s about Syd Barrett’s mental breakdown. Syd’s madness was so profound that these were natural questions, not hyperbolic. He even showed up _as they were practicing this tune_ ! They had no idea whether he understood what they were singing. Beautifully sad tune describing the emotional cost of madness to all involved. Thanks Amy!

[@rorybessell8280]

Shine On You Crazy Diamond is the only song that's truly about Syd Barrett. The album in general is about him, separation, loss and the music industry's role in causing that. This song is actually about the Roger that existed before the music industry, when he felt more free and creative. The you is really his past self

[@kendallneason3645]

Such a fascinating song isn’t it? One of my favorite songs to drive long distances to as it makes me think silently as I listen and fall into a deep mental journey. I’m always amazed at how many sounds you can hear in songs and how you break down lyrics too. It really is a gift. 💜

[@ThenISaidHey]

Oh ya listen to the entire album! Love to see your reaction to "Shine on You Crazy Diamond"

[@johnod203]

Around 7 minutes the power of the music pierces the chest and grabs your heart and squeezes the tears from your eyes.

[@paulolapa3040]

Shine On You Crazy Diamond!! Talk about a great intro. As "Wish You Were Here", it's about their former band member and frontman, Syd Barrett, who left the band, in 1968, because of his mental illness. Still waiting for "The Trial" (from The Wall) reaction ... Greetings!

[@godbeIess]

About three years ago, I finally understood the opening of Wish You Were Here. The distant, almost faded music you hear on the radio at the beginning represents Syd Barrett. It reflects the immense gap that had formed between Syd and the rest of the band. Then, as David Gilmour’s guitar comes in with a clear, more present sound, then the radio fades away-Syd fades from the band, and his replacement, Gilmour, steps into the spotlight. Roger Waters is an absolute genius for how he creates a soundscape to tell this story. Just like a painter expresses their vision through canvas and paint, Roger does it through sound and deeply poignant lyrics. He’s truly the master of musical metaphor.

[@DrStrangelove3891]

Exactly! When Gilmour joins in, for a small moment, he and Syd both play guitar in Pink Floyd, representing Jugband Blues on their 2nd album. And then the others of the band have to go on alone.

[@Jaxy451]

A stunning song. No question. A piece of sheer inspiration. No other way to put it.

[@1Imonk]

Yes. Pink Floyd is, after all, the best of album oriented rock artists. Best sampled in context.

[@kevinanderson5059]

To understand this song, in it's truest form, you must understand what was happening within the band. We miss you Syd.

[@danielc6508]

Everyone who grew up before the age of digital everything knows the beginning of the song is simply the sound of someone turning a radio dial.

[@davidperlowski1477]

It may be possible that someone is turning the dial away from something unpleasant...

[@glennewdick]

radio in a car no less, you can here the old style point distributor making feedback in the radio as the car speeds up and slows down. if you have a good recording you can also hear the cars wipers going back and forth.

[@TheBalrogTx]

Not just a radio with a dial... but a radio broadcasting on an AM frequency... i.e. Mono sound. Then, as the second guitar joins in, the song moves to FM frequency... i.e. Stereo. Tell me the song is about the past and the present, without telling me that it's about the past and the present. And then the lyrics come in to grab your 'feels' by the throat. This song is simply... pure genius.

[@drkjk]

About PF lyrics as written by Roger Waters. Said Gilmour about the popularity of Waters' lyrics, "Roger had something he needed to say and apparently there are many people who needed to hear it."

[@briansmithson2491]

Amy I love watching and listening to your take on music I wish I had someone to talk to like you.

[@StephenHooper-p1i]

This is my favorite Pink Floyd album. "Shine on you Crazy Diamond" is a masterpiece.

[@MrJohnnysaintjohn]

Yessss!!!! What you said about listening to the album! Also yes, it's a scat technique of singing in unison with the guitar, popularised by George Benson. I found that it helps improve vocal pitch. There's an unused take floating around of the great Stephan Grappelli on this outro on the internet. Perhaps they thought it to distracting? Anyway, DG's unison scat is perfect, and everybody is excited about the rest of the album, when Waters was lyricist and each member contributed musically. Thank You!

[@angelagraves865]

The skits in Pink Floyd songs are very deliberate and meaningful. I hope you keep listening to their music.

[@DavidLindes]

Yay, more Floyd! Happy to see you detour to this (though I do very much look forward to completion of the wall when you get to it, whenever that may be)! And I look eagerly forward to more explorations of Pink Floyd, of various eras.

[@christorrence1114]

The intro is like a faded memory and the more it plays out, the more it becomes clear again.

[@walterfleury3840]

Saw them in 1994. They had the entire stadium singing along with them for this one. It was pure magic.

[@godbluffvdgg]

That AM radio static was always so comforting...I remember hearing this on vinyl when it became available...I was 15 and Dark Side of the moon had already blown our minds...Gilmore's guitar work on this album is some of his best work...The guitar Outro on; Have a Cigar is sublime and the Sax FORGETABOUTIT...:)...

[@GordonHeaney]

The intro is someone scanning through radio stations, like we used to do in the 70's and 80's, hence the EQ settings on the guitar intro

[@RabbiSteve1]

What a great reaction to one of my favorite pieces by Pink Floyd! Thank you. I look forward to your further journey down the Pink Floyd Road. Their biggest album ever is Dark Side of the Moon. reactions, is anything from my favorite Pink Floyd album of all time, MEDDLE. And most especially the epic piece from that album, “Echoes” - on the original vinyl, this took up the entire second side of the album. It’s my favorite piece of music by Pink Floyd, and one of my favorite pieces of music from contemporary so-called “popular music“ or “rock music”, or “progressive rock“ or whatever anyone wants to call it It’s a beautiful piece, with at least four separate movements. And it’s a lot of people, including the band themselves, they finally found their voice.

[@danoliver2817]

GREAT GIG IN THE SKY is a must listen!!!

[@miguelmorales9667]

I am so happy that I bumped into this channel. Finally a person that can explain their interpretations of the music with more than wows. I always thought that this song was about two people who were once very close, but one changed and found different things to pursue, while the speaker held his ground and stuck to his convictions. But in the end, the speaker wonders if, even though they have gone their separate ways, if they both found the same old fears, then realizes that he wishes that the person he once knew was there to again be by his side to calm his fears. Could Syd be the second person?

[@pjgtech]

This song is talking about human perception, missing lost friends/family, how people with mental health struggles might "hide" their true feelings, etc, etc. Its a musical and lyrical masterclass. 8-)

[@homesteadjeff1419]

I LOVE your approach understanding this band. It is a hybrid scientific/spiritual/emotional approach. And those traits are exactly how Pink Floyd ended up mastering their craft. What a coincidence!

[@pjscardoso1972]

Oh Amy, I would LOVE for you to experience "Shine on you crazy diamond" and hear your opinions on it. PLEASE MAKE IT HAPPEN.

[@ExAussieNavalAircrew]

Long, long time Pink Floyd fan here. This is my favourite album of all time, bar none, by any artist. Can never decide whether WYWH is my favourite song or Shine on You Crazy Diamond, mainly it depends on which one I'm listening to at the time. Like many Pink Floyd albums, WYWH is best listened to as a whole. Enjoy your exploration of this fabulous album.

[@seandobson6221]

This entire album is a work of art. It’s a love story for Syd Barrett the original lead singer of Floyd. David Gilmour is on my guitar Mt Rushmore with Eddie Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Jimi. When Gilmour plays the guitar solo you can hear David singing the solo as well. It’s an extremely short song. I’ve always said that if you’re gonna react to Floyd you need to do entire albums. Most artists will drop and album with 12 random songs that have no rhyme or reason. Floyd albums tell a story and each song is a page in that story. At this point in the album we’ve seen Syd fall and it laments how he descended into madness.

[@philmathieu1017]

Hello Amy, thanks for coming back to the Floyd. One key change from Dark Side onwards is the use of a theme or themes to construct their albums). In the aftermath of the insane success of Dark Side they all felt at a loss and found it incredibly difficult to focus on the next project. In many ways WYWH is the most personal of all their albums because it deals with the loss of their friend and inspiration, Syd Barrett. The overall theme could be said to be how the music industry will destroy your soul if you let them. The longest track came out of four notes which David played by accident on his guitar, Roger immediately picked up on the melancholy and harrowing vibes and composed the lyrics of what became Shine on You crazy Diamond (SYD). This is, I believe, one reason behind the female voice commenting on all the "star nonsense" just before WYWH begins, also the conversation is taking place after the previous track was 'swallowed' into a radio, radio being of course the main means by which one made it big in pop/rock at that time. Anyway, glad you're back with the Floyd and very much looking forward to more.

[@bigdaddypiggy]

I was born in 1971 & have loved music for as long as I can remember & this is 1 of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard

[@CristiNeagu]

4:39 Wait until you hear Shine On You Crazy Diamond part 1, where the first chord change is at 2 minutes and 23 seconds into the song. The intro to Wish You Were Here is supposed to be someone skipping through radio channels, landing on a song he likes, and then starting to play along with the radio.

[@jeanmc4213]

I just LOVE your reactions and your breakdown of all that is important. I can't wait until you get into deciphering Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon! Meanwhile, go ahead and run with Wish You Were Here!

[@russellferriday8191]

Atom heart mother. So few intelligent people have reacted to it. I admit, Perhaps it is too long and complex and thus few are brave enough to take it on. But oh boy, Its worth the effort! (And if its a genuine first listen, how do they know it needs some bravery??)

[@freelancebrown]

This was a great reaction and I look forward to your take on the rest of the album. (And I'm already excited for your eventual run through Dark Side of the Moon. :-))

[@sdbaugh60]

Floyd is my MOST Favorite Band! I absolutely ❤ how their music can get me to see a Movie, in my mind,through their Sound and Lyrics! The album PULSE is my ALL TIME FAVORITE!!!

[@jbdbsb]

Imagine listening to the radio and flipping through the stations. This song comes on, you grab your guitar and start playing along. .

[@slydogger]

Anytime I get a chance to hear WISH YOU WERE HERE I stop everything and listen.

[@johnleeshute]

That's why I'm here.

[@Afficionadoh]

it expresses pain and all the bitterness of loss.

[@LockBits-ts6eo]

I remember the emotions this track evoked back then, I used to listen to it just before going to sleep at night, It took me to fabulous places in my mind.

[@cyphon4280]

It's both. Voice and guitar. Some of the videos (pulse concert for example) show this very clearly.

[@NGNBoone]

I would delight to hear your reaction to Shine on You Crazy Diamond. I love the chord changes, the instrumentation, the lyrics and the story. It still makes the hairs raise up on my arms

[@lars-oleeifler4448]

Echoes. Dark Side Of The Moon - whole album. Shine On You Crazy Diamond. The Wall. That's the essence of Pink Floyd.

[@250278]

"The man and the journey". There´s the core.

[@brianelliott4923]

I love your analysis -sheer brilliance, such perception!

[@davedem4107]

I don't guess its their intention but to me, the Pink Floyd discography sounds like someone's journey through madness , with each album telling it from a different perspective. This album is telling you the story of Sid Barrett's decent and it's effects on the group who had reached superstardom without their leader.

[@johntree6425]

*descent 😊

[@willem-janageling3907]

I agree

[@kneeboardtorque5971]

I've listened to the live versions so many times that the original is almost slow and quiet to me. Oh oh, I'm a huge fan. Tears to my eyes. Happy tears.

[@smitty1e]

"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl, year after year." is the quintessential Floyd lyric. Who else could pull that off?

[@roblaw4554]

I so enjoy your willing openness to just absorb a product like this, or a band like this, and then speak with such meaningful insights about their works - despite them being so outside your own accustomed musical bedrock. ANOTHER really fine treatment. Thanks! Cheers rl 🤘👹🤘

[@HellenKillerProject]

He is vocalizing while playing guitar. Syd Barrett was "Sick Syd" who left the group with mental issues and lived with his mother after leaving the group. He made a few albums and at times would turn up at Pink Floyd shows in a wheel chair etc. This album was the bands story on Syd and very personal. Pink Floyd has been in the Billboard Top 200: for 917 weeks and counting. Syd may have left the band but his struggles with his mental health never left the band and guided their career over the years.

[@justinsadowski9823]

This is an incredibly thoughtful reaction. Pink Floyd was one of those bands that was very good at creating discomfort. The genius of them doing this was to make the payoff more profound. Kind of like slowly burning the bottom of someone’s feet for the “soul” purpose of making the ice bath that follows more satisfying. Out of all of the musical genres, I feel like classical music follows the same pattern or strategy more consistently than the other genres.

[@LordEagle]

Wait until you get to Shine on You Crazy Diamond,,,,,💥💥💥🤘😎

[@keithwatt9871]

Love how you go in on the lyrics. More often than not most people are so overwhelmed by the music they miss the other half of their greatness.

[@BigTimeRushFan2112]

Masterpiece of philosophical questioning and insight. Mic drop.

[@chaddubois8164]

Truly a beautiful song coming from a beautiful place.

[@craigwells3655]

We were stoned when hearing this music, and it blew our minds. Unbelievably deep and meditation like. Wish you got high to hear it.

[@unshaken95]

@@craigwells3655 how I wish, how I wish you got high 🎵😂

[@danielemargaroli5882]

How lucky you are. I would pay to be able to hear it for the first time. Timeless song

[@BarleyC]

David Gilmour would play lead acoustic guitar and vocalize the notes at the same time. You can see him do that on the live versions of the song.

[@SteelBreeze021]

It is so refreshing to hear a learned musician understanding the mastery of the music of Pink Floyd. Your description of the ‘palate cleansing’ aspects of PF intros is very real. Examples of this can be found in many of their works. Most notably, in “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (all parts)” and “Time”. You can never go wrong with this timeless music. Thank you for your content.

[@leonsimpson2230]

One of my most favorite songs. I'm actually going to watch David Gilmour tomorrow and I'm hopeful he'll play this

[@silgen]

I've seen video of him rehersing for this tour, and he did this as a duet with his daughter Romany.

[@mat0145]

Going to see him on Saturday. Be interesting to see what he plays. Enjoy.

[@leonsimpson2230]

@@mat0145 sure will. You too 🙂 shine on

[@leonsimpson2230]

@@silgen perhaps they'll do the same tomorrow

[@silgen]

@@leonsimpson2230 Hope so, she's got a lovely voice, her singing on Between Two Points is just magical and haunting.

[@Szabi193]

I just hope, you're gonna listen to the whole album. Shine on is great from 1-9, but when it returns after Wish You Were Here, it's just pure goosebumps.

[@DannyD714]

"wish you were here" is the follow up album to pink floyd's masterpiece "the dark side of the moon". by this time roger waters had taken the reins and set pink floyd on a course of albums with conceptual themes, rather than just a collection of songs. this would continue through the next three albums before waters left the band following "the final cut" album. to better appreciate how they got to that point you should go back to where it began with founding member syd barrett and the album "the piper at the gates of dawn". don't expect it to sound like any pink floyd you've heard so far. their evolution was gradual and took many turns until waters set them on the concept album course. they were very experimental in the early years before settling on the "pink floyd sound". you will find it a fascinating journey much like you've had with the beatles and queen. looking forward to your reactions...and the conclusion of "the wall"!

[@DanielRutishauser]

Love the Way you feel and explain Music

[@DmitryKandiner]

How I wish you reviewed the whole album!

[@FlyToChina0071]

I love your "break-down" of some of the famous Pink Floyd songs. Next Tuesday I will go to a David Gilmour concert in Rome. Looking forward to that. Like to see more of your videos in the future 🙂 Regards from Denmark

[@keyrat1753]

Even if you don’t record your reaction, please try to watch the PULSE LIVE version of Wish You Were Here. Your question about “guitar or voice?” will be answered right before your eyes.