During the recording of Pink Floyd's 1975 masterpiece Wish You Were Here, the band apparently weren't there at all. But what came out of the torrid Abbey Road sessions, lasting the entire first half of '75, was a grandiose classic. David Gilmour has referred to the album as his favorite countless times, despite the troubled times. "It was a very difficult period I have to say. All your childhood dreams had been sort of realized and we had the biggest selling records in the world and all the things you got into it for. The girls and the money and the fame and all that stuff it was all... Everything had sort of come our way and you had to reassess what you were in it for and it was a confusing and sort of empty time for a while, but I for one would have to say that it is my favourite album, the Wish You Were Here album. The end result of all that, whatever it was, definitely has left me an album I can live with very very happily. I like it very much." Rick Wright agreed. "It's hard to say but it just happens to be the album for me that from the moment it starts 'til it finishes, it flows, the songs flow into each other and it just has a wonderful feeling in it." Wish You Were Here holds each key ingredient that make a stunning record. Each track is a treat, and carries a different tone. The title track is a simple yet moving ballad, and David Gilmour's vocal delivery proves him to be one of rock and roll's best vocalists. While the lyrics are similarly simple, they expose Roger Waters's at his best. He possesses a rough edge, yet seemingly sentimental at the core, and not yet as grudgingly bitter as he would become on the Floyd's next record Animals -- a place where he would remain for quite some time. "Have a Cigar" provides the album with its rock and roll kick, led by Waters's slinky and seductive bass line. Gilmour rips and roars on the guitar, perfectly riding the thin line between sophisticated precision and impeccably sloppy rock and roll. Wish You Were Here and its precursor, 1973's monster Dark Side of the Moon, define Rick Wright in his undeniable prime. Songs like "Shine on You Crazy Diamond Parts VI-IX" showcase Wright knowing exactly when to touch the perfect keys, and ultimately highlighting the entire record. Gilmour has stated that he prefers Wish You Were Here to the generally more-acclaimed Dark Side of the Moon, due to the fact that the marriage of the music and lyrics was relatively unbiased. While I will say that there is probably more music on this record than lyrics, I will agree that they hit their stride in a way that Dark Side of the Moon simply prepares you for. While perhaps they weren't comfortable with following the massive success of Dark Side of the Moon, and maybe they weren't so keen on spending a bundle of time together after touring for virtually two years straight, all this certainly does not show. If it does, then it is working in their favor, adding a tense strain that only fuels their perfect musical chemistry. Each have come into their own as a master of their respective instrument, and have grown comfortable in their role, which allows them to interact closely with one another. The sensational marriage of their instruments and voices is inexplicable and difficult to place your finger on. They successfully built a sound of unity, blending and meshing together, to create the definitive musical chemistry. It's difficult to say any member of Pink Floyd was more significant than any other when it comes to the sophisticated musicality they crafted as a unit. This is especially evident on the album's magnum opus, the lengthy "Shine on You Crazy Diamond Parts I-V" and the aforementioned "Shine on You Crazy Diamond Parts VI-IX". Along with "Welcome to the Machine", the songs carry what has become Pink Floyd's trademark sound -- a little broody, incredibly introspective, musically thrilling, and overall very clean, sophisticated, and ethereal. (I happily refrain from using the word spacey.) The guitar work of David Gilmour conquers Parts I-V and, as previously stated, Rick Wright especially sparkles on Parts VI-IX. In truth, most of that "wonderful feeling" that Wright described is due to his exquisite way with the keys. Overall, the album is laced with cynical passages, electrifying musicianship, showcasing a band at their definitive peak. Known as one of the band's best, it certainly lives up to its legacy.
[The photo above is the cover of Pink Floyd's 1975 tour programme, featuring a humorous questionnaire and fictional depictions of each band member in comic form. Find it here, in all it's glory. Above that is Roy Harper (who lent his vocals on "Have a Cigar" for a reward he never received) performing with Pink Floyd for the only time at Knebworth '75, before the album's release.]
