Search - Pink Floyd :: Is There Anybody Out There? Wall Li

Hey You!

ultrapop | Avondale, AZ | 09/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Can it be 28 years ago that I saw The Wall live? Wow. Time flies, and while I'm sure many of the details have been lost to my memory, the impact of this show will remain with me all my life.



I've never been a rabid Pink Floyd fan like some. I have most of their albums and appreciate their work, but I would never have planned to see them live if my college roommate hadn't made the effort to get tickets. I'll always be grateful for that, because I feel like I'm one of a select few on the planet who witnessed what has to be the most amazing multi media extravaganza ever. I know that the Berlin version of this was even bigger, but was essentially a mishmash of artists (more like a pageant than a self-contained performance) and, frankly, without David Gilmour's pristine vocals and weeping guitar, it's just not the same. And I also understand that the Berlin show was fraught with technical problems that weren't present in the flawless version I saw, which I believe was the very first show they did in L.A.



This live recording is absolutely fantastic, and highly recommended. I've always found the original album to be fairly suffocating, especially in the later stages, but the live sound version gives the music some space and breathing room, and contains the patented technical mastery that PF is known for.



The musical virtuosity of this band was really amazing, and it's definitely on display on this CD. I remember being incredibly impressed by the fidelity of the sound system at the time. During the "One Of My Turns" sequence when the groupie enters the room, all the lights were out, and it was like you were actually in a hotel suite. To some extent that quality is preserved here--but I certainly don't have a sound system to equal Pink FLoyd's. I was also impressed with the lighting rigs, which moved around the stage to accommodate where the performers were behind the ever-smaller holes in the wall.



It's just a tragedy that there's no film record of this show (at least one that's been released). The thing that's missing on CD is the constantly surprising, jaw-dropping visual inventiveness that accompanied the music. A crashing airplane, giant puppets, a flying pig, brilliant animated sequences. All that and a wall which throughout the first half grew brick by brick, creating a sense of tension that fed into the narrative and made you wonder--would they ever finish it in time? And how could the band behind the wall could continue with the show? And then the wall itself became a screen for Gerald Scarfe's mind-altering animation and also, incredibly, opened up to reveal a hotel room stage.



The band seemed to have spared no expense on this show, and that a complete film record is virtually lost forever is a great tragedy, but I'm so glad I have my memories, and now the live recording allows me to relive that incredible experience. I think this CD will be my preferred version of The Wall now.

"