So I did this a few months ago with Led Zeppelin. I listened to four or five complete albums that I had never heard before (although I had heard some songs on them before…some that I had known I had heard before and some that I only realized I heard before after they started playing). And, along the way–in that thread–I posted my opinion based on my first time hearing many songs and which ones I really liked and disliked on each album.
Well, now it’s time to do the same with Pink Floyd. As I said in the first thread (above), There are a lot of bands I’ve never heard large amounts of music from due to never having a record player, cassette player, or CD player growing up. So, basically, I heard what was played on mainstream radio…and that’s it.
So, when it comes to Pink Floyd, here is what I already know/have heard: The song “The Wall” (That’s the one that has the lyrics “Hey you…out there on the wall, doing always what you’re told…can ya help me?”, right?)…
…and the entire Dark Side of the Moon album (due to watching it once or twice linked/synced up with The Wizard of Oz).
Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd…that’s it.
As far as I know, I have not heard ANY other Pink Floyd song. Ever.
Teach me. I want to learn. I want to listen. What album should I start with? What ones should I definitely include? What ones do people think I should skip?
Like I said, I’ve heard all of DSOTM…and one song (“The Wall”) on the album The Wall…and nothing else. It will all be new to me. Well, as far as I know.
I could have very well heard Pink Floyd songs before, but just not know them by name and will recognize them when they play…
But I will give a listen to all suggested…maybe even all of their albums…
…and I will come back in here, much like I did with my Led Zeppelin topic, and give my first time listened to opinions about the albums and the songs on them.
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. You don’t even need to do drugs to appreciate it!
Also, Comfortably Numb. It always evokes in me a sense of the brilliant Conrad Aiken short story: [url=]Silent Snow, Secret Snow. The latter was adapted as a short on Rod Serling’s Night Gallery. You don’t need drugs to appreciate that song, but they don’t hurt, either.
The Wall has amazing parts, but the main theme (refrain, what have you is somewhat ponderous).
Atom Heart Mother gets poor reviews, but I like it. But I’m a fanboy.
I didn’t think much of Animals when I first heard it, but I like it a lot now.
Piper at the Gates of Dawn and Saucerful of Secrets (contained in A Nice Pair) and Ummagumma should be reserved for your deep dive. You should be committed (and I mean that literally) before you venture there.
I’ll put in a word for Syd Barrett. A lot of people, including David Bowie, think the Syd Floyd was the only Floyd.
It’s not much of a deep dive to get the first Floyd LP, with most of his Floyd work on it. To listen to Floyd and not that would be negligent to me. Syd was not only a great songwriter, but a way underrated psychedelic guitarist. His sounds are still fresh, and totally freaky. He makes most guitarists sound predictable, and the records with him are the only spontaneously rocking, and anarchic sounding ones they ever made. They mostly have been great and, and a little depressing and kind of boring too since then.
An introduction should be something mainstream and accessible, and so I’ll second this suggestion. Start with Dark Side, quit before The Final Cut. Wish You Were Here might be the best starting point.
Dip into everything else after you’ve finished this material, if it leaves you wanting more. Or, if it leaves you flat and you CRAVE something less mainstream, go to the early stuff.
Maybe check out some live performances on Youtube. The reunion concert in at Live8 in 2005, and Waters’ performance at the Berlin Wall in 1990.
If they have them in your city, maybe check out a Laser Floyd show - a laser show set to prerecorded music, in this case, Floyd. Sit in the dark, enjoy great music on a nice soundsystem with lasers choreographed with the songs.
I’ve never used any recreational drugs beyond alcohol, and I still enjoy their music. It may help or add to the experience, but it’s not required.
Personally, if I’m getting someone into Pink Floyd I suggest Dark Side of the Moon. It’s pretty easy to listen to, it’s very good, it’s more or less ‘main stream’ as far as their music goes and no matter how you look at it, it really is required listening. That is, if you like Pink Floyd at all, you really should know DSOTM backwards and forwards.
After that, I’d jump into The Wall. The Wall is, over all, my favorite album. It’s vastly different from DSTOM in just about every way, not the least of which being you’re going from (DSOTM) mostly hearing David Gilmour to mostly (The Wall) hearing Roger Waters.
Finally, after The Wall, I would lead you to Animals (but Meddle would work as well). I absolutely love Animals. It’s calm and relaxing. I can put it on and drift away. It’s amazing and again, totally different from the other two.
When you’re done with those you’ve sorta got your bases covered and you can explore the rest. But you’ve got a pretty good foundation.
Oh, and don’t miss the guitar solo on comfortable numb. I have no idea how many hundreds of times I’d heard (and saw) that song before I realized how good that was. Actually, you really should take note of how good of a guitar player David Gilmour is and what an amazing voice Roger Waters has. I know some people disagree with me about Roger’s voice, but I love it, it’s one of the reasons I like The Wall so much.
The berlin wall one, with all the guest stars is amazing, I have it on VHS. But one really needs to wait until they’re much more familiar with the album to appreciate that.
My friends and I drive from Milwaukee to House of Blues in Chicago for one of those. As tons of people are trying to get in one of the people taking tickets yelled out “Someone smells like marijuana”. Lots of people nervously looked around at each other before he chuckled and went back to taking tickets (we knew it wasn’t us…we just took some geltabs ).
The version of Comfortably Numb from Pulse is really, really good. Dave’s solo is predictably amazing, and when the mirror ball “blossoms” at the end…wow.
Looking at others’ responses, I’ll second the notion of working chronologically from Dark Side of the Moon (which really is required listening) through The Wall. After that, if you want more, work backwards from Meddle.
I can’t believe there have been this many replies already and I’m the first to correct this. For shame, the rest of you!
No. There is no Pink Floyd song from the album The Wall called “The Wall”. There is “Another Brick in the Wall” (parts 1 and 2), and a song (more of a brief coda to end the album) called “Outside The Wall”. The song you are referencing is called “Hey You”.
Oh, and my favorite Pink Floyd album is Wish You Were Here. Dark Side of the Moon also deserves it’s reputation.
Wish and Animals. If you don’t like them, quit. Starting with Dark Side could easily put a first-timer off, in my opinion. Especially depending on what media you choose.
But I’ve never smoked dope, so what do I really know about that?
I’m a huge fan, but the best songs on The Wall are the only ones with Gilmore writing credits. Whole lotta shit filler on that album (they work well in the film, but some don’t stand up for me as “songs”).
Dark Side of the Moon
Wish You Were Here
The Wall
Meddle
*Meddle *is my personal favorite, but I think the others are “more accessible” to a someone who’s not already a fan.
Once you’ve heard side 2 of *Meddle *(consisting solely of the 23 1/2 minute “Echoes”)…if you want more then listen to their first 3 albums: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, A Saucerful of Secrets, and Ummagumma. Psychedelic rock at its most psychedelic.
What really got me in to them, I think, was the Pulse concert. My brother had (has?) the CD set with the blinking light, but at some point one of us ended up with the VHS of that concert. Back in high school, the last thing I would do before going to bed just about every night was get stoned to the point where I didn’t even know my name and watch that concert.
Anyways, the second half of Pulse kicks off with DSOTM in it’s entirety.
And while I was going and rewatching some snippets of that concert, it’s worth that if you (OP, anyone else) is also planning to listen to this for the talent, watch for Andy Fairweather-Low. He’s played on the Pulse concert and I know I saw him when I saw Roger Waters (sneak break coming up) at least one of the times I saw him. He’s a great guitarist.
).
