Supposedly the sessions for this album were difficult and unproductive, but you'd never know it by the finished product, as Wish You Were Here was an amazing follow up to their breakthrough album. Although not quite the spectacular commercial success of Dark Side or The Wall, the album has also sold many millions and all of its songs are familiar radio standards to any "classic rock" listeners. Again the band uses studio effects, synthesizers (played by Waters as well as Wright), and female backing vocalists (Venetta Fields and Carlena Williams this time) effectively, and the album's melancholic mood music provides an interesting contrast to Waters' often-angry lyrics. Containing only five long songs (really four since "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is split into two different songs, each with several parts), this album is dedicated to Syd Barrett, the band’s leader during their formative years who never recovered from too many LSD trips. Although it unsettlingly chronicles his descent into madness, while also addressing their (or at least Waters') antagonistic attitude towards the music industry, this sad and beautiful album is also remarkably touching. Both parts of the extended song suites “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” that bookend the album are spaced out, atmospheric pieces perfect for a lazy day, featuring gorgeous synth washes prominently along with Gilmour’s fluid, supple, unforgettably mournful guitar. Parts I-V unfold languidly, in no great hurry, and this near-perfect song is all about its soulful, emotional soloing. The vocals don't even arrive until shortly before the 9-minute mark, but when they do they deliver one of the band's most memorable vocal hooks, with lyrics that directly address Syd, who haunts the album and in an odd coincidence actually showed up at the sessions, albeit so fat and changed in appearance that they didn't recognize him at first! Dick Parry again provides another memorable cameo, adding some classy sax to the fadeout, which leads into the chilly, effects and synthesizer-heavy “Welcome To The Machine”, which tells the story of Barrett’s rise to prominence and the accompanying music business exploitation that played no small role in leading to his current condition. “Have A Cigar”, the album’s most rocking song, is another great tune lambasting the music industry (most famously via its sarcastic "oh by the way, which one's Pink?" line), and is buoyed by the ragged vocals of guest singer Roy Harper (the only non-band member to ever sing lead), more big synths, and some more excellent guitar work from Gilmour, who solos extensively throughout the album. Unsurprisingly, this album is Gilmour and Wright's favorite Pink Floyd album, as both instrumentalists shine throughout, plus it turned out to be the last Pink Floyd album that musically was truly a collaborative effort, as the next three Pink Floyd albums would be increasingly dominated by Waters. Anyway, the muted fadeout of "Have A Cigar" into the muted intro of "Wish You Were Here" is a cool production trick, and seemingly every prospective guitar player at some point or another tries out the eloquent acoustic intro to the latter tune. Simply put, "Wish You Were Here" is one of my favorite songs of all-time, and it represents the absolute peak of their pastoral, folksy style. Led by the aforementioned guitar and arguably Gilmour's greatest lead vocal as well, the song movingly tells of how Syd has been missed since his exile (even if his ouster from the band was necessary), but like with many songs this one can be given its own interpretation. Personally, it never fails to make me misty-eyed and think of past relatives, pets, and friends (particularly Kevin again as we used to listen to this album together on an almost daily basis) who I myself have lost. "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI–IX)" seems almost anti-climactic by comparison, but even though it's more jam-based and less essential than Parts I-V, it's still a great song that provides a certain symmetry to the album, even if perhaps it also makes the album seem slightly padded out. Still, although the album is perhaps (slightly) less than perfect, it's still an easy A+, as Wish You Were Here provides a warm, heartfelt tribute to a fallen comrade while also working as a wonderful listening experience.
Rating: A+