I remember the day I first heard ‘The Wall’. I was 16 and it was at Atul’s house , Feb 1980 – Farhiz got the LP (or was it Ali?), that immaculate all white cover with black lined bricks on it. We reverentially put the record on Atul’s stereo and for an hour or so basked in the sounds of the latest Pink Floyd album, trading stories about how apparently the album had been banned in the UK because the song said “we don’t need no education” and were the words “another brick in the wall” or “another p**** in the hole”?! (we were young teenage boys for God sakes!?). ‘Another Brick In the Wall – Part II’ made its debut on radio soon after, and just stayed in my brain forever. And can you believe it is Pink Floyd’s only #1 single – ever! It was only much later – maybe five years later – that I learned to love ‘Comfortably Numb’ and it became my favourite track on the album.

The idea for the concept album came from an incident at a concert Waters got so annoyed with some fans who stood near the stage but paid no attention to the music, that he spat on them ?. He felt there was a wall between him and his audience…ergo, The Wall. A semi-autobiographical album about a rock star called Pink who struggles with isolation and being basically a miserable git who muses about where it all started with his dad dying in the war…and reaches stardom, but locked behind a wall (like Barrett), which he finally breaks through to be free. A rock opera of psychological pain and hurt and anger and misery, about overbearing mothers, absent fathers, sadistic teachers, cheating wives and megalomania…… BTW, have I mentioned before that I think Pink Floyd were possibly the most miserable band ever?…but are one of my favourite bands? ?

The entire album is bloody brilliant!!! ‘Another Brick in the Wall Part -I’ (Waters’ bassline!!), ‘The Happiest Days Of Our Lives’ (that helicopter intro followed by Mason’s drums!!!????), ‘Another Brick In the Wall – Part II’ (?? a disco beat by Pink Floyd!!?), ‘Mother’ (Mamma’s gonna put all of her fears into you?) , ‘Young Lust’ (Gilmour all the way!????) , ‘Hey You/ Is there anybody out there?’ And…… of course the incredible ‘Comfortably Numb’ (hello hello hello…is there anybody in there?).

The Wall was the real end of the road for Pink Floyd – though they carried on for a few more years, in reality the band broke up during/after this album. Waters had become the dominant (domineering?) force in the band and truly believed he was the creative core of the band and Syd Barrett’s heir. Gilmour was feeling more and more alienated by this and was checking out. Nick Mason hid behind his drum kit, going through a bad personal patch as well. And Rick Wright, was fired from the band by Waters because he was felt Wright wasn’t contributing to the music anymore, though the news was kept from the press. But this was the last album that Waters, Gilmour, Mason and Wright recorded together. And I guess, the perfect moment to move on from Pink Floyd and memories the hapless music executive who asked the band “and which one is Pink?” ?! Oh, and did you know it was Sir Bob Geldof who played ‘Pink Floyd’ in the movie version of “The Wall”?

I’ve just listened to the whole album, at high volume on my headphones, while writing this. Still fantabulous after all those years. Go ahead – put it on…..Enjoy!!