Well, I\u2019m back on the road again; I should be over 100 miles from home by now. And since this is a longish trip – around 4,500 miles, give or take a bit – much music will be played to pass the time. <\/p>\n
So, yeah: what follows is yet another musical ramble. Consider yourself forewarned.<\/p>\n
. . .<\/b><\/p>\n
In 1975, Pink Floyd had a bit of a problem. They were releasing another album \u2013 and it was the follow up to their groundbreaking Dark Side of the Moon<\/i>, which was already widely acclaimed as being one of the best popular music albums ever. <\/p>\n
Topping their previous album almost certainly wasn\u2019t going to happen. But they gave it their best shot.<\/p>\n
The follow-up was titled Wish You Were Here<\/i>. It was a tribute to founding member Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd\u2019s original vocalist and primary songwriter \u2013 as well as a rather scathing critique of the music business, circa the early 1970s. (Barrett had been kicked out of the band in 1968 due to increasingly unreliable and bizarre behavior, likely due to a combination of mental issues and excessive use of recreational chemicals – with the latter probably causing or exacerbating the former. And the stress of going from small-time traveling band member to being the “face” and primary songwriter for a cutting-edge hot band certainly didn’t help, either.)<\/p>\n
The album was successful, though not as successful as its predecessor; it topped the charts in both the US and UK. However, initial critical reception was mixed. Many critics panned it at the time.<\/p>\n
The album has aged exceptionally well. It\u2019s now thought to be perhaps the band\u2019s second-best album; it\u2019s also included on many \u201call-time best\u201d album listings.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also perhaps the album were David Gilmour removed any doubt one might have about his exceptional<\/i> skill as a guitarist. For IMO the best example from the album, see the third track below, between approx 2:25 and 4:40. No, that\u2019s not slide guitar Gilmour\u2019s playing; it\u2019s an instrument not usually used in rock music, a steel pedal guitar. And it\u2019s magnificent. (Gilmour\u2019s work on the album\u2019s other tracks \u2013 especially the other two tracks below \u2013 is also superb.)<\/p>\n
I recently listened to these tracks for the first time in probably decades. They pass the test of time. Enjoy.<\/p>\n