Almost without competition, “The Wall” is the most self-obsessed, solipsistic, hate-inspired, misanthropic and disingenuous album ever made, yet it is also one of the most compelling, fascinating and entertaining.

Like a horror film, there is evil and mental illness behind “The Wall,” a barrier that represents a mechanism not intended to protect the outside world, but the chief songwriter himself. As a ‘rock star’, Roger Waters became something that any ‘ordinary’ person could not understand or abide, but he was also self-aware, knowing that he inadvertently separated himself from society, unable to communicate on a normal level with anybody, including his own bandmates. 

The artistic and financial success of “The Wall” is undeniable. It represents a monumental peak for Pink Floyd, but it is also the last album that the four remaining bandmembers would create together. Even so, keyboardist Richard Wright was removed from the band for the recording of the album but kept on as a paid employee for the subsequent tour (Ironically, the tour was so expensive that Wright became the only person to actually earn a profit!).

A film, a subsequent solo tour by Roger, and time itself all added to the allure of the project and today, “The Wall” stands as one of the most compelling and successful projects in the history of rock and roll. But if I sound overtly judgmental in tone, then I apologize because “The Wall” truly is a phenomenon; it’s only too bad that others had to experience pain and abuse in order for Roger to express his own.

Featured tracks:

In the Flesh

The Happiest Days of Our Lives

Another Brick in the Wall

Mother

Young Lust

Hey You

Comfortably Numb

The Show Must Go On

In the Flesh

Run Like Hell