80-583: Silver Box is a 5-CD box set by Scottish rock band Simple Minds , released in October 2004. It includes Our Secrets Are the Same (as disc 5), the band's long-delayed (1999/2000) twelfth studio album of original material. Silver Box is mostly made up of previously unreleased demos, BBC sessions and various live recordings from 1979 to 1995. It also includes, as a final bonus disc, their genuine twelfth studio album (of original material), Our Secrets Are
160-599: A "limited time offer"; and the " Star Wars Trilogy: The Definitive Collection" LaserDisc boxed set, which was one of the last home-video releases of the original trilogy before the special editions . In the context of streaming services such as Netflix , the term "boxed set" often refers, particularly but not exclusively in Commonwealth English , to a series or season where all episodes are available to watch on demand , either in addition to or in place of traditional scheduling . The Wall The Wall
240-687: A bonus disc of unreleased material and other supplementary items, and the "Immersion" version, a seven-disc collection that also adds video materials. The album was reissued under the Pink Floyd Records label on 26 August 2016 along with The Division Bell . The Wall Tour opened at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena on 7 February 1980. Touring continued throughout 1980 and 1981 in New York, London, and Dortmund, Germany. In comparison to previous tours,
320-451: A certain composer or all works in a certain genre, like symphonies or chamber music , performed by a certain orchestra, ensemble or conductor. Well-known authors and artists who have written or produced several related books or portfolios of fine art photography or other artistic mediums whose work is considered historically, culturally, or socially significant may have certain works sold as box sets. For example, one can buy box sets of
400-501: A commemorative booklet about the films titled The Nightmare is Alive and more. Other notable boxed sets include the Dragon Ball "Dragon Box" sets, often considered to be the best release of the shows to date due to the high quality of the remasters and the plentiful number of features; the "Shirley Temple Little Darling" DVD collection, an 18-DVD boxed set of Shirley Temple films which were constantly advertised on TV for years as
480-553: A guitarist." A remastered CD was released by Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs in 1989. Another remastered CD was included in the band's 1992 box set Shine On remastered by Guthrie and Doug Sax . The remaster was released as a two-disc standalone in the UK and in Europe in 1994. The remastered CD would be released in 1997 for the world excluding Europe using a new 1994 remaster which was done for the short lived Mini Disc format. The China version of
560-456: A hallucinatory on-stage performance (" The Show Must Go On ") where he believes that he is a fascist dictator , and that his concert is a Neo-Nazi rally, at which he sets brownshirt -like men on fans that he considers unworthy (" In the Flesh "). He proceeds to attack minorities (" Run Like Hell "), culminating in him imagining holding a violence-inciting rally in suburban London (" Waiting for
640-407: A hot young producer ... When we arrived, I think we both felt we'd been booked to do the same job." The early sessions at Britannia Row were emotionally charged, as Ezrin, Guthrie and Waters each had strong ideas about the direction the album would take. Relations within the band were at a low ebb, and Ezrin became an intermediary between Waters and the rest of the band. As Britannia Row
720-415: A lost gem that some fans have never heard or even know about. Uncut meanwhile admitted that the new album would be the main source of interest, but thought that the music still owed much to U2 , writing, "It finds Kerr and Burchill still a bit in the slipstream of '90s U2 – tastefully epic, techno-fringed and extravagantly exasperated ("Death By Chocolate" and "Neon Cowboys") with the wickedness of
800-458: A major argument in a North Hollywood restaurant, the two compromised; the song's body included the orchestral arrangement, with Gilmour's second and final guitar solo standing alone. Ezrin and Waters oversaw the capture of the album's sound effects. Waters recorded the phone call used on the original demo for " Young Lust ", but neglected to inform its recipient, Mason, who assumed it was a prank call and angrily hung up. A real telephone operator
880-629: A music artist, and often collect the complete discography of an artist, such as Pink Floyd 's Oh, by the Way and Discovery sets. Sometimes bands release expanded versions of their most successful albums, such as Pink Floyd's Immersion versions of their The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975) and The Wall (1979) boxes. Pink Floyd have also released The Early Years 1965–1972 box set, which features mostly unreleased material. Other music box sets compile different artists from
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#1732779493334960-692: A particular genre such as big band jazz , 1960s rock and roll , or opera . They generally feature a collection of various hits from some of the top artists of a particular genre. The scope of such box sets varies widely, with some genre-specific box sets (such as one featuring rock music) focusing on a specific style (for instance, guitar rock or " Summer of Love " music). Two of the companies best known for making box sets are Legacy Recordings and Rhino Records ; both have won multiple Grammy Awards . Prior to Rhino and Legacy, companies such as Time-Life Records and Reader's Digest also issued box sets. In rare cases, box sets contain all original material, such as
1040-480: A wall. The songs create a storyline of events in the life of Pink, a fictional rock star based on Waters and Pink Floyd's former frontman Syd Barrett . The first half of the album largely features events from Waters' childhood and young adulthood, such as the death of his father in WWII, and his wife's infidelity. The album also includes several references to Barrett, namely the track " Nobody Home ". " Comfortably Numb "
1120-400: A wonderful experience for the kids." Griffiths first recorded small groups of pupils and then invited more, telling them to affect a Cockney accent and shout rather than sing. He multitracked the voices, making the groups sound larger, before sending his recordings back to Los Angeles. The result delighted Waters, and the song was released as a single, becoming a Christmas number one. There
1200-687: A world gone wrong." Martin C. Strong meanwhile, in The Essential Rock Discography , complimented the band's new music: "The album's savvy pop smarts harked back to their early 80s purple period, only underlining the shortcomings of Néapolis , while the sassy momentum of "Jeweller to the Stars" could've easily regenerated Kerr and Co's contemporary credibility." Adapted from the box set liner notes. Silver Box (November/2004. Virgin Records) Credits adapted from
1280-490: Is "self-indulgent" and "presents the self-pity of its rich, famous and decidedly post-adolescent protagonist as a species of heroism". Melody Maker declared, "I'm not sure whether it's brilliant or terrible, but I find it utterly compelling." The album topped the US Billboard 200 chart for 15 weeks, selling over a million copies in its first two months of sales and in 1999, it was certified 23× platinum by
1360-467: Is about to give an apparently unexpected performance of his life story (" In the Flesh? "). A flashback on his life up to that point begins, in which it is revealed that his father was killed during World War II , leaving Pink's mother to raise him alone. Beginning with the death of his father, Pink starts to build a metaphorical wall around himself (" Another Brick in the Wall, Part 1 "). Growing older, Pink
1440-524: Is one of the best-known concept albums . With over 30 million copies sold, it is the second-best-selling Pink Floyd album behind The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), the best-selling double album of all time, and one of the best-selling albums of all time . Some outtakes sessions were used on the next Pink Floyd album, The Final Cut (1983). In 2000, it was voted number 30 in Colin Larkin 's All Time Top 1000 Albums . In 2003, 2012, and 2020, it
1520-585: Is preparing to complete his "wall" (" Empty Spaces "). While touring in the United States, he seeks casual sex to relieve the tedium of touring, though in making a phone call home, he learns of his wife's infidelity (" Young Lust "). He brings a groupie back to his hotel room, only to trash it in a violent fit of rage, terrifying her out of the room (" One of My Turns "). Depressed, Pink thinks about his wife and fantasizes about committing violence against her (" Don't Leave Me Now "). Feeling trapped, he dismisses
1600-591: Is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd , released on 30 November 1979 by Harvest / EMI and Columbia / CBS Records . It is a rock opera which explores Pink, a jaded rock star, as he constructs a psychological "wall" of social isolation. The Wall topped the US charts for 15 weeks and reached number three in the UK. It initially received mixed reviews from critics, many of whom found it overblown and pretentious, but later received accolades as one of
1680-483: Is tormented at school by tyrannical, abusive teachers (" The Happiest Days of Our Lives "), and memories of these traumas become metaphorical "bricks in the wall" (" Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 "). Now an adult, Pink remembers his domineering, overprotective mother (" Mother ") and his upbringing during the Blitz (" Goodbye Blue Sky "). Pink soon marries, and after more "bricks" are created through more traumas, he
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#17327794933341760-740: The Grammy Hall of Fame . The Wall , said Billy Corgan at his induction of the Floyd into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , was "at my tender age of fourteen… too creepy, too intense, too nihilistic . And, of course, these are all the things that I believe in now… But at twenty-eight years old, it's one of the bravest records I've ever heard. And I really can't point to anything else that's ever summed up everything that's fucked up about life; everything that's fucked up about rock. It takes on politics, hero worship, rock 'n' roll, and our desires to connect with
1840-621: The Greek Islands . Some equipment from Britannia Row was relocated in Super Bear Studios near Nice . Gilmour and Wright were both familiar with the studio and enjoyed its atmosphere, having recorded solo albums there. While Wright and Mason lived at the studio, Waters and Gilmour stayed in nearby houses. Mason later moved into Waters's villa near Vence , while Ezrin stayed in Nice. Ezrin's poor punctuality caused problems with
1920-505: The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It remains one of the best-selling albums of all time in the US, having sold over 19 million copies worldwide between 1979 and 1990. The Wall is Pink Floyd's second-best selling album after 1973's The Dark Side of the Moon . Engineer James Guthrie's efforts were rewarded in 1980 with a Grammy award for Best Engineered Recording (non-classical), and
2000-747: The 11-disc set Blue Guitars by Chris Rea , In Search of The , a 13-disc set by Buckethead , or Klaus Schulze 's 10-disc set Contemporary Works I . Some box sets become best sellers, such as Led Zeppelin 's Led Zeppelin (1990), George Strait 's Strait Out of the Box (1995), Nirvana 's With the Lights Out (2004) and The Beatles ' twin The Beatles Stereo Box Set and The Beatles in Mono discography box sets (2009). In classical music, box sets often contain all works of
2080-475: The Flesh?", "The Show Must Go On", the side 4 version of "In the Flesh", and "Waiting for the Worms"). James Guthrie , recommended by previous Floyd collaborator Alan Parsons , arrived early in the production process. He replaced engineer Brian Humphries, who was emotionally drained by his five years with the band. Guthrie was hired as a co-producer, but was initially unaware of Ezrin's role: "I saw myself as
2160-463: The Same . Originally recorded between April and June 1999 and originally planned to be released on its own in early 2000, Our Secrets Are the Same was delayed many times and even cancelled until its final inclusion in the box set. The few professional reviews the compilation received commented on the previously elusive album Our Secrets Are The Same positively. Adam Sweeting, writing for The Guardian newspaper, opined, "The album, dating from 1999,
2240-882: The US on 30 November 1979. Coinciding with its release, Waters was interviewed by veteran DJ Tommy Vance , who played the album in its entirety on BBC Radio 1 . Critical reception of the album upon release was mixed. Reviewing for Rolling Stone in February 1980, Kurt Loder hailed it as "a stunning synthesis of Waters's by now familiar thematic obsessions" that "leaps to life with a relentless lyrical rage that's clearly genuine and, in its painstaking particularity, ultimately horrifying." By contrast, The Village Voice critic Robert Christgau regarded it as "a dumb tribulations-of-a-rock-star epic" backed by "kitschy minimal maximalism with sound effects and speech fragments", adding in The New York Times that its worldview
2320-513: The Wall Part 2" reached number one in the UK, US, Norway, Portugal, West Germany and South Africa. It was certified platinum in the UK in December 1979, and platinum in the US three months later. In Germany, the album reached the one million sales mark within three months of its release. In Canada, the album had sold 830,000 copies by January 1981. The Wall was released in the UK and in
2400-406: The Worms "). Pink's hallucination then ceases, and he begs for everything to stop (" Stop "). Tormented with guilt, Pink places himself on trial before his inner judge , who orders him to "tear down the wall" as punishment for his actions (" The Trial "). This is the opening of Pink to the outside world (" Outside the Wall "). The album turns full circle with its closing words "Isn't this where...",
2480-465: The Worms" was cancelled by Waters, who instead settled for Beach Boy Bruce Johnston and Beach Boys touring musician Toni Tennille . Ezrin's suggestion to release " Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 " as a single with a disco -style beat did not initially find favour with Gilmour, although Mason and Waters were more enthusiastic. Waters opposed releasing a single, but became receptive once he listened to Ezrin and Guthrie's mix. With two identical verses
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2560-492: The album omits "Young Lust", but retains a composition credit for Waters/Gilmour in the booklet. The album was reissued in three versions as part of the Why Pink Floyd...? campaign, which featured a massive restoration of the band's catalogue with remastering by producer James Guthrie . In 2011, a "Discovery" edition, featuring the remastered version with no extras; and in 2012, both the "Experience" edition, which adds
2640-520: The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year . Rolling Stone placed it at number 87 on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2003, maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list, although this was updated to 129 with the list's 2020 revision. The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . In 2008, The Wall was inducted into
2720-417: The audiences were much smaller (Waters' having tired of large inattentive crowds). By this time, Pink Floyd concerts had garnered a reputation for spectacle, which The Wall tour built upon. Most famously, as the band played, a 40-foot (12 m) wall of 340 cardboard bricks was gradually constructed between them and the audience. Gerald Scarfe was employed to produce a series of animations to be projected onto
2800-555: The audio quality of the mix, as the original 16-track drum recordings were synced to the 24-track master and the duplicated guide tracks removed. Ezrin later related the band's alarm at this method of working – they apparently viewed the erasure of material from the 24-track master as "witchcraft". While at Super Bear studios, Waters agreed to Ezrin's suggestion that several tracks, including "Nobody Home", "The Trial" and "Comfortably Numb", should have an orchestral accompaniment. Michael Kamen , who had previously worked with David Bowie ,
2880-566: The band a better deal in exchange for a Christmas release of the album. Waters increased the band's workload accordingly, booking time at the nearby Studio Miraval. He also suggested recording in Los Angeles ten days earlier than agreed, and hiring another keyboardist to work alongside Wright, whose keyboard parts had not yet been recorded. Wright refused to cut short his family holiday in Rhodes . Accounts of Wright's subsequent departure from
2960-597: The band differ. In his autobiography, Inside Out , Mason says that Waters called the band's manager, Steve O'Rourke , who was travelling to the US on the QE2 , and told him to have Wright out of the band by the time Waters arrived in LA to mix the album. In another version recorded by a later historian of the band, Waters called O'Rourke and asked him to tell Wright about the new recording arrangements, to which Wright responded: "Tell Roger to fuck off". Wright denied this, stating that
3040-635: The band had agreed to record only through the spring and early summer, and that he had no idea they were so far behind schedule. Mason later wrote that Waters was "stunned and furious", and felt that Wright was not doing enough. Gilmour was on holiday in Dublin when he learnt of Waters's ultimatum, and tried to calm the situation. He later spoke with Wright and gave him his support, but reminded him about his minimal contributions. Waters insisted that Wright leave, or he would refuse to release The Wall . Several days later, worried about their financial situation and
3120-454: The band's "In the Flesh" tour , also created the LP's inside sleeve art and labels of both vinyl records of the album, showing the eponymous wall in various stages of construction, accompanied by characters from the story. The drawings were translated into dolls for The Wall Tour, as well as into Scarfe's animated segments shown during the tour and the film based on the album. It is notable that
3200-491: The beginning. With the November 1979 deadline approaching, the band left the inner sleeves of the album unchanged. Mason's early drum sessions were performed in an open space on the top floor of Britannia Row Studios . The 16-track recordings from these sessions were mixed down and copied onto a 24-track master, as guide tracks for the rest of the band to play to. This gave the engineers greater flexibility, but also improved
3280-569: The box set liner notes, except where noted. Box set A boxed set or (its US name) box set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box, hence 'boxed', and offered for sale as a single unit. Artists and bands with a long and successful career often have anthology or "essential" collections of their music released as box sets. These often include rare and never-before-released tracks. Some box sets collect previously released singles or albums by
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3360-582: The business side of Pink Floyd afterwards: "Ever since then, there's not a penny that I haven't signed for. I sign every cheque and examine everything." To help manage the project's 26 tracks, Waters decided to bring in an outside producer and collaborator, feeling he needed "a collaborator who was musically and intellectually in a similar place to where I was". They hired Ezrin at the suggestion of Waters's then-wife Carolyne Christie , who had worked as Ezrin's secretary. Ezrin had previously worked with Alice Cooper , Lou Reed , Kiss , and Peter Gabriel . From
3440-417: The case of Blade Runner and Alien Quadrilogy . One of the most popular boxed sets of all time is "The Nightmare on Elm Street Collection" released in 1999 by New Line Platinum Series , which contained the original seven films, a bonus DVD containing special features titled The Nightmare Series Encyclopedia , two pairs of 3-D glasses for the last ten minutes of Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare ,
3520-663: The complete series, of a popular TV program, a collection of films by a well-known director or starring a well-known actor/actress, or a collection of films of a particular genre such as horror, sci-fi or westerns. Other criteria for boxed sets have included all films of a series such as the Star Wars series or the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and a selection of adaptions of a particular author such as Stephen King or Jane Austen . Some boxed sets contain different versions of one film, as in
3600-528: The cover of Animals in his book The Work of Hipgnosis: 'Walk Away René' . The Wall is therefore the first album cover of the band since The Piper at the Gates of Dawn not to be created by the design group. Issues of the album included the lettering of the artist name and album title by cartoonist Gerald Scarfe , either as a sticker on sleeve wrapping or printed onto the cover itself, in either black or red. Scarfe, who had previously created animations for
3680-464: The drummer, Nick Mason , was busy producing Steve Hillage 's Green , Waters began to write material. The spitting incident became the starting point for a new concept, which explored the protagonist's self-imposed isolation after years of traumatic interactions with authority figures and the loss of his father as a child. In July 1978, Pink Floyd reconvened at Britannia Row Studios , where Waters presented two new ideas for concept albums. The first
3760-593: The failing interpersonal relationships within the band, Wright quit. News of his departure was kept from the music press. Although his name did not appear on some editions of the album (it does appear on the UK gatefold sleeve), he was employed as a session musician on the band's subsequent tour. By August 1979, the running order was largely complete. Wright completed his duties at Cherokee Studios aided by session musicians Peter Wood and Fred Mandel , and Jeff Porcaro played drums in Mason's stead on " Mother ". Mason left
3840-403: The final mix to Waters, Gilmour, Ezrin and Guthrie, and travelled to New York to record his debut solo album, Nick Mason's Fictitious Sports . In advance of its release, technical constraints led to some changes to the running order and content of The Wall , with "What Shall We Do Now?" replaced by the similar but shorter "Empty Spaces", and " Hey You " being moved from the end of side three to
3920-457: The first words of the phrase that begins the album, "...we came in?", with a continuation of the melody of the last song hinting at the cyclical nature of Waters' theme, and that the existential crisis at the heart of the album will never truly end. The Wall was recorded in several locations. Super Bear Studios in France was used between January and July 1979, and Waters recorded his vocals at
4000-469: The greatest albums of all time. The bassist, Roger Waters , conceived The Wall during Pink Floyd's 1977 In the Flesh tour , modelling the character of Pink after himself and the former member Syd Barrett . Recording spanned from December 1978 to November 1979. The producer Bob Ezrin helped to refine the concept and bridge tensions during recording, as the band members were struggling with personal and financial problems. The keyboardist, Richard Wright ,
4080-461: The group's money in high-risk venture capital to reduce their tax liabilities . The strategy failed when many of the businesses NWG invested in lost money, leaving the band facing tax rates potentially as high as 83 per cent. Waters said: "Eighty-three per cent was a lot of money in those days and we didn't have it." Pink Floyd terminated their relationship with NWG, demanding the return of uninvested funds. Gilmour said he became closely involved in
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#17327794933344160-516: The idea of reconnecting with his personal roots (" Vera "). Pink's mind flashes back to World War II, with the people demanding that the soldiers return home (" Bring the Boys Back Home "). Returning to the present, Pink's manager and roadies break into his hotel room, where they find him unresponsive. A paramedic injects him with drugs to enable him to perform at a concert later that night (" Comfortably Numb "). The drugs kick in, resulting in
4240-488: The impact his past has had on him while rejecting human contact and medication (" Another Brick in the Wall, Part 3 "). Pink's wall is now finished, completely isolating himself from the outside world (" Goodbye Cruel World "). Immediately after the wall's completion, Pink questions his decisions (" Hey You ") and locks himself in his hotel room (" Is There Anybody Out There? "). As his depression worsens, Pink turns to his possessions for comfort (" Nobody Home "), and yearns for
4320-623: The middle of songs) and convinced that they were not really listening to the music. On 6 July 1977 at the Montreal Olympic Stadium , a group of noisy and excited fans near the stage irritated Waters so much that he leaned over the side and spat on one of them. Said Waters of the incident, "Immediately afterwards I was shocked by my behaviour. I realised that what had once been a worthwhile and manageable exchange between us (the band) and them (the audience) had been utterly perverted by scale, corporate avarice and ego. All that remained
4400-613: The nearby Studio Miraval . Michael Kamen supervised the orchestral arrangements at CBS Studios in New York in September. Over the next two months the band used Cherokee Studios , Producers Workshop and The Village Recorder in Los Angeles. A plan to work with the Beach Boys at the Sundance Productions studio in Los Angeles was cancelled (although Beach Boys member Bruce Johnston does sing backing vocals on "In
4480-511: The past and near-present of Simple Minds . Rob Fitzpatrick writing for the NME agreed, saying, "By CD3, " Waterfront " – a neat throb of a single – is bloated into ten-plus minutes of pointless noodling and "Ghost Dancing" is so clearly similar in sound to U2 's " The Unforgettable Fire " it's embarrassing. By CD4 it's time for " Belfast Child ". God no! Miraculously, though, CD5 the band's 1999 'lost' album has some really good music on it in fact it's
4560-432: The plays of Shakespeare , collection of J. R. R. Tolkien novels, or Ansel Adams photographic prints. There are now also digital boxed set collections, such as 21 Shades of Night . Films, television and other video programs on Blu-ray and DVD are sometimes sold as boxed sets, as were certain titles on the now-discontinued VHS and LaserDisc formats. Such a boxed set might include an entire season or seasons, or
4640-514: The smashing of crockery for the same song. Television broadcasts were used, and one actor, recognising his voice, accepted a financial settlement from the group in lieu of legal action against them. The maniacal schoolmaster was voiced by Waters, and actress Trudy Young supplied the groupie 's voice. Backing vocals were performed by a range of artists, although a planned appearance by the Beach Boys on "The Show Must Go On" and "Waiting for
4720-554: The song was felt to be lacking, and so a copy was sent to Griffiths in London with a request to find children to perform several versions of the lyrics. Griffiths contacted Alun Renshaw, head of music at the nearby Islington Green school, who was enthusiastic, saying: "I wanted to make music relevant to the kids – not just sitting around listening to Tchaikovsky. I thought the lyrics were great – 'We don't need no education, we don't need no thought control ...' I just thought it would be
4800-417: The stadium drawn in the inner sleeve highly resembles the Montreal Olympic Stadium where the album's concept happens to find its origin. It seems plausible that the artist was inspired by the stadium's appearance in 1977 and its inclined tower which was completed only at a third of its projected (and present) height, reminiscent of the many "towers" pictured in the artist's stadium. When the completed album
4880-406: The start, Waters made it clear who was in charge, telling him: "You can write anything you want. Just don't expect any credit." Ezrin and Gilmour reviewed Waters's concept, discarding what they thought was not good enough. Waters and Ezrin worked mostly on the story, improving the concept. Ezrin presented a 40-page script to the rest of the band, with positive results. He recalled: "The next day at
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#17327794933344960-470: The studio, we had a table read, like you would with a play, but with the whole of the band, and their eyes all twinkled, because then they could see the album." Ezrin broadened the storyline, distancing it from the autobiographical work Waters had written and basing it on a composite character named Pink. The engineer Nick Griffiths later said: "Ezrin was very good in The Wall , because he did manage to pull
5040-459: The tight schedule dictated by Waters. Mason found Ezrin's behaviour "erratic", but used his elaborate and unlikely excuses for his lateness as ammunition for "tongue-in-cheek resentment". Ezrin's share of the royalties was less than the rest of the band and he viewed Waters as a bully, especially when Waters mocked him by having badges made that read NOPE (No Points Ezrin), alluding to his lesser share. Ezrin later said he had had marital problems and
5120-444: The universe, all in one fell swoop. It really, truly, is an amazing testament to how far they were willing to go to reach the outer limits of what's important." " The Wall is stupefyingly good," Waters declared in 1992. "Christ, what a brilliant idea that was. It holds together so well… And of course Dave's musical influence on that was considerable. Despite what has happened between us since then, I still have great respect for him as
5200-431: The whole thing together. He's a very forceful guy. There was a lot of argument about how it should sound between Roger and Dave, and he bridged the gap between them." Waters wrote most of the album, with Gilmour co-writing " Comfortably Numb ", " Run Like Hell ", and " Young Lust ", and Ezrin co-writing " The Trial ". The Wall is a rock opera that explores abandonment, cycles of violence, and isolation, symbolized by
5280-613: Was "driving us all mad". Ezrin later reflected: "it sometimes felt that Roger was setting him up to fail. Rick gets performance anxiety. You have to leave him alone to freeform, to create ..." Wright was troubled by a failing marriage and the onset of depression, exacerbated by his non-residency. While the other band members brought their children, Wright's children were older and could not join as they were attending school; he said he missed them "terribly". The band's holidays were booked for August, after which they were to reconvene at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles, but Columbia offered
5360-607: Was a 90-minute demo with the working title Bricks in the Wall . The second was about a man's dreams on one night, and dealt with marriage, sex, and the pros and cons of monogamy and family life versus promiscuity. The band chose the first option; the second eventually became Waters's debut solo studio album, The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking (1984). By September, Pink Floyd were having financial problems and urgently needed to produce an album to make money. The financial planners Norton Warburg Group (NWG) had invested £1.3–3.3 million, up to £23.9 million in contemporary value, of
5440-461: Was also an unwitting participant. The call references Waters' viewpoint of his bitter 1975 divorce from first wife Judy. Waters also recorded ambient sounds along Hollywood Boulevard by hanging a microphone from a studio window. Engineer Phil Taylor recorded some of the screeching tyre noises on "Run Like Hell" from a studio car park, and a television set being destroyed was used on " One of My Turns ". At Britannia Row Studios, Nick Griffiths recorded
5520-441: Was an arrangement that was essentially sado-masochistic." That night, Waters spoke with producer Bob Ezrin and a psychiatrist friend of Ezrin's about the alienation and despair he was experiencing. He articulated his desire to isolate himself by constructing a wall across the stage between the band and the audience. The concept was an instant source of inspiration. While Gilmour and Wright were in France recording solo albums, and
5600-747: Was booked to oversee these arrangements, which were performed by musicians from the New York Philharmonic and New York Symphony Orchestras, and a choir from the New York City Opera . Their sessions were recorded at CBS Studios in New York without Pink Floyd present. Kamen eventually met the band once recording was complete. I think things like 'Comfortably Numb' were the last embers of mine and Roger's ability to work collaboratively together. David Gilmour "Comfortably Numb" has its origins in Gilmour's debut solo album, and
5680-445: Was fired by Waters during production but stayed on during the tour as a salaried musician. Three singles were issued: " Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 " (Pink Floyd's only UK and US number-one single), " Run Like Hell ", and " Comfortably Numb ". From 1980 to 1981, Pink Floyd performed the album on a tour that featured elaborate theatrical effects. In 1982, The Wall was adapted into a feature film written by Waters. The Wall
5760-564: Was included in Rolling Stone ' s lists of the " 500 Greatest Albums of All Time ". From 2010 to 2013, Waters staged a new Wall live tour that became one of the highest-grossing tours by a solo musician . Throughout 1977, Pink Floyd played the In the Flesh tour to promote their new album Animals . Bassist and lyricist Roger Waters despised the experience – angered by the audience's rowdy behavior (such as setting off fireworks in
5840-518: Was initially regarded as inadequate for The Wall, the band upgraded much of its equipment, and by March another set of demos was complete. However, their former relationship with NWG placed them at risk of bankruptcy, and they were advised to leave the UK by no later than 6 April 1979, for a minimum of one year. As non-residents they would pay no UK taxes during that time, and within a month all four members and their families had left. Waters moved to Switzerland, Mason to France, and Gilmour and Wright to
5920-546: Was inspired by Waters ' injection with a muscle relaxant to combat the effects of hepatitis during the In the Flesh tour in Philadelphia . Also paralleling the In the Flesh tour was the song "In the Flesh", a satirical commentary on fascism that is also representative of Waters' feelings of hostility towards his audiences. The album opens with Pink, a rock star, addressing a crowd of fans at one of his concerts, to whom he
6000-463: Was keen to have a producer's credit on the album. Their albums since More (1969) had credited production to "Pink Floyd". Waters agreed to a trial period with Wright producing, after which he was to be given a producer's credit, but after a few weeks he and Ezrin expressed dissatisfaction with Wright's methods. A confrontation with Ezrin led to Wright working only at nights. Gilmour also expressed his annoyance, complaining that Wright's lack of input
6080-455: Was not "in the best shape emotionally". More problems became apparent when Waters's relationship with Wright broke down. The band were rarely in the studio together. Ezrin and Guthrie spliced Mason's previously recorded drum tracks together, and Guthrie worked with Waters and Gilmour during the day, returning at night to record Wright's contributions. Wright, worried about the effect that the introduction of Ezrin would have on band relationships,
6160-600: Was played for an assembled group of executives at Columbia's headquarters in California, several were reportedly unimpressed by what they heard. Matters had not been helped when Columbia Records offered Waters smaller publishing rights on the grounds that The Wall was a double album , a position he did not accept. When one executive offered to settle the dispute with a coin toss, Waters asked why he should gamble on something he owned. He eventually prevailed. The record company's concerns were alleviated when "Another Brick in
6240-659: Was scuppered by legal wranglings, but it's some of the best music the band have made in 20 years. Tracks such as "Death by Chocolate" or "Happy Is the Man" recall something of their old pioneering spirit, and show a fascination with the process of recording rather than with prancing about in front of a sea of cigarette lighters." He dismissed most of the third and fourth discs as evidence of the band's progression into "overblown" stadium rock, but admitted: "If you chucked out most of discs three and four from this beefy five-disc box, you'd be left with some fascinating insights and lost nuggets from
6320-499: Was some controversy when the British press reported that the children had not been paid for their efforts; they were eventually given copies of the album, and the school received a £1,000 donation (£5,000 in contemporary value ). The album's cover art is one of Pink Floyd's most minimal – a white brick wall and no text. Waters had a falling out with Hipgnosis designer Storm Thorgerson a few years earlier when Thorgerson had included
6400-502: Was the source of much argument between Waters and Gilmour. Ezrin claimed that the song initially started life as "Roger's record, about Roger, for Roger", but he thought that it needed further work. Waters changed the key of the verse and added more lyrics to the chorus, and Gilmour added extra bars for the line "I have become comfortably numb". Gilmour's "stripped-down and harder" recording was not to Waters's liking; Waters preferred Ezrin's "grander Technicolor, orchestral version". Following
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