My introduction to Pink Floyd came by way of trying to offload a copy of the Ian Gillan Band's jazz rock effort ‘Scarabus’. Something of an impulse purchase on the back of hearing ‘Future Shock’ it wasn’t too long before it became one I very much regretted, especially given my disposable income at the time consisted of pocket money and little else. Fortunately, all was not lost as a local record shop (yes, we really did used to have such things) would happily take your old vinyl in part exchange for someone else’s unwanted guff and so my brief ownership of 'Scarabus' was soon at an end (and not a moment too soon). 

In it's place was a well worn copy of 'Wish You Were Here', the first album in my collection that could be labelled "prog" and thus destined to send me on a musical journey that would lead to all things Floydian, in addition to opening my eyes to the world of Genesis, Yes, Rush, Barclay James Harvest and even ELP (though that particular discovery lasted only slighter longer than had ’Scarabus’) and ultimately to the “new prog” sounds of Marillion et al. 

It would be another year or two until I became a Floyd-obsessive and so it was in blissful ignorance that I read the lyrics to ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ with no idea of who Roger Waters was, let alone Syd Barrett and the saga of the bands history. But of course there aren’t really that many words to begin with; and this was without question the first time I owned a record where the music outshone the lyrics by some distance. 

If I had ever kept a log of my "most played albums" then WYWH would surely be pretty near the top. This was a record that took you back over the wall, to an era when diamonds were crazy and mothers came with atom hearts. For all the endless debate and analysis of the Pink Floyd oeuvre, for me it remains their most cherished work. Today, it gets played less often, yet I still know it inside-out. An often overused phrase but every home really should have one.

Let us know your views on Wish You Were Here

Track Listing

Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)
Welcome to the Machine
Have a Cigar
Wish You Were Here
Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-IX)

Line Up

David Gilmour – Vocals/Guitars
Roger Waters – Vocals/Bass
Richard Wright – Keyboards
Nick Mason – Drums