LAMONT’S MUSIC NOTES-NOV 30, 2019…ON THIS DAY IN 1979 PINK FLOYD RELEASED THE ALBUM ‘THE WALL’
HERE ARE SOME QUICK FACTS SURROUNDING ‘THE WALL’:
-THIS WAS PINK FLOYD’S 11TH STUDIO ALBUM
-ACCOUNTING FOR DOWNLOADS STREAMING AND PHYSICAL SALES ‘THE WALL’ HAS NOW OVER 53 MILLION COPIES
-DESPITE BEING ONE OF THE BEST SELLING ALBUMS OF ALL TIME WITH SALES OVER 53 MILLION COPIES, THIS IS THE GROUP’S SECOND BIGGEST SELLING ALBUM. ‘DARK SIDE OF THE MOON’ HAS SOLD OVER 55 MILLION COPIES.
-ROGER WATERS THOUGHT OF THE ALBUM AS A ROCK OPERA DURING PINK FLOYD’S 1977 ‘IN THE FLESH TOUR.’ DURING THE TOUR HIS FRUSTRATION WITH THE AUDIENCE WAS SO BAD HE SPAT ON THEM.
-‘THE WALL’ LOOKS AT ABANDONMENT AND ISOLATION THAT ARE SYMBOLIZED BY A METAPHORICAL WALL. THE SONGS ARE CREATED ALONG A STORYLINE ABOUT A PERSON CALLED “PINK” WHO’S FATHER WAS KILLED DURING WORLD WAR II
-ROGER WATERS FATHER WAS ALSO KILLED DURING WORLD WAR II
-PINK FEELS OPPRESSED BY HIS OVERPROTECTIVE MOTHER AND TORMENTED AT SCHOOL BY ABUSIVE TEACHERS.
-WHEN THE BAND PERFORMED THE WALL ON TOUR, A 40 FOOT HIGH WALL WAS GRADUALLY BUILT BETWEEN THE BAND AND THE AUDIENCE ( EVENTUALLY TO COME CRASHING DOWN)
-DURING THE TOUR MEMBERS OF THE BAND DIDN’T GET ALONG. FOUR WINNEBAGOS WERE PARKED IN A CIRCLE, WITH THE DOORS FACING AWAY FROM THE CENTER. WATERS REMAINED ISOLATED USING HIS OWN VEHICLE TO ARRIVE AT CONCERTS.
-THE WALL WAS THE LAST ALBUM RELEASE WITH THE LINE UP OF WATERS, GILMOUR, RICK WRIGHT AND NICK MASON. WRIGHT WAS ACTUALLY FIRED FROM THE BAND BY WATERS WHEN THE BAND WAS IN THE STUDIO, BUT HE STAYED ON AS A SALARIED MUSICIAN FOR THE TOUR. AS A RESULT, WRIGHT WAS THE ONLY ONE TO PROFIT FROM THE TOURS. THE STAGE SHOW WAS SO ELABORATE, THE BAND LOST MONEY ON THE TOUR AFTER ALL EXPENSES WERE PAID
-“ROLLING STONE” MAGAZINE PLACED ‘THE WALL’ AT #87 ON IT’S LIST OF “THE 500 GREATEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME”
THIS IS FANTASTIC CONCERT FOOTAGE OF PINK FLOYD PERFORMING THE WALL
