Musical Thesis: Pink Floyd “The Wall”

At the center of every album is a musical thesis. For years, singles off this album have been swimming around in my music collection. Not until I purchased and listened to the album all the way through, did a complete picture of that thesis come shining through. At its best, this is rock opera with a message about class warfare, education, society and the world as we know it. Pink Floyd succeeds at something most bands can only dream of and that is the telling of a complete story. From beginning to end, every song is precisely where it should be. Each song acts like a chapter in a book weaving together an intricate tale. If you were to move a song around or lose it altogether, the album would lose its impact. Pink Floyd also succeeds at something else here dreamed of by most bands and that is to create a well-aged piece of music that stands the test of time and holds its relevance. So much so, that a 31 year man living in Seattle can purchase the album, listen to it and think, “so much of this content still applies.” My only regret is it took me so long, but then again maybe the timing was right.

Thanks for entering my world,

-Nathan