NationStates Jolt Archive

Although I am a long time (35 years) Pink Floyd fan, I truly have a difficult time understanding the appeal of The Wall. The album has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. It is the third-best selling album of all time in the U.S and the best selling album by a single artist to be released during the 1970s. There is no doubt it is a favorite of fans and critics.

But, to me, it is a bleak, self-aggrandizing Roger Waters' exercise in musical masturbation. David Gilmor, guitarist and vocalist with the band, seems to concur:

"I don't fully agree with the concept of The Wall. To me it's filled with a catalog of complaints and I don't want to blame everything on everyone else in my life but myself. I think it's too complaining myself. There's some wonderful stuff on the album. I think that's one of the wonderful things about music is that you can have a doom-laden lyric on top of an uplifting piece of music. It juxtaposes and gives you an uplifting feeling about it. I think the film got too black and bleak. Like I said, I don't fully concur with everything Roger says on it; I think some parts are very good and some parts are outright bleak to me."
– David Gilmour, May 1992, US Radio interview

"And my view of what The Wall itself is about is more jaundiced today than it was then. It appears now to be a catalogue of people Roger blames for his own failings in life, a list of 'you fucked me up this way, you fucked me up that way'."
- David Gilmour, February 1993, Guitar World

The Wall, in my opinion, is the most overrated album of all time.

Calling things overrated is overrated.

Sorry, hate the term.

Now that Iv'e gotten that out of my system, you'll know all too well as a Floyd fan the level and degree of bad blood that flows between Roger and Dave and in no small part is going to be reflected in how Dave views Rogers work towards the end of the Waters era Floyd.

Plus, look at the lyrics on Division Bell...shouldn't be throwing stones. "Take it back...' c'mon...

Really, those two needed each other to make it really work.

I think the film in a way redeemed that criticism because in each instance he had the opportunity to establish himself but instead he built a wall. The external reasoning, the excuses he gave, ultimately played, to me at least, as excuses for selfishness. Too out if it right now and I don't have a copy of the movie otherwise I'd go all the way through it to explain myself, but...

It's a good album. I like Wish You Where Here better personally, but I don't think that preference makes the other 'overrated.'

Calling things overrated is overrated.

Sorry, hate the term.

Yet, apparently it is an irresistible term for you as well.

How about if I say instead The Wall, while garnering mass appeal, huge record sales, and critical (though mixed) reviews, does not live up to its promise musically and is not one of Pink Floyd's best works?

Naw, I'll stick with overrated.

Dunno about over-rated, but I think I agree with the OP sentiment. From being a big fan of the Floyd, I was pretty indifferent to the album when it came out. Then grew to dislike it (and then, over the years, that dislike kind of spread backwards until now I find Pink Floyd pretty much unlistenable, apart from some of their earlier stuff).

So, yeah.

its a really good album.

I don't know about that particular album. While I like PF and most of their songs, I was never truely fond of The Wall. That performance they put up in Berlin 15 years ago was... strange would be the right word, I'd say.

Nothing wrong with PF but that album? Mmh. Not to my liking.

That said, I'm off to bed now!

The Wall is alright, but it doesn't compare to "Wish You Were Here". "Dark Side of the Moon" is also better, but not as good as "Wish...".

The Wall is so overrated. Meddle and Wish You Were Here are vastly better.

The only album I like is "Momentary Lapse of Reason". That'd be it. I'll agree The Wall hasn't earned the critical praise it gets.

Rush's Hemispheres is so much better that it's not even funny.

well, havn't really heard much floyd. the Wall is alright. exept I once made the mistake of trying to play tetris while listening to it.. damn thing almost made sense. like I caught a fleeting glimpse of the meaning out of the corner of my eye, but it was gone when I turned to look.

Syd Barrett. Now there's Pink Floyd. I prefer Syd's whimsy and spontaneity to Roger's brooding introspection. Dave is great, though. A class act. I connected briefly with him at a PF show ten years back. Now that was a magical moment.

Rush's Hemispheres is so much better that it's not even funny.

Way to go Bubbles.

There are better Floyd albums but.. well I know it sounds like herasy but.. I can't listen to Pink Floyd anymore. It's too damn slow. People must have had a lot more time on their hands back in the 70s.

The Wall:
Bloated and self-indulgent? Definitely.
Overrated? Yeah, pretty much.
Their best? No way, not even close.

Problem with critics is that they're sheep. Once a majority start saying something's great, very few will stand up against them. They fall over themselves in hyperbole and outdoing each other in excess platitudes and BS about 'classic' albums and 'the Next Big Thing'.

Problem with critics is that they're sheep.
And speaking of sheep, I think the best Waters-as-focus era PF is the album Animals.

Yes, it is overrated.

Although I despise Pink Floyd, so my opinion is a teensy bit biased.

I agree that "over rated" is over used way too much

In the end it is a good album that I enjoy listening through begining to end but so are most of their other albums ...

I listened to pink floyd for awhile before everyone I knew did, then they got so fucking obssed with that shit and play it over and over and it sucks ass and I hate pink floyd. Allot, I fucking hate them. Not try to offend anyone or anything but man that aint music. Its just not. Its nothing. :headbang:

Oh yeah and when I say I dont wanna listen to that they freak out like I've offended their dead relative or something. Damn kids these days.

thats a good question, why do allot pf people freak out to the extreme when you just slightly disagree with the music they like?

Oh yeah and when I say I dont wanna listen to that they freak out like I've offended their dead relative or something. Damn kids these days.

thats a good question, why do allot pf people freak out to the extreme when you just slightly disagree with the music they like?

Everyone has their own opinions, and they don't like people disagreeing with it.

What music do you like, anyways?

Though Dark Side is great, The Wall is better.

I haven't listened to The Wall, so I chose the "Pink Floyd itself is overrated" option. I have heard Dark Side of the Moon, which is pretty much the embodiment of Meh.

Overrated? Maybe.

But it is a good album. I'd say, it's his best (and I know some Dark Side fans are going to hate me for saying that).

But to quote a greater musical genious: "Don't believe the hype" :D

Seriously kids, make up your own mind. Don't make polls to see if you conform.

It's okay. I like their first album more, but i'm still in the process of getting into them.

You excluded a 'Pink Floyd's The Wall is the greatest album of all time' option.
especially when you have a most overrated album option.

You excluded a 'Pink Floyd's The Wall is the greatest album of all time' option.
especially when you have a most overrated album option.

I left it out because no one could possibly think that over produced, narcissistic, Roger Waters ego trip could be the greatest album of all time.

I left it out because no one could possibly think that over produced, narcissistic, Roger Waters ego trip could be the greatest album of all time.

*points at self and waves*

Well actually that's not true I just think it's kikass, at one point I had five copies of ABitW, I know pretty much all there is to know on the floyd, I've converted a crap load of Emos to PF and yet i've never been to a single PF concert, and nowerdays i'm getting into the basis of Prog and Rogers PF, Psychedlia, Jefferson Airplane, Syd Barrets PF, Small Faces....

And I like Animals best...

An Alberta band put out a country version of the entire "The Wall" album. It was brilliant.