Customer Reviews:
 Possibly the best musical experience of all time. November 6, 2008
One_Amoung_the_Fence
I have always been a fan of Pink Floyd, since there works with Syd Barret, all the way until they split.
Out of every genre of music, and every band I've heard of in my years, this album (especially on vinyl) is an experience to be reckoned with.
The sheer force of the lyrics and music expressed on this album are about as good as music will ever get. Period.
(4.5 stars) Pink Floyd's Classic Head-Trip September 1, 2008
finulanu (Here, there, and everywhere)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Probably the most famous and complete of Pink Floyd's many concept albums. In fact, it's a full-blown rock opera, about a rock star's descent into madness and isolation. An interesting theme, and it's executed a lot better than I thought it was, with plenty of psychological manipulation, musical impact points, and big-deal radio hits. It also features arguably the greatest opening in any album ever, the beginning of "In the Flesh?" It opens with some barely audible keyboard noise, which dares you to turn the volume up, just so you can make sure there's nothing wrong with your stereo. And, once you have turned it up, it kicks into the blaring, bombastic but wonderful riff. And that is how you start an album, especially an album as psychological as this one. There are also all kinds of sound effects, just to really mess with your head: helicopter noises, a baby crying in" the famous "how can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?" recitation, anguished screams, answering machines beeping, TV sets being destroyed, backwards messages to Syd Barrett, a naive "Look, mummy, there's an aeroplane up in the sky!"... The album is packed with classic songs: "Another Brick in the Wall, pt. 2," a strident disco-rocker with a brilliant guitar solo; the disquieting, folksy "Mother;" the desolate "Hey You," with some of the best guitar work on the record, hard rockers "Young Lust" and "Run Like Hell," and especially "Comfortably Numb," with a brilliant guitar solo and swooning strings. Besides the hits, the best songs are usually on the eerie side ("Goodbye Blue Sky," "The Thin Ice," "Another Brick in the Wall pt. 1," "Empty Spaces," which could be an excerpt of "Welcome to the Machine," "Don't Leave Me Now," "Is There Anybody Out There?"), though "One of My Turns" is a fine rocker with a searing wah'ed guitar. Of course, talking about individual songs on this one is useless. It's about the experience, you know? If you were to take off all the neat production tricks, the album would still be good, but not as good as it is with them included. Can you imagine what, say, "One of My Turns" would be like without the hotel-room-destroying? Or "Empty Spaces" without the messages to Syd? Or "Hey You" without the little "ping" noises and echoing vocals? Granted, you'd still have a hell of a guitar record (and not just on the hits, check out the acoustic stuff on "Is There Anybody Out There?"), but it would not be anywhere near as good. But the lightly orchestrated, downright beautiful "Nobody Home" stands alone even without the crazy effects (other than some talking in the beginning), so maybe I'm wrong about that. I don't know. Roger's vocal on that song is a head-trip unto itself, and I mean that in the most positive way possible. However, despite all of the album's many strengths, I still refuse to admit it's Pink Floyd's masterpiece, magnum opus, or whatever. There are a few very, very weak tracks scattered across the second disc. The first is nearly perfect, but the second is bogged down with theatrical "showtuney" crap like "Bring the Boys Back Home" and especially that wretched "Trial" (far and away the worst song Pink Floyd ever recorded - I'll give you kudos if you can make it through that wretched excuse for a song without vomiting, but I just skip over it every time), and two awful Queen tributes ("Waiting for the Worms," "The Show Must Go On"). Still, I recommend this one. Sit back, prepare to get your brain scrambled, and pretend that "The Trial" isn't one of the worst songs known to mankind. You'll probably like it. I still think Ummagumma is the group's best double album, though.
Great price, great quality January 27, 2008
Nicole Merli
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This seller gave me a good deal, and the LP was in great condition. Great price, shipped quickly.
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