Wish You Were Here [Original recording remastered]

Wish You Were Here is a song cycle dedicated to Pink Floyd's original frontman, Syd Barrett, who'd flamed out years before: two grimly funny songs about the evils of the music business ("By the way, which one's Pink?"), and two long, touching ones about the band's vanished friend. The real star of the show, though, is the production: sparkling, convoluted, designed to sound deeply oh-wow under the influence--and pretty great sober too, with David Gilmour getting lots of space for his most lyrical guitar playing ever. And, though the album is big and ambitious, even bombastic, it somehow dodges being pretentious--the Barrett tributes are honest and heartfelt, beneath all the grand gestures and stereophonic trickery. --Douglas Wolk

Wish You Were Here is a song cycle dedicated to Pink Floyd's original frontman, Syd Barrett, who'd flamed out years before: two grimly funny songs about the evils of the music business ("By the way, which one's Pink?"), and two long, touching ones about the band's vanished friend. The real star of the show, though, is the production: sparkling, convoluted, designed to sound deeply oh-wow under the influence--and pretty great sober too, with David Gilmour getting lots of space for his most lyrical guitar playing ever. And, though the album is big and ambitious, even bombastic, it somehow dodges being pretentious--the Barrett tributes are honest and heartfelt, beneath all the grand gestures and stereophonic trickery. --Douglas Wolk

Sorti en 1975, Wish You Were Here est sans doute le plus chaleureux et accessible des concept albums de Pink Floyd. Pas de grand thème philosophique à l'oeuvre ici, mais plus simplement un hommage sincère et ressenti au fondateur et premier leader du groupe, Syd Barrett, qui s'est rapidement enfoncé dans la folie, sous l'influence notamment d'une consommation de LSD déraisonnable... Le disque s'ouvre et se ferme avec les deux mouvements d'une suite ambitieuse et contrastée, "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", où brille particulièrement la guitare flamboyante de David Gilmour. Le morceau-titre, largement acoustique, est peut-être ce que Waters a pu composer de plus émouvant, tandis que "Welcome To The Machine" sacrifie à un certain pessimisme, tempéré par l'ironie de "Have A Cigar", attaque sarcastique contre les excès du show- business interprétée par le chanteur culte Roy Harper. Un disque sans faille, dont la somptueuse production n'a pas pris une ride. --Thierry Chatain

On its release in 1975 Wish You Were here topped the album charts in both the UK and the US. Reflecting the band's thoughts of the time on the music business, and exploring themes of absence, Wish You Were Here contains the classic cut Shine On You Crazy Diamond, a tribute to founder member Syd Barrett. The new Discovery version presents the original studio album, digitally remastered by James Guthrie.

Deeply emotional and thoroughly mesmerizing, this is the all-time classic with Shine On You Crazy Diamond Pts. 1 & 2; Welcome to the Machine; Have a Cigar , and Wish You Were Here . Experience the new 2011 discovery remaster on 180-gram vinyl!

The 'Discovery' collection: 14 Remastered Studio Albums Since 1967 Pink Floyd have produced one of the most outstanding and enduring catalogues in the history of recorded music. All 14 original Studio albums have now been painstakingly digitally remastered by James Guthrie (co-producer of The Wall), and are reissued with newly crafted packaging and booklets created by the band's long-time artwork collaborator Storm Thorgerson. 'Discovery' albums are designed as an introduction to the artist, with all booklets including full album lyrics.