“Wish You Were Here” at 50: Pink Floyd’s deluxe box set is a triumph for devoted fans

Pink Floyd s Wish You Were Here has received the deluxe box-set healing just in time for the holiday season and it s a winner in every practicable facet The band s obsessives and they are legion will find much to adore in this exciting and expansive new release in celebration of the legendary LP s th anniversary Originally issued in September the Floyd s ninth album had the arduous fate of being published as the follow-up LP to The Dark Side of the Moon the band s critically acclaimed juggernaut Wish You Were Here is famously anchored by the multipart Shine On You Crazy Diamond the group s tribute to Syd Barrett their fallen leader who left their orbit years earlier after suffering a debilitating mental breakdown From the poignant title track to the oozing satirical groove of Have a Cigar the album holds its rightful place as one of the decade s enduring masterworks Related These box sets and reissues make a strong episode for buying the music again Which brings us to the box set a three-disc -song collection of remastered tracks outtakes and bravura selections from the band s tour To call the th-anniversary edition of Wish You Were Here a smorgasbord is an understatement Completists will revel in the vast selection of outtakes a musical progress that affords listeners a window into each song s evolution As knowing meditations on the greed and hypocrisy at the heart of the music industry Have a Cigar and Welcome to the Machine shine in particular as do the title track s various incarnations which witness the band at its genre-eclipsing finest Want more from beliefs than just the latest trend The Swell highlights art made to last Sign up here The box set is rounded out by the Floyd s epic April performance of The Dark Side of the Moon and selected works-in-progress from Wish You Were Here and Animals the band s release at LA s Sports Arena The -song set which closes with the magnum opus Echoes from Meddle is not to be missed In and of itself the deluxe edition s concert forays offer a thrilling portrait of the group at the height of their powers Read more about Pink Floyd Pink Floyd is selling the proverbial farm to Sony in a M cash-out on their music and name Pink Floyd and London s notorious UFO Club How Stoicism influenced music from the French Renaissance to Pink Floyd The post Wish You Were Here at Pink Floyd s deluxe box set is a triumph for devoted fans appeared first on Salon com