10 More Perfect Rock Albums Of The 70s With No Bad Songs
3. Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd (1975)
In '73 Pink Floyd released the hugely successful Dark Side Of The Moon. But only two years later the bands morale was at an all time low. Creatively they didn't feel connected, the rift between Rodger Walters and David Gilmour was widening and the band were feeling the pressures and frustrations of the music industry. As well as this, there was a burning sense of loss for their former band mate Syd Barrett.
Barrett had been out of the band for several years at this point, due to his struggles with mental health. He had spent the following few years unenthusiastically attempting to record solo work and make it as a producer, but by all accounts Barrett wasn't really there anymore.
Many of the tracks on this album refer to Barrett directly or indirectly. Some are pleas for him to get better, others lament his mental deterioration and more praise his creativity. The band also links the toxic nature of the music industry to Barrett's illness, blaming the pressures of the industry for their friend's mental decline.
It's a remarkable feet that this album was created when the band felt so disconnected, the themes certainly reflect a sense of alienation. It's a haunting legacy to both Floyd during the end of the Gilmour and Waters partnership but also to its founding member Syd Barrett.