Pink Floyd All the Songs
Page 55
“Mother” is one of the few songs that underwent very few changes between Waters’s demo and the final version. This is a typical lyricist’s song, in which greater importance is given to the meaning of the words than to the rhythmic structure. As a result, the time signatures vary between 6/8, 4/4, and 12/8 (with a few exceptions).
Waters begins the song with an inhalation and an exhalation in an apparent effort to summon the courage to broach this painful subject. He then sings (double-tracked) and accompanies himself on the guitar in a performance that is presumably “live” rather than overdubbed. His voice is drawling and submissive, with emotion flooding in when he evokes the threat of one day being sent to the front line (1:34). Again this fear of war being forced on the population. A synth pad joins in from the second verse, although it is difficult to identify the instrument. After Waters has sung the opening verses, David Gilmour takes over, adopting a gentle tone and assuming once more the role of mother that he had already played in “The Thin Ice.” He is accompanied by two acoustic guitar parts, positioned in stereo, which are in turn supported by a bass he plays himself (as he does the two acoustics) and organ. The keyboards are all thought to be played by Bob Ezrin. The first two acoustic guitars are reinforced by two more, before Gilmour plays a doubled solo on a distorted “Black Strat,” giving a performance that is every bit as lyrical and successful as usual. In this he is supported by an excellent drum part played not by Nick Mason but by Jeff Porcaro, one of the best drummers of his generation, who sadly passed away in 1992. The reason for Porcaro’s involvement? Nick Mason was having a lot of trouble with the different time signatures, and David Gilmour therefore made the decision to replace him. Furthermore the drums were recorded along with the bass at the Producers Workshop on October 20, shortly before the end of production, which seems to indicate that the decision was made at the last moment. After returning for another verse and refrain, Waters concludes the song alone, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar for the final line.
“Mother” was rerecorded for the movie with the heartbeat of Pink’s mother and a kind of celesta in place of the acoustic guitar.
SMALL VARIATIONS
There is one line in the song that varies from version to version: Is it just a waste of time? on the album, Mother, am I really dying? in Alan Parker’s movie, and Mother, what a crazy world! in the stage show.
For Pink Floyd Addicts
After buying the album upon its release, fans were surprised to discover that the printed lyrics did not contain all the words. The reason? Recording was finalized in a hurry at the very last minute, after the sleeve had gone into production. Hence various omissions and differences.
Goodbye Blue Sky
Roger Waters / 2:48
Musicians
David Gilmour: vocals, vocal harmonies and backing vocals, acoustic guitars, bass, synthesizers
Rick Wright: Prophet-5, Minimoog (?)
Roger Waters: VCS3 (?)
Harry Waters: child’s voice
Recorded
Britannia Row, Islington, London: September 1978–March 1979
Super Bear Studios, Berre-les-Alpes, Alpes-Maritimes (France): April–July 1979
Studio Miraval, Domaine de Miraval, Le Val, Var (France): April–July 1979
Cherokee Recording Studios, Los Angeles: September 6–8, 1979
Producers Workshop, Hollywood: September 12–November 1, 1979
Technical Team
Producers: Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour, Roger Waters
Co-producer: James Guthrie
Sound Engineers: James Guthrie, Nick Griffiths, Patrice Quef, Brian Christian, Rick Hart
Genesis
The second act of The Wall (the second side of the double LP) opens with “Goodbye Blue Sky,” which amounts to a kind of summary of the first side, evoking Pink’s childhood and his many psychological wounds. Look, Mummy, there’s an aeroplane up in the sky, says the young Pink right at the beginning of the song. Although the war is over, it continues to fill the boy with indescribable fear. The flames are all long gone, but the pain lingers on, sings Waters, after asking himself why we had to run for shelter when the promise of a brave new world unfurled beneath a clear blue sky.
The blue sky is a metaphor for purity and innocence. “Goodbye Blue Sky” therefore marks a stage in Pink’s development: the transition from adolescence to adulthood, with the loss of innocence. This probably explains the musical ambiance reminiscent of “Grantchester Meadows” on Ummagumma: the chirruping birds at the beginning of the song, followed by a moving ballad sung to acoustic guitar, both of which take us back to that gentle Cambridge childhood.
Production
After ten seconds or so of nothing but birdsong, we hear the muffled drone of bombers. And it is in this lugubrious, menacing atmosphere that the small child pipes up, calling his mother’s attention to the aircraft (at 0:20). The voice belongs to Roger Waters’s son Harry, then aged two years. Innocence confronting the monstrous. The music begins with two arpeggiated parts played on acoustic guitar (with nylon strings) plus a third acoustic in the center of the stereo field that supports the melody and interjects short phrases throughout the song. David Gilmour plays all these parts on his classical Ovation 1613-4. His playing creates an impression of nostalgia and anxiety at the same time. The bass, in drop-D tuning, is also Gilmour’s work. In addition to bass guitar, there are also bass notes produced by a synthesizer whose sonorities are characteristic of the Minimoog (or VCS3 according to certain sources), and also a Prophet-5. Gilmour sings the extremely beautiful backing vocals as well as the lead vocal. The refrain comes at the end of the song. By this time the bass guitar has stopped playing and the voice, which is doubled and positioned in stereo, is accompanied by the Prophet-5 and the Ovation alone. Toward the end, a train station soundscape gradually merges with the music, and through a loudspeaker a voice can be heard announcing that the 11:15 arrival from Newcastle is now approaching…
For Pink Floyd Addicts
In Alan Parker’s movie, “Goodbye Blue Sky” is positioned between “When the Tigers Broke Free (Part 2),” a song not included on the album, although released as a single, and “The Happiest Days of Our Lives.” The scene is a flashback to Pink’s childhood, and is followed by Gerald Scarfe’s animations on war and death.
The intro to Metallica’s song “Fade to Black,” on the band’s 1984 album Ride the Lightning, seems to have been partly inspired by “Goodbye Blue Sky.”
Empty Spaces
Roger Waters / 2:08
Musicians
David Gilmour: electric rhythm and lead guitar, keyboards
Rick Wright: piano
Roger Waters: vocals, bass, VCS3
Nick Mason: drums
Recorded
Britannia Row, Islington, London: September 1978–March 1979
Super Bear Studios, Berre-les-Alpes, Alpes-Maritimes (France): April–July 1979
Studio Miraval, Domaine de Miraval, Le Val, Var (France): April–July 1979
Cherokee Recording Studios, Los Angeles: September 6–8, 1979
Village Recorder, Los Angeles: September 21, 1979
Producers Workshop, Hollywood: September 12–November 1, 1979
Technical Team
Producers: Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour, Roger Waters
Co-producer: James Guthrie
Sound Engineers: James Guthrie, Nick Griffiths, Patrice Quef, Brian Christian, Rick Hart
Genesis
In the original scheme, “Empty Spaces” was positioned not where it has ended up on the album, but between “Don’t Leave Me Now” and “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 3).” Its eventual place was initially to have been occupied by a different song, “What Shall We Do Now,” which had different words but similar music. Roger Waters explained to Tommy Vance that the substitution was made for reasons of length. During production the group realized that the second side of the album would exceed the maximum length permitted by the vinyl engraving process. Waters therefore took
the decision to replace the song with the significantly shorter “Empty Spaces” (2:08 compared to 3:15). On the other hand, the original song, “What Shall We Do Now,” is very much a part of Alan Parker’s movie, coming after “Mother” and contributing to the dramatic development. This last-minute change to the album presented another problem in that the album covers had already been printed in order to adhere to what was a very tight marketing schedule. The fans were somewhat confused to come across the lyrics to a song that did not exist and to find another song in the wrong place. Fortunately, everything was sorted out in the subsequent versions.
To start with, we hear a distant, reversed voice. It is that of Roger Waters, saying: Hello, punter… congratulations. You have just discovered the hidden message. Please send your answer to Ol’ Pink, care of the Funny Farm, Chalfont… The next voice is James Guthrie on the intercom (again reversed): Roger, Carolyne’s on the phone—okay. After all, where’s the harm in a little humor? Carolyne, of course, was Roger Waters’s wife… Later on we hear: There’s a little secret message hidden. See if you understand. Nick Mason would explain that this bit of fun was aimed at the many fans who were forever scanning the group’s records for subliminal messages. A private joke, in a sense.
And then Pink enters onto the scene, pondering his relationship with his wife and their lack of communication. This culminates in the billion-dollar question: How shall I complete the wall? “Empty Spaces” is a transitional song, albeit one that shows the main character losing touch with reality.
Production
As the last few notes of “Goodbye Blue Sky” are fading away, two sequencer (more specifically VCS3) parts, emerge as if from nowhere. These sequencer parts answer each other in stereo against the background of infernal noises. They are drenched in reverb and supported by some kind of percussion instrument that is powerful but muffled. Gilmour contributes to this disquieting atmosphere with a melody on his “Black Strat” colored by abundant distortion, Electric Mistress, and, again, reverb. The nightmarish atmosphere gives way to a second instrumental section (from 0:51). Here, Roger Waters is on bass colored by MXR Phase 90, Rick Wright is on acoustic piano, and David Gilmour plays a melody on his Strat (high up on the fingerboard) with added stereo delay before switching to very distorted power chords (stereo left). There is also a harmonic pattern produced with the arpeggiator on either the Prophet-5 or the VCS3 Synthi AKS. The mysterious backward message begins suddenly at 1:13, after which Waters’s plaintive voice comes to the fore. Waters enables the listener to feel the full weight of his anguish, all the more so as a kind of phasing (Eventide H910?) reinforces the sense of sadness and paranoia. Gilmour accompanies the vocal line with distorted guitar parts positioned on opposite sides of the stereo field.
Young Lust
Roger Waters, David Gilmour / 3:31
Musicians
David Gilmour: vocals, vocal harmonies, electric rhythm and lead guitar, bass
Rick Wright: organ, Wurlitzer, piano (?)
Roger Waters: vocal harmonies
Nick Mason: drums, tambourine
Chris Fitzmorris: voice on the telephone
Recorded
Britannia Row, Islington, London: September 1978–March 1979
Super Bear Studios, Berre-les-Alpes, Alpes-Maritimes (France): April–July 1979
Studio Miraval, Domaine de Miraval, Le Val, Var (France): April–July 1979
Cherokee Recording Studios, Los Angeles: September 6–8, 1979
Producers Workshop, Hollywood: September 12–November 1, 1979
Technical Team
Producers: Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour, Roger Waters
Co-producer: James Guthrie
Sound Engineers: James Guthrie, Nick Griffiths, Patrice Quef, Brian Christian, Rick Hart
Genesis
“Young Lust” presents a new twist in Pink’s convoluted tale. Having made the transition from adolescence to adulthood, here he is elevated to the status of rock star, and the clichés come thick and fast. While on tour in an unfamiliar city—a desert land, in his own words—he looks forward to having a good time after the show. In Alan Parker’s movie, there is no shortage of seductive young women thrusting themselves forward. Pink is on cloud nine. I need a dirty woman, he gushes. To make him feel like a real man, that is… “When I wrote this song ‘Young Lust,’” explains Roger Waters to Tommy Vance, “the words were all quite different, it was about leaving school and wandering around town and hanging around outside porno movies and dirty bookshops and being very interested in sex (…).”126 And on a musical level, Waters explains: “It reminds me very much of a song we recorded years and years ago called ‘The Nile Song’ [More]. It’s very similar, Dave sings it in a very similar way. I think he sings ‘Young Lust’ terrific, I love the vocals. But it’s meant to be a pastiche of any young rock and roll band out on the road.”126
Before long, however, the raunchy, testosterone-charged atmosphere is completely transformed. When Pink calls his wife, a man answers the phone. And with that he is caught in his own trap: in the company of a groupie and cheated on by his neglected, humiliated wife.
Production
As David Gilmour did not like certain chords in the original demo, Roger Waters consented to various changes. The first of these gave rise to the riff and the second to a significant proportion of the harmonic structure. The collaboration between Gilmour and Waters works perfectly here and has transformed “Young Lust” into an excellent, indeed archetypal rock song, just as Waters had wanted.
The song therefore opens with a very catchy riff. Playing his 1955 Fender Esquire with Big Muff distortion, Gilmour distinguishes himself once again with his guitar playing. And as he likes to have a bass provide the ideal support for his guitar when playing this kind of rhythm, he simply takes care of it himself. It is worth emphasizing that he has a very good feel for the instrument, and unlike most guitarists when they play bass, does not simply try to transpose his six-string technique onto four strings.
On the percussion front, Nick Mason lays down a very good groove, working his kit with considerable power. Unlike his drumming on “In the Flesh?” there is nothing of the garage band about the sound of his Ludwig kit here. On the contrary, the drum sound is very “studio,” but for this song in particular, that is perhaps a mistake. A tambourine can be heard, reasonably discreet in the verses and louder in the refrains, which was added at the Producers Workshop on September 15. The various keyboards on this track are quite definitely played by Rick Wright, as James Guthrie has confirmed. Wright can be heard on the Hammond organ, with Big Muff distortion to lend his playing the desired rock sound, on the Wurlitzer, particularly during Gilmour’s solo, and also, it seems, on acoustic piano during the second refrain (around 1:21). As for Gilmour’s lead vocal, with harmonies from Waters in the refrains, it is simply excellent. His raucous timbre provides a stark contrast to his usual gentler tone, demonstrating his wide range of vocal skills. It is also Gilmour who plays the song’s one and only—very good—solo, with plenty of distortion and above all highly colored by flanging from his Electric Mistress. Wright’s accompaniment on the Wurlitzer is also excellent.
The Idea of the Collect Call
“Young Lust” ends in a surrealistic and unexpected fashion (from 2:47). Waters wanted to illustrate the feeling of solitude and disconnectedness that sometimes overcomes artists on the road. It was James Guthrie who came up with a way of bringing this about. He had the idea of phoning his neighbor in London, one Chris Fitzmorris (who had the keys to Guthrie’s flat). He asked him to go to his apartment and answer the phone every time it rang, explaining that after answering, he was to let the operator speak and then hang up without saying another word. After connecting his handset to a tape recorder, Guthrie was ready to capture any conversation that resulted from his call to London on quarter-inch tape. The first two attempts came to nothing as the operators’ reactions were disappointing. The third attempt, however, was a charm. Guthrie told the opera
tor he wished to make a collect call to his wife, Mrs. Floyd. Fitzmorris plays his part to perfection. He answers the operator’s call with a “Hello?” “Yes,” answers the operator, “a collect call for Mrs. Floyd from Mr. Floyd. Will you accept the charges from United States?” Fitzmorris hangs up. And then the same thing happens again. After a moment, the operator starts to feel genuinely concerned about this difficult situation in which the poor Mr. Floyd finds himself: “Oh! He hung up! That’s your residence, right? I wonder why he hung up! Is there supposed to be someone else there besides your wife there to answer?” Guthrie replies in the negative. She tries again: “Hello?” replies Fitzmorris. “This is United States calling, are we reaching… See, he keeps hanging up! It’s a man answering!” This gave Guthrie exactly what he was looking for. He hurriedly did the edit and played the results to Waters: “I think it’s great,” Waters would comment in November 1979, “I love that operator on it. […] She didn’t know what was happening at all, the way she picks up on […] I think is amazing, she really clicked into it straight away. She’s terrific!”126 James Guthrie continues to wonder whether the charming operator has had the opportunity to hear her own voice on Pink Floyd’s album The Wall.
IN YOUR HEADPHONES
At the beginning of David Gilmour’s solo (1:44), a noise is picked up by the guitar delay. Is it the guitarist urging himself to play with greater ferocity?
Given that his marriage to Judy Trim was hitting the rocks, it is not out of the question that Roger Waters based “Young Lust” on his own personal experience.