Maybe it should have been called Wish You Were Here: Unwrapped.
There’s no dark shrinkwrap on the new Immersion Box Set of Pink Floyd’s 1975 Wish You Were Here, the album that followed the landmark Dark Side of the Moon. The original LP pressing of the album, of course, was wrapped and adorned with a “four elements” sticker, obscuring the photograph that gives the album its cover. The 3-CD/1-DVD/1-BD Immersion edition (EMI 50999 029435 2, 2011) is not only “naked,” but offers a different, equally striking cover photograph (with the faceless salesman of the original back cover), and even more surprisingly, proffers a sense of humor on first glance. Above the album’s title is the simple banner “Ceci n’est pas une boite.” For those not versed in French, the translation is “This is not a box.” It’s a play on the works of painter Rene Magritte, who dabbled in impressionism and frequently blurred the lines between reality and illusion. Magritte’s works pointed out that no matter how closely we may come to depicting an object accurately, we never do capture the item itself. So it’s appropriate that Wish You Were Here is unwrapped in more detail than ever before across the riches in this box set, but still as opaque and mysterious as ever.
Like Dark Side of the Moon, the album which preceded Wish You Were Here both in Pink Floyd’s catalogue and this series of remasters, the weighty Immersion box set is certainly not a triumph of restraint, but perhaps is one of excess. (You'll find our Dark Side review here!) The set of nine Pink Floyd coasters is back – is anyone actually going to unwrap these and set a beer down on one? There’s another scarf for the fashion-inclined. And there are those damn glass marbles and accompanying pouch! More interesting are the three booklets (one the main attraction, plus one of photographs and one of credits), two envelopes filled with “collectors’ cards” and memorabilia replicas, and an art print. Everything’s been designed by the band’s longtime associate Storm Thorgerson and his StormStudios, so it looks expectedly good. There are small but crucial improvements on the design of the DSOTM box set (more on those later). But ultimately all of these components take a back seat to the music, or the Wish You Were Here album.
Like DSOTM, Wish You Were Here has a strong thematic spine that might account for its longevity after all of these years. It’s, perhaps by design, a less distant, more emotional album than that landmark song cycle. Hovering over the entirety of Wish You Were Here is the specter of founding Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett, whose personal demons forced him to depart the band in 1968. Though now sadly departed, Barrett was very much alive in 1975 and his return to the studio during the album’s making has become the unfortunate stuff of legend. The sole credited lyricist of the album’s songs, Roger Waters, has been ambivalent about Barrett’s influence on the album. Of the album’s nine-part epic “Shine On, You Crazy Diamond,” Waters once said, “It was very strange. The lyrics were written, and the lyrics are the bit of the song about Syd, the rest of it could be about anything, I don't why I started writing those lyrics about Syd... but it was a long time before the 'Wish You Were Here' recording sessions when Syd's state could be seen as being symbolic of the general state of the group: very fragmented.” Yet, consciously or otherwise, Barrett’s spirit and story are palpable as Wish You Were Here addresses the theme of absence from various angles.
Wish you'd join us after the jump!
“Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” the most overt tribute to Barrett, encapsulates Pink Floyd’s musical ethos over its roughly twenty-six minutes (Parts I-V form the album’s first track, while Parts VI-IX compose its closing statement): the languid soundscapes, the searing guitars, the anthemic choruses. The song, with music by Richard Wright, David Gilmour and Roger Waters and lyrics by Water, is tinged with regret, yes, but also with an admiring, encouraging quality: “Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun/Shine on you crazy diamond…Now there’s a look in your eyes like black holes in the sky/Shine on, you crazy diamond…Come on, you stranger, you legend, you martyr/And shine.” That contrast, and the blunt, powerful language, remain as visceral today as in 1975. The Barrett connection is made explicit when the primary architect of Pink Floyd’s debut, 1967’s The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, is referenced: “you piper, you prisoner.” Dick Parry supplies a wistful, elegiac saxophone, which trails off in an ominous rumble against the rippling lead guitar of Gilmour. However lengthy and sprawling the composition, the arrangement is tight and the message is succinct.
The music business is targeted in “Welcome to the Machine” and “Have a Cigar.” In the former song, the showbiz machine seems to eat the protagonist alive, quashing a once-indomitable spirit in a harsh musical drone: “You bought a guitar to punish your ma/And you didn’t like school/And you know you’re nobody’s fool/So welcome to the machine.” The thread continues to “Have a Cigar.” The unfamiliar voice of Roy Harper, singing the lead vocal, adds to the drama of the very theatrical song, which offers a brief glimpse of Waters’ sly humor when the record executive in the song asks, “By the way, which one’s Pink?” Gilmour’s guitar is bluesy, funky and blistering.
The title song is one of the loveliest melodies ever written by Gilmour or Waters, individually or collectively, with Gilmour’s lead vocal conveying the angst of Waters’ lyric, cryptic yet direct in its emotion: “Did you exchange a walk-on part in the war/For a lead role in a cage?” Richard Wright’s piano adds subtle accents and Nick Mason’s drums hold everything together. Gilmour shows off yet another side of his guitar, with the warm, folk-styled accompaniment. Waters' lyrics, again, drive home the theme of absence that runs through the album.
Arguably the single most significant pleasure of the Immersion Box Set is hearing Wish You Were Here in surround sound. There are two surround options, a 2009 mix in 5.1, and the original 4.0 channel quadraphonic mix. The box set includes a DVD with the 5.1 and 4.0 versions in both 448 kbps and 640 kbps quality; the original 2.0 stereo mix in LPCM stereo. The Blu-Ray includes all three mixes in full, superior 96 kHz/24-bit sound. (Alas, the audio DVD’s mixes are not in true advanced resolution but rather inferior Dolby Digital.) Although the Blu-Ray is the ideal way to hear these tracks, the DVD still sounds thrilling.
The quadraphonic mix is a very welcome inclusion, though it’s staid compared to the revelation of James Guthrie’s 5.1 mix (and it also sounds as if it was mastered more quietly). Those who enjoy surround sound most when it emphasizes discretely-placed effects won’t be disappointed in this spectacular 5.1 version, with many nuances gaining detail, and coming to vivid life.
The dramatic panning of the “Welcome to the Machine” effects will excite those looking for intense surround movement. Gilmour’s guitar arpeggios “travel,” first to the left and then to the right. Waters’ bass also flies from channel to channel, lending the kind of true immersion that the box set promises and only surround sound can offer. The crowd sounds at the end of “Machine” are similarly intensified. And you’ll savor the dialogue and radio sampling as the title song begins, and when the central guitar enters up front in the soundscape, it’s an amazingly powerful, crisp effect. The wind of “Shine On, You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-IX)” completely envelops the listener in 5.1. Yet none of these effects are gimmicky but rather feel quite natural.
Unlike in many 5.1 remixes, it’s easy to appreciate the artful integration of the center channel in the 5.1 mix after comparing it to the quadraphonic treatment. More surprising, though, is how well-crafted the original stereo mix is. It also has prominent separation of instruments, sometimes only utilizing a single channel at a time for a definite spatial sense. The original album mix, of course, has been remastered as the box set’s first disc (and is also available separately as part of the Discovery campaign) but sounds even better on the DVD in LPCM Stereo and the Blu-Ray in 96/24 resolution. (Finally, the 5.1 and stereo mixes are available in high resolution on a stand-alone SACD, as well.)
A six-track CD of unreleased audio tracks appears both on the Immersion box and the 2-CD Experience edition. Both here and on DSOTM, there’s a palpable sense of relief that the quality of the unreleased tracks has been uniformly high; after all, the band long resisted opportunities to open its vaults. It’s hard not to be spellbound by the alternate version of “Wish You Were Here” featuring the legendary jazz artist Stephane Grappelli on violin. Though the great Grappelli’s tone is recognizable, it doesn’t detract from the song; far from it. Grappelli subtly integrates his instrument for a texture that’s as otherworldly and ethereal as the song itself. This is the track, folks, that’s worth the price of admission!
Three tracks originate from the band’s stand at Wembley in 1974. During their 1974 tour, Pink Floyd played three new songs in the first half of the shows, as an appetizer for the full-length performance of Dark Side of the Moon. Those three new songs were "Shine On, You Crazy Diamond,” and two that were discarded for WYWH but resurfaced in different form, on 1977’s Animals: "You Gotta Be Crazy" (which would later become "Dogs") and "Raving and Drooling" (which would later become "Sheep"). All three songs appear here. (The DSOTM component of the Wembley gigs was included on that album’s Immersion and Experience editions.) DSOTM offered a track from the band’s unreleased Household Objects project, “The Hard Way.” The songs on the album were actually played with household objects, but despite the novelty (or maybe because of it?) the concept was dropped. It’s joined here by Household Objects' brief, funereal “Wine Glasses.” The sixth song on the disc is an alternate version of “Have a Cigar” with Waters’ own lead vocal instead of Harper’s.
In addition to the audio DVD, there’s a DVD of film content, too. (Like the content of the audio DVD, the video DVD’s contents are also repeated on the Blu-Ray in upgraded quality.) Storm Thorgerson contributes a 6-minute short film (originally from 2000) with images and music related to Wish You Were Here. Thorgerson even incorporates the famous DSOTM art elements in his trippy film. In the same vein are three “Concert Screen Films” circa 1975 set to “Welcome to the Machine” and two versions of “Shine On, You Crazy Diamond.” All of these are playable on the DVD in LPCM Stereo or Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. Even the video menus are well-designed, utilizing the WYWH elements artwork. Still, this disc is frustratingly brief.
Whether in video form or in the enclosed booklets, it’s possible that you’ll be swept away by Thorgerson’s artwork designed for the album and this reissue campaign. In the main book, in addition to lyrics, you’ll find numerous full-page reproductions of the artwork conceived for the album, including the “burning man,” the “veil” and the “desert man” plus a discarded “mirror image” playing on the theme of absence that is so central to the album. It’s a strong case for just how integral Thorgerson’s contributions are to the Pink Floyd legacy; his photographs are striking and still provocative. The artist/designer recounts his process of translating Waters’ lyrical themes to visual form in a one-page essay, a highlight of the book. The decision to include a historical essay in the Wish You Were Here Immersion box is also to be applauded. Though short, Mark Blake’s two-page piece offers the kinds of recollections and insights that add to the overall listening experience.
In addition to the inclusion of an essay, another major improvement over the DSOTM box is that all five discs have individual sleeves to protect the CDs. Never mind that the box itself is the same style as DSOTM, so there are still slots and spindles for the discs at its bottom, and no storage tabs or slots for the loose sleeves; but at least the discs themselves are protected this time around. But for a box as artfully designed at this one, the fact that there is no dedicated space for the actual music is a bit mind-boggling; they fly around the box as freely as the marbles! (And speaking of artful design: the marbles, this time around, are clear, or absent of any artwork. Hmmm...)
Each listener approaches a reissue with a different prerogative. One may wish to revisit an old friend, one may be discovering an album for the first time. Some might be most interested in upgraded sound, others in bonus material, still others in the bells and whistles. However you approach Wish You Were Here, you should be rewarded: by Richard Wright’s shimmering, textured keyboard parts, by Gilmour’s stunning guitar solos, more prominent here than on DSOTM, by Roger Waters’ lyrics and thunderous bass, by Nick Mason’s flawless drums. Pink Floyd’s ode to a lost soul, in absentia – a farewell to someone who was gone, but wasn’t – still resonates.
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Fine review. Still, if you're simply interested in the music, and not in surround, quad, artwork, marbles and coasters, the Experience set is more than enough and best value for money, as in the Experience you'll get all of the unissued track - the live ones and the studio ones.
Yeah, it appears that this box offers less content than the "Dark Side" box for the same price. My only quibble with the "Dark Side" box is the lack of any historical liner notes about the evolution of the album--but it at least had the half-hour video documentary. From everything I have heard about this "Wish You Were Here" box, anybody seeking any information from Waters, Gilmour, etl. al. about the making of this album will learn more from Wikipedia. (I could be wrong; if so, please enlighten!)
The 2-page essay in the WYWH Immersion Box Set is a step in the right direction, albeit a small one. I, too, wish Messrs. Gilmour and Waters would consent to notes or other similar material placing the album in perspective, but they're hardly alone in wanting their art to speak for itself; Bob Dylan and Paul Simon's camps have felt much the same in the past, and Woody Allen is just one of a number of film directors who won't allow "extras" on his DVDs/BDs. But again, the WYWH box is a step in the right direction. And btw, I, too, was surprised that the WYWH box had one fewer disc than the DSOTM set and was retailing for approximately the same. That said, the Immersion box of "The Wall" will have seven discs (one more than DSOTM and 2 more than WYWH), but it appears that will hold the price line, too.
Correct me if I'm wrong but Analogue Productions has just released Wish You Were Here as a Hybrid 5.1 SACD. What is the sonic and technical difference between the two SACD mixes and the LPCM Stereo and 5.1 on the Blu Ray in the WYWH Immersion Box?
Actually, (again correct me if I'm wrong) but according to the product description on Amazon of the WYWH Immersion Box, the new 2011 digitally remastered stereo mix by James Guthrie is only presented on the CD (Disc 1) and not in high-resolution (24/96) audio. The only stereo mix that curiously IS presented in 24/96 on the Blu Ray appears to be the original 1975 stereo mix!
Whats Up With That?!!!!
Hi George, I hope I can clear things up; it's all too easy to get bogged down in this tech talk! 🙂 The original album (on Disc 1 of Immersion and Experience, as well as on the new Discovery CD) is, in fact, the original mix . It's a new remaster by Guthrie, NOT a new mix. The new (2009) MIX by Guthrie is the 5.1. This same 5.1 mix is available on the DVD, Blu-Ray and SACD, though the Blu-Ray and SACD offer it in greater fidelity than the Dolby Digital-encoded DVD. If you have the Blu-Ray, you likely wouldn't need the SACD, unless you're a completist or prefer the SACD format to Blu-Ray. The 96/24 stereo mix on the Blu-Ray *is* the original mix of the album, as is the remaster on the CD. Hope this helps!
I think the clear marbles reinforce the album's theme of absence.
I have two quibbles about the box:
1) They should have included an actual-size replica of the "comic book" tour program which looks very amusing and had printed lyrics for "Raving and Drooling" and "You've Got To Be Crazy" (all handwritten by Nick Mason). Instead, the tour program's pages are reproduced at a much smaller scale in one of the box's photo books, and the lyrics for the aforementioned songs are very hard to read.
2) They should have included an actual-size replica of the postcard that came with the original album.
It's interesting to see how much of Gerald Scarfe's concert films from this era were included in the 'Wall' movie, especially during "The Trial".
The insistence of practically every record company to issue its box sets with insufficient protection for the compact discs is ridiculous and unacceptable. I've bought boxes whose discs were scratched when I opened them.
Excellent review Joe.
First I will say I am happy overall with both TDSOTM and WYWH Immersion sets. You are 100% right, the 5.1 blu-ray is awesome and worth the price of admission (for me personally). I heard some details in the music that I swear I've never heard before and, in the past, I have listened to this album intently with total concentration on many occasions.
With the exception of the music and books, I could take or leave the scarf, marbles and coasters but they had to do something to be able to charge $100+.
As I mentioned this morning I was very disappointed that marbles are basically clear glass with no direct tie to the album itself (unless you really want to stretch and go with your absence theory). I kind of thought the marbles were goofy in TDSOTM box but what the hell, more is better right? I can't find anything good to say about them in this box, they seem pointless to me. If it were up to me each box would have 4 marbles, one for each member of the band. On one side would be artwork specific to the album, on the other would be a picture of each member (one on each of the four marbles). When I saw the clear marbles my first thought was that it was a production error and I'd have to do something to get them replaced. Either way it doesn't matter on the grand scheme of things since I didn't buy these for the marbles and I really don't care about them.
@Bill B said: "I kind of thought the marbles were goofy in TDSOTM box but what the hell, more is better right? I can’t find anything good to say about them in this box, they seem pointless to me. If it were up to me each box would have 4 marbles, one for each member of the band."
Bill... Don't forget there were 5 (band members) at one point, and as little as 3, at another... So maybe the 3 marbles represents the 3 remaining band members at the time of their last studio album... just a guess...
Oh yeah, regarding the box itself and it's lack of proper design in which to house the discs;
Why can't they just give us real jewel cases that fit in the bottom (Eric Clapton's Crossroads box comes to mind). For the price we are paying the cost of 4 or 5 jewel cases are neglible. Also, when you want to take the disc to play in the car are you going to take the whole box? No, you are going to grab a jewel case laying around the house, put the applicable disc in the jewel case and hit the road. Give me jewel cases dammit!
Thanks, Bill. I couldn't agree more, both about the marbles, and especially about the jewel cases, properly fitted in a tray at the bottom of the box set. Oh well, can't have everything...I couldn't have been happier with the 5.1 mix and the unreleased tracks, especially the Grappelli version of the title song.
Oh HELL no. I actually loved the little slip cases and bottom-of-the-box cases in the DSOTM set. I despise jewel cases with a passion and I can't be the only one.
* They break WAY too easily
* They don't do any better a job of actually PROTECTING the discs as any old paper slip cases.
* Most standard-issue cases are too freaking thick for my tastes.(And shelf space)
*Not really related to jewel cases themselves but I HATE when I buy a collectors box set with jewel cases and EVERYTHING including the box, all the jewel cases, and all the other goodies are ALL SEPARATELY wrapped TWICE with these really irritating "security seals" which only end up putting crappy adhesive marks on the cases.
...Yeah, no jewel cases.
Bill says, and rightly so, that he "could take or leave the scarf, marbles and coasters but they had to do something to be able to charge $100".
Problem is, in my opinion and in the opinion of most people I know, scarf, marbles, quad etc hardly add up to something which is by any means near the $100 (come on) which is being asked.
I'll get the Experience and easily pass on this one.
An altogether different matter will probably be The Immersion "The Wall", with Waters' demos, and the live set if you (like me) haven't purchased it before.
Andrea,
What something is actually worth and what someone is will to pay for it is subjective, depending on both the individual consumer and the scarcity (supply).
As an example, if they were only going to print 1000 copies of the 5.1 blu-ray version of WYWH and that was all you got for your money, I still would have paid the $100 just to have a copy of it.
Of course I'd never tip my hand to the record company that I was willing to pay that much before they priced it. Conversely, while I'd love a copy of the Aqualung 5.1 mix, I am not willing to pay $100+ even with the remastered cd and useless (to me anyway, vinyl copy).
You're absolutely right, it's very subjective matter. I'm interested in the music itself so I wouldn't have been talked into buying this even if it costed half the price and was stuffed with ten different 5.1 mixes and a hundred marbles.
What I meant is that I appreciate there's an Experience edition which contains, as it seems, all of the alternate and unissued tracks made available. That's all I need. The Wall Immersion on the other side seems to be worthier also in terms of the unissued tracks made available (i.e.Waters'demos). Cheers!
"What something is actually worth and what someone is willing to pay for it is subjective"....
Amen!!! What I'm willing to pay $119.99 (Cnd) for, is not necessarily what anyone else is willing to pay....
I'm a 'die-hard' Floyd fan so I bought DSOTM and WYWH Immersion box sets. Marbles and all...
For those who are unwilling to plunk down $119.99, then at least there are available, less costly, 'alternate' editions...
Joe, thanks again for the excellent review. Just a random comment. I'm a bit tired of the record companies issuing these massive sets for high $$$. For one they need to spread out the releases so if people are going to splurge they can do so over a longer amount of time. WYWH on the heels of DSOTM is bit too close. Plus (as others have suggested) this set is really lacking a lot of bonus material as far as I'm concerned. I want outtakes and alternative versions but I don't need 7 versions/mixes. I'm just a simple guy!!Sounds like the 2 disc version for me---and they could even lower the price on that one a bit. $23.00 for 6 tracks or so that I want is expensive. I (like most here) want the physical copy but the expense is wanting me to just download the songs I want. I don't need a new version of the album. Cheers, Mike
Excellent review! It's worth noting that the interesting point of the Quad mix is that the mix is quite different. There are extra tracks of instrumentation sprinkled throughout, in places like the beginning of Welcome To The Machine and the end of Have A Cigar, the track is actually longer, and the surround effects are entirely different. So in essence it is an alternate mix alotgether, as to where the 5.1 seems to be more an enhanced version of the original mix, with effects more clear and spaced out in the mix.For all the silliness of the scarf, the marbles, etc, I am quite happy with the audio/visual content.
It has also been pointed out in one of the Floyd fan forums that the second Shine On film was actually supposed to be for the end of Shine on, not a "different" part 1 film. This is actually apparent on a bootleg video release "8mm" where you can see the falling leaf animation during this part. That is probably my only gripe is that this was not researched before making the video content.
Has anyone found the SACD? I have been unsuccessful so far.
Here is the only place you are supposed to be able to get it in the US
http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/77001/Pink_Floyd-Wish_You_Were_Here-Hybrid_Multichannel_SACD
Why would the WYWH SACD not be available on the 'Official' Pink Floyd website???
And..... why is it only available at Acousticsounds???
Seems rather odd to me...
In my experience, Analogue Productions' SACDs do show up at Amazon and other retailers as well as at Acoustic Sounds; we've covered Analogue's terrific series of Nat "King" Cole SACDs and some of their other jazz titles recently, and all were/are available at Amazon. I have every expectation that WYWH will follow that path. Hope this helps!
RE: why is it only available at Acousticsounds???
Because they'd rather people spend the $120 for the boxed set if they want a 5.1 mix.
By making consumers have to go to a single place to get the sacd only package, they insure that most lazy people will just buy the boxed set because it's more accessible.
Uh... labels usually don't commission Acousticsounds. From what I've heard, the SACD is a direct commission from Pink Floyd.
No indiviudal sleeved CD's/DVD in the box I received in the UK.
The Blu-Ray was in an indiviudal card cover. The other 4 discs where lying loose at the bottom of the box.
My WYWH Immersion box-set has the cardboard protectors for the CD's and DVD's....
The 48 second synthesizer coda which follows the laughter at the end of "Welcome to The Machine", but exclusively in the Quadraphonic mix has been edited out when the Quadraphonic mix is presented in the "Wish You Were Here" "Immersion" box. Why this revisionism in a premium priced box set? Believe it or not, there are some old, mid-50-ish geezers out here(like me!) who lived in the 1970's, in the era of Quadraphonic sound, and we had the "SQ" format Quadraphonic L.P. in the 1970's. We DO notice the omission of that 48 seconds of music exclusive to the Quadraphonic mix.
I contacted EMI/UK, and their response, is that EMI has no involvement in the compiling of the Pink Floyd product; they simply release what Pink Floyd gives them.
Maybe the absence of information or historical notes, and the clear marbles leave us with some thoughs..i mean.....how we wish they were there... , i mean, could be a way to make us feel the loneliness of the whole album??.. something its missing here!!! i'ts only my oppinion...:)
Thanks for the very informative review. The clear marbles are indeed strange: they look white on the box back cover. The CD/DVD card sleeves are extremely tight-fitting: I had a dickens of a time extracting them.
I just got my Immersion Box set here in Australia and didn't get any individual CD slip cases, is it a diff. release in Australia
plus I cant play the Hi Resolution Blu Ray Surround mixes, could my Amp not be good enough.