On this post I will share the research I made about Pink Floyd one of my inspiration for my final project. And also I will analyse one of their most iconic songs: Comfortably Numb.
This song is one of the singles from The Wall (1977), one of the greatest albums ever made. Pink Floyd were very innovative, they chose to follow another direction for this album, unless previous records it is less experimental and more explicit critical about political issues. This album is almost 50 years old but it is still resonating with society nowadays.
"Musically, there is Waters’ thumping bass and cathartic caterwauls, Gilmour’s incomparable tones and meandering, impassioned leads, Wright’s gorgeously twisted synth lines and Mason’s thundering, and at times militant, backbeats. It all provides the soundtrack for Waters’ dark operatic journey through his post-World War II psychosis. There’s a reason The Wall became an anthem when the Berlin Wall came down. There’s a reason Waters, in 2017, posed the idea of performing the record at the U.S.-Mexico border to protest President Donald Trump's anti-immigration, “build the wall” policy. The record’s themes of isolation, government oppression and corporate greed are as relevant today as ever" (Wedge, 2019).
Comfortably Numb the piece I will analyse start on the key of B minor, the mood starts really introverted and reflective. The chord progression used in this section is I VII VI III and resolve again on the I which is a Bm add9 chord. The synthesizers is what really drive the song on the beginning, there is a lot of layers of effects staked and it creates a perfect psychedelic mood for the song. "The contrast between the verses and choruses (they are in different keys) is at the heart of the song’s potency, as are Gilmour’s lyrical solos. It’s all about tension and release" (Cheal, 2017).
On the chorus the key change to D major, and also David Gilmour is responsible for the vocals unlike the verses where Roger Water is singing. After that part occurs the first solo of the song, which are on the key of D major, and it uses the same chord progression of the chorus. The song has a ABABC structure and after the second guitar solo there is the outro solo, which is arguably the best guitar solo of all time. The register and the feeling of Gilmour's playing is what makes the solo great, the key used is the basic Minor Pentatonic and rhythmic figures are not really complex, He uses eight notes, sixteen notes and triplets. Overall, the musical elements of this solo are simple but Gilmour's playing are really passionate and emotive.
Music is a human form of expression and cathartic experience, It is not about complex technique, composition and speed. Comfortably Numb is a good example of this, everything is simple but every note is in the correct place, every register makes sense and enhance the message and feelings that are being conveyed in this song. It resonates with millions of listeners and almost after 50 years of its release it is still a reference for many guitar players and musicians who want to genuinely express their feelings through music.
References:
Wedge, D. (2019). How Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ Continues to Resonate. [online] Ultimate Classic Rock. Available at: https://ultimateclassicrock.com/pink-floyd-wall-themes/.
Cheal, D. (2017). Subscribe to the Financial Times. [online] subs.ft.com. Available at: https://ig.ft.com/life-of-a-song/comfortably-numb.html#:~:text=The%20contrast%20between%20the%20verses [Accessed 24 Nov. 2023].
Your conclusion is that it is simple but passionate - I think a little more could have been said here about the wall/comfortably numb! I think you need to add your own commentary and find what others have stated about this and really look more in depth - you do have relevant quotes but you really could write more
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