"ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL, PT. 2" PINK FLOYD (1979)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

The Wall was my introduction to Pink Floyd. While I never gravitated toward the band’s earlier prog-driven catalog – save Dark Side Of The Moon and a handful of anthems, of course – The Wall played a pivotal role for me as a music fan. It’s when I truly recognized the power and breadth of albums, not one-off singles and tracks. As a concept album, The Wall is one of the most complete efforts of its era and seems to live under the shadow of Dark Side. It’s a shame because even a mainstream hit like “Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2” is a fantastic song in spite of its accessible sound.

The second track in the “Another Brick” series, this is the one that rails against abuse in the school system. It’s yet another brick in Pink’s wall. And musically, it pulls out all the stops to place the brick just right – Gilmour’s guitar solo, just the right bit of disco, the samples (“If you don’t eat your meat, how can you have any pudding”) and the kicker: the epic children’s chorus. “Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2” is that rare combination of chart topper, social commentary platform and music melting pot.

“We don't need no education. We don't need no thought control. No dark sarcasm in the classroom. Teacher, leave them kids alone.”

"WAITING FOR THE WORMS" PINK FLOYD (1979)

This month, I’m jumping into the #APlaceInTheSong challenge from @JukeboxJohnny2. Great songs have that special ability to describe places in a way that makes us feel like we’re right there. Each day, I’ll pick a track that I think accomplishes that feat.

Few rock & roll moments can rival the experience of hearing The Wall for the first time as a teenager. I was obsessed with this album for quite a while – and the movie, too. The Wall is an extraordinary soundtrack because, first of all, it’s a true soundtrack filled with songs intimately woven into the scenes of the movie. These tracks aren’t just background noise. Beyond simple ear candy, this was music that indulged the head and the heart fully. There was no filler on here. “Waiting For The Worms”, as a deep cut, is all the proof you need.

“Waiting For The Worms” is a perfect example of the ingenuity and ambition of Pink Floyd. They gave their minds and hearts fully to the music. This track won me over from the first listen. It flaunts like Queen one moment, and trudges like Sabbath another. To call it a rock song is to overlook its complexity – this is more like a composition with four interconnected movements. The megaphone alone crawls under your skin and stays buried there for days.

“The Worms will reconvene outside Brixton bus station.”

“MONEY" PINK FLOYD (1973)

This month on Twitter, @sotachetan hosts #BrandedInSongs – which is a head-on collision of my personal world of music and my professional world of branding and advertising. The challenge is to simply pick a song with a brand name in its lyrics or title. I added one more criteria to my picks, which is this: the songs themselves must be as iconic as the brands they mention. No filler here.

Dark Side of The Moon has triggered very polarizing reactions to it. On one end of the spectrum, fans consider it to be the holy grail of prog rock converging with jazz. On the other end, a sizable population of music fans think it’s grossly overrated. I lean toward the first end simply because I don’t think there’s anything else like it. What’s great about it? Plenty. There’s the creative ingenuity first and foremost, which is prominent in the unconventional song structures, the improvisational nature of the instrumental solos, and the new dimension of sound design and effects.To the naysayers, I say this.You might not like the sound of it, but you have to recognize the magntiude of creativity of Dark Side. Like a Pet Sounds, Aja, Psychocandy or OK Computer, it sounds like nothing that came before it. Just take a listen to “Money” if you don’t believe me.

While “Money” belongs in the annals of classic rock history, the song seems to be more at home inside a tiny jazz club than a stadium. The track begins with the iconic sound of the cash register. This is genius, not gimmick. There was no established template telling rock bands this was the way to kick off a song. This is the ingenuity of Pink Floyd from the very first second of the track. Next, the bass line kicks in, one of the most memorable ones ever crafted. You don’t have to be a rock fan to instantly recognize it. But I think what brings “Money” over the edge is the combination of sax and guitar work. Trippy psychedelic guitar licks during the verses surround the sax solo that improvises in the gaps. Like I said, rock seamlessly blended with jazz. And like any good jazz outfit, one solo leads to another. The song’s climax is Gilmour’s guitar solo exploding greedily for nearly half the song.

“I'm in the high-fidelity first-class traveling set, And I think I need a Lear jet.”

"WAITING FOR THE WORMS" PINK FLOYD (1979)

I started Mental Jukebox nearly three years ago at the beginning of the pandemic. During this time, I’ve discovered new music, rediscovered old favorites and I’ve met passionate music fans around the world. And when things opened up, I kept on blogging. This month, the jukebox goes deeper. The term “deep cut” has multiple meanings. It can refer to lesser known album tracks from well-known artists. It can also refer to tracks from lesser known artists. This month, I’ll be featuring both types. #DeepCutsFeb

Few rock & roll moments can rival the experience of hearing The Wall for the first time as a teenager. I was obsessed with this album for quite a while – and the movie, too. The Wall is an extraordinary soundtrack because, first of all, it’s a true soundtrack filled with songs intimately woven into the scenes of the movie. These tracks aren’t just background noise. Beyond simple ear candy, this was music that indulged the head and the heart fully. There was no filler on here. “Waiting For The Worms”, as a deep cut, is all the proof you need.

“Waiting For The Worms” is a perfect example of the ingenuity and ambition of Pink Floyd. They gave their minds and hearts fully to the music. This track won me over from the first listen. It flaunts like Queen one moment, and trudges like Sabbath another. To call it a rock song is to overlook its complexity – this is more like a composition with four interconnected movements. The megaphone alone crawls under your skin and stays buried there for days.

“Waiting to cut out the deadwood. Waiting to CLEAN up the city. Waiting to FOLLOW the worms. Waiting to put on a BLACK shirt. Waiting to weed out the weaklings. Waiting to SMASH in THEIR windows And kick iN THEIR doors.”

"ECLIPSE" PINK FLOYD (1973)

You can get off to a fast start. You can sustain your opener with the main course, not filler. But can you end on a high note? Sometimes I wonder if recording a strong closer is the most difficult thing to pull off when it comes to album rock. When it comes to the cream of the crop in music, I can think of more strong openers than strong closers. Nonetheless, I still have my favorites which I’ll be featuring on Mental Jukebox all month.

Much has been said of Dark Side Of The Moon in its entirety. It’s a prog rock magnum opus that blended elements of soul and rock so ingeniously. Much has also been said about the marquee tracks: “Brain Damage”, “Money”, “Us And Them” and, of course, “Time”. But every individual track on the album – and the sequence in which they appear – are equally important to the power that Dark Side yields. There may not be a better example of this than the closer “Eclipse”.

Thematically and musically, “Eclipse” is right where it needs to be on the album. Lyrically, it’s the closing statement on an album that relies heavily on its concept theme. It would seem to make little sense if it was placed in another track order. This is also the case in terms of its instrumental composition. It has the structure of a coda – the tail end of a musical masterpiece that seems irrelevant without the greatness that preceded it.

“And all that is now, And all that is gone, And all that's to come, And everything under the sun is in tune. But the sun is eclipsed by the moon.”

"IN THE FLESH?" PINK FLOYD (1979)

Great album openers get the listeners to keep on listening. They can do this in any number of ways. Some openers set the tone by easing us in. Others jump right in and blow our minds from the very beginning. A great album opener isn’t an easy thing to create. More than a great song, it’s all about the sequence. Track 1 has to be the perfect starter. This month, I’m highlighting my favorites. #AlbumOpeningSongs

The Wall was my introduction to the world of Pink Floyd – and today still remains one of my favorite albums of theirs. It made me appreciate the power of a concept album. How all the tracks are strung together by a single idea and a single narrative. The Wall made me appreciate musical storytelling. Eventually this fascination meant getting the poster, watching the movie and diving into other more “accessible” parts of the band’s catalog. None of this would be possible if “In The Flesh?” didn’t reel me in with the deep, tangible conviction that I was going to be missing out if I didn’t keep listening.

I’ve written quite a bit about loud-quiet-loud dynamics on this blog – something mastered by several different bands such as the Pixies, Nirvana and Live. Well, it doesn’t get much better than Pink Floyd’s “In The Flesh?” Gilmour’s opening monster guitar riff gives way to Water’s sinister vocals. The track then revisits Gilmour’s iconic riff only this time accompanied by the sound effect of a plane nosediving in the sky. Never before have I felt like I just heard an entire album after only listening to Track 1.

“So ya thought ya might like to go to the show. To feel the warm thrill of confusion. That space cadet glow.”

"TIME" PINK FLOYD (1973)

For the month of October, I’m taking the #OctAtoZBandChallenge challenge. The premise is simple. Pick a band starting with the day’s assigned alphabet letter and then choose a song from that band.

Day 16

There are only a small handful of albums that shook me to my core when I first heard them. Dark Side Of The Moon is one of them. I didn’t need the mind-expanding drugs to help either. It was always about the music. It was unlike anything that came before it, and I would argue that nothing else after it comes close. Calling a track on this album a song simply isn’t doing it justice. Each one is a sonic experiment, engineered by Alan Parsons and brought to life by one of the most experimental rock bands in history. “Time” is a natural choice for so many reasons.

Clocking in at nearly seven minutes, “Time” starts with its iconic soundscape of clocks and wind chimes, indicating the passage of time in a simple, yet captivating way. This is the only song on Dark Side that includes all four band members as co-writers. Each member brings something powerful to the track. Gilmour’s vocals are among his best. “Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day.” Waters and Mason lay down a rhythmic bed that accentuates the passing of time. And Wright’s organ hooks and the exhilarating backing vocals are the gateway between the song’s firm rock stance and bluesy demeanor.

“Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time. Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines. Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way. The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say.”

"MOTHER" PINK FLOYD (1979)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #31DaySongLyricChallenge

Day 11

Of all the great Pink Floyd songs out there – and there are a lot – this is the one whose lyrics never fail to escape me. It had one-liners that had me in stitches, and it had some of The Wall’s most endearing moments. In 9th grade, I must’ve listened to The Wall and watched the movie a hundred times. I didn’t fully understand what the wall was, but the music was helping me to break down my own walls. “Mother” begins with a deep breath before settling in to a series of unforgettable questions and assurances.

“Mother should I build the wall? Mother should I run for President? Mother should I trust the government? Mother will they put me in the firing mine? Ooh ah, Is it just a waste of time?”

"BRAIN DAMAGE" PINK FLOYD (1973)

The decade in which I was born has given me a strange perspective on its music. I discovered pretty much all of the 70’s sounds – from prog rock to punk to disco – well after they came into the world. It wasn’t until the late 80’s that I discovered what I was missing. I would characterize the decade as one where budding genres leaped off their inspiration pads and came to fruition. For the month of February, Mental Jukebox will feature some of these gems with a different 70’s song each day. #28DaysOf70sSongs

There’s not much left to be said about The Dark Side of the Moon that hasn’t already been said. Critics and fans adore it and consider it one of the most groundbreaking albums of all time. There’s also a minority that considers it an overrated album that doesn’t deserve the attention it has garnered. The Dark Side of the Moon hung in the balance between classic, straight-ahead rock and progressive rock. It was the bridge for many music listeners into prog rock forms. It was a stoner’s album. Its album cover was iconic – a perfect image for a t-shirt or bedroom poster. It was all of these things. But, for me, there was one more thing about it. When I first heard the album and the song “Brain Damage”, they were like markers in my music discovery. There was no turning back.

While “Money”, “Time” and “Us and Them” were easy for me to digest, there was something different about “Brain Damage”. It was slightly uncomfortable to listen to and utterly irresistible at the same time. Waters lamented “The lunatic is in my head”. When I heard those words for the first time as a teenager, I felt like I somehow understood what he was talking about. I felt like I knew the lunatic even if if I couldn’t name it. The instrumentation is characterized by a quiet-loud-quiet dynamic, a four-part backing vocal troupe and Gilmour’s languid, mindless guitar playing. But the most recognizable element is the sinister laugh track. Play it a couple of times and it becomes implanted in your head.

“And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes, I'll see you on the dark side of the moon.”

"WISH YOU WERE HERE" PINK FLOYD (1975)

It wasn’t your typical Pink Floyd, neither falling within the prog rock era or their hard rock catalog. Nonetheless, “Wish You Were Here” was one of their best, most memorable songs - even deemed by Waters and Gilmour as being one of their finest collaborations. It’s one of my favorite Floyd songs of all time because it struck an emotional chord and went surprisingly minimal, allowing just the melody, lyrics and unforgettable guitar riff to shine.

“We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year.”

"MOTHER" PINK FLOYD (1979)

There was a time when I couldn’t stop listening to The Wall and “Mother” was part of the reason why. On a concept album with 26 tracks, this song was glue, holding disparate tracks together with its narrative and musicality. “Mother” flowed perfectly in the spot where it landed, right after perhaps the album’s biggest hit “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2”. What makes it so good? I think it’s two things. The conversational interlude between Pink and his mom. And the musical interlude between the acoustic strumming and the electric solo midway into the song.

“Mother, do you think she's good enough for me? Mother, do you think she's dangerous to me? Mother, will she tear your little boy apart? Mother, will she break my heart?”