The guitar solo is rated as the #1 guitar solo in a classic rock song! If you watch the Live version from the Pulse concert, it is just soooo incredible! David Gilmore (lead guitar/vocals) plays his guitar with Feeling, not flashyness!
I was lucky enough to be in the audience🎫 at Earl's Court when the Pulse live dvd was recorded. The entire show was mind-blowing but Gilmore's extended solo was on a whole different level of greatness🤯, he didn't just plug his stratocaster into an amp that night, he plugged it directly into our souls.🎸🪩❤️🔥
Pink Floyd is an English rock band formed in London in 1964. They became a leading band of the progressive rock genre. They are one of the best-selling music artists of all time. They have a huge library of music. Some of their big hits were "See Emily Play", "Hey You", "Money", "Wish You Were Here", "Another Brick In The Wall", "Time", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", "Us & Them", "Echoes" etc.
This is about the time Roger unknowingly had hepatitis and got sick while on tour. They got a local doctor who thought it was a stomach problem and gave him a sedative right before going onstage. He was so out of it his hands felt swollen like two balloons (also a reference to a feeling he had as a kid with a fever of 105*) and he was unable to play, but the crowd cheered anyway so he felt "comfortably" numb.
that is the inspiration for the song, but the song is about an incident during the metal breakdown of the main character "Pink" in the album 'The Wall' .
'Time' and 'The great gig in the sky' from 'Dark side of the moon' should be listened to back to back and I guarantee you will be moved (possibly to tears). These two songs for me are the pinnacle of Pink Floyd and maybe all of music!
This whole album should be listened to from front to back ❤😊 pink floyd is in my opinion one of the best psychedelic/blues bands ever.. Clearly psychedelic.. With an infusion of the blues in many of their songs 😊❤
The ability in their writing for the song parts to be carried by different members as the song progresses is mind blowing. One time Rick Wright might be a leader in a particular note needed during a phrase and the next time it's Roger Waters. They write music like Rugby/Basketball - the ball is constantly being passed around as they close in on the goal.
The entire album "The Wall" tells a single story. It tells the story of a fictional character Named Pink that lost his father as a child in WWII and who grew up with an over protective mother, and was teased and bullied by other children, and who's shoolmaster use to berate and even spank him. As he grew up, he started cutting off people and becoming more and more anti-scocial and metephorically built a Wall around himself to keep people out so they couldn’t hurt him. He becomes a musician in a rock band, and his wife has an affair and leaves him. He uses drugs and alcohol to help numb his pain. He even gets so angry at the world that he starts a hate group like neo-nazis. In the end he realizes he can not live this way (it's killing him), so he realizes he has to tear down the wall. When he does, he sees the people that really loved him were waiting outside that wall all along. The album ends with the very quickly and softy spoken words "Isn't this where" and the very first words on the album is the same softly spoken voice saying "we came in". So the whole album is a loop, the cyclical (never ending) build of walls, and tearing them down, and building another over and over again through life. To fully understand the album there's a movie Pink Floyd did called "The wall" and it rakes you step by step (song by song) throgh Pinks journey into depression and his self induced isolation an back again. It's a very deep, depressing, dark, but very worthwhile story, with lots to say about who we are as people and how fragile we all are. It's a wonderful piece of art.
So when I was about 10 or 11 years old (around 1980 or 81), I found a C90 cassette tape with no writing on it at home. I guess it belonged to one of my siblings who'd all left home by then. I used to listen to music with headphones going to sleep or with my bedroom light off, and I put this tape in..... The music, which started by sounding like it was from outer space, built over about 8 minutes to then go into a song about crazy diamonds. The guitar was great, but it was so weird to me, so different from anything I knew (even after growing up listening to music throughout the 70s) it scared me deeply. The rest of the album was just as strange yet amazing. It took a few years to find out it was Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd. I recommend you put the headphones on, lie on your bed in the dark and listen to it on loud.
As others have said, the Pulse 1994 live version recorded at Earls Court, London is spectacular. The story of this song is quite well known, you hear the two voices, one representing the doctor looking after him. Unfortunately Roger (the writer) does not appear in the Pulse performance.
I was visiting my father for the summer of -88, I was 14 and we were at his workplace. When lunchbreak came, he said that if I went to the store and bought 4 big fishcakes and 2 bottles of coke for us, he would give me something cool when I got back. I thew myself on the bicycle, hurried to the store and when I came back he gave me a ticket to a Pink Floyd concert in Oslo, our capital, later that evening. I had no idea at the time, that it would be one of the most precious gifts ive ever recieved in my life. On the bus to Oslo, there was me and a girl also 14, and the rest were 40+ year old hippies 😎 The concert and the show was obviously crazy good and within a year I had all their albums and knew all their songs. The experience opened my mind and my ears to music outside the radio and the top of the pop lists that my friends listened to. And I have since searched for artists outside the mainstream, and my gosh there are so much good music out there that most people never hear. Loved your reaction, thank you so much for sharing! 🌹
Hi Red, I would recommend the live Pulse version of this song. It will give you a small glimpse of the sheer spectacle of their shows, with an epic extended guitar solo❤️
I love this song because of that _EPIC_ guitar solo at the end. Also, the lyrics right before that. When I was a child,I caught a fleeting glimpse etc., really rings true for me, as I had an experience, much like the one he describes.
"Comfortably Numb",... music written by David Gilmour, (PF guitarist and lead singer), and lyrics written by Roger Waters, (bassist and co-founder of PF in 1964). The song is NOT about prescription drugs or any kind of illicit drugs either, it's about two things that Roger Waters experienced, one as a child. He had the Flue and a very high fever, (Waters quoted as saying 105 fever), and his hands felt swollen and like they were way "too big". The second thing CN is about is,... at a Pink Floyd concert at the Spectrum in South Philadelphia on July 29th, 1977, Roger Waters was having severe stomach pain, and cramping, right before going onstage to perform a show. A doctor was called in and he gave Waters an injection for the pain, att, Waters said his arms and legs felt numb and he could barely standup, and he had a very difficult for him to perform that night. But the pain was gone, and he was able to finish the show, albeit, not in great shape.
It's based in part on an actual event where a member of the band got given a dose of tranquilizer by a doctor trying to get him composed enough to go on with the show. But in the context of the whole album it's one piece of a much larger fictionalized struggle of a man with the darker aspects of fame, and his own unresolved issues. The real event was an inspiration for this part of The Wall.
I believe when he speaks of the fleeting glimpse, he's referring to heaven. Children are innocent and have a memory of heaven, as we age and are jaded by the world, that memory starts to fade drastically and we are left wondering what happened. Where is the joy? Where did it go? Sadly, we will never experience that particular spectrum of peace and joy until we enter heaven again. If we are able.
On the subject of the band more generally... Pink Floyd made music that was wildly complex, in message, and execution. They produced not one, but arguably two of the greatest concept albums of all time. Large, sophisticated works of art, with their own soundscape, and mythos. As such, the individual songs only tell you something about that little piece of the whole picture.
The lyric, "that'll keep ya going further down; come on, it's time to go".... To me, it relates to time going askew when you're high as a kite- or a "blackout" moment. This is a strong lyric for me personally. The first time I ever smoked was blonde hash in a homemade copper fitting pipe. I left my friend's house with my boombox blaring to walk home. Next thing I knew ? I was a block away, standing next to a mailbox. Emerson, Lake & Palmer's HOEDOWN was blaring away- and I'd just came to; not remembering my walk AT ALL. What ? How did I get here !?! Stunning moment, actually.... Set forth a life of enjoyment/missteps....however you view lives like mine. 🚬😎👍
What you brought up is what a lot of people feel or relate too,even though it might not be what he wrote.glad to hear you’re voice great reaction red .
This song is best watched in the live version as played on the Pulse tour, in my opinion, the live version are better than the studio versions! For me, the visuals and the light show are a major part of their art - which is totally missing in the audio only version.
Have to disagree with you on the live PULSE version. It's a pretty epic final solo but the band singing Roger Waters' parts in the verses is just awful. The solos in the studio version also have all of the incredible nuance that the live versions don't.
Dark Side Of The Moon (and the following 3 albums) are meant to be listen "all at once"... But you can have a glimpse listening to "Time", which is fantastic track (among so many)...
David Gilmour is the best guitar solo writer there is. When you hear any solo of his it feels like it is the perfect solo for that song. You can't imagine a different solo could possibly be better.
It wasn't really about mental illness & prescribed meds as such. Roger Waters, the lead singer & writer of this song was inspired to write it when they were touring. Roger got some form of stomach illness during the tour & was just totally worn out, physically & mentally. He was saying he could no longer continue & couldn't or wouldn't be going on stage just before playing in Philadelphia. The bands doctor gave him an injection that he has no clue what was in it, he's almost certain one was a steroid, and something for his stomach, and he thinks maybe something a bit dodgier. But he ended up going out on stage totally zombied out, and the way he felt was similar to a time he was ill as kid & was on strong meds. So this song is all related to that & how he was just feeling in general around that time.
"Pink Floyd-The Wall" movie is basically a 1-1/2 hour music video of the entire album. You should give it a go. Not necessarily as a reaction - that might prove problematic. Just on your own.
@@user-eg9yb7en6n Sir I have watched it, When it came out and all these years later my opinion hasn't changed. That whole movie thing was Rogers undoing. Arguably the best song on the album Comfortably Numb was almost wasn't. If not for Dave being president and making Roger give up a little control. I'm sorry that movie is for someone in an altered state and even then it's just Creepy! But to each his own.
@@redheadedneighbor you have just missed on, arguably, the best-ever combination of Music and Lights at a Concert and I bought my first records in London in 1960 so 64 years ago now. PULSE is THE one,my friend:)
I think if you watch this live it works in a whole different way with them they are known for thier live music and light show even if you dont do it for a reaction do it for yourself and see if it does something different for you. I love all that you are doing keep up the great work. This band is very conplex alot of thier albums are one continous story and should be listened to as such to get the whole picture.
I have to add my voice to others have suggested that you check out the live version from the “Pulse” concert in 1994. It is very special. Apart from that, yes... doctor (or “quack”) conversation with patient. In this case the patient is a performing artist who needs a little something to “keep them going through the show.”
Hi. You have just missed on, arguably, the best-ever combination of Music and Lights at a Concert and I bought my first records in London in 1960 so 64 years ago now. PULSE is THE one,my friend:)
Ps, I forgot to add that David Gilmour is the greatest guitarist on the planet. His solos touch your soul and take you to a different place. He's incredible
a pink floyd album is like a book and every song is a chapter in the book to properly understand there music there is a reason that they sold 50 mil records and the pulse concert of 1994 was spectacular
Even if you just listened to this song, you will certainly be amazed by the live version: Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb (PULSE Restored & Re-Edited) And for two other performances worthy of attention, and which you might like, I suggest: Pink Floyd - The Great Gig In The Sky (PULSE Restored & Re-Edited) Pink Floyd - On the Turning Away Remastered 2019
If you check out the live performance of this song from the Pulse DVD you will definitely have your Pink Floyd moment. I bet it will bring you to tears.
I think you have the right concept, they are trying to get this performer mentally stable to go on stage and do the show. I think the song Time is a great starting point for this great band.
I forgot one thing. If you don't watch The Wall the movie it's difficult understand the lyrics. For example when he says "just a little pin pic" you have to see the scene with Bob Geldof(aka Pink in the movie)
My top performer's to watch on TH-cam are Home Free, Nightwish (2013 Wacken concert), The Warning, Diana Ankudinova, Dimash, and Raye singing Oscar winning tears at the Royal Albert Hall. Can't go wrong with anything from those artists.❤
Comfortably Numb, the live version from the Pulse concert is the definitive version. It is jaw dropping in every way and is often cited as the greatest guitar solo ever, and a perfect performance in every way. Even though you did the great studio version, the live Pulse version is on another level.
I used to like them because of the mellow way they did a lot of their songs and then their lead guitarist was excellent! I stepped back in time. Low bass Kenneth
Give them another try with this song and do the Pulse Live version. The second solo from the Pulse version is deemed to be the best guitar solo ever played. And for another song with are similarly complex and deep meaning and great guitar soli: „high hopes“ (please also live from Pulse!)
the depth of this song still amazes me today. the strings, the horns, the bells, roger on bass, nick with the perfect skins, richard killing the layers of synth and of course david and the lyrics are so well written.
Hi Redheadneighbour. I'm Marshall and I'm from Scotland 🏴. I liked your reaction to Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd but you really need to watch the 4K Pulse concert version of it as it will blow your mind. Their instrumentals and lighting are out of this world. Nobody on Earth does a concert like Pink Floyd. I've been brought up with them since I was a child and there is not one bad song from them since they were formed in 1964. Every song they sing or play has a message in it. You just have to interpret it in your own way but everything thru have said is true to this day. Another song I know you will love is On the Turning Away from their 1988 Delicate Sound of Thunder concert. It's the only concert they played it at. The guitar solos in both concerts are immense. I swear to you , if you watch both from the concerts you will love them forever . I promise you. Please Please check them out. You don't know what your missing sweetheart
The first speaker is talking to our hero who is about to go on stage and perform but he has medicated himself with downers to get comfortably numb and they got a doctor to get him up and going. The second voice is the voice inside our hero's head.
Pink Floyds songs are mostly about LIFE , and in most cases , their music tells the story without words needed. The more you know and understand the lyrics, the more the music touches your soul. The Wall album is Roger Waters autobiography......every song delves deeply into his real experiences and his psychological reaction and at times the damage that resulted. This song is about a real life episode when Roger was in pain and too sick to perform. A doctor gave him a very heavy stimulant ( injection ) that sent him tripping off into a different universe mentally, but also numbed his whole body......especially his hands and fingures. The band performed for over 2 hours around him , covering for his non participation while he just wandered around the stage unable to play the bass guitat he could not even feel in his hands.
Others have given you the background on this, so I'll go a different way... Pink Floyd is in my "Top 5 Ever" bands/groups. Among them, there is no 'favorite' because it's more mood dependent than sound dependent (if that makes sense). Back then, many of us looked at this album in a dismissive way as 'new and commercial....' like they sold out their artistry for commercial success. Most of us later changed our minds after letting it sink in a bit. It was a bit different for them in some ways, but it really DOES work. This particular song was the 'hit single.' The epic guitar solo by Gilmour is... well... epic for a reason. He doesn't dazzle with speedy riffs... he makes the guitar sing, cry, and cajole you into a dreamy trance. Which is PERFECT for this song's theme. Another listener commented and said not to EVER pause a Gilmour solo. That's funny, because as I was listening, I thought to myself, "no-no-no-no... wait!" (It's okay... we forgive you! 😊) Pink Floyd is, in my opinion, a "mood band." You have to be in a "Pink Floyd state of mind." I would never condone recreational drugs, but it's entirely possible that one or two folks MIGHT have enjoyed listening to them after a hit or two... or more, then crawling under some headphones. 😉Many of their albums are, like The Wall, a continuous story rather than a bunch of unrelated songs. Plucking one song out is okay, but one just doesn't get the connection to the story that way. Comfortably Numb and Money (Dark Side of the Moon) are two examples that made it to the charts as stand-alone numbers. Many of their really good songs are just too long to get radio play. Good on YOU, Red, for taking this on! My sense is that you liked it, but you're not rushing to buy their albums online for personal use. That's fine (if I'm right)! You don't have to be head-over-heels for EVERY artist out there! Great reaction! Sorry for the novel!
There are few albums I can specifically remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I first heard it - this is one of those. I was at a local party with about seven or eight people tripping on acid. WEBN in Cincinnati was playing the entire album on air for the first time as a release event while simultaneously the WHO was playing a concert at the Cincinnati Coliseum. That was the last time 'festival seating' was allowed for musical events that I'm aware of because the rush for the door ended up killing people. I know because they had LIVE broadcasts from the tragedy in between the 4 album sides. Etched in memory forever. Glad you enjoyed the album and group. (Yes I was at a tripping party for Pink Floyd - Animals - that's a different story)
2nd greatest song of all time after The Cranberries DREAMS! WElcome to your Pink Floyd moment Red! ( should of watched the lyrics video!) God I love this song! 😥😊❤❤
May I suggest to you red is watch Pink Floyd Live at Earl's Court London the Pulse Concert in 1994 then you will get a performance that will blow your mind the light show alone and the videos in the back ground on a giant circular screen is worth the entrance fee alone.then you have great tracks such as "high hopes" " keep talking" "sorrow" "coming back to life" " and of course " a much longer guitar solo from David gilmour at the end of " comfotably numb" enjoy.❤
Hello red, you should also watch the live video at Pompeii, you'll get an extra 4 minutes of guitar solo plus light show which is the best I've seen. I never tire of this music.
Hi there you are again with Pink Floyd. For me the best rockband ever. PF writes music for people who has lived...and they are doing it in a great way...and way before there time. This song live at the Puls concert 1994 or Davis Gilmour Live in Pompei 2016 is stunning. The studio version is great to....but to short if a dare to say so..,-) Thank you for beeing a great neighbor with great reactions. Cheers from a finn in Sweden.❤❤❤
As someone with chronic neuromuscular pain, this is the Pink Floyd song that means the most to me personally. It was written by David Gilmour and Roger Waters referring to what Roger experienced after getting an injection for abdominal pain right before going on stage. His hands felt so swollen he could barely play his guitar. Later on, the belly pain was diagnosed as hepatitis. Also, it's one of David Gilmour's finest guitar solos which is nothing short of amazing. The "pin prick" was a chime. Please watch the film "The Wall" and it will give you more of an understanding of the concept of the song.
When this came out I would listen to this front to back with headphones LOUD. The Movie is a MUST watch for you now if you want the entire story. (You won't need drugs but it won't hurt) 😎 Happy early 4/20+
You nailed it Red 👍👍 This was my first official watch of your reaction...man I picked the perfect spot to come on board! Please 🙏 check out "Sorrow" from the Pulse concert 🙏 If this wasn't your "moment" that will be 🤯 Spread the love 🐶😎🇺🇸 P.S. you don't get the whole Floyd experience without the lights/lasers... live will hook 🪝 you
Now you're starting to get it! It starts with Gilmour's emotion evoking solos and builds when you hear the complexity of the soundscape that Pink Floyd constructs. Enjoy your journey>
You've chose an interesting song to listen to if Pink Floyd doesn't move you. In order to fully understand this song, you'd need to research what the album "The Wall' is about. There is a deep story about the entire album and it's based on Roger Waters life experiences. After you understand that, then this song, and the rest of the album will make more sense. David Gilmour's guitar playing is beyond incredible and it's also very recognizable.
Most of their famous albums are concept ones in the sense that each song merges into the next following a storyline. With 3 could-have-been-architects they usually "design" an album where the music flows from one "space" to the other. So jumping into a song may not convey the feeling that was originally intended by the band. Its probably better to listen to their albums in entirety. During my journey with The Warning, I have come across fans & reactors from various countries - mostly Americans. What has been fascinating to see is that legendary bands from the UK often don't impress Americans (& Canadians) in their 40s or younger. Cream, Dire Straits & Pink Floyd are few of those. They are globally considered as legends but many in USA don't care that much. Is it due to the fact that Americans are more into performance and energy of a song rather than subtle musicality backed by insightful lyrics?
Hi. So I read through all 200 comments and your reply's so far. I'm sorry, I should have warned you. I think I am like you on this reaction to the studio version. It was good, but it just didn't stand out for you. I get it. But the light show and the guitar solo on the live at pulse concert that everyone is talking about will let you hear and see something in a different light. I do love that you did this for us. Keep shining and enjoy the love and attention you invoke in the folks 😉
He's comfortably numb - behind the wall he (with "help" from his mother) has built around himsoelf. Context from earlier in the album helps. Sorry there are two comments - I can't edit (laptop totally dead, mobile too old to update OS, so cannot update TH-cam, etc.)
it is about Waters not Gilmour, Waters is the creator and lyricist of the thoughts involved in the lyrics on this and other albums, Gilmour was the brilliant musician and partly the singer
Hi redhead neighbour, you really, really, really need to watch On the Turning Away from their Delicate Sound of Thunder concert from 1988. The musicians and the backing singers are incredible and the guitar solos are out of this world. They are truly fantastic. No band on Earth will ever compete with them. They are undoubtedly the greatest band ever formed. They are truly light years ahead of any band. They were doing things in the 1960''s and 1970's way before anybody. They have influenced more bands than any band can ever do. What they have done for music is unbelievable. If you want to find out how great they are, watch Echoes at Pompeii. True magical musicians. I honestly and truly recommend you listen to their music. I know you liked Comfortablyy Numb on the album, but that is nothing compared to the 4K uncut version at their Pulse concert. That's the full version of it. It's far better than the album version. Please please please watch it. I swear to God you will love it forever
You don't know what your missing until you watch their concerts. You will never see anything like them. 52,000 lights were used at the Earls Court concert from 1994. There light shows are second second to none
@@redheadedneighbor PULSE LIVE,please and you will see the difference as long as you promise never to pause a guitar solo let alone Sir David Gilmore's:)
Pink Floyd are an album band . One song in isolation , even if brilliant , might not get you there . The Wall for example is a double album and each track is part of the story . Dark Side of the Moon is the same , a 45 minute story . Understand this and you will get Floyd .
This is a great song, awesome guitar work, but it is also a part of the whole story, and only a small part. the whole album is the story. If you find it easier to watch, rather than just listen, there is a movie made of it. if you want to understand the reason of this song, you need to listen to the whole album.
The guitar solo is rated as the #1 guitar solo in a classic rock song! If you watch the Live version from the Pulse concert, it is just soooo incredible! David Gilmore (lead guitar/vocals) plays his guitar with Feeling, not flashyness!
I was lucky enough to be in the audience🎫 at Earl's Court when the Pulse live dvd was recorded. The entire show was mind-blowing but Gilmore's extended solo was on a whole different level of greatness🤯, he didn't just plug his stratocaster into an amp that night, he plugged it directly into our souls.🎸🪩❤️🔥
it's overrated in my opinion. High Hopes has a better solo
@@user-gk3lu1gg9t LOL
My "Pink Floyd" moment came when I heard Great Gig in the Sky. The vocals STILL give me chills and I've been listening to it for a long time. :)
100% agree with you @talon68
Pink Floyd is an English rock band formed in London in 1964. They became a leading band of the progressive rock genre. They are one of the best-selling music artists of all time. They have a huge library of music. Some of their big hits were "See Emily Play", "Hey You", "Money", "Wish You Were Here", "Another Brick In The Wall", "Time", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", "Us & Them", "Echoes" etc.
This song is on everyone's short list for greatest guitar solos of all time.
This is about the time Roger unknowingly had hepatitis and got sick while on tour. They got a local doctor who thought it was a stomach problem and gave him a sedative right before going onstage. He was so out of it his hands felt swollen like two balloons (also a reference to a feeling he had as a kid with a fever of 105*) and he was unable to play, but the crowd cheered anyway so he felt "comfortably" numb.
that is the inspiration for the song, but the song is about an incident during the metal breakdown of the main character "Pink" in the album 'The Wall' .
It actually happened before the IN THE FLESH TOUR (THE ANIMALS TOUR) before the Philadelphia show in 1977.@@harryhager4128
'Time' and 'The great gig in the sky' from 'Dark side of the moon' should be listened to back to back and I guarantee you will be moved (possibly to tears). These two songs for me are the pinnacle of Pink Floyd and maybe all of music!
Totally agree with this comment. Time is one lyrical masterpiece, and Great gig in the sky, says it all without ANY lyrics.
The whole album
This whole album should be listened to from front to back ❤😊 pink floyd is in my opinion one of the best psychedelic/blues bands ever.. Clearly psychedelic.. With an infusion of the blues in many of their songs 😊❤
The ability in their writing for the song parts to be carried by different members as the song progresses is mind blowing. One time Rick Wright might be a leader in a particular note needed during a phrase and the next time it's Roger Waters. They write music like Rugby/Basketball - the ball is constantly being passed around as they close in on the goal.
Check out the live version of this song at their great Pulse concert. They add a whole new dimension to this piece.
Amen! This ^
on point...
Yeh but sadly no Roger!
The entire album "The Wall" tells a single story. It tells the story of a fictional character Named Pink that lost his father as a child in WWII and who grew up with an over protective mother, and was teased and bullied by other children, and who's shoolmaster use to berate and even spank him. As he grew up, he started cutting off people and becoming more and more anti-scocial and metephorically built a Wall around himself to keep people out so they couldn’t hurt him. He becomes a musician in a rock band, and his wife has an affair and leaves him. He uses drugs and alcohol to help numb his pain. He even gets so angry at the world that he starts a hate group like neo-nazis. In the end he realizes he can not live this way (it's killing him), so he realizes he has to tear down the wall. When he does, he sees the people that really loved him were waiting outside that wall all along.
The album ends with the very quickly and softy spoken words "Isn't this where" and the very first words on the album is the same softly spoken voice saying "we came in".
So the whole album is a loop, the cyclical (never ending) build of walls, and tearing them down, and building another over and over again through life.
To fully understand the album there's a movie Pink Floyd did called "The wall" and it rakes you step by step (song by song) throgh Pinks journey into depression and his self induced isolation an back again. It's a very deep, depressing, dark, but very worthwhile story, with lots to say about who we are as people and how fragile we all are. It's a wonderful piece of art.
Beautiful and beautifully written by you
They transcend music. Each and every one of their songs have a meaning , you got it right as far as you understood, keep up with the great insights 😊😢
One doesn't merely listen to Pink Floyd, One experiences them. Welcome to the rabbit hole!
If you want a Pink Floyd song with lyrics that will hit you in the gut, check out "Time". That one is real.
So when I was about 10 or 11 years old (around 1980 or 81), I found a C90 cassette tape with no writing on it at home. I guess it belonged to one of my siblings who'd all left home by then. I used to listen to music with headphones going to sleep or with my bedroom light off, and I put this tape in.....
The music, which started by sounding like it was from outer space, built over about 8 minutes to then go into a song about crazy diamonds. The guitar was great, but it was so weird to me, so different from anything I knew (even after growing up listening to music throughout the 70s) it scared me deeply.
The rest of the album was just as strange yet amazing.
It took a few years to find out it was Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd.
I recommend you put the headphones on, lie on your bed in the dark and listen to it on loud.
As others have said, the Pulse 1994 live version recorded at Earls Court, London is spectacular. The story of this song is quite well known, you hear the two voices, one representing the doctor looking after him. Unfortunately Roger (the writer) does not appear in the Pulse performance.
As a guitarist for over 40 years, i have my fav guitarists! David Gilmour is right up there!
I was visiting my father for the summer of -88, I was 14 and we were at his workplace. When lunchbreak came, he said that if I went to the store and bought 4 big fishcakes and 2 bottles of coke for us, he would give me something cool when I got back. I thew myself on the bicycle, hurried to the store and when I came back he gave me a ticket to a Pink Floyd concert in Oslo, our capital, later that evening. I had no idea at the time, that it would be one of the most precious gifts ive ever recieved in my life. On the bus to Oslo, there was me and a girl also 14, and the rest were 40+ year old hippies 😎 The concert and the show was obviously crazy good and within a year I had all their albums and knew all their songs. The experience opened my mind and my ears to music outside the radio and the top of the pop lists that my friends listened to. And I have since searched for artists outside the mainstream, and my gosh there are so much good music out there that most people never hear.
Loved your reaction, thank you so much for sharing! 🌹
This!🥹💕💕💕💕
Nice post
Hi Red, I would recommend the live Pulse version of this song. It will give you a small glimpse of the sheer spectacle of their shows, with an epic extended guitar solo❤️
Yah, it’s almost like the studio version is just a teaser
I love this song because of that _EPIC_ guitar solo at the end. Also, the lyrics right before that. When I was a child,I caught a fleeting glimpse etc., really rings true for me, as I had an experience, much like the one he describes.
"Comfortably Numb",... music written by David Gilmour, (PF guitarist and lead singer), and lyrics written by Roger Waters, (bassist and co-founder of PF in 1964).
The song is NOT about prescription drugs or any kind of illicit drugs either, it's about two things that Roger Waters experienced, one as a child. He had the Flue and a very high fever, (Waters quoted as saying 105 fever), and his hands felt swollen and like they were way "too big".
The second thing CN is about is,... at a Pink Floyd concert at the Spectrum in South Philadelphia on July 29th, 1977, Roger Waters was having severe stomach pain, and cramping, right before going onstage to perform a show.
A doctor was called in and he gave Waters an injection for the pain, att, Waters said his arms and legs felt numb and he could barely standup, and he had a very difficult for him to perform that night.
But the pain was gone, and he was able to finish the show, albeit, not in great shape.
It's based in part on an actual event where a member of the band got given a dose of tranquilizer by a doctor trying to get him composed enough to go on with the show. But in the context of the whole album it's one piece of a much larger fictionalized struggle of a man with the darker aspects of fame, and his own unresolved issues. The real event was an inspiration for this part of The Wall.
I believe when he speaks of the fleeting glimpse, he's referring to heaven. Children are innocent and have a memory of heaven, as we age and are jaded by the world, that memory starts to fade drastically and we are left wondering what happened. Where is the joy? Where did it go? Sadly, we will never experience that particular spectrum of peace and joy until we enter heaven again. If we are able.
Thank you for this insight
On the subject of the band more generally... Pink Floyd made music that was wildly complex, in message, and execution. They produced not one, but arguably two of the greatest concept albums of all time. Large, sophisticated works of art, with their own soundscape, and mythos. As such, the individual songs only tell you something about that little piece of the whole picture.
Look up the 10 best selling albums of all time.
Two of those will be Pink Floyd.
These boys are no joke.
Great reaction video - thank you!
If you want the deepest dive into the emotions surrounding Death you will ever hear
Pink Floyd "The Great Gig in the Sky"
The lyric, "that'll keep ya going further down; come on, it's time to go"....
To me, it relates to time going askew when you're high as a kite- or a "blackout" moment.
This is a strong lyric for me personally.
The first time I ever smoked was blonde hash in a homemade copper fitting pipe. I left my friend's house with my boombox blaring to walk home. Next thing I knew ? I was a block away, standing next to a mailbox. Emerson, Lake & Palmer's HOEDOWN was blaring away- and I'd just came to; not remembering my walk AT ALL. What ? How did I get here !?! Stunning moment, actually....
Set forth a life of enjoyment/missteps....however you view lives like mine.
🚬😎👍
🔥🔥🔥
Sorry to break it to you but the correct lyrics are "that'll keep you going through the show, come on it's time to go."
What you brought up is what a lot of people feel or relate too,even though it might not be what he wrote.glad to hear you’re voice great reaction red .
This song is best watched in the live version as played on the Pulse tour, in my opinion, the live version are better than the studio versions! For me, the visuals and the light show are a major part of their art - which is totally missing in the audio only version.
I love it when artists are better live. Connecting with the crowd..
I disagree. I love the Pulse tour version, but the album version is perfection. You can't improve on perfection.
Have to disagree with you on the live PULSE version. It's a pretty epic final solo but the band singing Roger Waters' parts in the verses is just awful. The solos in the studio version also have all of the incredible nuance that the live versions don't.
Dark Side Of The Moon (and the following 3 albums) are meant to be listen "all at once"...
But you can have a glimpse listening to "Time", which is fantastic track (among so many)...
David Gilmour is the best guitar solo writer there is. When you hear any solo of his it feels like it is the perfect solo for that song. You can't imagine a different solo could possibly be better.
It wasn't really about mental illness & prescribed meds as such. Roger Waters, the lead singer & writer of this song was inspired to write it when they were touring. Roger got some form of stomach illness during the tour & was just totally worn out, physically & mentally. He was saying he could no longer continue & couldn't or wouldn't be going on stage just before playing in Philadelphia. The bands doctor gave him an injection that he has no clue what was in it, he's almost certain one was a steroid, and something for his stomach, and he thinks maybe something a bit dodgier. But he ended up going out on stage totally zombied out, and the way he felt was similar to a time he was ill as kid & was on strong meds. So this song is all related to that & how he was just feeling in general around that time.
THIS IS BY FAR THE GREATEST SONG OF ALL TIME! (actually 2nd best after THE CRANBERRIES "DREAMS") ..........THIS FUCKING SONG MEANS EVERYTHING! ❤❤❤❤
Nice one RedHead, For me there's been numerous bands that I just can't fathom first time of listening !
"Pink Floyd-The Wall" movie is basically a 1-1/2 hour music video of the entire album. You should give it a go. Not necessarily as a reaction - that might prove problematic. Just on your own.
In my opinion the worst thing you could ever do is watch that movie. Even the video that goes along with this song is SUPER SUPER creepy.
Watch the entire movie and it will all come clear
@@user-eg9yb7en6n Sir I have watched it, When it came out and all these years later my opinion hasn't changed. That whole movie thing was Rogers undoing. Arguably the best song on the album Comfortably Numb was almost wasn't. If not for Dave being president and making Roger give up a little control.
I'm sorry that movie is for someone in an altered state and even then it's just Creepy! But to each his own.
That is your opinion and I respect that, and I have my opinion and will stick to it as I have experienced that song in reality.
Awesome song! Waters and Gilmore splitting vocals, Gilmore's awesome guitar work. What a classic.
Time from Dark Side of the Moon. More complex lyrics and outstanding music.
Your reaction and understanding are priceless. But do not ever pause any guitar solo by david gilmour even for a second it is a rule
I have been educated. Thank you.
@@redheadedneighbor you have just missed on, arguably, the best-ever combination of Music and Lights at a Concert and I bought my first records in London in 1960 so 64 years ago now.
PULSE is THE one,my friend:)
@@Isleofskye I was at the new orleans version 1994
Lucky Man :) @@PaulSchuster-yj4zb
I was in Cologne back then…
You have to listen to the live version of this . The pulse tour 1994 which i was at , best concert ive ever seen and ive seen a few
I think if you watch this live it works in a whole different way with them they are known for thier live music and light show even if you dont do it for a reaction do it for yourself and see if it does something different for you. I love all that you are doing keep up the great work. This band is very conplex alot of thier albums are one continous story and should be listened to as such to get the whole picture.
I have to add my voice to others have suggested that you check out the live version from the “Pulse” concert in 1994. It is very special.
Apart from that, yes... doctor (or “quack”) conversation with patient. In this case the patient is a performing artist who needs a little something to “keep them going through the show.”
Hi. You have just missed on, arguably, the best-ever combination of Music and Lights at a Concert and I bought my first records in London in 1960 so 64 years ago now.
PULSE is THE one,my friend:)
Thank you!
The laser light show/special effects in the live version are stunning.
I highly recommend Pink Floyd’s song High Hopes ( Pulse live concert). You will not regret experiencing it 😊.
Ps, I forgot to add that David Gilmour is the greatest guitarist on the planet. His solos touch your soul and take you to a different place. He's incredible
a pink floyd album is like a book and every song is a chapter in the book to properly understand there music there is a reason that they sold 50 mil records and the pulse concert of 1994 was spectacular
Love this
Even if you just listened to this song, you will certainly be amazed by the live version:
Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb (PULSE Restored & Re-Edited)
And for two other performances worthy of attention, and which you might like, I suggest:
Pink Floyd - The Great Gig In The Sky (PULSE Restored & Re-Edited)
Pink Floyd - On the Turning Away Remastered 2019
I'm in much the same boat as you with Pink Floyd. This is one I do like and the solos are great.
If you check out the live performance of this song from the Pulse DVD you will definitely have your Pink Floyd moment. I bet it will bring you to tears.
Ya definitely have to check out the live version of this song 🎧
Live PULSE 1994
That last guitar solo made me feel like I was on a cloud, floating away.
If I could recommend something to you, it would be that you watch the live video from 1994. Because that's a whole other level emotionally.
Listen to them live. Floyd are masters of live music. The pulse concert of this song is much better. It's a must
I think you have the right concept, they are trying to get this performer mentally stable to go on stage and do the show.
I think the song Time is a great starting point for this great band.
Should have definitely done the album version, I.E the full version.
I forgot one thing. If you don't watch The Wall the movie it's difficult understand the lyrics. For example when he says "just a little pin pic" you have to see the scene with Bob Geldof(aka Pink in the movie)
My top performer's to watch on TH-cam are Home Free, Nightwish (2013 Wacken concert), The Warning, Diana Ankudinova, Dimash, and Raye singing Oscar winning tears at the Royal Albert Hall. Can't go wrong with anything from those artists.❤
Thank you. I like knowing what interests subscribers
Comfortably Numb, the live version from the Pulse concert is the definitive version. It is jaw dropping in every way and is often cited as the greatest guitar solo ever, and a perfect performance in every way. Even though you did the great studio version, the live Pulse version is on another level.
I used to like them because of the mellow way they did a lot of their songs and then their lead guitarist was excellent! I stepped back in time. Low bass Kenneth
Give them another try with this song and do the Pulse Live version. The second solo from the Pulse version is deemed to be the best guitar solo ever played. And for another song with are similarly complex and deep meaning and great guitar soli: „high hopes“ (please also live from Pulse!)
Thank you!
The best version of this song is "Live from the Pulse concert". This is great, but the live version is stupendous.
the depth of this song still amazes me today. the strings, the horns, the bells, roger on bass, nick with the perfect skins, richard killing the layers of synth and of course david and the lyrics are so well written.
My eyes wide own moment came with “Time”
Try the live Pulse concert version of this song it’s even better and the visual element is amazing.
Hi Redheadneighbour. I'm Marshall and I'm from Scotland 🏴. I liked your reaction to Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd but you really need to watch the 4K Pulse concert version of it as it will blow your mind. Their instrumentals and lighting are out of this world. Nobody on Earth does a concert like Pink Floyd. I've been brought up with them since I was a child and there is not one bad song from them since they were formed in 1964. Every song they sing or play has a message in it. You just have to interpret it in your own way but everything thru have said is true to this day. Another song I know you will love is On the Turning Away from their 1988 Delicate Sound of Thunder concert. It's the only concert they played it at. The guitar solos in both concerts are immense. I swear to you , if you watch both from the concerts you will love them forever . I promise you. Please Please check them out. You don't know what your missing sweetheart
The first speaker is talking to our hero who is about to go on stage and perform but he has medicated himself with downers to get comfortably numb and they got a doctor to get him up and going.
The second voice is the voice inside our hero's head.
🔥🔥🔥
@@redheadedneighbor 💕
Most iconic ever solo in rock history.
Heh, you're a natural! Many people don't interpret the two perspectives (doctor and patient, so to say) especially so quickly.
Pink Floyds songs are mostly about LIFE , and in most cases , their music tells the story without words needed.
The more you know and understand the lyrics, the more the music touches your soul.
The Wall album is Roger Waters autobiography......every song delves deeply into his real experiences and his psychological reaction and at times the damage that resulted.
This song is about a real life episode when Roger was in pain and too sick to perform.
A doctor gave him a very heavy stimulant ( injection ) that sent him tripping off into a different universe mentally, but also numbed his whole body......especially his hands and fingures.
The band performed for over 2 hours around him , covering for his non participation while he just wandered around the stage unable to play the bass guitat he could not even feel in his hands.
Thank you for this
@@redheadedneighborMy pleasure
Others have given you the background on this, so I'll go a different way... Pink Floyd is in my "Top 5 Ever" bands/groups. Among them, there is no 'favorite' because it's more mood dependent than sound dependent (if that makes sense). Back then, many of us looked at this album in a dismissive way as 'new and commercial....' like they sold out their artistry for commercial success. Most of us later changed our minds after letting it sink in a bit. It was a bit different for them in some ways, but it really DOES work. This particular song was the 'hit single.' The epic guitar solo by Gilmour is... well... epic for a reason. He doesn't dazzle with speedy riffs... he makes the guitar sing, cry, and cajole you into a dreamy trance. Which is PERFECT for this song's theme. Another listener commented and said not to EVER pause a Gilmour solo. That's funny, because as I was listening, I thought to myself, "no-no-no-no... wait!" (It's okay... we forgive you! 😊) Pink Floyd is, in my opinion, a "mood band." You have to be in a "Pink Floyd state of mind." I would never condone recreational drugs, but it's entirely possible that one or two folks MIGHT have enjoyed listening to them after a hit or two... or more, then crawling under some headphones. 😉Many of their albums are, like The Wall, a continuous story rather than a bunch of unrelated songs. Plucking one song out is okay, but one just doesn't get the connection to the story that way. Comfortably Numb and Money (Dark Side of the Moon) are two examples that made it to the charts as stand-alone numbers. Many of their really good songs are just too long to get radio play. Good on YOU, Red, for taking this on! My sense is that you liked it, but you're not rushing to buy their albums online for personal use. That's fine (if I'm right)! You don't have to be head-over-heels for EVERY artist out there! Great reaction! Sorry for the novel!
need to do a live reaction . The pulse concert is a great one . the guitar solo is thought of by many to be the greatest of all time .
ok now you are in my neighborhood...the live Pulse concert version is wonderful
Pulse ao vivo 1994… a oitava maravilha do mundo.
🔥 one of the best bands of all time..The movie might shed some light on some of it.
This and Mother are two of my favorites, partially because my best buddy could sing almost exactly like him
Oh wow!
There are few albums I can specifically remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I first heard it - this is one of those. I was at a local party with about seven or eight people tripping on acid. WEBN in Cincinnati was playing the entire album on air for the first time as a release event while simultaneously the WHO was playing a concert at the Cincinnati Coliseum. That was the last time 'festival seating' was allowed for musical events that I'm aware of because the rush for the door ended up killing people. I know because they had LIVE broadcasts from the tragedy in between the 4 album sides. Etched in memory forever. Glad you enjoyed the album and group. (Yes I was at a tripping party for Pink Floyd - Animals - that's a different story)
I love this. Thanks for sharing
The live version from London's Earls Court on the Pulse Tour, Great effects and a very powerful performance. have a go!
You should have done this song from the Pulse Concert, live.
2nd greatest song of all time after The Cranberries DREAMS! WElcome to your Pink Floyd moment Red! ( should of watched the lyrics video!) God I love this song! 😥😊❤❤
Thank you. I LOVE the CRANBERRIES
May I suggest to you red is watch Pink Floyd Live at Earl's Court London the Pulse Concert in 1994 then you will get a performance that will blow your mind the light show alone and the videos in the back ground on a giant circular screen is worth the entrance fee alone.then you have great tracks such as "high hopes" " keep talking" "sorrow" "coming back to life" " and of course " a much longer guitar solo from David gilmour at the end of " comfotably numb" enjoy.❤
I have always taught of it as a guy and psychiatrist.
Hello red, you should also watch the live video at Pompeii, you'll get an extra 4 minutes of guitar solo plus light show which is the best I've seen. I never tire of this music.
Better than PULSE? :)
Hi there you are again with Pink Floyd. For me the best rockband ever. PF writes music for people who has lived...and they are doing it in a great way...and way before there time. This song live at the Puls concert 1994 or Davis Gilmour Live in Pompei 2016 is stunning. The studio version is great to....but to short if a dare to say so..,-) Thank you for beeing a great neighbor with great reactions. Cheers from a finn in Sweden.❤❤❤
As someone with chronic neuromuscular pain, this is the Pink Floyd song that means the most to me personally. It was written by David Gilmour and Roger Waters referring to what Roger experienced after getting an injection for abdominal pain right before going on stage. His hands felt so swollen he could barely play his guitar. Later on, the belly pain was diagnosed as hepatitis. Also, it's one of David Gilmour's finest guitar solos which is nothing short of amazing. The "pin prick" was a chime. Please watch the film "The Wall" and it will give you more of an understanding of the concept of the song.
Thank you for this insight and sharing your story
When this came out I would listen to this front to back with headphones LOUD.
The Movie is a MUST watch for you now if you want the entire story. (You won't need drugs but it won't hurt) 😎
Happy early 4/20+
Lol
Pulse tour, "Comfortably Numb," Earls Court. Live.
It's the only version.
My favorite album of all times.
Oh? Wow!!
You nailed it Red 👍👍 This was my first official watch of your reaction...man I picked the perfect spot to come on board! Please 🙏 check out "Sorrow" from the Pulse concert 🙏 If this wasn't your "moment" that will be 🤯 Spread the love 🐶😎🇺🇸 P.S. you don't get the whole Floyd experience without the lights/lasers... live will hook 🪝 you
Now you're starting to get it! It starts with Gilmour's emotion evoking solos and builds when you hear the complexity of the soundscape that Pink Floyd constructs. Enjoy your journey>
You've chose an interesting song to listen to if Pink Floyd doesn't move you. In order to fully understand this song, you'd need to research what the album "The Wall' is about. There is a deep story about the entire album and it's based on Roger Waters life experiences. After you understand that, then this song, and the rest of the album will make more sense. David Gilmour's guitar playing is beyond incredible and it's also very recognizable.
Most of their famous albums are concept ones in the sense that each song merges into the next following a storyline. With 3 could-have-been-architects they usually "design" an album where the music flows from one "space" to the other. So jumping into a song may not convey the feeling that was originally intended by the band. Its probably better to listen to their albums in entirety.
During my journey with The Warning, I have come across fans & reactors from various countries - mostly Americans. What has been fascinating to see is that legendary bands from the UK often don't impress Americans (& Canadians) in their 40s or younger. Cream, Dire Straits & Pink Floyd are few of those. They are globally considered as legends but many in USA don't care that much. Is it due to the fact that Americans are more into performance and energy of a song rather than subtle musicality backed by insightful lyrics?
Hi. So I read through all 200 comments and your reply's so far. I'm sorry, I should have warned you. I think I am like you on this reaction to the studio version. It was good, but it just didn't stand out for you. I get it. But the light show and the guitar solo on the live at pulse concert that everyone is talking about will let you hear and see something in a different light. I do love that you did this for us. Keep shining and enjoy the love and attention you invoke in the folks 😉
He's comfortably numb - behind the wall he (with "help" from his mother) has built around himsoelf. Context from earlier in the album helps.
Sorry there are two comments - I can't edit (laptop totally dead, mobile too old to update OS, so cannot update TH-cam, etc.)
Good morning red ypu just woke me up ❤❤❤lol good song
When doing a Pink Floyd reaction> When possible watch then in concert. They are the only band that sounds better outside the studio.
It’s about David being sick 🤒 as a kid an the medication he was on
it is about Waters not Gilmour, Waters is the creator and lyricist of the thoughts involved in the lyrics on this and other albums, Gilmour was the brilliant musician and partly the singer
Thanks for the correction Kevin, couldn’t exactly remember which one it was… Thanks
You should listen to "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". IMO their best song.
Hi redhead neighbour, you really, really, really need to watch On the Turning Away from their Delicate Sound of Thunder concert from 1988. The musicians and the backing singers are incredible and the guitar solos are out of this world. They are truly fantastic. No band on Earth will ever compete with them. They are undoubtedly the greatest band ever formed. They are truly light years ahead of any band. They were doing things in the 1960''s and 1970's way before anybody. They have influenced more bands than any band can ever do. What they have done for music is unbelievable. If you want to find out how great they are, watch Echoes at Pompeii. True magical musicians. I honestly and truly recommend you listen to their music. I know you liked Comfortablyy Numb on the album, but that is nothing compared to the 4K uncut version at their Pulse concert. That's the full version of it. It's far better than the album version. Please please please watch it. I swear to God you will love it forever
You don't know what your missing until you watch their concerts. You will never see anything like them. 52,000 lights were used at the Earls Court concert from 1994. There light shows are second second to none
I love your passion!
@@redheadedneighbor PULSE LIVE,please and you will see the difference as long as you promise never to pause a guitar solo let alone Sir David Gilmore's:)
Pink Floyd are an album band . One song in isolation , even if brilliant , might not get you there . The Wall for example is a double album and each track is part of the story . Dark Side of the Moon is the same , a 45 minute story . Understand this and you will get Floyd .
This is a great song, awesome guitar work, but it is also a part of the whole story, and only a small part. the whole album is the story. If you find it easier to watch, rather than just listen, there is a movie made of it. if you want to understand the reason of this song, you need to listen to the whole album.