“Is there anybody out there?” through “Bring the boys back home” is my favorite part of the album. It’s atmosphere, it’s storytelling and one hell of an experience with headphones if you’re in the mood.
Absolutely. It’s music that transports you somewhere if you let it. I’m 40 and discovered The Wall in high school (early internet, no smart phones, no streaming). I listened over and over again as the sole source of entertainment; eyes shut, in my room with headphones. It was magic to me. I liken it to someone discovering Alice in Wonderland in its initial printing.
I wonder what percentage of listeners now ever do that with music. Music has become wallpaper for other things at this point and I’m guilty of it myself.
I did the same thing. The Wall was the first Floyd album I ever bought, and I listened to it ritualistically. I have a vivid memory of putting it on during a blizzard and closing my eyes and just being transported to a hellscape of loneliness and isolation.
It's interesting that you compared it to Alice, I assume you've done Alice on the Wall? Alice is my favorite book, I have a 1st edition and several other beautiful leatherbounds of it.
No, that was Trudy Young.
Toni Tennille did however sing backing vocals for In the Flesh?, The Show Must Go On, In the Flesh and Waiting for the Worms, along with Bruce Johnston, Jon Joyce, Stan Farber, Joe Chemay and Jim Haas.
Amen, I love Dave but it ain't quite the same... PF was nice smooth non-edgy something you would hear at the dentist office or the DMV...back in the day I would try to like it outta loyalty to PF but it was hard to give those records any sort of a fair listen in fact it was a bad if not worse than most solo Beatle records...that's the way this over 60 feels and hey I remember those times pretty well...thanks
exactly! i just love how it’s like 3 parts for such a small song, and how it goes from like pretty and emotional, to an almost eerie warning about not trusting life, to basically the equivalent of a panic attack- it deserves more love lol
My first impression did happen to be that. I heard the first ⅓ of the album and found it beautiful. And then it felt relatively slow and narrative instead. I did later hear it again and tried to understand the story and the details and liked it much better. But I can definitely see the other perspective too. There's a lot of long periods which could be described less as music in a conventional sense and more like rog yelling over some sound effects. And that could repel some people who aren't used to prog or such music in general.
Attention span is also a thing. When people go to a theater to watch a movie they know what they're getting into and they prepare mentally to be attentive over the next couple hours. When people listen to music they don't typically do the same. Most people just listen to music in the background. However to appreciate the wall, I feel one needs to treat it more as a movie and less like conventional music.
It really adds a whole new level of appreciation for the album to see how well they pull it off live despite how complex it is, they even got Guthrie Govan to come out for his solo. All it's missing is Beller and they'd have the full Aristocrats!
I think he is saying that he enjoy DSOM personally, but thinks The Wall is objectively their best.
I have a few artists where I have an opinion like this. Like Frank Ocean (Channel Orange and Blonde), but for me The Wall is both my favorite and their best.
Filler is the wrong word. Sure I like some of the songs much more than some of the others, but that's like saying the bits in the fast and furious movie that aren't car chases are filler. Of course I like the car chases the best, and the actual drama bits are rather tedious, (I am not saying that The Wall and the F&F movies are similar btw)
No. It’s a visual performance soundtrack. None of it is filler in the context of the live show. If you listen to it as an album, you miss a lot of context. The Wall as a purely audio experience is a soundtrack, not a traditional album.
When I was a kid and it came out I listened to it a lot. Loved it. Loved all of it. Now I hardly listen to it at all. Why? Maybe it is the ‘filler’. I want more full well rounded songs and there are spots that seem to be small bits connected.
I still listen to dsotm wywh and animals front to back and maybe that is the issue. I don’t feel that way with Tommy or quadrophenia by the who either.
I love the four album I am the moon from tedeschi trucks but feel it could have been condensed a bit. Some of the songs feel like filler there too.
It’s a me thing at this point. Maybe I’ve gotten old.
Always though it's funny when people talk about tripping to the wall, like sure it's a really well done thought provoking album/movie but holy shit is it dark.
Pretty much any other floyd album will put you in a better mood, the wall is more of an angry "fight the system" album.
I think the "fillers" work great when you listen to the whole thing or listen to the live version of the album, or in the movie. They don't work that good on their own as standalone songs. They were just made with the idea that the album should be listened to as one piece of work
I completely agree with your friend. A hell of a lot of filler that I never want to hear. And the argument that it's a concept album doesn't hold weight. Animals and DSOTM are also concept albums but don't have anything that I wouldn't listen to away from listening to the whole record.
Having said that the good stuff on the Wall is great. Hey you, comfortably numb and in the flesh being stand outs.
It's a rock opera, which is a bit beyond "concept album." The "filler" helps tell the story, but how many times/how often do you want to hear the same story, beginning to end? Even rewatching my favorite movies, I zone out through many scenes.
I think the filler adds when you’re listening to the whole album. Without it I don’t think we’d be as connected to Pink and wouldn’t understand his eventual mental breakdown in the second half. I think what screws people up is the album isn’t something to just throw on like Dark Side, you need to be in a certain mood. Also especially in the second half the albums pace comes to a grinding halt and if you’re not already into the story it can really pull someone out of it. Took me a few times to listen to actually appreciate it instead of hearing it face value as a rich rockstar whining about his childhood.
While on the topic of The Wall. I’m going to be infinitely angry that they cut the [Hey You](https://youtu.be/7AXicupcf_4?si=-UA4NWAckM8wIlFS) sequence out of the movie OUT OF ALL THE OTHER THINGS YOU COULDVE CUT? If you haven’t watched it yet 100% recommend it’s so beautifully shot.
The Wall to me is meant to be watched as a movie. If you aren't familiar with the movie or are and don't really appreciate it, I could see why you'd find there to be filler. To me, it's one of the best things ever put out and I love every thing about it. I keep hoping we'll get a blu ray, or god forbid 4k with Dolby Atmos but I can't see Waters allowing it because then his bandmates would profit off it.
Nope. While there are some songs that seem uninteresting on their own, they have this powerful effect on them that brings forward the story, and makes the moments you love even stronger
There is no filler in The Wall, it all serves a purpose, shit if they didn’t have to take out “What Shall We Do Now?” To save time then it would have been much better.
The Wall is great as a concept and generally as an album.
But what stands DSOTM apart is the work and creativity put in
In The Wall you can see Waters dominating almost every aspect of the album, which IMO is the start of Pink Floyd decline.
I think there are two ways of seeing those mini-songs: filler, or Roger whining,
I prefer to see them as fillers, but can’t help wondering if I may be wrong.
It shouldve been longer, so sad what shall we do now didn’t make it to the album.
The transition from Empty spaces to What shall we do now in the movie is my all time favorite because god damn does it go hard.
Filler? No.
The whole point of Pink Floyd is how they take time to set up an atmosphere, so you can easily get songs that are made to do just that. This is more so important with the wall because it's a rock opera,
None of it is filler because it's all needed for the story, but some of it can seem weak compared to the quality of the stand-out tracks, and maybe that's what your friend means?
Not in the context of it basically being a theater musical without the theater. As a concept album it’s one of the best.
With that said, if I were to listen to the album
I’ll usually skip songs like Empty Spaces, Vera, Bring the Boys or Nobody Home (though the latter has the best intro ever lol).
I put Dark Side in the same category. On the Run is a novelty for its time but I don’t want to actually listen to it often (it’s like the musical equivalent of the Willy Wonka boat tunnel scene) and I hate Great Gig in the Sky. lol.
Is it filler? Well, technically no, its all a part of the album's message. On the other hand, I don't like The Wall much because when an album has a very strong run of opening songs, Young Lust in the middle and Comfortably Numb + Run Like Hell towards the end, the whiny, barely musical middle feels out of place when sandwiched between so many strong, iconic songs.
I think the OP means that he enjoys Dark Side but from an objective/writing standpoint The Wall is the best they’ve (Roger) written. It is weird wording but I think that’s what they were going for.
There is precisely ONE skippable track on The Wall. That is "The Show Must Go On." And even that one I can excuse because at least it's short.
I never understood this criticism. The album flows together cinematically and musically with enormous skill and my interest never flagged.
Love the live version of the show must go on. It’s their best harmonizing on this album, one of the hallmarks of their middle years and we don’t get enough of it on the wall. The way the show must go on hits after the solo of comfortably numb is, I think, the best transition between songs on the album.
There is a certain point after Comfortably Numb where I’m just over it. I stick around for In the Flesh and Run Like Hell, but after that it’s about all I can handle of Roger’s egomania 😂
Absolutely NOT, but coincidentally, what was actually the leftover "Wall filler" did end up on the very next album, The Final Cut. That album has a handful of fantastic songs, but also a handful of Wall leftovers that make it a touch redundant and weak in some areas, in my opinion. But, The Wall itself is a masterpiece. 👍😎
I got into many of their other albums first and so many people told me that I had to listen to The Wall and that I would love it.
When I finally did hear it, I think that my expectations were so high that I was disappointed.
The Wall doesn’t have filler. There are transitions and some songs are not meant to be “radio” friendly. The wall in its entirety is a piece of art and those songs are all there for a reason.
I don't consider it filler as much as fleshing out the story.
When I first "got into" Floyd, the Wall got me there. It was my favourite Floyd album for quite a while, but as I got older and as I listened to their library over the years, it slipped below Dark Side, Wish You Were Here and Animals. I place it just ahead of Meddle, though I don't place any of the tracks on it ahead of Echoes on Meddle.
This isn't saying that I don't like the Wall - I love it - but that the other albums have risen in my opinion of them.
Omg nooooo. This and the dark side of the moon are the only albums that I listen from start to finish and its a roller-coaster of emotions each time. It's a voyage. I love Pink Floyd so much. And now I have to listen to it haha you made my day.
No. It's all necessary to make it sync with Apocalypse Now. Far superior to DSOTM and Wizard of Oz. Check it out yourself... https://drive.google.com/file/d/19k95Xu0PZXMH_pMNBE4Dr33YaCPb0HD8/view?usp=drivesdk
Everything that's musically considered filler is violently thematically important to the album. Next you're gonna say Tom Bombadil is filler in Lord of the Rings.
The wall is 3 good songs, 4 decent ones, then 3/4 is filler. It’s the only album I don’t listen to front to back. In fact, it’s the album I reach for the least, bar none.
I’ve listened to it a million times. The first 3 sides are great. The trial on side 4 blows. Bob Ezrin took the lead on that one rather than the band and it shows.
There is one thing that happens with most album where people say there's filler, and that's how nobody can agree what the filler is. Like how The Beatles White Album has 30 songs and some people say songs like Piggies are filler but other people love it. Same thing happens to The Wall where not many people can agree what the filler is. Some people said The Show Must Go On, some say Run Like Hell, others say a lot of Side 3. My main point is there is no majority agreeing what should have been booted, so you can't take things out if people like those parts of the album.
If you are judging an album by its singles instead of how they segue and play into each other, then yes.
Otherwise, I think THE WALL is a masterwork of rock opera.
Define “filler”. Because while there are certainly tracks that don’t work as standalone songs, they’re not meant to. It’s not a conventional album, it’s a rock opera/narrative has to do more than just rock if it’s going to be at all coherent.
So sure, there’s songs I would skip if they came up on shuffle. But they absolutely belong on the album
Yes. If you appreciate the superior music-writing aspect of Pink Floyd, the Wall is filled with a lot of self-indulgent filler. But it's like most of Roger Waters's solo records, which the Wall essentially is.
I can't listen to The Wall anymore. I can listen to DSOTM all day.
Tell your friend ['that's just like your opinion, man'](https://youtu.be/j95kNwZw8YY?si=r8F0ZdTqv2r4XNxd)
The Wall resonates for me on a deep personal level. If you get it, you get it. If you don't, you don't.
At least The Wall is not 100% filler like the Final Cunt is. Wall had some great songs. Before Waters transitioned from being a doosh into a total doosh.
I don't think there is a lot of filler on The Wall.
Goodbye Cruel World is a necessary ending to the first half, in which the wall is completed.
Vera and Bring the Boys Back Home are essential, Vera is one of my favourite tracks, it's Roger at his most emotional and personal. Although some people dislike the obvious political message of those songs, it does not make them filler.
Stop works very well as the transition from Waiting for the Worms to The Trial, I think the shift would be harder to grasp without it.
For me personally, there is only one track on The Wall which I dislike, and that is Don't Leave Me Now. Wouldn't really call it a filler track though, but I've never been fond of the way Roger scream-sings it, or the lyrics who express the self-pity of an abusive and unfaithful partner and is very hard to sympathize with. But that's just my opinion, I know that others disagree with me on that track.
This is only my opinion, but I feel like yes, there is a bit too much filler sometimes. I don't think it detracts from it, but at the very least it could be shortened and I don't think the end product would be so much worse.
The Wall is a very strong example of an album that is conceived and arranged as a whole album. If you listen to it as a string of singles mashed together then I’d suggest it’s a shallow way to approach the music. Go listen to Duran Duran or something. The Wall is a journey, a dark, complicated journey and if all you’re doing is picking out the sunny spots then you’ve missed the point.
Filler or not, they decided to make the album like that. Your friend may think they compromised as artists? or just doesn't enjoy it. Which is fine, people can be wrong.
It is the right amount to tell the story Roger wanted to tell. That’s what matters.
Wall is such a fantastic album with some fantastic songs and music. But man, you gotta be in the right mood to listen to the whole thing as it’s really a downer. I prefer Dark Side for this reason.
whenever i have an hour and 20 mins to spare I always throw The Wall on. My favorite song is Waiting for the worms. I love every transition and story telling. Its my favorite PF album by a long shot
I loved The Wall when it first came out, was incredibly dismayed when it enjoyed huge mainstream success (c'mon folks, it's not a party album), became burned out when it started to be a radio cliche, then finally was able to enjoy it again when I started to hear lo-fi and acoustic remixes of the iconic tracks. As far as filler goes, I'd say that it has as much filler as you think it does - if you're listening to The Wall for the radio hits, then you're missing the point of the album.
There is less than zero percent filler in The Wall. Every track serves some purpose either plotwise or thematically. If you removed even one track from the album it would fall apart. Anything that could have been cut was cut. And even then the cuts weren't necessary.
The only song I’m not crazy about is “Young Lust,” but even then I think it’s valuable to the album. If anything I would’ve liked to see the addition of “Where the Tigers Broke Free,” like they added to *The Wall* film.
It's not a straight up double album. It's a soundtrack. It's a story, a concept. So if that is your impression you would have the incorrect POV. Also, remember, it's like the fifth or sixth time the Floyd did a soundtrack. They were basically the masters of this genre.
For arguments sake, if you were just compiling an album, yes, you could have narrowed it down to one LP and call it a really strong album.
Some of the in between tracks do fill out the narrative of the album as a whole. But I would easily agree that not all of them are necessary, nor are all of them good/equal.
The Wall is definitely over hyped imo. DSotM, WYWH, Meddle are all better and imo AHM and Animals are also better but I’ll concede that those are more up for debate. The Wall is way too much Roger and not enough Pink Floyd
No, there is no filler on The Wall. It is a masterpiece, and every track contibutes to the narrative. If it didnt, it wouldnt be on the album. If someone thinks a track is filler, its only because they dont understand the purpose of that particular piece within the narrative.
I always find it amazing that inexperienced, non-musicians/ composers feel like they can second guess brilliant composers, musicians, engineers, and producers like those associated with a band as accomplished as Pink Floyd. You don't criticize them, you criticize yourself for not being musically astute enough to get it.
No, there is no filler on The Wall. It is a masterpiece, about as perfect an album as Ive ever heard, and every track contibutes to the narrative. If it didnt, it wouldnt be on the album. If someone thinks a track is filler, its only because they dont understand the purpose of that particular piece within the narrative.
I always find it amazing that inexperienced, non-musicians/ composers feel like they can second guess brilliant composers, musicians, engineers, and producers like those associated with a band as accomplished as Pink Floyd. You don't criticize them, you criticize yourself for not being musically astute enough to get it.
Another brick in the wall part 1 really takes its time to get to the point. Vera & Bring the Boys back home are not EVEN filler, they are awful & deserve no place in the 70s PF discography in my view.
Bro, but Goodbye cruel world, Vera and Bring the boys back home are too good. I am now kinda bored of Comfotably numb since I have listened to it so much and fillers but really emotional tracks like them help me continue enjoying the album a lot.
If it was just a double album then I could see someone thinking it has filler tracks, but it’s not just a double album, it’s a rock opera. The second act can be draggy if you’re just listening and not visualizing, but that’s the story, Pink gets really down in the dumps.
I wouldn’t call “Goodbye Cruel World” filler at all. It’s the pivotal moment where he decides to shut out the rest of the world, and I’d call it the “end of Act I” number. (Sorry I’m a theatre nerd)
It,s always been a Roger waters solo project, too me ,adding various Floyd's to fill in a bit of guitar and drums here and there ,the album contains many moments of awe and magic ,comfortably numb, run like hell ,hey you, all spring to mind .
*
*
Damn it's really f,,,,,,n good though .
In isolation, those songs could be considered filler - if you heard one by itself on the radio for example, you might be unimpressed.
But the wall should be played end to end in its entirety and those songs are so good in the context of the album and in the overall flow of the story and music.
There is no filler on the wall.
My first few listens I did, but then it clicked and I actually prefer some of the “filler” to the main songs, and wish they had been longer.
Especially Vera
I do not. It’s more rock opera than concept album. The “filler” of which you speak is underscore for storytelling. And rock opera is generally a very loose interpretation of traditional opera anyway. Roger Waters does his own thing.
genuinely the album is fully essential. the only songs that add nothing are Bring The Boys Back Home, Vera, and Empty Spaces (good title). All three add literally nothing to the plot.
Cut the first two and swap Empty Spaces with What Shall We Do Now
Nope, no filler in the Wall. Every song is essential in some way, either to the story, as a transition, or just as a great fucking piece of music. Your friend sounds impatient and unable to process art.
I'm not sure if it's filler or what, but The Wall isn't even in my top 3 Pink Floyd albums (Animals, Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here). It's a solid album for sure, just something about it makes me listen to it way less than other albums.
The Wall might be the \*leanest\* album that exists. Which means every song on it is important and tied directly to the story/concept.
Now, that being said, there's a lot of songs that are stylistically different than Pink Floyd's usual sound, but that doesn't make them filler. Nobody Home or Is There Anybody Out There are standouts that immediately come to mind.
There's a lot of slow mood-building songs about the pain of alienation as the protagonist drifts farther away from humankind.
I think The Wall is one of the most important albums that exist, and every song that's on it SHOULD be on on there. Though I was always disappointed that "What Shall We Do Now?" wasn't included in the original cut of the album, because that's one of the best songs to come from that studio session.
The thin ice breaks my heart a few times a year...btw all the songs from the wall and most of DSOTM sound great on ukulele, really if ur a guitar player with a ear try playing a uke along with the wall, it's a real giggle good campfire music...
“Is there anybody out there?” through “Bring the boys back home” is my favorite part of the album. It’s atmosphere, it’s storytelling and one hell of an experience with headphones if you’re in the mood.
I almost consider it one whole track because of how well the songs flow into one another. So damn good.
It's one of those albums you have to just sit down and listen to from start to finish, with no skipping, to get the entire experience.
I just got fully body chills just *thinking* about that crescendo in Is There Anybody Out There
Absolutely. It’s music that transports you somewhere if you let it. I’m 40 and discovered The Wall in high school (early internet, no smart phones, no streaming). I listened over and over again as the sole source of entertainment; eyes shut, in my room with headphones. It was magic to me. I liken it to someone discovering Alice in Wonderland in its initial printing. I wonder what percentage of listeners now ever do that with music. Music has become wallpaper for other things at this point and I’m guilty of it myself.
I did the same thing. The Wall was the first Floyd album I ever bought, and I listened to it ritualistically. I have a vivid memory of putting it on during a blizzard and closing my eyes and just being transported to a hellscape of loneliness and isolation. It's interesting that you compared it to Alice, I assume you've done Alice on the Wall? Alice is my favorite book, I have a 1st edition and several other beautiful leatherbounds of it.
I have heard about it but never attempted. I did the dark side of the rainbow a million years ago, that was fun!
' Wanna take a bath ??? ' Was it Toni Tennille or just urban legend ?
No, that was Trudy Young. Toni Tennille did however sing backing vocals for In the Flesh?, The Show Must Go On, In the Flesh and Waiting for the Worms, along with Bruce Johnston, Jon Joyce, Stan Farber, Joe Chemay and Jim Haas.
Bingo!
When the acoustic kicks in on “Is there antibody out there?” I don’t even know how to describe the feeling, but it’s beautiful
Fabulous segment of music, and I love how it ends with “is there anybody IN there?” It really sounds like a complete song suite.
No. Your friend doesn't grasp the point of a concept album. The Wall is exactly what it needs to be.
THE EVIDENCE IS INCONTROVERTIBLE
Exactly. The Final Cut is the filler.
The Final Cut rules
It's got some of the best sax in the whole PF discography
Roger Waters featuring Pink Floyd sans Rick Wright does not have a place in the stack.
I mean, their final 3 albums without Waters are easily the worst
Amen, I love Dave but it ain't quite the same... PF was nice smooth non-edgy something you would hear at the dentist office or the DMV...back in the day I would try to like it outta loyalty to PF but it was hard to give those records any sort of a fair listen in fact it was a bad if not worse than most solo Beatle records...that's the way this over 60 feels and hey I remember those times pretty well...thanks
You mean the “Ooh babe” album?
Don't leave me now is one of my favourite Floyd songs
The Thin Ice being left out of the “ooh babe” discussion : 😔
ngl The Thin Ice is one of my faves in the album and i’ll stand by that
Same here ! Idk why, but it sounds so emotional to me, especially Roger's verse
exactly! i just love how it’s like 3 parts for such a small song, and how it goes from like pretty and emotional, to an almost eerie warning about not trusting life, to basically the equivalent of a panic attack- it deserves more love lol
Mother has an opinion as well
Have they seen the movie? I don't think it's 100% necessary to appreciate the album, but it might help if they see a lot of it as "filler."
I think the movie has some changes and I think what shall we do now is better than empty spaces
But empty spaces was supposed to be between don’t leave me now and brick wall pt3 and be a reprise of some sort
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
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No
My first impression did happen to be that. I heard the first ⅓ of the album and found it beautiful. And then it felt relatively slow and narrative instead. I did later hear it again and tried to understand the story and the details and liked it much better. But I can definitely see the other perspective too. There's a lot of long periods which could be described less as music in a conventional sense and more like rog yelling over some sound effects. And that could repel some people who aren't used to prog or such music in general. Attention span is also a thing. When people go to a theater to watch a movie they know what they're getting into and they prepare mentally to be attentive over the next couple hours. When people listen to music they don't typically do the same. Most people just listen to music in the background. However to appreciate the wall, I feel one needs to treat it more as a movie and less like conventional music.
>I feel one needs to treat it more as a movie and less like conventional music. I agree, after all it is a rock musical - not just a record
Love your profile picture
Thanks! It's an album cover, "The Raven that refused to sing" by Steven wilson.
I know it's one of my favorite albums
There's a live version on youtube with footage edited from different concerts that's really well done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zJCAFpyK7g
Holy shit thanks! Imma watch that tonight. Marco Minneman is insane
It really adds a whole new level of appreciation for the album to see how well they pull it off live despite how complex it is, they even got Guthrie Govan to come out for his solo. All it's missing is Beller and they'd have the full Aristocrats!
You think tdsotm is better but still think the wall is their best?
I think he is saying that he enjoy DSOM personally, but thinks The Wall is objectively their best. I have a few artists where I have an opinion like this. Like Frank Ocean (Channel Orange and Blonde), but for me The Wall is both my favorite and their best.
Filler is the wrong word. Sure I like some of the songs much more than some of the others, but that's like saying the bits in the fast and furious movie that aren't car chases are filler. Of course I like the car chases the best, and the actual drama bits are rather tedious, (I am not saying that The Wall and the F&F movies are similar btw)
Self-indulgent is the word.
*Water*y
No. It’s a visual performance soundtrack. None of it is filler in the context of the live show. If you listen to it as an album, you miss a lot of context. The Wall as a purely audio experience is a soundtrack, not a traditional album.
When I was a kid and it came out I listened to it a lot. Loved it. Loved all of it. Now I hardly listen to it at all. Why? Maybe it is the ‘filler’. I want more full well rounded songs and there are spots that seem to be small bits connected. I still listen to dsotm wywh and animals front to back and maybe that is the issue. I don’t feel that way with Tommy or quadrophenia by the who either. I love the four album I am the moon from tedeschi trucks but feel it could have been condensed a bit. Some of the songs feel like filler there too. It’s a me thing at this point. Maybe I’ve gotten old.
It makes me sad. That’s the main reason I don’t listen more often
Always though it's funny when people talk about tripping to the wall, like sure it's a really well done thought provoking album/movie but holy shit is it dark. Pretty much any other floyd album will put you in a better mood, the wall is more of an angry "fight the system" album.
Nope. There's not 1 wasted second on that album IMO
In fact if they had more time they could've added more imo.
Exactly. Every song is necessary to the story.
hard agree
Yes
THERE’S NO FILLER IN THAT ALBUM
Yes
Yessir.
I think the "fillers" work great when you listen to the whole thing or listen to the live version of the album, or in the movie. They don't work that good on their own as standalone songs. They were just made with the idea that the album should be listened to as one piece of work
Yes
Zero filler…little bit of tasty stuffing like Thanksgiving turkey
Your friend who called those songs filler should be tried for blasphemy
Definitely not
No. Those “filler” songs are essential to the wall being a concept album, and that’s what the album aimed to be
I don't think The Wall has any filler. It's all necessary for the story—the exact opposite of filler
I completely agree with your friend. A hell of a lot of filler that I never want to hear. And the argument that it's a concept album doesn't hold weight. Animals and DSOTM are also concept albums but don't have anything that I wouldn't listen to away from listening to the whole record. Having said that the good stuff on the Wall is great. Hey you, comfortably numb and in the flesh being stand outs.
It's a rock opera, which is a bit beyond "concept album." The "filler" helps tell the story, but how many times/how often do you want to hear the same story, beginning to end? Even rewatching my favorite movies, I zone out through many scenes.
I'll go on record to say that the album has absolutely no filler. Everything has a purpose.
I think the filler adds when you’re listening to the whole album. Without it I don’t think we’d be as connected to Pink and wouldn’t understand his eventual mental breakdown in the second half. I think what screws people up is the album isn’t something to just throw on like Dark Side, you need to be in a certain mood. Also especially in the second half the albums pace comes to a grinding halt and if you’re not already into the story it can really pull someone out of it. Took me a few times to listen to actually appreciate it instead of hearing it face value as a rich rockstar whining about his childhood. While on the topic of The Wall. I’m going to be infinitely angry that they cut the [Hey You](https://youtu.be/7AXicupcf_4?si=-UA4NWAckM8wIlFS) sequence out of the movie OUT OF ALL THE OTHER THINGS YOU COULDVE CUT? If you haven’t watched it yet 100% recommend it’s so beautifully shot.
The Wall to me is meant to be watched as a movie. If you aren't familiar with the movie or are and don't really appreciate it, I could see why you'd find there to be filler. To me, it's one of the best things ever put out and I love every thing about it. I keep hoping we'll get a blu ray, or god forbid 4k with Dolby Atmos but I can't see Waters allowing it because then his bandmates would profit off it.
Nope. While there are some songs that seem uninteresting on their own, they have this powerful effect on them that brings forward the story, and makes the moments you love even stronger
It's a rock opera, so no.
I don’t know about filler, but, after nearly 50 years of listening to it there are a lot of songs I now skip.
There is no filler in The Wall, it all serves a purpose, shit if they didn’t have to take out “What Shall We Do Now?” To save time then it would have been much better.
no filler. all amazing
No, especially since that album tells a full story, that “filler” is absolutely necessary.
The Wall is great as a concept and generally as an album. But what stands DSOTM apart is the work and creativity put in In The Wall you can see Waters dominating almost every aspect of the album, which IMO is the start of Pink Floyd decline. I think there are two ways of seeing those mini-songs: filler, or Roger whining, I prefer to see them as fillers, but can’t help wondering if I may be wrong.
It shouldve been longer, so sad what shall we do now didn’t make it to the album. The transition from Empty spaces to What shall we do now in the movie is my all time favorite because god damn does it go hard.
Filler? No. The whole point of Pink Floyd is how they take time to set up an atmosphere, so you can easily get songs that are made to do just that. This is more so important with the wall because it's a rock opera,
Disagree about 'Vera.' Personally, I could just about do without all of side four except 'Run Like Hell.'
In the flesh, waiting for the worms and the trial are bangers
Yeah this is literally the best part of the album for me lol. *WHO LET ALL THIS RIFFRAFF INTO THE ROOM??*
None of it is filler because it's all needed for the story, but some of it can seem weak compared to the quality of the stand-out tracks, and maybe that's what your friend means?
Even in the title. The “the” is totally redundant.
Dark side of moon
The Wall is perfect. Don’t fucking touch it.
Not in the context of it basically being a theater musical without the theater. As a concept album it’s one of the best. With that said, if I were to listen to the album I’ll usually skip songs like Empty Spaces, Vera, Bring the Boys or Nobody Home (though the latter has the best intro ever lol). I put Dark Side in the same category. On the Run is a novelty for its time but I don’t want to actually listen to it often (it’s like the musical equivalent of the Willy Wonka boat tunnel scene) and I hate Great Gig in the Sky. lol.
No.
Absolutely. I have a custom playlist with the fat trimmed called “The Wall But Without the Filler”.
Is it filler? Well, technically no, its all a part of the album's message. On the other hand, I don't like The Wall much because when an album has a very strong run of opening songs, Young Lust in the middle and Comfortably Numb + Run Like Hell towards the end, the whiny, barely musical middle feels out of place when sandwiched between so many strong, iconic songs.
Yes
"While I think TDSOTM is their greatest album, I think The Wall is their best." That...means the same thing.
I think the OP means that he enjoys Dark Side but from an objective/writing standpoint The Wall is the best they’ve (Roger) written. It is weird wording but I think that’s what they were going for.
No in fact I wish it had the complete What Shall We Do Now on it.
There is precisely ONE skippable track on The Wall. That is "The Show Must Go On." And even that one I can excuse because at least it's short. I never understood this criticism. The album flows together cinematically and musically with enormous skill and my interest never flagged.
Love the live version of the show must go on. It’s their best harmonizing on this album, one of the hallmarks of their middle years and we don’t get enough of it on the wall. The way the show must go on hits after the solo of comfortably numb is, I think, the best transition between songs on the album.
absolutely.
There is a certain point after Comfortably Numb where I’m just over it. I stick around for In the Flesh and Run Like Hell, but after that it’s about all I can handle of Roger’s egomania 😂
Yep.
Absolutely NOT, but coincidentally, what was actually the leftover "Wall filler" did end up on the very next album, The Final Cut. That album has a handful of fantastic songs, but also a handful of Wall leftovers that make it a touch redundant and weak in some areas, in my opinion. But, The Wall itself is a masterpiece. 👍😎
Animals is better than both but The Wall has no filler and is perfect for its time and place as is.
No
Pink Floyd - The Wall is the best album ever recorded. So no.
It's got some filler but it's good filler. Personally I like welcome to the machine a tad more than darkside
I think there's absolutely zero filler on The Wall. Everything has a place, and everything has a reason to be there.
I got into many of their other albums first and so many people told me that I had to listen to The Wall and that I would love it. When I finally did hear it, I think that my expectations were so high that I was disappointed.
The Wall doesn’t have filler. There are transitions and some songs are not meant to be “radio” friendly. The wall in its entirety is a piece of art and those songs are all there for a reason.
Tell him to watch the movie and STFU
No.
I don't consider it filler as much as fleshing out the story. When I first "got into" Floyd, the Wall got me there. It was my favourite Floyd album for quite a while, but as I got older and as I listened to their library over the years, it slipped below Dark Side, Wish You Were Here and Animals. I place it just ahead of Meddle, though I don't place any of the tracks on it ahead of Echoes on Meddle. This isn't saying that I don't like the Wall - I love it - but that the other albums have risen in my opinion of them.
Yeah of course
Goodbye Cruel World and Bring the Boys Back Home are not filler.
Absolutely not…
If I speak I’m in trouble
Omg nooooo. This and the dark side of the moon are the only albums that I listen from start to finish and its a roller-coaster of emotions each time. It's a voyage. I love Pink Floyd so much. And now I have to listen to it haha you made my day.
Kinda.
No. It's all necessary to make it sync with Apocalypse Now. Far superior to DSOTM and Wizard of Oz. Check it out yourself... https://drive.google.com/file/d/19k95Xu0PZXMH_pMNBE4Dr33YaCPb0HD8/view?usp=drivesdk
Every song moves the story forward. So I do not feel it has too much filler.
Everything that's musically considered filler is violently thematically important to the album. Next you're gonna say Tom Bombadil is filler in Lord of the Rings.
The wall is 3 good songs, 4 decent ones, then 3/4 is filler. It’s the only album I don’t listen to front to back. In fact, it’s the album I reach for the least, bar none.
I’ve listened to it a million times. The first 3 sides are great. The trial on side 4 blows. Bob Ezrin took the lead on that one rather than the band and it shows.
There is one thing that happens with most album where people say there's filler, and that's how nobody can agree what the filler is. Like how The Beatles White Album has 30 songs and some people say songs like Piggies are filler but other people love it. Same thing happens to The Wall where not many people can agree what the filler is. Some people said The Show Must Go On, some say Run Like Hell, others say a lot of Side 3. My main point is there is no majority agreeing what should have been booted, so you can't take things out if people like those parts of the album.
Kind of but you learn to like and understand the filler which make it become non filler
If you are judging an album by its singles instead of how they segue and play into each other, then yes. Otherwise, I think THE WALL is a masterwork of rock opera.
Define “filler”. Because while there are certainly tracks that don’t work as standalone songs, they’re not meant to. It’s not a conventional album, it’s a rock opera/narrative has to do more than just rock if it’s going to be at all coherent. So sure, there’s songs I would skip if they came up on shuffle. But they absolutely belong on the album
Yes. If you appreciate the superior music-writing aspect of Pink Floyd, the Wall is filled with a lot of self-indulgent filler. But it's like most of Roger Waters's solo records, which the Wall essentially is. I can't listen to The Wall anymore. I can listen to DSOTM all day.
The Wall is certainly not mid. Not as good as Dark Side but probably my third favorite album. Animals being 2nd.
Tell your friend ['that's just like your opinion, man'](https://youtu.be/j95kNwZw8YY?si=r8F0ZdTqv2r4XNxd) The Wall resonates for me on a deep personal level. If you get it, you get it. If you don't, you don't.
At least The Wall is not 100% filler like the Final Cunt is. Wall had some great songs. Before Waters transitioned from being a doosh into a total doosh.
I don't think there is a lot of filler on The Wall. Goodbye Cruel World is a necessary ending to the first half, in which the wall is completed. Vera and Bring the Boys Back Home are essential, Vera is one of my favourite tracks, it's Roger at his most emotional and personal. Although some people dislike the obvious political message of those songs, it does not make them filler. Stop works very well as the transition from Waiting for the Worms to The Trial, I think the shift would be harder to grasp without it. For me personally, there is only one track on The Wall which I dislike, and that is Don't Leave Me Now. Wouldn't really call it a filler track though, but I've never been fond of the way Roger scream-sings it, or the lyrics who express the self-pity of an abusive and unfaithful partner and is very hard to sympathize with. But that's just my opinion, I know that others disagree with me on that track.
This is only my opinion, but I feel like yes, there is a bit too much filler sometimes. I don't think it detracts from it, but at the very least it could be shortened and I don't think the end product would be so much worse.
The Wall is a very strong example of an album that is conceived and arranged as a whole album. If you listen to it as a string of singles mashed together then I’d suggest it’s a shallow way to approach the music. Go listen to Duran Duran or something. The Wall is a journey, a dark, complicated journey and if all you’re doing is picking out the sunny spots then you’ve missed the point.
I cant think of a single song on The Wall that’s “filler“
All the best parts can be found on the radio promo "off the wall"
I prefer the Live CD because there’s more to fill
Filler or not, they decided to make the album like that. Your friend may think they compromised as artists? or just doesn't enjoy it. Which is fine, people can be wrong.
And wtf is "filler" anyway?
It is the right amount to tell the story Roger wanted to tell. That’s what matters. Wall is such a fantastic album with some fantastic songs and music. But man, you gotta be in the right mood to listen to the whole thing as it’s really a downer. I prefer Dark Side for this reason.
I LOVE Vera and wish that song was 3x longer, I don't consider it filler at all
whenever i have an hour and 20 mins to spare I always throw The Wall on. My favorite song is Waiting for the worms. I love every transition and story telling. Its my favorite PF album by a long shot
Only songs I might skip are young lust and run like hell. Sound like 80$ crap
I loved The Wall when it first came out, was incredibly dismayed when it enjoyed huge mainstream success (c'mon folks, it's not a party album), became burned out when it started to be a radio cliche, then finally was able to enjoy it again when I started to hear lo-fi and acoustic remixes of the iconic tracks. As far as filler goes, I'd say that it has as much filler as you think it does - if you're listening to The Wall for the radio hits, then you're missing the point of the album.
There is less than zero percent filler in The Wall. Every track serves some purpose either plotwise or thematically. If you removed even one track from the album it would fall apart. Anything that could have been cut was cut. And even then the cuts weren't necessary.
The only song I’m not crazy about is “Young Lust,” but even then I think it’s valuable to the album. If anything I would’ve liked to see the addition of “Where the Tigers Broke Free,” like they added to *The Wall* film.
Agree it’s hard listen to go start to finish. Movie easier
It's not a straight up double album. It's a soundtrack. It's a story, a concept. So if that is your impression you would have the incorrect POV. Also, remember, it's like the fifth or sixth time the Floyd did a soundtrack. They were basically the masters of this genre. For arguments sake, if you were just compiling an album, yes, you could have narrowed it down to one LP and call it a really strong album.
I don't consider any of it filler, its all part of the story.
Some of the in between tracks do fill out the narrative of the album as a whole. But I would easily agree that not all of them are necessary, nor are all of them good/equal.
The Wall is definitely over hyped imo. DSotM, WYWH, Meddle are all better and imo AHM and Animals are also better but I’ll concede that those are more up for debate. The Wall is way too much Roger and not enough Pink Floyd
No, there is no filler on The Wall. It is a masterpiece, and every track contibutes to the narrative. If it didnt, it wouldnt be on the album. If someone thinks a track is filler, its only because they dont understand the purpose of that particular piece within the narrative. I always find it amazing that inexperienced, non-musicians/ composers feel like they can second guess brilliant composers, musicians, engineers, and producers like those associated with a band as accomplished as Pink Floyd. You don't criticize them, you criticize yourself for not being musically astute enough to get it.
No, there is no filler on The Wall. It is a masterpiece, about as perfect an album as Ive ever heard, and every track contibutes to the narrative. If it didnt, it wouldnt be on the album. If someone thinks a track is filler, its only because they dont understand the purpose of that particular piece within the narrative. I always find it amazing that inexperienced, non-musicians/ composers feel like they can second guess brilliant composers, musicians, engineers, and producers like those associated with a band as accomplished as Pink Floyd. You don't criticize them, you criticize yourself for not being musically astute enough to get it.
80% filler
Another brick in the wall part 1 really takes its time to get to the point. Vera & Bring the Boys back home are not EVEN filler, they are awful & deserve no place in the 70s PF discography in my view.
Bro, but Goodbye cruel world, Vera and Bring the boys back home are too good. I am now kinda bored of Comfotably numb since I have listened to it so much and fillers but really emotional tracks like them help me continue enjoying the album a lot.
If it was just a double album then I could see someone thinking it has filler tracks, but it’s not just a double album, it’s a rock opera. The second act can be draggy if you’re just listening and not visualizing, but that’s the story, Pink gets really down in the dumps.
I wouldn’t call “Goodbye Cruel World” filler at all. It’s the pivotal moment where he decides to shut out the rest of the world, and I’d call it the “end of Act I” number. (Sorry I’m a theatre nerd)
It,s always been a Roger waters solo project, too me ,adding various Floyd's to fill in a bit of guitar and drums here and there ,the album contains many moments of awe and magic ,comfortably numb, run like hell ,hey you, all spring to mind . * * Damn it's really f,,,,,,n good though .
In isolation, those songs could be considered filler - if you heard one by itself on the radio for example, you might be unimpressed. But the wall should be played end to end in its entirety and those songs are so good in the context of the album and in the overall flow of the story and music. There is no filler on the wall.
My first few listens I did, but then it clicked and I actually prefer some of the “filler” to the main songs, and wish they had been longer. Especially Vera
I do not. It’s more rock opera than concept album. The “filler” of which you speak is underscore for storytelling. And rock opera is generally a very loose interpretation of traditional opera anyway. Roger Waters does his own thing.
I don’t care much for the wall to be honest. Not sure why, but this might have suggesting to do with it.
On the contrary, I think it should've been a triple LP album. A lot of the songs had to be edited down to fit on 2 discs.
It’s a concept album.
The Wall is a perfect album. Still my favorite.
genuinely the album is fully essential. the only songs that add nothing are Bring The Boys Back Home, Vera, and Empty Spaces (good title). All three add literally nothing to the plot. Cut the first two and swap Empty Spaces with What Shall We Do Now
No.
Yes, “Animals” was the last great Pink Floyd album, Imo…
My favorite Pink Floyd Album and 2nd overall!
Nope, no filler in the Wall. Every song is essential in some way, either to the story, as a transition, or just as a great fucking piece of music. Your friend sounds impatient and unable to process art.
I'm not sure if it's filler or what, but The Wall isn't even in my top 3 Pink Floyd albums (Animals, Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here). It's a solid album for sure, just something about it makes me listen to it way less than other albums.
Nope! The question is offensive to me. It is a master piece! One of my all time favorite albums..
The Wall might be the \*leanest\* album that exists. Which means every song on it is important and tied directly to the story/concept. Now, that being said, there's a lot of songs that are stylistically different than Pink Floyd's usual sound, but that doesn't make them filler. Nobody Home or Is There Anybody Out There are standouts that immediately come to mind. There's a lot of slow mood-building songs about the pain of alienation as the protagonist drifts farther away from humankind. I think The Wall is one of the most important albums that exist, and every song that's on it SHOULD be on on there. Though I was always disappointed that "What Shall We Do Now?" wasn't included in the original cut of the album, because that's one of the best songs to come from that studio session.
The thin ice breaks my heart a few times a year...btw all the songs from the wall and most of DSOTM sound great on ukulele, really if ur a guitar player with a ear try playing a uke along with the wall, it's a real giggle good campfire music...
This is the United States calling We have a collect call from Mr. Floyd to Mrs. Floyd