In amongst the bitter egotistical struggle between both Roger Waters and David Gilmour, Roger Waters essentially took the rights to do this album as a show away from the other remaining and alive members of Pink Floyd. Hence, this album release. Given that this is a double live album, this is going to be a deep and intense listening experience for many out there, so we should examine this double album live performance and hear where it takes us. It is also an album that was released alongside a DVD live version of the concert, with some commentary added as well. Let’s hear this album regardless.

In The Flesh? begins with a horn part of the main keyboard melody from the intro of this song. It sounds a lot like Miles Davis as a result. Soon enough, the sound of aircraft carriers and guitars enter and we get going away into this tune. It sounds pretty and is very similar to the main piece that opens the original album version of The Wall. The guitar licks then enter and this piece comes alive. Although arguably the missing presence of David Gilmour is regrettable, this is a masterclass in suspense. Roger Waters’s singing is still very good to this day, and he sings in a fluttering and decent way. He perfectly articulates the paranoia and distress of this music. A great piece of music, this is really amazing to hear. It ends with chaotic drum rolls and the sound of a plane crash. Good start to the album.

The Thin Ice begins with some sampled baby crying from the album, before launching into a sweet and decent listen that is about youthful desires. In some ways, this does sound like a good improvement on the original The Wall album, at least sonically. Sure, David Gilmour and Nick Mason are not here, but this sounds more expensive and professional to listen to than the original album. This is a great piece that stays quite true to the original song at hand, although the lack of David Gilmour does seem to take away a little. It segues into the next song.

Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 1 again, sounds very similar to the album version, and the audience claps along very well. The delayed guitar parts present are really amazing sounding and precisely played. In any case, this is a fine rendition of the original music done live, and with some better technology available for the group to play on. There are some neat Fender-ish guitar parts and some interesting sounds and textures, along with some cool drum rolls. This is a real joy to listen to, and the whole thing sounds more interesting in general than the original piece of music. This is perfect listening to close one’s eyes to and just hear. There isn’t a great deal of variation from the original, and even when there is, it is fitting and appropriate from the original tune. It ends with some sampled sounds and helicopters, segueing into the next track.

The Happiest Days Of Our Lives begins with a helicopter sound, quickly launching into another excellent and marvellous piece of music. A very cool and interesting tune about the abuse of power, this is a great and nicely delivered piece of childhood trauma from Roger Waters. A good and short piece of music that still sounds excellent today, it segues into the next major track.

Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2 begins one of the biggest hits of this album with purposely imitable sounds from the album, and some intricate and interesting guitars, bass guitar and a good mesh of musical talent together. A great and interesting listening experience, the sampled school kids’ choir returns here. A fine and fantastic listening experience, this is a great rendition of an unforgettable and amazing original tune. A fresh and interesting piece of music to hear, this has a great guitar solo, although it is not David Gilmour playing away on his Fender Stratocaster on this song. It is very close to it musically, however, and is very decently impressive. A great and nice listening experience and the playing is note precise. It ends with the sampled Irish man making some statements (the same as on the original album). Phone dialling sounds enter, and we seep into the next track.

The Ballad of Jean Charles de Menezes is a bit of an extra track addition here that wasn’t on the original album. This is very much a reprise of the previous track, done in its own special way. This is very much like The Who in its own way, and it is a nice, although perhaps not a quintessential piece to this album. Nonetheless, this does sound very pretty and lovely to hear. The crowd approve of this song with a long round of applause, following some French spoken by Roger Waters. A bit weird, but decent enough to hear. This goes on for some time, and the French is good, but rather unnecessary here. It’s okay, but not fantastic.

Mother is the acoustic ballad of this album. It begins with gorgeous acoustic guitar strummed, old-school organ sounds and a sense of excitement here. A really fresh and different listening experience, this again closely follows the album version of this song. Now more than ever, this song makes a great deal of sense. A deep, moving and interesting song with some killer harmonies and playing throughout. Roger Waters asks his mother a bunch of paranoid questions about life and other things in general throughout this song. There are some great slide guitars and electrified sounds throughout. This song is unusually underrated, and it works extremely well here. Roger Waters clearly evocates the pain, misery and suffering that one can experience growing up. A good listen, this is beautifully sung, played and performed. The guitar solo evokes emotion, although David Gilmour’s playing of these songs is far better overall guitar wise on the original album. Nonetheless, this is a wonderful and interesting listening experience, despite the fact that this song is super dark and cynical in nature. A striking musical statement, and something worth hearing time and time again. A good piece of music to hear if you have ever experienced abuse by a parent, this is quite deep listening. A great tune, all the same, this works well. Great song to listen to. It ends with some extended guitar solos. Great stuff. A wonderful listening experience.

Goodbye Blue Sky begins with dark, eerie bass sounds from the album with birds chirping in the background, before a child says, “Look, mummy! There’s an aeroplane up in the sky!” The song then begins with some crisp acoustic guitar parts and is very mellow and pretty. A really awesome and gorgeous piece of music about the horrors and destruction of war, namely World War II here. A sad and destructive tale based on real-life events, it also subtly mentions Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World book, which is interesting, should you ever decide to read t. Nonetheless, a really lovely and interesting piece of music about a horrid subject: war. This ends with plucked guitars, strings and other interesting sonic additions to this album. Brilliantly beautiful, and worth your time and ears. It sounds sad at the end but works well all the same. It ends by segueing into the next track.

Empty Spaces is a good piece from the start with some interesting electronic sounds and clapping from the audience. This is quite an eerie listen for The Wall, and it has some melancholy guitar sections that sound more foreboding and eerie than the original version ever did of this song. A good listen, although this possibly could have been shortened. Still, the atmosphere and volume of this experience are not to be underestimated. A great piece to listen to, it has some Metallica-ish guitar riffs that descend, before Roger Waters begins to sing again. Good, it segues into the next track.

What Shall We Do Now? is more or less a continuation of the previous tune. It has a bunch of thematic sounds and sounds a lot more dramatic than the previous song. This is a good addition to the album, although this was not on the original album. A good piece of music for what it is, however. Very dramatic, and it ends with a ton of drum rolls. Nice.

Young Lust begins with some drum parts, the iconic guitar riff and a bunch of awesome supporting instrumentation to match. This is one of the best pieces from The Wall, and this is unsurprisingly great here. Roger Waters sings with passion and fury here. A really awesome listen, this takes one’s mind to youthful lust and dirty attitude, without sounding too much like AC/DC. A really interesting tune to hear, this is one of the best and most underrated Pink Floyd songs, and Roger Waters likely knows this as well. There is some really cool and awesome guitar playing present here, and the whole thing has some screaming and wailing guitar solos to match. Excellent music. “Ooh…I need a dirty woman!” is a catch cry to sexually motivated young men for generations to come. A great listen nonetheless, worth your time from start to finish. It ends after four minutes with some crowd cheering.

One Of My Turns begins with the sampled dialogue from The Wall itself. There are also some interesting and additional sounds thrown into the mix to illuminate this bleak and miserable song. Regardless, Roger Waters illustrates the big issues in relationships today. Unfortunately, many people do not marry for love today, and divorce rates are skyrocketing globally, particularly in Western cultures. Soon enough, this launches into the main section of the song and sounds really brilliant. A great piece about broken love and relationships that fail, this is somewhat different to the original album version, but it still works marvellously and especially emotionally. A great piece of music and dramaticism. The vocal at the end is awesome.

Don’t Leave Me Now is where it gets really dark and morbid. It’s a piece of music that is really psychologically close to the bone and something that people should only hear when in a sober and strong mood. It’s about the breaking point of a relationship, whilst a couple acknowledges their differences and the male part of this equation pleads to the lady not to leave. Very bleak. Still, it’s worth opening one’s ears and hearing, despite the melodrama and egotism of the music here. If you like light and happy Pop music, you will not have the stomach for this. Roger Waters shows himself to be the master of deep, dark and melodramatic music in Pink Floyd. Eventually, the song launches into action and this sounds really deep and wounded. Somewhat like a knife going through someone’s heart in an emotional sense. It ends after four minutes.

Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 3 begins with some samples of TV commentary and the sound of said TVs being smashed, as the central character in The Wall goes nuts. This is where the psychological meltdown for said character occurs, and he builds up his wall to protect himself. An excellent piece of music, it segues into the next track fairly quickly.

Last Few Bricks is a continuation of the previous track, and it sounds different and interesting. With a reprise of The Happiest Days Of Our Lives at the start, this is a deep and oddly melodic sounding entry into this live performance. It is a bit of an LSD flashback to everything that has musically happened so far. A strange yet essential piece of music to hear, it is a nice extra piece of music to enjoy. The song then gradually goes through various melodies and sections before eventually finishing after three minutes of epic Rock Opera glory.

Goodbye Cruel World finishes up side one of The Wall. It has those delayed guitars, simple bass guitar notes and a sense of something sad that has happened here. A great piece of music to listen to, especially if feeling depressed, this is melodrama set to music. In the end, the crowd goes nuts and applauds. Onto side two.

Hey You begins with the psychedelic acoustic guitar parts, deep basslines and a sense that The Wall has been well and truly built. Roger Waters sings with accuracy and passion about those on the other side of said wall, and he sounds really deep and wonderful here. The music here is really awesome and fits the drama and emotions of this song very well. A wonderful song about not entirely giving up, despite all the central character has gone through, this does sound amazing. A very interesting and thorough tune and the lead guitar playing present is fantastic, although it is not David Gilmour here. The climax comes fairly quickly and the worms enter in their horrible way. A great piece of music that ends with the immortal quote: “Together we stand, divided we fall!” Great piece of music.

Is There Anybody Out There? begins with the TV sample from the original The Wall album, followed by dark keyboards. Roger Waters asks this immortal song title question to the audience, and the audience responds to it very well. A sad, dark and deep piece of music, it eventually launches into a great fingerpicked guitar section with strings to match. The audience clap along as well, which is really nice. A very lovely and wonderful piece of music to hear, despite its overtones of melancholy. Very bittersweet, it ends after a few minutes. Great listen.

Nobody Home begins with some war movie samples and sounds very thematic. Soon enough, this launches into a sweet and lovely tune that is driven by piano and vocals here. This is quite possibly about or inspired by Syd Barrett, who was Pink Floyd’s founding member and a true legend in his own way. A great and listenable piece of music, this sounds very emotional and a plea to those who have long abandoned the central character in this album. A joyful and awesome listen in its own way if one looks on the bright side of this song. Roger Waters’s voice is not as good as it used to be, but he still sings very well here. A great listen and a great 20th century piece of musical poetry. Great listen, it ends with the sounds of the next song being pushed into this piece.

Vera is about the famous singer Vera Lynn who used to sing a very long time ago, even before LPs were around. This is a nice ode to said lady, and it sounds like Roger Waters is struggling to hit the high notes here, yet again, with his singing voice. Still, it works wonderfully and ends fairly quickly as well.

Bring The Boys Back Home is an anti-war piece, complete with marching drums and dramatic Classical styled instrumentation. This is very dramatic sounding and makes sense in the aftermath of World War II. A great listen, even if it is a bit much at times. All the same, it works well. A neat piece of music. It ends with feedback laden guitars, marching drums and a fade out.

Comfortably Numb begins with some seaside sounds and quickly launches into the song at hand, which sounds a little different from the original, but still sounds somewhat similar to that for the most part. This is a drug use song, inspired by some real-life drug use by Roger Waters, this is an excellent and beautiful song to listen to. No matter live or studio, Pink Floyd had a great musical impression that has lasted to this day. A great and awesome listen that stays fairly close to the original song, except that this is quite clearly a solo performance album by Roger Waters, it works dramatically, beautifully, emotionally and excellently. A very good point about the use and abuse of drugs that musicians are well known for. Although this can be a negative thing, it has its purposes for the main part. Roger Waters perfectly articulates the passion, emotion and energy in this song. The second half launches into the mad guitar solo that comprises the latter part of the song, and the lead guitar lines are played near perfect to the original recording. A really different and awesome listen, this sounds very upbeat and magical. Which the best music is. A fantastic tune to hear, this is worth every moment of it. A very top listening experience, and something really worth your time. The extended nature of the guitar solo is fairly Slash like, but it still works well. This eventually ends with a load of drum rolls and a chaotic finale, to crowd cheering. Excellent.

The Show Must Go On launches into a great and clean keyboard melody, which is pretty and suspenseful. Eventually, gorgeous harmonies from the original enter and we are underway. A really awesome and dramatic tune to listen to. The harmonies on this song are absolutely awesome, and it sounds really gorgeous and pretty musically. Not bad for a two-minute-long piece, and a good linking piece between major songs. Nice and gentle.

In The Flesh launches straight into the reprised song from earlier. Some great guitar leads are present here, and the whole thing sounds really deep and lively. A mission statement from this album which sounds fantastic, and the drumrolls and guitars make this very lively. This is somewhat more textural than song based at this point, eventually leading into the electric guitar arpeggios and blissful harmonies. In fact, these harmonies are among some of the best ever recorded here on this song. Eventually, the song launches into action and is about the central character freaking out and the performance being overthrown by fascists as a result. Very politically incorrect music, but something that was not uncommon to hear at the time as comments in mainstream Western society. A good listen, just as the plot continues. Great to hear. It ends with sustained guitar strums and the sound of gunfire.

Run Like Hell is the aftermath of the previous song, and Roger Waters asks the audience if there are any paranoics in the stadium tonight. He introduces the song to those people and launches into an excellent piece of music that is super dramatic and suspenseful. The guitar riffing is really excellent. Unfortunately, this does not stick to the template of sounding close to the album version, which is a bit strange. Goodness knows why this is a bit out of key here. Still, it works nicely and effectively musically. A really awesome piece of music to listen to all the same, even if it does not follow the original. The guitar playing and delayed riffing here are really excellent to listen to. A great piece of music about being a paranoid Rock Star, it makes sense to some, but more likely Roger Waters than anyone else. In many ways, The Wall is a selfish statement musically. In the second half is a nice drum solo, with some imitated sounds via guitar and keyboard. Weird, but wonderful in its own way. It eventually launches into the instrumental outro, which is quite nice to hear. A good tune, although could be bettered here. It ends with chaotic drumrolls, nice to hear.

Waiting For The Worms begins with chanting and a harmony sung answering machine message, which someone really should put as their voicemail on their mobile today. Roger Waters and company then launch into a dramatic and interesting piece of music that sounds quite good and is not too dissimilar to the original. This is a great twist in the plotline and makes for an excellent listening experience if you like drama and concept albums. An excellent listen from start to finish and keeps in line with the rest of the concept album at hand. A wonderful and lively tune to hear, this sort of music makes Pink Floyd’s legacy come alive. The ending builds up with suspense and volume, along with the chanting and the radio voice screaming maniacally here. Excellent.

Stop is a brief 30-second long piano and a vocal piece about being caught and awaiting trial for crimes against humanity. A great piece of suspense, just before the next track comes along.

The Trial begins with the creaking of a door, a brass marching band and some interesting, eerie and suspenseful music and sounds. A wonderful and unique tune, this goes straight into a piece of music about being caught showing feelings as a crime. Indeed, this is not an unusual crime in the history of the world. Ironically, this is seemingly a battle for sanity in the main character’s head. Strange but decent listening, it is a good psychoanalysis of the way people think. Perhaps Roger Waters was much better at this than anyone else in Rock history. “Crazy…over the rainbow, I am crazy…” sings Roger Waters, just before a choir enters. The second half of the song has the chief worm, the judge, delivering his final verdict to the central character over pseudo-Metal guitars and indeed, the listener. A dark and odd listen, there is chanting at the end: “Tear down The Wall!” which continues on for some time, in amongst the sound of said wall being destroyed and the audience cheering. Awesome stuff. This gradually fades out.

Outside The Wall is the very last track here. It has some lone horn parts here once again before some strummed acoustic guitars and vocal harmonies enter. This is the end of our journey through a very good live album. The harmony based singing sounds like a campfire song, although it’s not. There is an accordion present in this tune as well. This is a great finish to an awesome live double album, and the audience sings along as well. Cheering concludes this album, and Roger Waters has done a great job here, even without Pink Floyd. Soon enough, this tune wraps up with the reprised music and Roger Waters showcasing the band to the packed audience. A great listen to finish off things here, and this concludes nicely. Great stuff. There is a bit of crowd chanting right at the end.

This is a surprisingly good, interesting and well-structured piece of musical theatre, or for a better-known phrase, Rock Opera. Roger Waters, unlike most musicians, is a psychologist who never studied the profession at University. Instead, he channelled his emotional energy into his music, and this album, The Wall, succeeds. Should you listen to this release? Yes, especially if you love Pink Floyd and the original version of The Wall. A fantastic listen from start to finish, keeping fairly close to the original as well.

Dramatic and cinematic Rock theatre.

9/10