How College Can Change You: Music Taste

 Perhaps the most enjoyable part to look back on when thinking of yourself before college, during college, and after college, are the many changes that built up to your current self in the present moment.One of the many changes in my life that I noticed when meeting and hanging out with all the interesting characters I came across in my early college career was the way my music taste was changing.

I’ve always had a wide range of genres I avidly listened to, but I remember once being a seventeen year old girl who preferred to blast trip-hop and 90s gangster rap rather than the boring Pink Floyd discography that was sitting on my iTunes. Apart from “Money” and “Brain Damage,” and the occasional “Hey You” that I played now and then, I could’ve cared less for Pink Floyd or Classic Rock for that matter.

 Thankfully, I’ve come a long way from that mindset. I don’t remember the exact moment when I decided to finally listen to Pink Floyd, but I know it all started, like many others, with Dark Side of The Moon.

 I won’t discuss the greatness of Dark Side of The Moon, because if you’re a college student living in the dorms, there’s a great chance you know a kid who has a Dark Side of The Moon poster somewhere in his dorm room and has played this masterpiece during one of your hangs outs. Instead, I’m going to channel my inner high school “indie/hipster” kid to bring musical wisdom about the greatness of Pink Floyd.

The greatness of Pink Floyd isn’t just limited to one splendid album, but rather throughout their whole discography. And one cannot talk about the greatness of Pink Floyd’s music without mentioning The Wall.

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Released as a double album in 1979 and accompanied by its own tour and feature film, The Wall was a concept album that dealt with themes of abandonment, depersonalization and isolation, reflecting the inner troubles of lyricist and bassist Roger Waters. If you consider the fact that Roger Waters wrote the lyrics of this album mostly by himself, that should give you a better idea of  the level of genius of Pink Floyd’s musicians.

Disc 1-

In The Flesh (3:18): Being the first song of the album, I highly recommend this because it always put me in a good mood. The whole line “So ya. Thought ya. Might like to go to the show”  gives me a feeling of nervously asking someone out on a date or nervously inviting someone into your mind. In this case, this is exactly was Roger Waters is doing, inviting you into his mind, except he is neither nervous nor timid.

The Thin Ice (2:29): This song to me speaks to the transition between childhood and adulthood, and the ordeals a person goes through in between. It features mainly a piano rather then electric trippy guitars, and the lyrics are always fun to sing along to when played out loud.

Goodbye Blue Sky (2:48): I like this song because it is more acoustic rather than electric guitar. It is direct commentary of the Vietnam War, giving a direct portrayal of what the people living in the places that were bombed felt like (hence the name of the song). Despite the heavy theme, it is a very calming song.

Disc 2-

Hey You (4:41): Of course I’m going to include Hey You to this list. If you’ve never listened to this song, please do yourself a favor and play it now. Truly a classic.

Comfortably Numb (6:50): Another song that is widely known from this album. It can be said that at this point in the album, Roger Waters’ describes how he feels as he finalizes putting up the walls between himself and the rest of the world. If you’re ever feeling some angst, this song is a good choice to listen to.

The Show Must Go On  (1:37): I love this song because it feels like a big release and liberation after the wall has been put up in Comfortably Numb. It is a more up-beat song, and I’ve definitely played it after the end of good and bad things. It is a good song for celebration and moving on.

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Wish You Were Here is another great album by Pink Floyd. Released in 1975, this album’s music mainly describes the absence and mental illness of Syd Barrett, one of the founding members of Pink Floyd. Similarly to The Wall, the concept of this album was written mostly by Roger Waters, as he was also the one who had a close childhood friendship with Syd Barrett.

Curiously enough, the day the band was recording the vocals to Wish You Were Here, Syd Barrett randomly showed up after three years of isolation. He was completely unrecognizable, having gained a lot of weight and being completely bald with his eyebrows shaved off. It wasn’t until later on that the other members realized this strange man in the recording studio was actually their old band member.

Shine On You Crazy Diamond  (26:05 All Parts): The songs that talks about Syd Barrett’s mental decline, you can truly feel and hear the sadness in those guitar solos.

Wish You Were Here (5:40): Another song about Syd Barrett. Another classic by Pink Floyd.

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Meddle

Not as iconic as The Wall or Dark Side of The Moon, Meddle can still considered one of the better albums by Pink Floyd both musically and lyrically. Released in 1971, this album was what truly began the style of Pink Floyd and Roger Water’s lyricism. Some recognizable guitars similar to Dark Side of The Moon can be heard, however, Meddle also features more acoustic psychedelic sounds.

Fearless (6:05): This is another acoustic favorite of mine, Fearless is a song that talks about overcoming fear, rising above it all, from pressures and expectations from others to the pressures and expectations you set on yourself.

San Tropez (3:40): This song has a fun beat that reminds me of the opening credits in the beginning of a movie, when the characters driving to their destination. Another relaxing song that is also a charm to sing along to.

A Pillow of Winds (5:07): I adore this song because it has a very nostalgic, dreamy acoustic sound to it. The background guitar reminds me a lot of The Beatles. The lyrics make it a cute song to dedicate to a significant other.

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Obscured By Clouds

One of the more obscure albums by Pink Floyd, Obscured By Clouds was released in 1972 after Meddle. This album features more electronic elements, especially in songs such as Obscured by Clouds and Mudmen.

Obscured by Clouds (3:05): This song is much more electronic that at first you wouldn’t really think it was by Pink Floyd. I absolutely love when the beat finally drops at 00:22. The come the electric guitars at 00:46, and the rest falls together into wonderfulness. Again, if you haven’t listened to this song, you should seriously consider it.

Burning Bridges (3:30): Featuring the recognizable voices of Richard Wright and David Gilmour along with dreamy guitars, you’ll fall for three minutes and a half of relaxation.

Wot’s…Uh The Deal (5:09): Another heavy acoustic, this song speaks of the necessity to grow and keep going. A nice song to listen to when you’re sad if you want sympathetic sounds that will actually cheer you up.

Mudmen (4:18): My favorite song of this album, Mudmen is all instrumentals, with layers of new instruments and sounds being added as the song goes on, building up to the entrance of the electric guitars by 1:29. This song to me inspires both sadness and happiness, which is something that happens with a lot of Pink Floyd songs. I love the way the song mellows out at 2:05, only to pick up again by 2:40 to the same buildup that started in the beginning of the song. I know I’ve said this before, but if you haven’t listened to this song, do yourself another huge favor and do so now.

Of course, there are also other great albums by Pink Floyd, including their earlier stuff from the Syd Barrett psychedelic days, such as The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and A Saurceful of Secrets. I highly recommend those as well.

Despite the band having broken up already in 1994, Pink Floyd is going to release their new album Endless River in November after 20 years since the release of  their last album, The Division Bell. I’m really excited for this release, and I can only imagine it’ll further spark interest in the younger generations about this band, especially among college students.

If you’re someone who vaguely knows of Pink Floyd, or has only listened to Dark Side of The Moon, allow me to have your trust, and consider listening to The Wall, Wish You Were Here, Meddle and Obscured By Clouds. If your music taste is going to be influenced and changed during your college years, Pink Floyd is definitely a positive influence and a great stepping stone into the wonderful world of Classic Rock. Trust me, you won’t regret it.