Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980-81 by Pink Floyd (CD, Apr-2000, 2 Discs, Columbia USA)

This is the sound track from the rock legendary movie, "The Wall." Pink Floyd are David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters, Richard Wright.

"The Wall" consists of these continuous tracks that tell several stories:

Track listing
DISC 1:
1. Master Of Ceremonies
2. In The Flesh?
3. The Thin Ice
4. Another Brick In The Wall (Part 1)
5. The Happiest Days Of Our Lives
6. Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)
7. Mother
8. Goodbye Blue Sky
9. Empty Spaces
10.What Shall We Do Now?
11.Young Lust
12.One Of My Turns
13.Don't Leave Me Now
14.Another Brick In The Wall (Part 3)
15.The Last Few Bricks
16.Goodbye Cruel World

DISC 2:
1. Hey You
2. Is There Anybody Out There?
3. Nobody Home
4. Vera
5. Bring The Boys Back Home
6. Comfortably Numb
7. The Show Must Go On
8. Master Of Ceremonies
9. In The Flesh
10.Run Like Hell
11.Waiting For The Worms
12.Stop
13.The Trial
14.Outside The Wall

Sex, drugs, rock n roll, war, loss of autonomy, public humiliation, and charades are among the various themes that "The Wall," or rather Roger Waters, contends with by making musical social commentary.

For this rendition of "The Wall" Pink Floyd added: Snowy White, Andy Roberts (guitar); Peter Woods (keyboards); Andy Brown (bass); Willie Wilson (drums); John Joyce, Stan Farber, Jim Haas, Joe Chemay (background vocals).

The themes in "The Wall" are heavy laden ones. The music is a match for the intensity of the emotions. At times, for instance, in "The Trial" hard driving guitar accentuates the emotions of the man on trial for showing, "feelings, feelings, of a most peculiar nature" . . . [and then] "tear down the wall!" is his sentence for being ruled guilty by a judge for having showed feelings. But there is also great humor in that particular scene when it begins with the lyrics, "Good morning worm your honor . . . ." "Another Brick in the Wall," and "Comfortably Numb," became top forty radio hits in the 80's. "Young Lust" also became a favorite on the dance floor with quite the refrain: "Ouh I need a dirty woman, ouh I need a dirty girl."

"The Wall" in CD form needs to be seen in DVD form also to understand how the lyrics are threaded loosely together. I would have given it an award for originality and the deep introspection of the lyricist. If you need something to distract you from the weight of the world on your shoulders, "The Wall" is heavy enough to make you feel lighter.