Pink Floyd- Welcome to the Machine (First Listen) 

"Welcome to the machine my son" is a record company exec letting the new 'talent' know he is just a small cog in a corporate machine. The "my son" is a patronising way of saying - in this context - "you're inferior to me little boy" ...

Rick Wright does not get enough credit. Such a sound genius.

In 1975.. my dad opened a record store.. barely 15 at the time.. I worked in that store.. I remember every album (we charged $5.57 for a single and $10.65 for double albums). Pink Floyd ruled and I remember the lines at our ticketron for the Wall concert. Always brings me back to that time.. Pink Floyd.. when I discovered Weed and what it meant to really feel the music. It’s so much fun to watch younger folk appreciating what we always knew.. the music was different then.. and dare I say.. better.

It took a long time before l realised this album is as good as Dark Side, how can an album sound as good time and time again?

This was the first Pink Floyd song I ever heard, it really left a lasting impression on me. It still reigns among my favorites in their entire catalog.

I always thought the end was them boarding an express lift which opened to a penthouse party.

Completely agree with Wright being a big part of this album. Quite right about the whole feel being about the way that the music industry can exploit you. Just wait 'till you get to the next track.....!!! That track is one where none of them could get the feel that Roger was wanting so they invited Roy Harper, who was recording next door to give it a go. I'm a bit biased being a bit of a Roy Harper anorak but I think he really makes the lyrics shine. Can't wait for that reaction. Keep on Rocking and stay safe.

The sound at the end which accelerates and then slows down reminds me of someone in an elevator going up. When the doors open he steps out into a party, and as the attendees see him they fall silent.

Rich Wright definitely in my all time top five keyboard players.

Back in the '80s, I was playing a video game on the then-ubiquitous Commodore 64, and the phrase "Welcome to the Machine" was written on the wall in one of the scenes of the game (no doubt an homage, in retrospect). Just a few years later, when Pink Floyd released "Momentary Lapse of Reason" and I was exploring their history and music, I came across the song title, played it, and was instantly blown away...so sinister, brilliant, had never heard anything like it. The hollow, octave-separated vocals, the Minimoog solo like a laser cutting straight through your mind...

"Welcome to the Music Industry" would have been the literal title. The following song (Have a Cigar) follows up like "now your fingers are caught in the gears. Here's how your life goes from now on".

I thought the end was taking the elevator up to a penthouse party. Welcome to the record business, a theme repeated in Have a Cigar. I like that they had the pulsing beat bouncing between speakers.

Spent many a night with my headphones on as a teen in the ‘70’s enjoying this album/song.

Important to note: although the synth/keyboard leads are Wright, the basis for the song: the synthesizer rhythm parts were laid down by Waters. A lot of people get that wrong. If you notice the writing of the music & lyrics are credited entirely to him. Waters role in the band tends to be under appreciated as far as the wide variety of things he actually did on the records which most people probably don't bother to even research. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wbM2_-JeDuY.html

The fluid way they keep going from 2/2 to 3/3 and back within that 6/8 rhythm is astounding.

Great analysis, my only comment would be, that you shouldn't under estimate the influence of Syd Barret. The guy who became the "big star" and "played a mean guitar" with all the trappings at his fingertips who was chewed up by the industry. You see how this theme is followed up in tracks "Have a Cigar" and "Wish you were here" Great reaction - keep it up dude!

Agree with the "Wright's song" line,he steals the show here. I see your point about it being a track with a more Animals feel,but I feel that while Animals looked at the broad societal structure,Wish You Were Here looks at issues a lot more personal to the band (Syd Barrett's fate and music industry),but describes them broadly enough to make them relatable. You don't need to have an experience with music industry to feel trapped in the machine. I feel you will like Have A Cigar, it has the same theme,but has a different take on it.

Amazing sound creaction with the absence of a drum beat taken up by synth and guitar work. Your right this and the track Have a Cigar are the bands poetic take on the music industry and its machine!

One of my favorite Pink Floyd songs.. and I love so many of them.

RE: feeling like an ANIMALS track: Close to it..."Dogs" and "Sheep" were actually written around this time. They used to perform them live under the working titles "You Gotta Be Crazy" and "Raving and Drooling". And they sounded even HEAVIER than the album versions. Gilmour wanted to do these, but WISH YOU WERE HERE came about first, instead. Interesting to think that ANIMALS was brewing this early, when ANIMALS has that "Punk Floyd", which was fitting for 1977.

Great call on this sounding like Animals, the arrangement definitely foreshadows it. It’s all in Rick Wright’s keys and the sound effects, that Animals vibe.

Absolutely adore this song... Waters, Wright, and Gilmore all shine on this... riveting stuff.

Masters of atmosphere, those Floyd guys. The video for this was pretty freaky, too. Late-night headphone stuff, for sure.

:)...Nice react...As many will say; and as with most PF albums, you need to hear every single song in a row, to fully appreciate it's profundity...If you were "partying" in 75-76 and this came on for the first time; it changed your life...When you've spent as long as I have with this album, it's like a brother that will never get sick or die and you can call at anytime, and you can borrow money off him and not pay it back...:)...

Just recently discovered your channel and am really loving it. I am also delving into earlier Floyd and finding a number of amazing works by them between the Barrett and Gilmour years, but also the Barret years. It has given me an even deeper appreciation of the band through its history. One album that is under appreciated but probably not one I’d do on this channel because of its obscurity, (no pun intended!) is Obscured by Clouds. There are some amazing songs and the album was initially supposed to be a film soundtrack, until a difference of opinion with the director, hence some songs sound more like snippets and fillers. But there are some monster tracks and you get another side to their music entirely. Thought I’d mention it for your personal enjoyment!

Song reminds me of some night driving somewhere in the 70s and this tune gets played

They did it on the album Animals and here they do it again: mock the powerful music industry. This song seems to tattooed onto my brain; I know every word, every note and sound. I heard it (this song/album) so many times since this album came out in 1975 and still love it.

Just listened to Omega, great find! Never heard them before.

The synthesizer shines so much on this song. Richard Wright is a fucking genius. And I love the very ending, where you can hear a pin drop in the silence.

I'm French Canadian, so English is just a second language for me. Even if I think of myself as being bilingual, when I listen to music I can either concentrate on the words or let me immerse in the music. The music of Pink Floyd is so good that I rarely take the time to give the words my full attention. When I listen to music in french I'm able to do both at the same time, specially if I listen to Brel or others where the music is mostly there to support the words (speaking of that, have you ever heard of In the port of Amsterdam by David Bowie? A Brel song translated in English). So, it's good to be reminded once in a while that Pink Floyd (and others) are more than just music. Thanks

Man oh man, this is fun (he said rubbing his hands). Relistening to WYWH is way cool. I said I’d stay away from the album but, I kind cheated but not on porpoise. Was playing some of my older MP3 CDs at work and In The Flesh came on. Roger Waters with Doyle Bramhall and Snowy White on guitars. Some really nice reinterpretations of PF songs but... technically I didn’t cheat. My young brain melted with this track and stayed that way. Heard it multiple times but, hadn’t thought about the lyrics much. I appreciate your insights and theories professor and I’m showing up to class enthusiastically. I’m like a kid in a candy bar, eating my way out. Yum. Take care everyone, go vote, mask up and be kind, Peace and machine Music

Excellent review!

Great song, good review, nice afternoon! (I'm off to Budapest to find Omega).

Your review was "spot-on" with how I perceive this song, but of course you are more articulate in than I in describing it. With Pink Floyd in mind, "Dark Side of the Moon" is the second largest selling album ever. I am sure you already know it is considered one of the greatest albums of all time. I'm looking forward to your review, but would understand not wanting to jump into it. Once you hear Dark Side of the Moon, it raises the benchmark substantially for all that comes after. Love the channel JP.

Absolutely superb song, total winners Justin. We can’t go wrong with this.

This is great tune also, up there with my favorite PF songs. Enjoyed the reaction.

One thing I love about Pink Floyd is how easily one can apply their lyrics to one's own situation. When I first got this LP record I didn't know the back story of Sid and all, I just enjoyed the music, and interpreted it how I wanted to. Now I see it can be both a celebration of Syd's life, but also a personal song to listeners.

Been listening to this for nearly 50 yrs and this is the first time I've noticed that it doesn't seem to have drums.

Here's what this song means to me. It brings me back to the mid 1970's and memories of me working in a factory while also going to college full time. I worked part time in a box factory while attending college. 2-3 nights per week 3-11 pm in order to pay for books and tuition. I'd work full time 40 - 97 hrs per week during Spring Break and the summer. In the summer time, I primarily worked the night shift 11 pm - 7am. I operated a noisy machine which would cut a laminated sheet of corrugated of "cardboard" into a folding box. My job was to feed a sheet into the machine one sheet at a time. It was repetitive work that demanded complete attention to detail otherwise the sheet would twist and cause paper cuts into either my hands or worse my torso. My job required me to wear ear protection. To protect my ears and to keep my sanity, I purchased a pair of Sears AM/FM headphones to listen to the radio during my shift. Back then everything was on AM radio. Not talk radio, but music on the radio from one of the dial to the other. FM was brand new and the only two stations that broadcast on FM was Public Radio and a Rock station that played albums or long songs off of albums and no Pop music and virtually no commercials (it was a new station). I was amazed at how great the music sounded on FM than AM. So, I tuned into the FM Rock station all night long. It just so happened that just about every night as I walked to my machine and put on my headphones and pressed the big button turning it from red to green and on, "Welcome to the Machine" would come on. I spent six and a half years working in that factory putting my way through school and that song helped me get through it. My academic degree that I earned in college was my ticket out of the factory and into graduate school and ultimately a career in archaeology. I still listen to it frequently, as the "Wish You Were Here" album is my all time favorite album to listen to. It never gets old. It gets better with every playing because it always reminds me that I was fortunate enough to break free of "The Machine!"

I just finished listening to your "Wish You Were Here" Reaction Playlist. Yadda, Yadda, Yadda, The album is a masterpiece. In this video, you recommended the band Omega and their album "200 Years After The Last War ". I listened to album. Thank you. I enjoyed listening to it. I had never heard of Omega. I will definitely listen to them again.

great review as always, hey almost to 10K !!!!

Another great review. I will likely need to listen to this song again, maybe in the context of the album before I can decide if I like it or not.

Nice reaction again JP. It seems you and I are on similar pages here and with PF in particular. We seem to interpret them similarly. I am constantly amazed at how well PF arranged the instruments and sounds, even after listening to their work for 40 years. Carefully constructed to get the effect they wanted. Amazing! The more you listen to this track/record, the more you will enjoy. You won't listen to it ALL the time but every time you come back to it you will enjoy it all the more and may hear new stuff every time. OK, Later...

An indictment of the shallow goals of the music industry

So now you get up and flip the record before settling back down with your headphones on in the dark for side 2. I like this album more now than I did 40 years ago, and I *loved* it then. Have a Cigar continues the Music Company Exec vibe. Looking forward to it.

Rick really shines on this one

This is the song that made me a Foyd fan, & a Prog fan as well.

Such a cheerful tune.

Saw that year of the Rooster pink you had on and Pink Floyd was on the horizon. My favorite track on this album. Animals feel. eerie, treacherous, filled with doom and gloom. My sort of song!

some of the best synth recording of all time and it was in 1975!

This song is absolutely stark and heavy and I love it. The whole thing just perfectly relays the cold corporate thinking of being a pop/rock star dealing with producers and the manufacturing of image etc. And the "going up" in the elevator at the end i always assumed as getting fast tracked to the top. It's expanded upon in the next song which is insanely biting and brutal.

My favorite Pink Floyd album, it’s a masterpiece! Looking forward to your reaction to ‘Have a Cigar’!

Totally love this song. Some of the best synthesizer sound I've ever heard. Listened to this album on radio on the day if its release. Totally blew my mind. Still does. Pink Floyd at its best.

I see thick as a brick there on your little chalkboard. If you do do it, make sure it's the 1978 live video from Madison Square Garden in NY. The best live sound quality you can hear. Live performances can be hit and miss, but this one was special from Jethro Tull.

Pink Floyd’s best album.

Yep it’s an elevator which opens up to a record company party. Then after the party he meets the record company owner for Have A Cigar. In a way these songs are out of order. Fun fact: It took me 45 years to realize there are no drums on this song. Nick is probably playing those synth stabs cheee cheee sounds. Also Rick is using an ARP String Ensemble and Minimoog. No Organ. Roger I think is playing Synth bass and in one place you can hear a descending bass guitar line. David is singing overdubbed octaves and playing acoustic guitars. That’s what I hear but I could be wrong.

Very cool song indeed ! Omega... are u kidding? Great hungarian prog. And u picked my fav with them. Singin in english aswell. Great album. Had to check my cd's... yep.. 24 Omega albums. Good reaction to PF.. as usual. Looking forward to more Floyd. And... there is a great band from Ger... no i'm not gonna go there this time. Rock on/Gunnar

Waters lyrics are absolutely lit as always

Yep, Have A Cigar is next (on the album)!!! Great album, out of my fav PF albums, I don’t play this one as often but love it!

Love this album. This track is about the way the music industry treats artists and references the way it effected Sid Barret.

I still remember where I was when I first heard this album. I can close my eyes and see it -- or, more accurately, feel it.

The album I think is a poetic musical biography and following a definite industry story and mesmerizingly good. Looking forward to the next ones, which I'm hoping will be quite soon. Thanks.

this is my personal favorite PF song the tonality and mood from the pulsing machine intro is pure genius

The very first sounds of this theme sounds to me as an Engine Room of a vessel (I´m a retired marine engineer): you can also hear the sound of the telegraph orders and the "noise" of the main engine marching on

I like this tune. I like Pink Floyd.

A slam on the record industry. Wright definitely shines on this track.

This was my favourite song from 1993-2003

Justin I would recommend Possible pasts from The final cut, and also The gunners dream from the same album; lyrically wonderful tracks.

Listened to the Omega album (200 Years After The War). It was quite good, especially the first track "Suite." At times the album sounds indistinguishable from the plethora of music from the 70s, but it also has a number of moments where their sound becomes unique. Thanks for the recommendation - a pleasant listen!

Stark.. Angry.. Animals anyone.. 😊 The juxtaposition of a beautiful, subtle acoustic guitar with electronic sounds, effects are just pure floyd imo. Music "industry" is not in a good place. Prophetic this is.. 😊 Roger, genius again. Dave, s vocals are superb too. 😊 Great song, timeless, like every song it seems on this masterpiece IMHO ❤️ ❤️ Thank you butty.. Superb review.. Again, 👍👍👍😊

Another great song, another great video. I have nothing to add to your discussion. See you in the next video. You're gonna go far.

So many people had this as their answering machine greeting 😁

Ahhhh bliss ❤️ You brought a guitar to punish your ma... can you do Hawkwind warrior on the edge of time!? I’d love to see your reaction !

Thumbs up at the start!!!!

Thanks for recommending Omega. Just listened to them they're sick. Can't wait for Have a Cigar. Roy Harper's guest vocals kill. He's a criminally underated artist from that era. Worth checking out if you like British folk rock.

I love this album there’s not a bad song on it and this is definitely my favourite song of the album

The opening sounds like the old hydraulics on what they call the "dark rides" at Disneyland, such as Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

As usual a very good and detailed reaction. Your experience in reacting is clear hence the message you are looking for in the song. By the way, you were using a soundlimiter here? With Pink Floyd this comes out very clear. When the music peaks the sound compresses and more quieter moments are enhanced. It takes away a well balanced experience and that does not seem to fit you? Or am I wrong and is it youtube 'quality' I stumble upon?

The song is musically well constructed

Wright's song? This is all Wright's album as far as I'm concerned! :D Omega are a pretty nifty band. The eastern bloc sure has some very cool gems. Hall of Floaters in the Sky is also a really good album by them, as is Time Robbers, which I think is their most sold album in Europe. Another great prog band from pre-fall of the USSR Hungary is Solaris, check out their Martian Chronicles album.

This song, links directly to the ANIMALS album is tone, its complete follow up is "WHAT-SHALL-WE-DO-NOW" on The Wall, You've got to review the Lyrics of What Shall We Do Now after listening to this, its definitely a continuum.

My God we were so lucky to be growing up when these iconic bands were breeding music which will live on , and on!

I recommend a reaction to the album Fear Of A Blank Planet by Porcupine Tree

I recommend checking out The Sky Moves Sideways by Porcupine Tree. That whole album is a big reference to Wish You Were Here.

Meddle, Dark Side, Wish, Animals, The Wall. Concept albums can be timeless and universal?

It's only really just struck me how little Nick Mason plays on this album.

PINK FLOYD, "WELCOME TOO MACHINE". LOVE THIS ALBUM, JUSTIN FUNNY IN THIS WORLD WE ARE NOW LIVING IN. WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING. THE PEOPLE AT THE PARTY, WOULD ONLY BE HAPPENING DURING THE MASKLESS GATHERING...LOL SO SILLY GREAT SONG.

Justin, getting close to “Brick”!!!!!

The whole album is an indictment of the industry.

Obscure band suggestions, Scottish band "Beggars Opera" especially "Pathfinder" (sample tracks "Stretcher" " Macarthur Park" and Madam Doubtfire".) Welsh Band "Man" particularly the first album just called "Man". If you want something weird and whimsical Gong's "Flying Teapot" album .

Is there someone right outside the wall? Perhaps, breaking bottles in the hall? Did you get to wall era pink floyd? I'm trying to figure out if that was a wall reference, haha

Yeah, this and Have a cigar, are comments about the corporate side of the music industry. and yes, very Animals-like, good point.

This is not a song that would be at home on Animals. It clearly and deliberately fits into the theme of this album. Perhaps you spoke too soon, having not yet consumed and considered the album in its entirety. Wish You Were Here and Animals, as with Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, The Final Cut, etc., are distinct presentations.

I really like the fact that Pink Floyd, unlike Genesis and Yes, were willing to let the anger, sadness, and cynical despair into their music. They were far from pleased with the state of modern society, the structures of power and oppression. And they viewed the music industry with disdain. Pink Floyd did not do escapist music to "entertain" the masses. They wanted to challenge their listeners, and talk about what was really going on in the world. In this sense, I feel like Pink Floyd's music holds up better over time than most, if not all, of the other great prog bands of the 70s. And the deep, heavy grooves still sound fresh and interesting.

I love that!make a reaction to some Argentinian 70's prog bands such as ''Crucis'' or ''La maquina de hacer pajaros''. If you make a reation to groups like ''Rata Blanca'' and songs like ''La leyenda del hada y el mago'', you'll have tons of argentinians subs, hehe. Greetings from Buenos Aires!

👍♥️

Wow, you're doing the whole album in one sitting? Proper This is the way you should do Lamb lies down.

Of course the original is unmatched, but I also recommend checking out the slightly more beefy cover by Arjen Anthony Lucassen which is a great homage from him in his own style.

I remember back in 88 I was working with this guy who had to be the biggest Rolling Stones fan. He would get so pissed every time this song came on the classic rock station. “This ain’t rock & roll! Now the Stones, THAT’S rock & roll!” Aw, screw him! LOL

"Is there someone talking outside the wall?" When this album came out, I was listening to it in my apartment with my headphones, then spent the next day trying to find the part where there was knocking on the door, and someone saying, "well, I guess he's not home."