Back Against the Wall: A Tribute to Pink Floyd in Bloomington, MN

One of the most popular, and analyzed,
rock
albums ever is undoubtedly
Pink Floyd
's 1979 sprawling masterpiece
The Wall
. Although the definitive version remains the aforementioned studio album, there has also been a 1982 movie (starring a pre-
Live Aid
Bob Geldof
), and two separate live albums -- one by
Roger Waters
in 1990 (
The Wall: Live in Berlin, 1990
) and the other a delayed release of
performances from the early '80s (2000s
Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall: Live 1980-1981
). So you think that would be the last we heard from
, right? Think again. A multitude of classic rockers/prog rockers have united to cover
in its entirety, under the title
Back Against the Wall
. Led by producer
Billy Sherwood
, a rotating case of musicians was assembled to make anyone with a well-worn copy of
Tales of Topographic Oceans
drool with excitement --
Yes
'
Rick Wakeman
,
Chris Squire
Alan White
, and
Geoffrey Downes
;
King Crimson
's
Adrian Belew
Tony Levin
John Wetton
Styx
Tommy Shaw
ELP
Keith Emerson
Jethro Tull
Ian Anderson
, among countless others. Interestingly though, it can be argued that
was
's least "progressive" album, as the group focused on tight song structures -- obviously inspired by the then burgeoning
new wave
and
punk
movements. The performances are expectedly spot-on (and it's quite impressive how they re-created all the sound effects/
spoken word
bits so precisely), and stick very close to the originals -- except for a
-led take of
"Comfortably Numb,"
which adds a few extra bits. With an ever-increasing overabundance of versions of
to choose from, you've got to wonder if
was necessary at all. ~ Greg Prato