It's known, for obvious reasons, as "the Screaming Head." Part Edvard Munch, part cathartic rock 'n' roll howl, the iconic image by renowned British artist Gerald Scarfe perfectly encapsulates "The Wall" in all its angst-ridden glory.
"The whole piece is a scream in many ways, a scream of protest," said Scarfe, the chief visual collaborator on Pink Floyd's seminal musical psychodrama.
The brainchild of Pink-Floyd co-founder Roger Waters, "The Wall" was released as a double album in 1979. It later spawned a film, as well as various live productions.
Now Waters, who went solo in 1984, is taking his masterpiece on the road again. He'll perform "The Wall" from start to finish Tuesday night at The Q, as part of a 53-date North American tour that kicked off this month in Toronto. The show hits Europe next year.
Waters tapped his old pal Scarfe to update visuals for the extravaganza, which includes a 35-foot-high, 240-foot-wide wall.
When: 8 p.m. Tuesday,Sept. 28.
Where: The Q, East Sixth Street and Huron Road, Cleveland.
Tickets: $58-$202 at the box office, or charge by phone, 1-888-894-9424.
Scarfe came up with fresh animation and giant new inflatable characters to loom over the stage. We're not talking about some cute and cuddly Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons.
"Mother's head can swing from side to side, and she has lights in her eyes which rake the audience," Scarfe said by phone recently from his London studio.
"The Teacher works like a marionette. He's jointed in every joint and can be made to do all sorts of strange things."
Waters, 67, has his reasons for revisiting "The Wall." In a post on his website, he wrote:
"[I]t has occurred to me that maybe the story of my fear and loss, with its concomitant inevitable residue of ridicule, shame and punishment, provides an allegory for broader concerns: nationalism, racism, sexism, religion, whatever! All these issues and 'isms are driven by the same fears that drove my young life.
"This new production of 'The Wall' is an attempt to draw some comparisons, to illuminate our current predicament, and is dedicated to all the innocent lost in the intervening years. . . . I believe we have at least a chance to aspire to something better than the dog-eat-dog ritual slaughter that is our current response to our institutionalized fear of each other."
A plea for love
What does "The Wall" have to say to us today, more than 30 years after the original album came out?
"Originally, it was about Roger's father," said Scarfe, 74.
"His father was killed in the Second World War. . . . Now, of course, we're trying to broaden it out into all wars: Iraq, Afghanistan, all disputes around the world -- give it a broader aspect.
"I guess the overall message . . . is obviously the old simple one of: Love one another. Don't fight to try and settle things. We're all in it together.
"There are so many different factions around the world, so many different religions and so forth, and they're all warring, one with the other. It's a plea that has been made many times, and probably won't have any effect.
"But it's still worthwhile doing. It's still worthwhile saying: 'Don't build walls. Don't shut people out.'
"I sound like a preacher! Sorry."
"The Wall" traces its origins back to 1977, when Waters shocked himself by spitting on a fan who rubbed him the wrong way during a Pink Floyd concert in Montreal.
Years later, he wrote about the incident for a permanent "Wall" exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, which includes a giant inflatable of the Teacher character.
"[W]e were becoming addicted to the trappings of popularity," Waters reflected.
"I found myself increasingly alienated in that atmosphere of avarice and ego. . . . I was faced with a choice: to deny my addiction and embrace that 'comfortably numb' but 'magic-less' existence or accept the burden of insight, take the road less traveled and embark on the often painful journey to discover who I was and where I fit. 'The Wall' was the picture I drew for myself to help me make that choice."
The result is "an important work in rock history," said Jim Henke, the Rock Hall's chief curator.
Pink Floyd was inducted into the Rock Hall in 1996.
"Basically, 'The Wall' is about a rock artist going inside himself to see how he could become a better person," Henke said.
"Musically, it's a great work. And with the film, it took on a life of its own. It still speaks to a lot of people."
Film fueled battle for control Early on in the creative process, Waters played demos of his "Wall" songs for Scarfe.
"He first came to where I'm sitting right now, in this studio, with the raw tapes of 'The Wall,' with him singing to a synthesizer," Scarfe said.
"When he finished playing the tapes for me, he looked at me and wanted some response. I said, 'Yeah, great.' I didn't have an adequate response, really.
"And he said, 'Oh, Jesus -- I just feel as though I've pulled down my pants and [expletive] in front of you.' He felt that vulnerable. He felt he'd exposed himself."
Scarfe created artwork for the album and for Pink Floyd's 1980- '81 tour behind it.
"The Wall" was reborn as a nightmarish 1982 film, starring Bob Geldof (of the Boomtown Rats and future Live Aid fame) as Pink. When they were making the movie, Waters and Scarfe (who designed the animated sequences) frequently butted heads with director Alan Parker.
"When he took over, Alan wanted to have complete control," Scarfe recalled.
"There was a lot of territorial fighting. Roger had the backup of his manager. Alan had the backup of his producer. I was caught in the middle of this, and I became very fraught.
"I would drive into Pinewood Studios here in Britain at 9 o'clock in the morning with a bottle of Jack Daniels on the passenger seat. I'm not a heavy drinker. But I just felt I needed a slug before I went in to face the infighting."
When the film was finally done, the key players couldn't bear to sit through it.
"I remember when we played it in Los Angeles or New York or somewhere, Roger, Bob Geldof and I sat there and watched the first five minutes. Then we got up, left the theater and went to a bar to play pool, because we'd had so much of this goddamn film!"
Other spinoffs followed, including a 1990 production of "The Wall" staged by Waters in the ruins of the Berlin Wall.
Where should a newbie turn first? Scarfe recommended the 1979 album as the ideal starting point.
"Maybe it's best when you first hear something to hear it on your own, without any pictures by me or anybody else to tell you what to think or what to imagine," he said.
"Sit in the silence of your room and immerse yourself in it and make what you can of it."
Tearing down another wall
With its central theme of breaking down the barriers between us, "The Wall" might be construed as a somewhat ironic artistic statement coming from Waters, whose own relationships with his former Pink Floyd bandmates often have been strained.
That could be changing, though. Pink Floyd reunited for the Live 8 concert in London in 2005. Three years later, keyboardist Richard Wright died.
In July, Waters and Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour teamed up for a charity gig in England. So maybe the brick wall between them has been replaced by a picket fence with a swing gate.
"I'm not sure whether the swing gate is locked or not," Scarfe said, laughing.
He remains friendly with Waters, Gilmour and Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason. Scarfe interviewed each of them for his new book, "The Making of Pink Floyd: The Wall." It's loaded with firsthand anecdotes about the project's various incarnations, as well as Scarfe's stunning illustrations.
"I went out last night with Nick," Scarfe said. "He's very easygoing. He would go along with joining up again.
"Roger and David are the proudest ones, in a way. . . . Will they get together? There are more hopeful signs now than there have been for a long time. But they both have their own careers.
"It's possible they'll get together somehow. I kind of feel they will. But what do I know?"
Regardless of Pink Floyd's future plans, Scarfe has a hunch that people will still be screaming for "The Wall" for years to come.
"It has been passed on to other generations," Scarfe said.
"Its message is universal. It's a simple message, really. But it's very well told. The music is terrific, and the lyrics are very, very telling.
"It deserves to live on."
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![Pink Floyd - The Wall [VHS]](/510TX4RWA6LSL500.jpg)
By any rational measure, Alan Parker's cinematic interpretation of Pink Floyd: The Wall is a glorious failure. Glorious because its imagery is hypnotically striking, frequently resonant, and superbly photographed by the gifted cinematographer Peter Biziou. And a failure because the entire exercise is hopelessly dour, loyal to the bleak themes and psychological torment of Roger Waters's great musical opus, and yet utterly devoid of the humor that Waters certainly found in his own material. Any attempt to visualize The Wall would be fraught with artistic danger, and Parker succumbs to his own self-importance, creating a film that's as fascinating as it is flawed.
featuring special guests Bryan Adams, The Band, Paul Carrack, Thomas Dolby, Cyndi Lauper, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Sinead O'Connor, The Scorpions and more
We also carry a full line of CD, DVD, Tape & Record Supplies! As well as thousands of discontinued and out of print sound recordings (CDs, LPs, Cassettes). Quantity discounts available - please inquire. We sell wholesale and retail.
By any rational measure, Alan Parker's cinematic interpretation of Pink Floyd: The Wall is a glorious failure. Glorious because its imagery is hypnotically striking, frequently resonant, and superbly photographed by the gifted cinematographer Peter Biziou. And a failure because the entire exercise is hopelessly dour, loyal to the bleak themes and psychological torment of Roger Waters's great musical opus, and yet utterly devoid of the humor that Waters certainly found in his own material. Any attempt to visualize The Wall would be fraught with artistic danger, and Parker succumbs to his own self-importance, creating a film that's as fascinating as it is flawed.
Pink Floyd (Wish You Were Here, Man on Fire ) Music Poster Print - 24x36
Pink Floyd Jigsaw Puzzle 1000 Pieces 20" X 27" Ages 12+
This black hoodie is perfect for fans of Pink Floyd.
We also carry a full line of CD, DVD, Tape & Record Supplies! As well as thousands of discontinued and out of print sound recordings (CDs, LPs, Cassettes). Quantity discounts available - please inquire. We sell wholesale and retail.
The three images above were taken at one of the Earls Court 'Wall' shows in either 1980 or 1981. The tickets below are from various 'Wall' shows. With thanks to Martin van Haften.
