Sebastian Payne

I was browsing through some old files and found this post that has been waiting for a few years to be posted! This is about Comfortably Numb - the epic track from Pink Floyd. Comprising of passages in slow half-spoken verses, soaring vocals and an epic guitar solo. That's maybe too light, probably the best guitar solo in the history of rock and roll. It is one of the highlights of their 1980 magnus opus, The Wall. Several versions have been released of the song and this is my take of these various versions available.

If you have no idea what I'm on about, go buy yourself a copy of The Wall and listen to it on Disk 2 and you'll see what I mean. Here lies a brief summary of the versions of song officially released by the band, in a chronological order...

1. The Wall - The original version is the classic and can not be beaten in many ways. The studio effects make the track 'come together' somehow and Gilmour's solo is brilliant with no extra effects, just raw talent. The solo is the shortest out of all the versions here but possibly the most effective. This one gets 9/10

2. Is There Anybody Out There? - See how Pink Floyd decided to take this track from the studio and present it live in 1980-1981. It suffers from some over-the-top 80s guitar effects but is a good insight into that period in the band's history. The vocals are very true to the studio edition and has some improvisation here and there. However, I'd say both the track and album are for hard core fans of the band only. The original live version gets 7/10.

3. Delicate Sound of Thunder - Huge drums, big synth and massive bass lines, herein lies the biggest change the band tried to make to the track. It's semi-effective,; a good insight into how the band was playing live in the late 80s. However, this is also for hard core fans only and I can't imagine the album is one of the band's best selling. It sounds dated and locked into that time frame but it's still enjoyable, giving it 6.5/10

4. PULSE - Coming in at over nine minutes, this is something out of the ordinary, and the definitive version of the song. Gilmour's solo goes on for over four minutes itself, pure musical bliss. For those who 'don't get Pink Floyd', I recommend sitting in a darkened room, with the DVD of PULSE playing this track - it will convert anyone instantly with the sheer power. The track takes on a more grungy feel, possibly the way the track was originally envisioned by Gilmour. The passion from the final tour of Floyd is just, immense. Sure, they are flanked by a group of touring musicians but this is the definition of good modern music - it has purpose, skill and passion. This one also gets 9/10.

5. Live 8 - The first time that the 'classic lineup' played together for over twenty years, this was broadcast all around the world, comprising of a few tracks from their collection. Personally, I felt Comfortably Numb comes off the worst out of all the tracks (Breathe sounded great) - hollow, empty and Roger's vocals did not sound anything like his recent live shows. The performance was enjoyed by all and showed the band still have their original dynamics. However, don't go out looking for a great rendition here - the DVD will contain some other excellent treats though - this also gets a rating of 7/10

6. Remember That Night - Finally, the most recent version released on David Gilmour's Live DVD. This is what the Live8 performance should have been - tight and true to the original. The twist? David Bowie takes lead vocals on Water's parts and simply, it's a different song. Much more powerful than the original ever was, Gilmour's band of musicians keep the music with the same feel. The DVD is also fantastic, show casing his recent solo work and some classics of Floyd, going all the way back to 1967. Any sort of fan should own this, hence a final rating of 9/10 is given.

For the buffs here, let me know your opinions on the versions and which you enjoy listening to. There was a news snippet in Q recently, stating a local butcher who liked to listen the PULSE version each morning before work, quite an aggressive song for 7:30am! For the non music buffs, see what the fuss is about and enjoy the PULSE version of Comfortably Numb, performed by Pink Floyd, in all its glory

Here comes another YouTube video find, albeit a little different from my last one. While doing some clearing out this week, I found some spare Waterstones vouchers and decided to go book shopping, something I have not done in months; most people will agree that Amazon is cheaper and easier when you know what you want. Among the music books, I found According to The Rolling Stones, a biography of the legendary rock and roll band with interviews with the four key current members of band. My collection of biographies is growing and being a fan of the band, the transaction was complete just minutes later. One area that was touched upon and made me curious, was the mid-80s break up, where the Jagger-Richards partnership was failing (the classic line - creative differences), as witnessed by the 1986 album Dirty Work. One of the few Stones albums not represented on Forty Licks, the lead-off single (and #4 trans-atlantic hit) was a cover of Harlem Shuffle. It's actually quite a good cover, regardless of their issues. An atypical product of the decade, it still has a excellent groove and it's catchy - essential for any song to become a classic.

The video itself is terrible, the first 40 seconds is taken up with animated cats, who pop up now and again. It's a music video! Videos in the 80s were creative but this is one of the worst I have seen. The band appear wooden, ill and disjointed (well, they were) but no one has made any attempt to gloss over this. One comment on the video was 'the Stones of the 60s would not recognise themselves in this video'. Satisfaction is a long, long way from Harlem Shuffle but the rhythm section of Wyman and Watts remains unchanged, providing strong support, regardless of the genre or decade. Harlem Shuffle is a lost classic that documents the band at a time everyone would rather forget.

Often at parties, I pull my iPhone out of my jacket to check something and someone says 'Wow, it's an iPhone! Can I have a look?'. At first, I said no (after just paying £269) but now I say yes now. Most browse straight to the iPod application and look at what music I have. The likes of Leonard Cohen and MGMT have recently graced the screen but they are surprised to find the works of Beck in there. A year ago, I purchased Odelay, soon followed by Sea Change, The Information and most recently Modern Guilt. Odelay is described as his 'classic' album with a synthesis of pop, rock, blues and rap. Sea Change is styled in that of Blood On The Tracks - songs of loss and broken relationships. Sea Change has a special place with me - the songs are very touching and each piece has as certain melancholy and sound that I have not experienced anywhere else. The Information is roughly on the same lines as Odelay, but with a larger focus on rap but the same experimentation.

Modern Guilt, released just a few weeks ago, is a production collaboration with Danger Mouse. My initial thoughts on the first listen were a good synthesis of his acoustic work and quasi-pop-rock-rap. These thoughts haven't changed, in fact I think it is a great synthesis. I've been recommending it left, right and centre and most people seem to agree it is a great album, one of the best this year.

The song Modern Guilt is a stand out favourite for me (don't bypass the lead single Chemtrails either). Giving an account of simply a modern life, he talks being uptight in the city and feeling afraid without reason, continuing the themes on the rest of the album. The song starts with an off-beat drum and eventually some New Order-esque keyboards come in here and there with a guitar sound typical of Beck's work. The tune is very catchy and sticks in your head for a while. The chorus end with some atmospheric stomping piano that soon fades back to drum beat of the verses.

I started to write this post while sitting peacefully beside the shores of Lake Como, Italy. In such a remote place, far away from 'the city', I started to truly appreciate this song (and the rest of the album for that matter). Arriving to this relaxing setting meant the usual journey through train stations, airports and cities to reach the final destination - tranquility is exactly what the doctor required. If you close your mind and just listen through to this song, you can appreciate it fully. The rest of the album has room, the music is not dense and can give the sensation of floating away at times.

Musically, it is just part of Beck's constant progression forward to finding something different. Releases from Coldplay or The Fratellis are unlike this album in many respects, even though they are both exploring unknown territory. Lyrically, it's not a happy song; Beck manages to write a mixture of both but of his 'social observations' songs, this is my favourite so far.. Check out a live performance of Modern Guilt on YouTube here if you haven't heard it yet. Beck is currently touring America and Canada if you want to see some Modern Guilt live.