"It was derided by some critics as self-indulgent and gimmicky when it was released in 1975 but has since been marked a perfect 10 and inspired exhibitions and postage stamps. Now to mark the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd's album Wish You Were Here, the poet laureate, Simon Armitage, has written an epic poem about the record, the band and their profound impact on him titled Dear Pink Floyd."
"Armitage, who was 12 when the record was released, describes it as a time capsule treasure chest message in a bottle tied to a life buoy thrown on a life raft from a ghost ship, while imagining the band playing in the hanging gardens of Babylon and in the Mariana trench. It was a chance to do something a little bit different, he said. I just thought it might drag me off in a different direction."
"The album followed on from the progressive rock and invention of the band's Dark Side of the Moon. It only has five tracks, with the middle three songs Welcome to the Machine, Have a Cigar and the title track sandwiched between the band's epic multipart song in honour of departed member Syd Barrett, Shine On You Crazy Diamond. The initial critical response to the album was mixed."
Simon Armitage composed an unpunctuated epic poem titled Dear Pink Floyd to mark the 50th anniversary of Wish You Were Here. The poem expresses deep personal resonance and surreal imagery, imagining the band in places such as the hanging gardens of Babylon and the Mariana Trench. Wish You Were Here was released in 1975, received mixed initial reviews yet achieved commercial success, reaching No 1 and inspiring exhibitions and postage stamps. The album contains five tracks, including Welcome to the Machine, Have a Cigar and the multipart Shine On You Crazy Diamond, a tribute to Syd Barrett.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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