Pink Floyd, The Wall, 2. The Thin Ice - A Classical Musician’s In-Depth Analysis
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- Опубліковано 10 гру 2022
- You wouldn’t expect to find such richness and depth in a piece of music which lasts a little over 2 minutes. I kept my thoughts under 40 minutes, but I felt like I could have gone on and on.
Link to the original song by Pink Floyd:
• The Thin Ice
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Amy Shafer, LRSM, FRSM, RYC, is a classical harpist, pianist, and music teacher, Director of Piano Studies and Assistant Director of Harp Studies for The Harp School, Inc., holds multiple degrees in harp and piano performance and teaching, and is active as a solo and collaborative performer. With nearly two decades of teaching experience, she teaches privately, presents masterclasses and coaching sessions, and has performed and taught in Europe and USA.
As usual, please write here your questions only.
Do you ever watch Emily Hopkins' channel? What are your thoughts on using electric guitar effects pedals with the harp?
Can we discuss the use of Vera Lynn’s (?) “I Want to Marry a Lighthouse Keeper,” which is heard near the beginning of the movie?
As I watched this I wondered, are you still teaching and, if so, have you used this album within your lessons to demonstrate a point? Or would you in the future? It is so far removed from "classical" music but, I think, is a modern classic in it's own right.
Would you consider playing the whole song on your harp at the end of one of these analysis videos? Great analysis, buy the way.
Learn to and study STRANGLEHOLD by TEDNUGENT ua-cam.com/video/ygbeGtG4qMM/v-deo.html OR -ua-cam.com/video/gXkGu0qM1wg-/v-deo.htmlOR - Studio version: ua-cam.com/video/hzFpiW5vHrc/v-deo.html
This is what is called a thorough multidimensional analysis and synthesis of musical work. Very rare, if not unique, on the YT. Thank you so much.
It might take a year before we get through your whole The Wall libretto, but girl! it's so very worth it. Thanks for the time you spend on this!
Yes, she's getting it, and even though I've studied it since 1980, I'm learning some new things from her. Don't you just love when she talks about the emotions in the music as she plays them on her harp?
Thanks for the new word bro. 👍
You understand more about every nuance of this song in a couple of listens than I have gleamed in 40 years. Truly impressive.
This woman is a genius. If you haven't subscribed, do so now. It is going to be an epic journey!
She is wonderful to be sure. You can see how music is her life and how she must share it with us. 👍👍👍
As a music teacher Amy has a wonderful way of connecting the dots with attention to detail and nuance. Also as a teacher she has a wonderful way of expressing her ideas. Unusual. She fills a void which has existed for decades between classical and rock music. She is filling this void in an entertaining and very thoughtful way. Much needed.
Agree, it is fascinating to hear her thoughts, she is producing some of the best youtube content I've ever heard. Wonderful speaker, with a depth of knowledge and ability that make every video mindblowing. I think Amy and Doug Helvering are 2 of the most entertaining, educational and pleasant people to watch I've ever discovered. So grateful for the work these people put in and wish them every success. The list of songs I would love to hear them examine is becoming a very, very long list.
@@steeleye2112 Yes, Doug is another of my favs. He can get bogged down in the chord and key details but his attitude of kindness and skill in communicating is great. They are similar in this regard. Amy seems to link the lyrics and music a little better with a slightly different perspective. As such I am exploding with anticipation for her to review Genesis, but I can not see that this band is even on her radar! She and they would be a match made in heaven. All about the music and the total experience, Genesis was serious about their music but not themselves. No showmanship (with Peter's obvious exception). Flamboyant solos are not their focus and Amy would love them. Your thoughts?
'...with your fear flowing out behind you...' is such a simple lyric, yet so descriptive to so many who feel it literally in life. It is not lazily written. It's a very important lyric for many.
This is what happens when you get the shits, or are scared shitless...
Yes, exactly Stuart.
The Wall album is one of my all time favorites
C.O.Y.I. Spear! ⚒
I wore out two or three cassettes of this album in my car, and it was a double album! Summer driving with the windows down and the tunes ablazing. How good is that?
I always thought the reason for "mama loves her baby" vs "loves you" is that for mother, the baby is a possession or an extension of herself, not a unique individual. This is shown more in the story at later points where mother won't let Pink grow up or become independent.
I agree. This is shown later in the song "Mother" and it is not mere happenstance that Pink's mother's first word in "The Trial" is "BABE!" (As she screeches her way into the proceedings.) This, I believe, is a call back to "The Thin Ice" and the final realization of the devastating effect of a "possessive love" rather than a "nurturing" one.
Awesome observation about motherly love.
An additional reason for your point on the mother for which I agree on is that it takes place in the aftermath of the 1. World War that the father didn't return from, which would easily leave anyone overprotective over their child
This is an album that demonstrates clearly how effectiveness does not depend on complexity.
"The Wall" is hugely complex. Beware of simplistic conclusions...
@@filosofiaseca you know what I mean.
The glass sharp piano part is a variation on the chord progression that I and a lot of even non-musician people learn as children called "Heart and Soul" The chord progression is in thousands of pop songs, and I think is meant to evoke a kind of cynical nostalgia.
And childlike, maybe even a subtle nod to the writing style of Syd Barrett.
Great point. The Wall does has a lot of 50s pop allusions. Perhaps ironic in contrast with the simplistic 50s era perception. There are a lot of Doo Wopish vocalisms throughout the album.
@@johnvillasana64 >There are a lot of Doo Wopish vocalisms throughout the album.
So true! Even the backing vocals behind "So ya, thought ya, might like to go to the show" are very Doo Wopish!
Yep, also known as the 50s progression or the doo-wop progression, although it's all over Mozart and even Bach too so has quite a bit of history. It was rather out-dated by the time of the Wall's writing, so I'm pretty sure it is being used exactly as you say.
As an aside, the modern equivalent of the 50s progression (I-IV-vi-V), is the axis progression (I-V-vi-IV) and it has been all over modern pop music from Green Day to Taylor Swift for the past 20 years.
Your best analysis yet 😊. As a life-long Pink Floyd lover (and remembering the Wall album coming out) it's so wonderful to see your appreciation of this album. Thank you!
I feel the same way. I also remember when it came out and just loved it at that time. There's so much more to come and from this analysis, I can't wait. 👍👍👍
Simply sublime. Through you, I experience the album all over again and am faced with the possibilty I actually slightly misinterpreted chords, progressions, and lyrics all along for all these years. Excellent.
This is such an amazing deconstruction of one of my favourite albums, both musically and lyrically. I can't wait for the rest of it. I can still remember my first listen to it on the day it released.
I remember when it was released as well. It floored me. I loved its depth and its power; it reminded me so much of a Shakespeare tragedy. Then and now, I consider it to be the greatest rock album of all time. 👍👍👍
@@audiophileman7047 Led Zeppelin IV is a close contender.
your last summary eerily matches the same tone of the end of the Wall album itself
'All alone or in twos
The ones who really love you
Walk up and down outside the wall
Some hand in hand
And some gathered together in bands
The bleeding hearts and the artists make their stand
And when they've given you their all
Some stagger and fall, after all it's not easy
Banging your heart against some mad bugger's wall
Isn't this where we...
started? That is the key part...we go around and around...
Beautiful pearl of wisdom there at the end, lovely Amy....
Don't look now, sister. You are a Floyd fan! Join the club! Let's give a big warm welcome to Amy! Huzzah! I wish I could put into words like you do, how I felt as a teenager hearing this music for the first time (40 years ago). It changed my soul. I am very much looking forward to your analysis of the next song, then the next, until you have completed the entire story. Worms, man, worms, man. "Haha, charade you are." (Any fans see what I did there? lol)
Never thought in a million years 40 years ago I'd be watching someone listening to Pink Floyd and recreating sections on a harp! I'm enjoying your journey into this masterpiece of music history.
I love your track-by-track format of choice, it allows someone like me, who has been listening to this album for over 30 years, to focus on each piece. Love this series!
Just fantastic, i've seen that movie when i was 5 years old, here in Argentina. I'm still talking about it with my terapist! 🤭 Go on! Greatings.
Love your analysis here! Pink Floyd isn't just music, it is a movie for your mind made out of sound. As great as The Wall is, Dark Side of the Moon is even greater, and Wish You Were Here is greater still! In my totally worthless opinion, Wish You Were Here is Mankind's greatest musical achievement, unmatched in beauty and depth in any genre. A truly timeless masterpiece, genius creativity and flawless execution end-to-end.
What makes The Wall stand out as one of the most successful, best selling and influential albums of the 20th century is that it captured the angst, cynicism and anger common at the time it was released. DSOTM and WYWH were spectacular musical accomplishments but didn’t tap into the psyche of the nation like The Wall.
The Final Cut.
I almost with I could hear it again for the first time ... This is almost as good. I was 14 when I first heard The Wall and like many classical pieces, it remains just as powerful all these years later. Thank you for your thoughtful analysis
Love Pink Floyd. Please consider an entire album review of their concept album ANIMALS. It's only 5 songs. 🤞✌
“The thin ice” is like a “transition song”, presenting some of the themes we’ll find later in other songs (characters, melodies)
I watch many other musical reactions and analyses on UA-cam, but nobody else grasps so much of the meaning behind the composition. How the chord progression contributed to the emotions it evokes, and the interplay with the lyrics.
I come away from each of your videos with so much greater appreciation of just what a masterpiece these works truly are! Your journey into rock music has reignited my passion as well, and I really appreciate all that you share with us!
Your comments about the readiness of the inner soul finds a lot of mention in what I think is Pink Floyd's magnum opus - Shine on you crazy diamond. Will be amazing to watch your analysis of it someday!
While you are at The Wall, I suggest you also do "When the tigers broke free" from The Wall movie album.
This is definitely going to be great fun!!!
I'm not giving anything away by telling you to think of The Wall as a sort of rock opera.
"The thin ice of MODERN LIFE" I always took this as a warning as to how we choose where we put our trust such as work, machines and even marriage as examples. Not paying attention to the foundations or not being properly prepared may leave you scrambling. Peace/JT
As usual, love the breakdown of this music. I've listened to the Wall so many times, but will now listen with a different kind of insight. Love the bit about fear flowing out, as I had never thought about it like that before. I love the end of your video about basic human compassion.
Oh yes, I think must of us would also say that one song segues into the other, it’s a familiar term.
Absolutely great reaction/analysis! *And playing! Cheers.
This track reminds me of a recent experience out in a Sunfish. The sky was blue, the water warm with gentle breezes. Suddenly the wind stopped and the sailboat was dead in the water. I turned behind me to see an approaching squall of torrential rain like a wall within a completely black sky. The terror was immediate. Utilizing everything I could remember about sailing I got to shore before being swamped or electrocuted. I still couldn't tell you how.... this experience is what "The Thin Ice" evokes in me every time.
If you have just happened upon this video because you dig reaction videos, you're in for a real treat. This is so much more than reaction. It's a college-level course in music appreciation.
This was a delight to listen to. You extract so much meaning from the music and apply it to life in general. I’ve been listening to this album since 1980 and never got close to finding the multiple layers that this broadcast delivered. Thank you for your diligent treatment of this piece. I can’t wait to hear what’s to come.
at 15:51 - going through a breakdown like this, I enjoy the theory... the tension notes... the resolution... absolutely love it!
Another Psychedelic experience...
Very nice.
I'm watching these again while painting and it's a great pairing
Excellent your closing statements, so many people are put in a journey of self destruction and ultimate failure. You are wise and your students extremely lucky to have you as a guiding light.
so cool to see you doing this. me and at least 5 of my close friends would indulge in some party favors and watch THE WALLon my VHS player, back in the 80’s. one of the best albums ever made. IMO. Still stands the test of time. Oh yeah…. listen to TIME. ha!
Great music, great Analysis, great speech.
Ma'am I have not seen anyone else react and analyse to music in this way. You are a Genius.
"Mama loves her baby" is something that an unprepared young mother might say to her child, as much to convince herself of the idea as the child. "And Daddy loves you too" is something she might add, if the father is absent for some reason.
Man she takes her time anylizing the song. Vey indebt reaction. Amazing
Your final thoughts need to be a "short" to share with others. Brilliant and deep, and not just applicable to music. My son is finishing his M.A. in Vocal Performance and the one thing his B.A. Voice teacher told him was that VOCALLY, he's ready. However, EMOTIONALLY he was not. He told him that because he's such a sweet soul, that if he doesn't learn to say, "No," and to strive for what he himself wants and needs, that the Opera/Musical Theater Business will eat him alive. I pray that he learns this and thank you for teaching your students this.
TY FOR YOUR REACTION TO THIS ALBUM ITS SO ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow....great analysis. Analyzing both poem and music.
21:37 very nostalgic set of chords. And they have many nods to doo wop and beach boys in this record. It’s one of my favorite bright spots in the record. It’s like the introduction of rockin roll relief for the character pink
I'm 5 months late but I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed this analysis. I love how you have the ability to put into words what I felt deep in my gut when I hear this song.
I am loving everything I have seen on your channel. Thank you!
SUBSCRIBED! 👍
The TV is also a symbol of motherhood -- if a dysfunctional motherhood. So, the breaking of the TV could represent the ending of this dysfunction; or, the TV breaking could represent the child breaking off from the mother, possibly due to adulthood.
There is a wonderful presentation of this song at The Wall live in Berlin 1990 sung by German chanteuse Ute Lemper and Roger accompanied by a symphony orchestra and chorus. (find it on UA-cam)
@3:30 the warmth of the imagery and music as you describe it at this point reminds me of what Tennessee Williams has the narrator say at the beginning of The Glass Menagerie "Being a memory play, it is dimly lighted, it is sentimental, it is not realistic. In memory everything seems to happen to music."
That was very enjoyable Thank you so much for sharing this I hope the rest of it can get posted I need to take a trip over to Patreon to see what it cost to join. Thanks again
I've been waiting for this part - Thanks!
Great analysis and insights. Really enjoying this series.
Thanks for another great analysis. For me, the movie didn't quite translate the depth of feeling and emotion that the album does. I remember poring over the lyrics in early 1980 as a 14 year old, shortly after the album was released, and trying to figure out what they really meant. It's still an album I listen to start to finish every now and then.
Brilliant! I really appreciate your treatment of this work.
I can't tell you how happy I am to have found your channel. Cannot WAIT for more.
I love your analysis and reaction is so real and the way you dive into the music and understand it is so beautiful i'll watch all your videos of The Wall, my favourite album ever Thank youuu
What a treat having discovered you’re great videos, performances and analyses! Such good work! ✊🏻
This song now has pandemic meaning. So many chidren were isolated away during the pandemic. Now dealing with the aftermath
Awesome breakdown on a song, an album I listened to throughout my teenage years, and still do periodically today. Great content, you're growing!
You also might have noted that there are two distinct vocalists in the album. The more soothing vocals, by David Gilmour (guitars and vocals) which often portray the voice of the mother (as you see later on "Motther") and Roger Water (bass/vocals), with the harsher, cynical tone, who portrays the voice of Pink, the main character.
Excellent analysis and insights. You really found a lot to notice in such a short piece. Probably your most in-depth of all the In-Depths you have done so far. Well done.
As you know, Lee, Pink Floyd is the band where there is so much feeling and information in their music.
@@audiophileman7047 Agreed. For me, one of the ways they achieve their feel and expressiveness is that most of their songs have fairly slow tempos, where you get lost in their sonic landscapes. They are masters in composition and instrumentation, along with having some great lyrics.
@@LeeKennison Yes, you're right. 👍👍👍 From DSOTM when Roger became the leader of their creative direction, it was going to be more than just music. It was gong to be concept after concept and deep renderings of those concepts. I consider The Wall to be their most fully realized, finest album. It just fires on all cylinders. There is only one band that comes close to them. That's The Doors. In some cases, Jim Morrison's lyrics surpass Roger's lyrics. Too bad Jim didn't live long enough for the The Doors to produce concept albums. Can you imagine what kind of concepts Jim would have written? What a huge loss to music and to poetry when Jim passed into oblivion. 😒
@@audiophileman7047 Yeah, Morrison and the Door were amazing. Like Pink Floyd they really stood apart from the rest for their time. I think Pink Floyd is more timeless in their sound, whereas with the Doors I hear much more of that late 60s and early 70s sound, although with their very unique take on it. Nothing against the Doors, since I love that sound, and in many respects it is still timeless. While Roger has some deep and philosophical lyrics, I think Jim is more poetic in his lyrics. Both groups came during an incredible period of creativity where the musical gods seemed to visit our planet for a while.
The Wall is a modern rock opera and it MUST be analyzed as such to understand it. I am now officially hooked on this channel! ❤👍🎵
Outstanding analysis, Amy! I've been listening to this album for over 40 years, but it is really fascinating to listen to it again through your ears for the first time.
This has given me a whole level of additional insight to one of the most loved and profoundly affecting albums, that I come back to again and again. Thank you so much, Amy. I am definitely along for this ride.
I've listened to this album all my life and now it's brand new to me! Thank you so much for your analysis.
Wonderful analysis that the this lesser known song deserves. I am glad to see this kind of serious analysis applied to Pop music. Many of which are beginning to be recognized as the classics of a distinct era. I have enjoyed your videos very much. I particularly appreciate that you seem to recognize that unlike classical music, Pop music is less strictly a story told in harmony, but also one told with inventive tone, interesting sounds and thoughtful lyrics. To me, the production of music in this era was akin to making little aural movies. Movies that suspend disbelief and place you in a new perspective. Powerful stuff.
What a impresive review and analysis, thankfull for learning more about a record that means so much to me and it’s great to find new little secrets and interpretations. This is a musical master class. Great job!
I am so hooked on this channel!! Love your analysis most of all. I always find other musicians opinion and thoughts behind the music. Thank you
These in depth analysis are incredible.
This is brilliant! I've heard this a thousand times and have never noticed all the things you pointed out. Wow!
It is so lovely to listen to your analysis and describing of "The Wall". I remember the first time i listened to it. I found it a bit difficult to penetrate it, maybe it has to do with english isn´t my first laungage. But listening to you makes it crystal clear to me. So thank you for your hard work for doing it for us listeners hear on you tube
This is very insightful!
Thank you so much for the amazing analysis. PF is my favourite band so hearing your analysis gives me a whole new perspective on something that I’ve spent the last 4 decades listening to. PF’s music is a deep rabbit hole to go down, hope to watch you listen to some of their other albums in the future. If you are looking for other bands, I would suggest Yes. I am sure you would find their Close to the Edge or Fragile album’s extremely interesting.
I also love it when you play parts of the songs on your harp to show what you mean, very educational. It’s amazing how different and yet the same it sounds. Thanks again.
this is one of my favorite songs of all time, so I was happy to hear it took you as long as it did to condense what you had to say about it. It's truly a masterpiece all on its own, an existential statement in 2.5mins.
Amazingly insightful. Thank you so much! As an aside, I really enjoy your harp singing out as you speak. Your expression is so dynamic and it is interesting to hear your harp echoing it. I know some may consider that feedback unwanted background noise, but I like it. Please do not endeavor to remove it in the future. 🙂
jethro tulls song "skating away bon the thin ice of va new day"is a great song
Excellent analysis! 💯
Hey, I undestand that you ask for questions only but, please let me tell you that I'm thankful for this channel. Love your work on those in-depth reviews. Keep it up! 💐
Yeah, G (flat 7th) and F# (sharp 6th) over an A minor chord, that's the Dorian mode, Pink Floyd's (and rock music's) most popular mode. Another great example is the famous Dave Gilmour's 4 notes phrase on 'Shine on': the second note is the flat 7th and the last note is the sharp 6th, once again dorian.
Love your analysis: putting into words clearly what I, and I’m sure most Pink Floyd fans, intuitively felt. You mentioned that at times the music becomes a movie sound track to the lyrics; I believe that true, the music of the album support the lyrics most of the times, until there’s an instrument solo. I admire how you highlighted the F# note change the emotion of the song.
it's an absolute delight to hear you. Great video indeed.
I've scoured the internet looking for just this type of video. Someone who goes into the music theory, studies the lyrics, and analyzes the bits and pieces, and the whole, in varying contexts. From the songwriter, to the band entire, to the album, to the broader society and the listener. Others can do one at most, but this is the first channel I've come across that can really cover all aspects exceptionally well.
And for my own piece of analysis: I've always considered the lyric "Dragging behind you the silent reproach/Of a million tear-stained eyes" to be an allusion to the Holocaust and the weight of that atrocity on Pink the character, from his birth, foreshadowing the ending of the album.
Very interesting and perceptive.
Another great video by Vlad and Amy. Thank you for bringing me back to my rock/classical days.
I need to be honest, I am not a huge fan of classical music even though I like some of it sometimes. Now, I also need to says I am always impressed by harp musicians, the instrument and the sound out of it is so beautiful. Your harp looks impressive and beautiful.
Waters and Gilmour should watch this analysis to recognize, what they have lost by walking on their own ego trips all these years after The Wall. This 'little' song alone proves, that only the combination of their different talents and skills was the essence of Pink Floyd.
'Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day'-Jethro Tull 1974...same sort of analogy...
I am from germany. We translated the whole "The Wall" album in school during english classes, when it came out. The most amazing week ever in school.
I guess she is dead by now, but "Thank you Mrs. Schultheis".
...and now, nearly 40 years later, I have the pleasure to get a "translation" for the music. Great.
When you mention Segways, please take note of the background voices of the very last words of the last song of the album and the first background voices of the first song. “This is where we came in” it’s kinda like the Dark Side of the Moon, it starts with a heartbeat and ends with a heartbeat.
Masterful as always.
Beautiful
Awesome analysis! I’ve listened to this album many (many) times but discovered a number of new things from your insight. 16:28
Just play the entire movie score on the harp. It sounds beautiful!
great stuff, thanks!
Fantastic theory lessen!!!
If The Thin Ice is actually Amazing Grace, then The Wall is much deeper than we knew!
Great reaction and explanation! Nice sweater 👌
I love how the animated face of "The Worm" pops up several times to show us that death, awaits us all. And as Pink claws the thin ice He is reliving His Fathers Death,
knowing that such a waste of a life, in war, such needless suffering, and death. This takes British Melancholy to the dark and sinister, sarcastic cold ultimate expression.
Reminiscent of "Welcome To The Machine". I had to wait a couple years back then to finally get The Wall on VHS. I had listened to the album many times by then. Great Expository!
Fascinating 😊
I perceive throughout the work (The Wall) that the voices correspond to three sectors sometimes combined: 1). Some character (Pinky, Mother, etc.); two). Some external narrator of the Work that can sometimes be a supranational power (a Pig from the Animals album, for example); 3). Roger himself with his personal experience. I also see that the lyrics are like the parables of Christ, made in that style to have many meanings at the same time and each person discovers and shares them. It covers political, geopolitical, social, psychological issues, manipulation, conscience, pain, hope, hate, and at the end of it all: love. What an excellent job you do! I watch every video of yours twice.