Pink Floyd: Comfortably awesome
Rob Terpstra
Issue date: 4/3/07 Section: Culture
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Utilizing a cast of numerous singers and instrumentalists, the Classic Albums Live crew stayed true to their motto of "Note for note, cut for cut," as the performance was at times difficult to differentiate from the 1979 original, which stayed at the top of the U.S. charts for an 15 consecutive weeks.
Ranging from the sounds of helicopters and airplane bombers flying overhead and telephones being connected via operators from the U.K. to the U.S. to the use of a full high school choir when a chorus of young voices was needed, the show mimicked the album in every aspect.
Featuring students from the Laura Secord Secondary School choir in several songs - the most memorable of which was "Another Brick in the Wall (Pt. II)", when the choir chanted the lines of "We don't need no education" - the performance seemed almost surreal. Add to that the fact that the music kept time with the 1982 film version of the album that was playing on a small black and white television in the corner of the stage, and it was hard not to appreciate the efforts of the group.
Classic Albums Live, a rotating group of travelling performers, has taken it upon itself to do music lovers a service: recreate classic albums in their entirety. Having performed at Brock University and around the Niagara Region in the past, the group has developed a reputation as a first-class act.
Evidence of this claim is not difficult to find, as this performance (much like Classic Albums Live performances at Brock in the past) was completely sold out. The packed house and palpable excitement in the crowd created an experience that was unforgettable.
Even Craig Martin, the founder and producer of Classic Albums Live seemed excited for the show, letting slip beforehand that his crew would be back at Brock next year for even more shows. While he did mention which album they would be recreating, he also mentioned that he wasn't supposed to mention it yet, and for this reason, you'll just have to wait to find out.
From the first appearance of the ominously lit and dressed choir in "Another Brick in the Wall (Pt. II)" and the emotional turning point of the album in "Another One of My Turns", to the note-perfect recreation of the "Comfortably Numb" guitar solo, the performance kept the audience in the palm of its hand.
However, the most memorable song of the evening wasn't even a song off of The Wall.
After performing the double album - which Craig Martin referred to as having four sides, "for those of you who remember when albums had sides" - the band came back out for a single song encore.
Having just finished using all the material from The Wall, the band chose to take a track from another Pink Floyd classic: "The Great Gig in the Sky" off of Dark Side of the Moon.
The performer who sang the vocally demanding song nailed every note, and in performing "The Great Gig in the Sky," wrapped up another great Classic Albums Live gig at Brock.
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