VH1 Presents : Pink Floyd - Behind the Wall
Produced and Directed by Bob Smeaton
Initial Productions
Originally Aired in June 2000

As with the previously reviewed "Pink Floyd / Syd Barrett" episode of VH-1's 'Legends,' this is actually a trimmed-down version of a production that ran on the BBC in longer, commercially uncut form. While these shows were produced in a similar fashion, the difference between them in the area of previously unseen footage is considerable as we are given many beautifully up-close views of Pink Floyd performing 'The Wall' in 1981 during their Earl's Court residency (these being the shows originally intended to be used for the 'The Wall' movie). Even better, the quality of these live bits as a whole is startlingly good and nowhere near as "dark" and "indistinct" as we were led to believe over the last twenty years (hell, it certainly beats the living shit out of the Nassau VoIO).

Produced to coincide with the release of 'Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live', 'Behind The Wall' functions as a John Q. Public-friendly look behind the scenes of the 'The Wall' album, tour, and movie -- in other words, it's short, to the point, and doesn't really say anything that longtime Floyd fans haven't read a hundred times previously (though there *are* a few catty comments made here and there that'll produce a wicked grin). Again, as with the Barrett special, it's the new interviews that ultimately carry the weight of the production, and while this tactic works for the most part here, there are a couple of talking heads here (journalist Robert Sandall and especially mega-annoying DJ Mary Anne Hobbs) that seem to serve little purpose but to say "oh boy, was this GREAT" as if we needed to be told. In their stead, I would have preferred to hear more from conceptual designers Mark Fisher and Johnathan Park, Bob Geldof, Alan Parker…Hell, even Gerald Scarfe, but that's just my take.

As far as the interviews are concerned, by far the most interesting portion is the point during which the principal players discuss the handling of the Rick Wright situation. You can literally see the discomfort of David Gilmour and Nick Mason while discussing it as the both of them choose their words carefully and look at the floor as if still feeling guilty about the whole fiasco, while Wright himself still bears the scars of his firing some 21 years later (as his body language and spoken sentiments concerning the matter all too clearly attest). As for Roger Waters, it's a different story entirely -- during the rest of the screened interviews, he is as affable and eloquent as he always is anymore, but the raising of the Wright issue reduces him to giving us a very curt explanation of what happened after which he quickly closes the door on the subject. Case closed.

Perhaps the most effortlessly entertaining documentary ever shown about the band (no matter what you're feelings are concerning this period of the band's history, you cannot help but feel impressed with the scale of the entire endeavor), 'Behind The Wall' is definitely worth waiting up for, since VH1 only seems to air the fucker well after midnight. Despite the amount of first-quarter visual and narrative overlap between this and the 'VH1 Legends' program, I'd still rate this as "very highly recommended" to anyone with more than a passing interest in all things Pink Floyd.

Oh, almost forgot. Before I finish, I have one last message to Roger Waters - RELEASE THE GODDAMNED EARLS COURT FOOTAGE ALREADY!!!

Thank you, and goodnight.

Roger Waters	'Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)'	Richard Wright
'Comfortably Numb'	'The Trial'	'Outside the Wall'