Maybe it's just nostalgia at work, but I still believe this album to be a masterpiece. At the time reviews were mixed and there was even some controversy, although I don't remember the details. More media effects scares if I remember correctly. Somehow our generation survived! It does require that you listen to it from beginning to end, and it's not a small undertaking given that it was a double album containing 26 separate songs in total. If you aren't familiar with the background, look it up and read.
Today's listening is the culmination of me beginning to rebuild my record collection. In college I had over 200 vinyl LPs plus cassettes. I still have all of those albums as well as a turntable, and as much as I like vinyl, there's something about being able to listen to The Wall from beginning to end without having to flip record sides. It's one continuous stream of music. I am certainly looking forward to finishing my dissertation and listening to more complete albums. It is a guilty pleasure that I will savor.