What is it about Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb that makes it such a favorite 30 years after it was released on “The Wall”? The song is dark and paced without ever feeling like it’s plodding. It’s like the un-Eagles, which makes it a friend to me. It’s also theatrical without feeling overblown. And Gilmore’s guitar solos made me want a Stratocaster more than anything Eric Clapton has done.
The great sage Wikipedia tells us: “According to Rolling Stone the lyrics came from Roger Waters’ experience when he was injected with tranquillizers for stomach cramps by a doctor prior to playing a Pink Floyd show in Philadelphia on the band’s 1977 tour for the Animals album. ‘That was the longest two hours of my life,’ Waters said. ‘Trying to do a show when you can hardly lift your arm.’ The experience gave him the idea which became the lyrics to this song.”
When I complied the list for Top 5 list of gangster film songs earlier in the week, I had to include the live version by Roger Waters, Van Morrison and The Band, my personal favorite. It made me want to discover the other …
Top 5 versions of “Comfortably Numb”
1. Dar Williams with Annie DiFranco
Perhaps the most successful of the low-key (a relative term) versions of “Comfortably Numb.” Williams strips away the strings and lets some electric slide guitar and some formidable vocals do the heavy lifting. The interplay between Williams and DiFranco gives me chills.
2. The Bad Plus with Wendy Lewis
Progressive jazz combo The Bad Plus is known for turning pop standards on its ear, and they do it again on their take of “Comfortably Numb.” The Bad Plus incorporates the truly haunting vocals of Wendy Lewis with harmonies by bassist Reid Anderson. The result: Verses that are so darkly intimate, they turn the bridge/chorus crescendoes into the aural equivalent of tossing a bucket of cold water onto a drunk.
Comfortably Numb – The Bad Plus
3. Dream Theater & Queensryche
I’m just as surprised as you are. Or maybe I shouldn’t be, because there’s definitely a larger-than-life aspect to The Wall. It may be overkill, but the two bands do a nearly note-for-note rendition that somehow doesn’t feel warmed over or, for that matter, over done.
4. David Gilmore and David Bowie (Live at Royal Albert Hall)
This version clings closely to the original with one major exception: Bowie’s inflections, far from using Waters’ clinical voice, seems near-breaking, making the doctor’s role more akin to mad scientist, giving the song an unnerving and, arguably, a more dangerous feel.
5. Pink Floyd – Live 8
Roger Waters rejoined with the rest of the members of Pink Floyd to participate in Live 8 in what for many was the highlight of the London portion. Given the serious nature of the song, and the deadly serious business of wiping out poverty, it’s a wonderful contrast to see how much the band and the audience are enjoying the moment.
Runner Up: Staind, with a cool, stripped down version.
Comfortably Numb (Live at Hiro Ballroom) – Staind
Comfortably dumb: Tool; Luther Wright & The Wrongs; Arturo; Scissor Sisters (may have to suffer the eternal burning of the fires of hell for this sins of injecting a great song with strains of Stayin’ Alive)
Just plain confusing: Gregorian Chant — The verse for this song was never meant to be performed by monks, and overall, this feels overproduced – Yanni-ized as it were. But I venture to say that there are parts where it sounds very pretty, such as the use of violin in place of guitar between a good attempt at the first chorus and second verse.
Comfortably Numb – Gregorian Chant
