While the band was recording at EMI Studios in London in 1975, Syd Barrett walked in unannounced, years after leaving Pink Floyd. That absence is exactly what the album is about. 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' runs across both sides in nine parts as a tribute to the departed co-founder, with 'Welcome to the Machine' and 'Have a Cigar' in between, two cutting pieces about the music industry. Roy Harper sang 'Have a Cigar' because Roger Waters did not think his own voice was right for it. The title track opens with a guitar that seems to come out of a radio and grows into an acoustic duet. AllMusic rates the album five out of five. The original album came out in September 1975 as the follow-up to The Dark Side of the Moon. This edition is a CD.