The Wall [Experience/Immersion Edition]

Hearing this evolution in microcosm is fascinating: few albums are ever as lavishly and carefully produced as The Wall, and by going through this "Work in Progress," it becomes clear just how much labor Floyd and producer Bob Ezrin exerted on the finished album.

The only thing that the Immersion Edition is really missing is any extensive liner notes.

Immersion is a good way to characterize the grip and whirl of construction recounted on the two CDs of demos in this seven-disc box, which includes a previously released recording of the 1980-81 stage show.

It's as complete as any Floyd completist could hope for. [Apr 2012, p.101]

The real stunner is the "Immersion" set... The [64] demos prove much more than just lower fidelity recordings of album tracks. Rather, they are snapshots of a classic album in creation. [Mar 2012, p.91]

It's great, don't be mistaken; but trim a little of its fat and it goes from a fantastic listen to an unforgettable one.

Needless to say, The Wall's Immersion Edition is a visual thing of beauty, ...The undeniable black eye on this Immersion Edition, however, is the way by which they handled the inclusion of Roger Waters' solo demos... the majority of this coveted cache of rarities is whittled down to a series of poorly edited snippets that barely last a minute or even a few seconds in some instances.

The demos are undoubtedly this boxset's main attraction. [Apr 2012, p.91]

The real prize here is Waters' demo excerpts, 22 recordings chopped into a dizzying 14-minute medley of delusional grandeur. The bassist sounds not like a jaded rock star, but like an outsider folk artist – sheltered and off-kilter – finding escape in lo-fi pop oddities full of echo, warm synths, and cross-faded effects.