Pink Floyd – A Saucerful of Secrets (1968) Review

A Saucerful of Secrets has a big issue of feeling like a compilation, lacking its own identity. We get three Roger Waters tracks that suit his style, a giant band track that destroys any possible flow, two quaint Richard Wright numbers that don’t mesh with the Waters-domination, and more strangely a Syd Barrett song tacked on at the end. This is all after last album’s Syd-domination. It’s as if Waters, Wright, and Barrett all did solo albums and one-three of each were pulled for this. Considering the various quality outtakes, they could’ve made something more consistent. In terms of the songs on their own merits, they’re a mixed bag.

The album starts strong with the funky bass opening, with the other instruments coming in for a quick freakout. David Gilmour’s vocal on “Let There Be More Light” is reasonably pleasant and imposing, Rick and Roger’s on the verses is just ridiculous, coming off a little goofy. The track overall goes in predictable directions, and seems to want to make a bolder impression than it actually can. “Remember a Day” feels like a trip to the past, like it could’ve been an outtake from their first album… and it is! It seems to strive to be a pleasant filler track, with some keyboard tapping by Richard Wright and light guitar by Syd Barrett. That particular gruesome twosome always had a way to liven up the band’s recordings, and here is no exception. Its psychedelic touches are sometimes a little silly, but this little trip is still well produced and managed.

“Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” is the Roger Waters epic. This avant-garde work has many little sounds and touches, flourishing in expressing itself through celestas and timpanis and overall feeling like a trip to the sun. “Corporal Clegg” seems like an attempt to be everything. There’s a shot at melodic-style vocals, coarser vocals, wild instrumentation, light instrumentation, not wanting to stay focused on an idea. The lyrics aren’t too bad. A favorite is, “Corporal Clegg received his medal in a dream.” There’s also the infamous kazoo, which is extremely lovable due to how over the top it is. That being said, that and other developments here seem like they should be backing a song about a carnival, not an anti-war song. A contrast isn’t really painted, due to the aforementioned issue of eclecticism. That kazoo demands attention away from the lyrics or anything that might’ve been an intended focus. It’s now “the Kazoo song”.

“A Saucerful of Secrets” shows the band flexing their creative muscles with a series of instrumentals that showcase various instruments and ideas, without overusing any. Rick’s keyboard is a favorite (especially at the end), as is the drums underlining a freakout. There was a thorough concept to this track. If there wasn’t, you might imagine the group throwing extra elements in in an attempt to make it “bigger”. “See-Saw” has every trope in the book for psychedelic ballads, including a singer that sounds bored out of their mind.

“Jugband Blues” is the last Barrett-penned track for Floyd. It features reflexive lyrics about his disillusionment with the other bandmates. The backing track demonstrates this, with the drumming sometimes bashing away like a nervous tick. While there are many instruments awkwardly playing together, they aren’t overdone. The awkwardness serves to make this strangely captivating and melodic, and they fit with the lyrics of someone feeling slightly crazy. One highlight is when the vocal “La-la-la”s break into that collage, with that vocal eventually taking over. The brass returns, playing something that could pass as a quaint marching song, but subtly off, making it near-disturbing. They’re cut off early, being replaced with the hollow and removed voice of Syd, like he’s exhausted and upset by a lack of purpose. The lyrics as a whole paint a picture of someone trying to be normal on a surface level, but cracking under internal pressures. “And the sea isn’t green and I love the queen.”

OVERVIEW

The difference between tracks like Remember and Sun vs. Light and See-Saw is the former has a natural chemistry between the band and instrumentation that suggests passion in the details, “Where do we put this or that element?” The others almost seem like computer generated psychedelia. Take the crammed in vocals on Light for example. The three tracks with Syd on them fare much better. This album as a whole would’ve been more cohesive with the unused Syd songs included. In fact, due to the emotional nature and unique execution of Jugband, it is for my money the greatest Pink Floyd song ever.

Pink Floyd 1968-1969 Stray Tracks Review

Pink Floyd in 1968

It seems that of the first two years of the Gilmour era of Pink Floyd, the main available material consists of… A Saucerful of Secrets, More, Ummagumma, The Early Years 1965–1972, live boots, and what will be discussed below. That’s not to say I’ve certainly discovered everything, but this is an attempt to.

Some may notice that with my discussions of Syd Barrett stray tracks, I essentially scrape the bottom of the barrel, while this one is much lighter. The reason for that is because I don’t have the same affection and closeness with the Gilmour-era and wouldn’t be interested in something like listening to similar live recordings over and over. I want the more exceptional or unique things, such as tracks that are reasonably different from what’s covered above.

“The Committee” is such a playful bit of music, featuring the band jamming around with some different ideas. The warm ballad of Part 8 is made with the emotional drums and keys. Two parts of this soundtrack were officially released as “Music from The Committee No. 1 & 2”. The nine part version works better as one fifteen minute piece of music, instead of these two disparate parts. “Baby Blue Shuffle in D Major” stylistically fits with “The Committee”, featuring guitar playing that sounds like a sunrise on a slightly rainy day. Pieces like these could pass for a concept album about a psychedelic walk in the woods. The keyboard on Part 4 of The Committee could be the wind or the rain. The bass thumping on Part 5 could be the sound of some critters. An understandable criticism is that some of this material isn’t original, at least to the type that is interested in these oddities, but they still work really well here.

“Blues”, while being a little too long, is a similarly fun runaround. It sometimes seemed the group were limiting themselves when staying so close to psychedelia. Them doing some mildly twisted blues feels so refreshing, with the instruments feeling like the band is having fun. “Instrumental Improvisation” from The Sounds of Change is some less interesting noodling, seeming randomized and like something no one cared much about. “Keep Smiling People” seems like it’d be a nice track to hear in decent quality. It’s hard to appreciate as is. It might’ve worked as an atmosphere-builder or backing track.

A booted track called “”More” – Outtakes” features some interesting fly on the wall audio from the sessions for– you guessed it, More. It’s a reasonably decent oddity. It’s not a song, so don’t listen to it expecting that. There are some excerpts. “Seabirds” (there are multiple versions of this track, I’m referring to a version in the film, but not on the soundtrack) sounds like a really nice ballad. Low quality plagues it from even being listenable. There’s some nice silky vocals from David. A bootleg of “Teatime” is literally the band drinking tea. The fact this is something fans have culled and now I’m listening to nothing happening is truly something to behold. “Moonhead” sounds like a score to a moon landing. It’s quite a novel track, though sound quality once again really holds it back. It could’ve been great in better condition. There’s something to be said for the available version, essentially that it’s a good spacey jam. “US Radio advertisement for Ummagumma” is pretty funny.

OVERVIEW

Due to the quality of the studio albums of this time, it stands to reason the group wasn’t overflowing with good ideas, thus it makes sense there would be a lack of material leftover. Still, there are some gems here and some of it deserved to be released at the time, at the very least in place of some of what we did get.

In March 2022, I compiled some of these tracks into an album. Click here for that: https://thefilmediary.wordpress.com/2022/03/30/pink-floyd-my-beautiful-flying-machine-bright-lights-1968-fan-albums/

Pink Floyd August 1967-February 1968 Stray Tracks Review

“In the Beechwoods (August 1967 + Mix Nick Mason interview)”

The music interrupts Nick talking. Still, it’s a quality instrumental. There’s no reason to listen to this for the music, as it was released officially in better quality.

“Vegetable Man (August 1967 Mix with ASoS)”

This is basically the studio version, but once again in poor sound quality. The extended ending is quite nice.

“Vegetable Man Jam (August 1967 with ASoS)”

This jam is a lot of fun, feeling mostly distinct from the studio version.

“Scream Thy Last Scream (Jenner 1974 Mix – August 7th, 1967)”

The elements here feel really distant. It’s a very awkward mix, though it also has a nice extended ending.

“Scream Thy Last Scream (Jenner 1987 Mix – August 7th, 1967)”

The mixing is similarly poor. A prime example is the “She’ll be scrubbing bubbles on all fours” line, with everyone stepping on everyone else.

“Reaction In G – Studio Clip (German Beat Club video – August 15th, 1967)”

A really catchy tune. It’s a shame it’s not longer.

“No Title – Experiment – Sunshine (September 4th, 1967)”

This feels like a lead-in to an epic track with sharp guitar parts and powerful lyrics. It’s perhaps the most missed track only available in a fragmentary form. Still, what we have is a very nice instrumental. This is similar to the solo Syd Barrett song, “Opel”, which has fantastic lyrics.

“Tonarskvall 3 Radio Interview Roger Waters (September 4th, 1967)”

It was funny when Roger refused to explain the music.

September 10th, 1967 Show at Gyllene Cirkeln, Stockholm, Sweden

This recording is almost completely instrumental due to the vocals mostly being not recorded properly. It’s in high quality, so this is a fun way to hear some of the layers of these songs. “Reaction In G” and “See Emily Play” work really well as they are here. G is a fresh instrumental jam that the group was putting work into. Due to the good quality, this is about the closest we’ll get to a studio version. Play can be appreciated due to its soaring guitars. “Matilda Mother” is another favorite. It’d be fun to see the alternate vocal added to this one, it’d give a different vibe. The other four tracks are more take-or-leave. Other than the lack of vocals, they don’t seem as fresh or distinct from their studio counterparts. There are minor exceptions, like the opening riff on “Interstellar Overdrive” being reminiscent of 1950s guitar lines. The three highlights are the only ones I’m likely to revisit often, though every track here is fine.

Also, Pink Floyd isn’t nice.

September 13th, 1967 Show at Star Club, Copenhagen, Denmark

A common issue with live boots is that the vocals are an important part of the song and you can’t hear them. The instrumentals fare better. Listening to the tracks with studio versions, it makes you just want to put on that higher quality version. Such a thing is preferable to listening to these. It is nice hearing the more pronounced guitar on “Arnold Layne”, which in the beginning sounds like “Interstellar Overdrive”. Highlights are “Reaction In G”. It’s a solid number and not like the September 10th version. “One In A Million” has a great gothic sound. It’d be nice to have a studio version, especially in place of the similar “Corporal Clegg”. It comes off a little silly due to the quiet “shout”-esque vocals, but the track overall works due to the heavy playing. The last three tracks aren’t that special, though “Astronomy Domine” is a little better due to the vocals not being what makes that song so great. Note that the two highlights don’t have a studio recording version.

September 25th, 1967 Show at The Playhouse Theatre, London, UK

This recording is a cut above most of the others due to being recorded for the BBC. The audio quality is better than typically. It’s always a treat to hear more prominent keyboard, as is the case with “Flaming” and “Matilda Mother”. “The Scarecrow” and “The Gnome” feel more relaxed and lowkey here, to great effect. An announcer pronounced the “G” in “Gnome”. “Matilda Mother”’s vocals are sadly less than stellar, especially at the end. “Reaction In G” for whatever reason only survives in a brief fragment. It basically is little more than an announcer quipping. It’s interesting that this is the second version of the song that is extremely fragmented. “Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun” sounds off with such poor sound quality. It give-or-take requires a sonic landscape it can’t take advantage of here.

The weak sound quality of almost every track discussed here makes them a little hard to appreciate, but the increased legibility for this show makes a decent representation of the live sound of the band and thus this set is really worth hearing. “Flaming”, “The Scarecrow”, and “The Gnome” are very good and “Matilda Mother” is mixed due to being more similar to the studio version and the muddy vocals, but personally, I overall enjoy it. The other two don’t do much.

“Vegetable Man (Jenner 1974 Mix – October 11th, 1967)”

Feels novice, but that adds a haunting quality to it. Definitely worth a listen. It’s about tied with the proper studio version personally.

“Vegetable Man (Jenner 1987 Mix – October 11th, 1967)”

The laughter is fun to hear, but overall this doesn’t have the technical proficiency of the official version or the charm of the 1974 version.

“Early Morning Henry – William “Billy” Butler (Acetate excerpt – October 23rd, 1967)”

A lovely light ballad with silky vocals. It’s a shame it isn’t available in its entirety.

“Flaming (November 2nd, 1967 Tower Mono 45)”

Just seems like the original, but less polished.

“Dick Clark Interview (‘American Bandstand’, Los Angeles, USA – November 7th, 1967)”

One of the more vapid interviews.

November 13th, 1967 Show at Hippy Happy Fair, De Oude Ahoy Hallen, Ahoy Heliport, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

“Tuning up” might’ve been a fun way to open a live album. It’s a not too shabby way to build atmosphere. It is literally just the band getting tuned up. While the similar criticism of “not being distinct/interesting enough” can be levied at “Scream Thy Last Scream” and “Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun”, the other three recordings are more special. “Reaction In G” is another snazzy instrumental that doesn’t sound much like the other versions. The “buildup” part is a favorite moment. “Pow R. Toc H.” feels like a proto “Careful With That Axe, Eugene”, due to the Roger yells. It has almost nothing to do with other versions of this tune. “Interstellar Overdrive”’s guitar and drum solo is an immense highlight. There are moments of a nice “chaotic” guitar line. Both show immense proficiency in the band. It’s fun hearing the audience cheering and really into the song. Furthermore, this isn’t like other versions of the track. It’s nice we get so many new versions of songs this set.

“Interstellar Overdrive: ‘Science Fiction – Das Universum Des Ichs’, The Roundhouse, London, 1967”

The announcer sounds tired.

“Jugband Blues (Different Video Mix, Possibly Canceled Single Mix – December 1967)”

Sounds like the studio version, though the quality is so poor that it’s hard to say for sure.

“Green Onion – Tomorrow’s World (Mike Leonard’s House, Stanhope Gardens, London, England – December 12th, 1967)”

Of the rare instrumentals, these aren’t among the more essential ones, but they are very enjoyable, with grooving or hammering guitar and jazzy-instruments. It’s a novelty to hear a rare Pink Floyd cover.

December 20th, 1967 Show at Maida Vale Studios, London, United Kingdom

“Vegetable Man” and “Pow R. Toc H.” both are close to their studio counterparts, though the latter has harsher vocals and more bombastic playing. There’s more of that added “edge” on “Scream Thy Last Scream”. More emphasized guitar licks and especially Syd having lead vocals make this one of the most fascinating live tracks here. “Jugband Blues” is the most different. The spacious keyboard and vocals make a new kind of atmosphere from the studio version. There’s almost pain in the guitars and more of the band’s live flairs in the instrumentation, such as when it goes into a new section. The most notable change is replacing the brass with the almighty kazoo. It’s something that has to be heard to be believed. Is a kazoo better? Certainly not, but it’s still so much fun. Especially because Richard Wright’s keyboard is more in focus here to help compensate for the missing elements. These recordings are invaluable due to the unique things they have to offer, and on top of that relatively better sound quality.

“Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun (Belgian TV – February 18th, 1968)”

Sounds like the studio version except with louder vocals. Roger Waters isn’t the most adept singer, so the studio version is better.

OVERVIEW

There’s a surprising amount of little gems and oddities present. Due to the number of quality live recordings, it’s a shame there wasn’t a live album or two from this era of Pink Floyd. If they can fight through the poor quality, imagine how they’d sound with good quality. You get a stealth new instrumental album if you were to collect all the material not replicated elsewhere, like the versions of “Reaction In G” that may as well not bear that name. This material is worthwhile for at least a listen if you really love this group. The September 25th and December 20th shows are good starting places.

Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967) Review

The album’s cover; I would’ve preferred the back cover’s art be instead the front or one of Syd’s paintings be the cover

What is there to say about The Piper at the Gates of Dawn? Its wordy lyrics that directly are about nothing but resonate on an emotional level? Its instrumentals that match it with psychedelically simple acoustic guitars, temple blocks, and organs? Yet, sometimes you can get the opposite, with space rock jams of guitar effects and raucous drumming that still fits in perfectly due to striking contrast and consistency in feeling like something pulled from another world, something mal understood? It’s amazing how mesmerizing things like that opening drumming on “Astronomy Domine”, the guitar on “Lucifer Sam”, or the double-vocals of Syd Barrett backed by Richard Wright can be at taking you into the mood of the record. There’s a respect for the genre of psychedelia while still adding a level of etherealism that often is poorly imitated by things like sitars and electronic keyboards. The difference may be that Syd’s unwound voice sounds like he’s living etherealism. The instruments don’t really let you get too comfortable with their presence behind him, with the soft moments creating a contradiction.

Essentially, this is a Syd Barrett solo album. Of the eleven tracks, eight are completely written by him, two are band-written jam tracks, and one is penned by bassist Roger Waters. Six tracks are vocally led by Barrett; three feature Barrett, Wright, and sometimes Waters; one Waters; and one instrumental. The child-like but also morbid tone of the lyrics were often unsuccessfully replicated by the new Floyd lineup after Barrett’s departure (most infamously on ”It Would Be So Nice”/“Julia Dream”). Lyrics like the beginning of “Matilda Mother”, “There was a king who ruled the land. His majesty was in command.” epitomize the sense of whimsy and foreignness, though even more “grounded” lyrics like, “His head did no thinking, his arms didn’t move”, referring to a Scarecrow is enhanced by that being an almost-alien observation to make, topped with things like tasteful and light guitars and orchestration.

Most of the lyrics don’t seem to be attempting to be grounded (“I know a room of musical tunes. Some rhyme, some ching, most of them are clockwork.”), but can capture a sense of humanity through their warmth and emotional core. People can be sucked into things like the planets and cats and illness. The latter is well-handled by the Roger Waters track, “Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk”. The lyrics being about the observations one makes while sick can seem strange, but they perfectly manage to communicate the feeling of unwellness and lack of proper thinking. Like the rest of the album, it doesn’t just tell you what it’s about. Thematically, it makes sense in the middle of two jam tracks, being halfway from being a jam itself.

Arguably, there is a “concept” here. It’s about a person or otherwise child-like spectator’s interpretation of life. The very first track pairs warm lyrics with eclectic-instrumentation, then a few lighter songs, then three heavy songs with no or less emphasized lyrics; the down-point of the spectator, where things are the most difficult or not understood, with them unable to put their emotions into words or cogent words. As a reprise from the heavier and banging playing of the first side, the next tracks are the most calming and subdued. “Bike” returns to the sound of the others, with pounding gun-like drumming and an unnerving vocal. The false ending followed by tape effects and a noise collage can suggest the worst. It’s best being up for interpretation and playing off of the contrast between the youthful and darker elements. The track is a sign of the mental health issues that afflicted Syd Barrett.

OVERVIEW

There is some bias on my part, but it’s hard to find faults with an album so vibrant with life and able to capture such emotions by having such unheard-of lyrics. The tragic thing is it makes you want more. Yet, there is essentially nothing like it. If you want to get close, listen to Syd’s non-album tracks like “See Emily Play” or his second solo album Barrett. Barrett especially feels like the mid-point between the very full-band and psychedelic sound of his Pink Floyd work and the more somber stuff on The Madcap Laughs. It might be best enjoyed in-between Piper and the tracks Syd did with the group for their second album. Still, those don’t have that fluid album sequencing and the same powerful backing band. You can tell that Barrett became progressively less invested in his own music after the incredible artistic statement of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. It’s so good that what came next might’ve been a disappointment. While he continued to make fantastic songs, maybe he wouldn’t have been able to do this exact sound as well? But one can always hope and always wonder…

Ranking the album feels Herculean, so I can’t bother. My favorite was “Flaming” when I first discovered it, then “Astronomy Domine”, and now I think it’s “Bike”. That is of course subject to change. Happy birthday to Syd, the ebony totem in ebony sand.

Pink Floyd 1966-July 1967 Stray Tracks Review

Syd’s mustache

Syd Barrett sadly has yielded very few recordings. What he has done has been culled over for the benefit of his fans. The listed music below at worst is charming, but inessential and something a fan will still appreciate. At best it’s stylish and moving work that deserves more appreciation. As a Syd Floyd fan, these are worth at least one listen while some are worth and have gotten several. Tracks like “Arnold Layne (Acetate – January 28th, 1967)”, “See Emily Play (Acetate Record – Alternate Mix – May 23rd, 1967)”, and See Emily Play (Live on ‘Top Of The Pops’ – July 6th, 1967)” sound too like the studio track, except in lower quality.

Lowlights include: “Interstellar Overdrive (Live at UFO Club – January 27th, 1967)”, “Interstellar Overdrive (Take 2 – French EP mix – February 27th, 1967)”, and “Interstellar Overdrive (Take 6)”. Those are among the more bland entries here, perhaps due to how short they are? They’re not bad, but feel redundant when compared to better versions that do the same sorts of stuff. The UFO version has a version with and without an announcer talking over it. The French version doesn’t end with the bombastic finale this composition usually gets. With “K4 Discotheque Live Jam (Brighton – April 15th, 1967)”, I was hoping this would be a new piece of music, but I think a version of “Overdrive” had this incorporated, not certain though. “Interview with Nick Mason (SRP3 Stockholm FM Radio Broadcast – March 1967)” is among the more awkward interviews. The interviewer doesn’t seem to know what he or Nick are talking about. “Chapter 24 – CBC Radio Interview with Peter Jenner (May 1st, 1967)” appears to end right before Jenner might’ve discussed something more interesting. Who knows? We just get a little of him praising the music. These are essentially only really worthwhile in hearing how the band developed and how people of the time were taking this music.

Some highlights are the “It’s yoooouuuu” part of “Candy And A Currant Bun Multitracks Discussion (January 29th, 1967 – Broadcast October 7th, 2011)”, the October 1966 and January 1967 “Interstellar Overdrive”, “Nick’s Boogie”, “Untitled Instrumental (January 22nd, 1967)”, Pow R. Toc H. + Astronomy Domine (Live on ‘The Look Of The Week’ – May 14th, 1967)”, “See Emily Play (Piano Bit @16RPM – May 21st, 1967)”, and “See Emily Play (Acetate Record – Alternate Ending – May 23rd, 1967)”. Those versions of “Overdrive” are pretty unlike the Piper at the Gates of Dawn version or each other. Roger Waters is the most interesting interviewee. He doesn’t seem as uncomfortable as Syd is and the others don’t seem to have as much interesting information to talk about.

“Interstellar Overdrive (October 31st, 1966 version)”

The drum tones and beat seem surf inspired. At a little over the six minute mark, there appears to be a false ending, with that killer surf drumming intensifying. This seems like a logical extension and conclusion to the 1964-1965 garage-y Pink Floyd tracks. There’s a blend of that and psychedelia here. There’s great little “sections” to the piece, one favorite being the staccato bit. The return of the main riff at the end isn’t as grand or big as it could be, it feels a little tacked on.

“Interview + Interstellar Overdrive (December 1st, 1966 version)”

The bit of “Overdrive” clearly heard seems more R&B-inspired. I don’t think this version has been released uninterrupted, which is a shame. It’s nice hearing the whole band be interviewed.

“Interstellar Overdrive + Nick’s Boogie (January 11th-12th, 1967 version)”

These two tracks are great showcases of the band’s longform jam side. These are a little bluesier and jazzier than a lot of their other works, creating essentially “psychedelic jazz”. Such a sound is so interesting. “Boogie” showcases Nick’s playing, but both give all four members excellent space, love the brief instrumental freak outs. On the album with these two cuts, these tracks should be swapped, as “Overdrive” is the better finale. For the record, there might be an alternate version of “Boogie”.

“Let’s Roll Another One Rehearsal + Untitled Instrumental (January 22nd, 1967)”

“Roll” is very similar to “Candy And A Currant Bun”. The drum beat is a highlight. It feels unnecessary to listen to as “Currant” is essentially the same thing, but complete, better quality, and a better performance. The second track is unnerving and works with the poor sound quality.

“Matilda Mother (Live at UFO Club – January 27th, 1967)”

The poor quality has a good garage-sound to it. The talking over it makes for an amusing representation of the times. The intense vocals and guitars are punk-esque. It’d be nice to hear these alternate lyrics louder.

“Candy And A Currant Bun (Acetate – January 28th, 1967)”

The vocal performance is noticeably weaker here. The vocals and drums are a little “punk”. Once again, it is fascinating to hear alternate lyrics or versions to Syd’s songs. It seems this would’ve been a great era to get a live album from.

“Arnold Layne Multitracks Discussion (January 29th, 1967 – Broadcast October 7th, 2011)”

Amusingly, there basically is a review of the song in the talking bits. There’s a lot of fascinating stuff to learn about the track and the band through analysis of its elements. The bass and drums track is really badass.

“Instrumental Improvisation – Die Jungen Nachtwandler (with a bit of Interstellar Overdrive (February 24th, 1967)”

This is a great spacey instrumental. It’s a shame there’s talking in the middle of it. It captures the raw energy of the band’s improvisational nature, doing great otherworldly jams. The opening segment seems like some kind of “Interstellar Overdrive” rehearsal before an awkward cut to the main part.

“Pow R. Toc H. + Astronomy Domine + Interview with Roger Waters and Syd Barrett (Live on ‘The Look Of The Week’ – May 14th, 1967)”

The vocals are a little flat, but the instrumentation is great. The guitar sound is so grand, soaring out at you. The interview is one of the better ones, with the interviewer really not understanding them and the band trying to explain their shtick to comedic effect. It’s amusing hearing someone criticizing the band.

“Apples and Oranges (Stereo Mix)”

Syd sounds tired here. It’s nice to hear the little differences from the main version, but overall it’s pretty close. A favorite part is the guitar on the “See you” bit and the harmonized vocals.

“See Emily Play (Piano Bit @16RPM – May 21st, 1967)”

This eclectic nonsense is right up my alley. It’s not for everyone, but it captures a raw feeling of the band at work. It’s good for similar reasons as the multitrack discussions.

“See Emily Play (Acetate Record – Alternate Ending – May 23rd, 1967)”

The different ending is beautiful, but wouldn’t work with “See Emily Play”. It could’ve been removed and added to something else.

Pink Floyd – Ummagumma (1969) Review

Gigi

Ummagumma is either a dream or an acid trip, depending on how you look at it. Certainly not something coming from the unimpeded mind, at least as a whole. It’s certainly an oddity, starting with a full disc of old favorites done live, then a studio disc of essentially solo material. No one appears on anyone else’s track. This really hurts the album as Richard Wright and David Gilmour are just not as good of drummers as Nick Mason. Roger Waters is not as good of a guitar player as David. The live and studio sides also don’t blend together. Why weren’t they separate albums? They could’ve also gone the whole hog and interspersed them, so you don’t get too much of one. The manufactured-psychedelic cover emphasizes the music’s nature.

The live side plays it too safe. Their points of diverging from the studio equivalents are where they’re best. Take the point of “Astronomy Domine” where it dies down for a bit. It’s a welcome addition. “Careful with That Axe, Eugene” is the only one that really works as the other three feel far too plain and expected. The original studio version feels incomplete, so this one creates a lot of space, and emphasizes things like Roger’s scream. It’s the most different from its studio version, unlike the others that feel like rehearsals. The live vocals on every track are flat. The ending of “Saucerful” is especially weak due to the vocals not soaring. It needs to feel grand and it doesn’t. Roger’s scream doesn’t suffer from this issue probably because it’s loud.

“Sysyphus Part 1” is far too sudden an opening for the studio tracks. It’s supposed to be this big opener to the studio side, but the drumming is so poor it can’t get off the ground. As a composition, it’s not too bad. Fortunately it’s only a minute. “Part 2” benefits from Rick’s stylish keyboard playing. Not the greatest number ever, but Rick injects personality into the notes which make it hard to hate. “Part 3” could about pass as a Nick Mason track due to the percussion-centered nature. While Part 2 is a little mindless due to what can feel like random playing, Part 3 eliminates any soul or ability to be subtle. The missing ingredient is probably the keyboard. “Part 4” has similar limitations.

“Grantchester Meadows” is a nice idea that would be improved conceptually on the Roger-on-guitar 1970 track, “If”. Grantchester could benefit from being a little shorter and having David on guitar, though Roger turns in a quality vocal and good enough guitar playing for this to be one of the highlights. “Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict” is rightfully often considered the worst of the bunch. It feels like a prank to pass off a bunch of random sounds and yelling as music. There’s little sense of rhythm or thought having gone into it. Roger’s vocal is reminiscent of the “How can you have any pudding?” bit from The Wall.

We’re introduced to “The Narrow Way” with David’s excellent guitar playing, which contrasts Roger’s. It outstays its welcome far more than Grantchester, though. It goes on too long without an idea, feeling like a tolerable practice session. The repetitiveness of “Part 2” doesn’t help in making the record not feel like a demo. “Part 3” is the most like a standard Pink Floyd song, though it has the fault of lacking an idea to ground it. It would be better with the actual band on it. “The Grand Vizier’s Garden Party”’s highlights are the opening and closing segments, which collectively are a minute and a half. They have the good graces to not try to be more than they’re not, doing their job as a beginning and end. They make use of a pretty flute solo. The actual track is like Several Species, feeling like a joke. It has better rhythm, so it’s not quite as bad. The drumming is also noticeably sharp, but it can’t save the whole piece.

OVERVIEW

At its best, the album feels like an expression of the little quirks of this great band. There is value when looking at this as a distillation of their stranger qualities. As something to sit down and enjoy as music, it mostly fails. The album feels like a stop-gap. “We need a new album STAT, let’s record anything now.” The argument can be made that queues are being taken from the Syd Barrett-led improvisations, but now they’re so directionless that Syd’s influence is less apparent. A committed fan can get something out of the various elements that work and to be nice, the many negatives aren’t so bad for a one-time listen. It also might make more sense as something to listen to as you doze off. For fun, I’ll sequence an album of the quality tracks. I’m leaving off the just alright “Astronomy Domine”, “Sysyphus Part 1”, and “The Narrow Way Parts 1 and 3”. First is “The Grand Vizier’s Garden Party – Entrance”, then “Sysyphus Part 2”, “Grantchester Meadows”, “Careful with That Axe, Eugene”, and finally, “The Grand Vizier’s Garden Party – Exit” for a twenty-one minute album. A fourth of the album being good is not too bad, considering its faults being more memorable.

Pink Floyd – 1970: Devi/ation (2016) Review – Long And Unfinished

Pink Floyd in 1970

Pink Floyd took to 1970 with a shift in style. The space rock and music based on filling atmosphere has been significantly minimized. In its place is a style that’s decidedly more “down to Earth.” They’re better for it, as they were unable to blow you out with amazement, so instead will suck you in with intimacy. The two best examples of this are tracks featured live here and in studio form on the band’s 1970 album, Atom Heart Mother. Those two tracks are “Fat Old Sun” and “If”. Both take advantage of a light guitar sound and connect with a feeling of reflection. They speak on how people might be without dwelling in poetic lyrics that suited Syd Barrett better than the rest of the group. “Green is the Colour” works for similar reasons. “Embryo” seems like it wants to impress you and rock out, but plays like a dragged out experiment. The version here of “Careful With That Axe, Eugene” feels a little out of place, due to fitting in more closely with their late 60s material than early 70s. It still is a nice recording/version of that song.

There are three versions of “Atom Heart Mother Suite”. This is perhaps the most textbook “love it or hate it” Pink Floyd song. The most damning thing you can say is that after the first false ending, you hope that’s the end and you can move on now. The choir and brass give the impression it’s supposed to be operatic, which comes off as very pretentious. They’re trying so hard to have this great experience, but are also going through the motions. Parts will be played like they’re supposed to be climactic or relief from a climax, but they sort of just happen and end without build-up or commitment from the whole group. The notes are telling one story and the playing usually another. The shortest version is about eighteen minutes. The tedium of it makes one not look forward to the next time it appears in this compilation. The main riff near the start and end are good, so this could’ve been salvaged as just a two or three minute ditty. The “Live in Montreux” version is the best for having minimal vocals and brass. Those elements missing ground the piece a little.

The seller for this album to some is the unreleased material from a soundtrack album called Zabriskie Point. Those that want to dig deep in the band’s catalog will appreciate this, though much of the material sounds very incomplete, like demos. Most aren’t too bad, because they’re mostly short. Practically all the material from these box sets sound like they could be a finished and released song, even if a little thin, but not many of these. There are good songs, though. The good ones include “On the Highway” and “Auto Scene, Version 2”. They’re pleasant guitar pieces. “Auto Scene, Version 3” is a warm rocker. “Aeroplane” ups the ante, but not too much. It’s a fun space rock song that isn’t stunning, but doesn’t outstay its welcome and goes at a good pace. Of the soundtrack songs, the earliest tracks tend to be better. It seems it might’ve been deliberate to end this album with the less complete-sounding tracks and then another version of “Atom Heart Mother Suite”. You can easily stop before then if you want. The other boxsets lead with studio material, then live tracks, but this set is the other way around.

“Explosion” has the same issues as the group’s long experiments. “The Riot Scene” and “Love Scene, Version 1” are just a little keyboard noodling. They’re very nothing. “Looking at Map” is the same, though it’s a band piece. Its lack of much ambition is immortalized by that title. Guess the band couldn’t afford an article. As much can be said about “Love Scene, Version 7”, which includes what sounds like mistakes from being an unpolished demo. Both versions of “Take Off” can’t decide if they want to be space rockers or not. “Love Scene, Version 2” and “Take 1” are the best of the ones that feel really incomplete. They have good ambience, but don’t feel essential. “Unknown Song (Take 1)” is another nice guitar number, though it’s too long. It might’ve been one of the better Zabriskie Point tracks if shortened. “Love Scene (Take 2)” is very pleasant, but far too long. It’s like something you’d meditate with. Finally, “Crumbling Land (Take 1)” is ruined by the vocals. They’re too processed and throw-off what the intended tone is supposed to be. Is it supposed to be otherworldly or a little guitar number?

OVERVIEW

1970: Devi/ation has its share of gems, like some good alternate versions of already good songs and the earlier Zabriskie Point tracks praised. The main positive is David Gilmour’s sweet vocal that really shines at being ethereal or chilling. “Fat Old Sun” is a good example of his talent there. His guitar playing is also very effective at the various styles or feelings it needs to be or have. The guitar-led instrumentals can either really set the tone of a composition at best and at worst, with some Zabriskie material, be nice as background music. The weakest material feels less necessary than the weak material on the 1968 and 1969 sets. At least those feel more like the band is trying to do something. That being said, it is no problem to have as much as possible, especially the elusive soundtrack recordings, as they fill an interesting piece of history. The weaker live tracks make the album less-accessible due to being so long, with even the announcer sounding amusingly unenthused. Those wanting good material should catch the tracks that I like and those initiated in the Pink Floyd cult should check out it all.

Pink Floyd – 1965–1967: Cambridge St/ation (2016) Review – Essentially Gospel Music

Roger Waters, Syd Barrett, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason, one of the all-time great rock bands

Syd Barrett is Jesus Christ. At least, that’s the way it seems he’s taken by some. Despite releasing little more than three albums in his time, he’s left an impact that makes some starving for more. Fortunately, we’ve gotten a little more, though less than you’d hope. One is a rarity compilation covering his solo career, Opel, and later this one, 1965–1967: Cambridge St/ation. This is a priceless collection that gives us a further view into the eccentricities of this mentally ill, but no less brilliant man. It and the proper album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, cover essentially all of Syd with Pink Floyd without getting into little things that are more for the super fans. There are recordings that at least have existed that seem like obvious inclusions. Maybe they are either lost or are really bad. Even if they are somewhat bad, it’s a shame to not include them when this era is so lacking in recordings.

The album starts with recordings from the band in their R&B days, at least a year before they recorded their classic ‘67 songs. While it’s easy to note and criticize the novice qualities, they work well as what they are, entertaining demos. They aren’t really Pink Floyd in a sense, other than interesting moments that remind you of the band they would become. The least-Floyd part is the lead guitar, which is very R&B influenced and not invoking of psychedelia or the styles of Syd Barrett and his ultimate replacement, David Gilmour. Those parts are in fact played by an early member of the group, Bob Klose. Syd Barrett’s vocals and Richard Wright’s keyboard are much more in-line with what the group would become. Richard Wright gives that space rock touch to the blues standard, “I’m a King Bee”, which is an odd choice for a song like that, but it works. “Lucy Leave”, “Remember Me”, and especially “Butterfly” take advantage of Syd’s quirky singing and songwriting and are not too unnatural starting points for the band. The other three tracks are very strange due to things like stomping basslines and the emulation of R&B tricks. They are oddities, beyond oddities, especially the Bo Diddley pastiche, “Double O Bo”. They are enjoyable enough tracks that fans can grow to love, as long as you aren’t expecting them to sound too like what came next…

The album gets going with a series of singles that prove how good Syd was at them. They all are fresh and strange; psychedelic, but not excessive in its tropes. The guitar effects are a lot richer and well chosen than some other music of the time. You can understand why it was felt Syd would be an unstoppable musician. The group is very cohesive. The members get little moments to shine. While Syd’s guitar is great at propelling the landscape of the material, Richard Wright is once again the secret weapon with his keyboard sound feeling so distinctive. It’s weird to listen to a Syd song without Rick, then one with. Most of Syd’s solo work that features a keyboard player, features Wright doing it. Wright’s one composition here, “Paintbox”, puts himself on display and is a welcome addition to the set. Favorite parts are the really high vocal on “Apples and Oranges”, which manage to not come off as cheesy, as may seem a risk. The breakdown on “See Emily Play” rocks out, without being distracting or unnecessary, probably because the group was so well rehearsed. The four came together to have a real unforgettable flair within their contemporaries and bands to come. Their singles are the best examples of that.

Next are tracks that were unreleased. Some weren’t released in any capacity, while some are alternate versions of available songs. The distant vocal on “Vegetable Man” is both trippy and a cool effect, making sense with the theme of isolation. We have a secret song in an alternate version of “Matilda Mother”, which has very different lyrics that are a surprising gem to someone that overlooked this before. It gives the classic song a different tone. It’s a shame it seems the recording wasn’t kept in as good of quality as other tapes. There’s also an alternate version of Barrett’s only song on the group’s second album, “Jugband Blues”. It’s an interesting look at the development of the piece. The released version is undeniably much better in how polished it is, but pay attention to this earlier version’s pause before the horns come in. It introduces them more unsettlingly. These unreleased recordings, which are mostly from shortly before Syd left the group, paint his mental collapse as he talks about darker subject matter. The tracks can seem a little morbid, but the tip-top playing and writing make them captivating and highlights among Syd and also the band’s entire work. Listening from track one up to the end of this point covers a timeline of the development and mental decline of Syd Barrett, though not a decline in terms of quality of material. The running order is not that bad to listen to if you want a “second Barrett Pink Floyd album”, though it could be better for someone looking for a cohesive album experience.

What’s left, which is about an hour, features the band playing a live show and then a thirty-minute avant-garde piece in studio. For the sake of a good listening experience, the live show should probably have been cut. The vocals are almost completely inaudible and the divergence doesn’t flow particularly well from or to the studio tracks. The desire is understandable to include a Syd-era live recording, and it seems this was the best-recorded one, but it fails to carry the tone of the journey of this band by being a full show tossed in the middle of a series of studio recordings. A few highlights would’ve been better cohesion-wise, though as a fan of all things Syd, I am not sorry to have as much as possible, including this. The avant-garde piece, titled “John Latham”, expands upon all the group has done before or after. Its drone and eclectic structure make it feel unlike anything else the band did, while not feeling like it couldn’t be them. The chirping space guitar, atmospheric keys, banging ominous drums, and bouncing bass are all there. The guitar is reminiscent of “Pow R. Toc H.”’s animal noises. That’s one of the fun things to pick up on for those mapping the trajectory of the group.

OVERVIEW

For those that know and love the David Gilmour-era of Pink Floyd, this may not satisfy. It’s not a Gilmour-feeling album. Beyond him not being on it, it doesn’t have his style. If when Syd Barrett left the group, the remaining changed their name to something else (ala Small Faces to Face or Jefferson Airplane to Jefferson Starship), people probably wouldn’t think, “it’s the same band, so why change the name?”. Syd Barrett is in a league of his own and that can cause fans to argue over whether he or Roger Waters was the superior leader of the outfit. That is like comparing Apples and Oranges. The logical extension from Piper and this compilation is solo Syd, not 1968 Pink Floyd. It is in fact a compelling and necessary chapter for Syd in terms of mapping how we got from Piper in 1967 to something miles away in 1970’s The Madcap Laughs. It is not particularly necessary to someone that doesn’t care beyond the era with Gilmour. They would want the pre-script highlights of Piper (if that) and then jump to either the group’s second album or 1968 rarities comp, which are the first two projects to lay the groundwork for what would become of that. Thus, this album details a band that died quickly; a band that didn’t live past the beginning of 1968, or 1970 if you would consider solo-Syd the same thing. I wouldn’t, seeing as the Floyd band brings a very unique sound to the table. Cambridge St/ation is a fascinating and generally cohesive finale of this promising rock group that seemed to have it all figured out, only to fall apart under tragic circumstances that name “1965-1967” Pink Floyd one of the great ‘what ifs’ of rock and roll.

For fun, here’s a “cohesive” trim and slight reorder of this album, for the sake of better flow.

1. “Lucy Leave”
2. “Remember Me”
3. “Butterfly”
4. “Arnold Layne”
5. “Candy and a Currant Bun”
6. “See Emily Play”
7. “Matilda Mother” (alternate version)
8. “Apples and Oranges”
9. “Paintbox”
10. “In the Beechwoods”
11. “Vegetable Man”
12. “Scream Thy Last Scream”
13. “John Latham”
14. “Jugband Blues” (preferably Saucerful version)

Pink Floyd – 1969: Dramatis/ation (2016) Review – Except It’s More So Me Fangirling Over “The Man and The Journey”

Pink Floyd in 1969

Pink Floyd’s weakest two years have seemed to be 1968 and 1969. If you remove the 1967 tracks from the group’s second album, A Saucerful Of Secrets, then what’s left and the two 1969 albums are among the group’s most tedious. A lack of direction and reverse-engineering of their sound makes the once and later great band seem like a poorly thought out Rutles-styled parody that misses the mark. 1970 and 1971 both progressed out of this slump, with some truly great material present, though there were still misfires. Anyone just listening to the studio albums may think that they simply forgot how to make good music for two years, though there are some inessential gems in the mix. The Early Years box set offers an interesting nuance to that story by including rare and/or non-album material. Painting their escaping of the shadow of former leader Syd Barrett far more explicitly.

The 1969 volume is especially fascinating, as it has significant strengths and also weaknesses over 1968: Germin/ation. It damn-near forces me to throw out my bible on when the band was or wasn’t good. For disc one, we’re treated to a bundle of psychedelic experiments that hit strange tones. “Hollywood” is a novel instrumental that features what feels like nice noodling. It pays from being very short. The “Theme from Film ‘More’ – Beat Version” starts with a good groove. The bass gets some time to shine, but the track drags too long on too little an idea. The same can be said for an alt version of “More Blues”. “Seabirds” feels like a modified version of one of the band’s best post-Syd instrumentals, “A Saucerful Of Secrets”. What’s here is good, but just listen to the Saucerful track. They’re so close, except “Seabirds” isn’t as strong. It has this eerie whir that you can take or leave. I’m in the middle. The track naturally benefits from building atmosphere, succeeding better than other songs that force it in. “Embryo” is the last studio track. It fails from feeling too much like an idea and not a coherent piece of music.

Next is “Granchester Meadows”, which makes use of really tasteful crisp vocals and guitar playing. “Green Is the Colour” works for similar reasons, while “Cymbaline” and “The Narrow Way” suffer for the main complaint I’ve levied at this era. The last five tracks of disc one are nice versions of the band’s best long and ethereal tracks. The riffs are consistently really nice and seem to breed better concepts than their weaker experiments. They have simple ideas and engross you with their playing that feels very thought-out.

Disc two covers the live concept album, The Man and The Journey. While it can be off putting that it features some of the same tracks as the groups’ weaker albums, this is easily the best Floyd album between the Syd Barrett-era and The Dark Side Of The Moon. The key difference is that this album has a point. The tracks make use of silence or repetition to build emotions and strong feelings, not because they need to concoct a factory-made Pink Floyd song. The group is very fluid and in-line, which is ironic as the album they decided to work on instead of Man featured only solo tracks by members of the band. Man would benefit from a studio recording, so the instruments could really leap out and maybe more vocals, but what we have is an engaging experience that feels very 60s and very Pink Floyd, instead of trying to go for what could be “trendy”. It tackles an idea the band will return to, criticizing Capitalism and relating to the human experience, though in a different way. The instrumentals capture the vibe of what someone might go through.

A stand-out track is “Work”, which features unconventional instruments that sound like someone working, while being very rhythmic. It sounds like what the never completed Floyd album, Household Objects, might’ve sounded like. Here, the band does versions of songs generally not done very well on other recordings. One example is “Cymbaline”. That track is now called “Nightmare” and really does feel like one. Apparently that’s what it needed to be emotional? You need more than just yelling the name of the song! This second disc is a great series of music that, in a sense, negates their second to fourth albums by doing better versions of tracks from those albums. You could call it a highlight reel, though it stands on its own. You’d have a better experience going from the group’s first album, then Man, then their fifth; than listening to the first five studio albums.

OVERVIEW

It feels like an insult to give most of the praise for the first half to tracks that they did on studio albums better. It proves they still had the ability to be good and meaningful, but struggled to make and showcase something new that works. Even The Man and The Journey does take from some excellent earlier cuts, though not very much. The Man and The Journey is the definitive 60s Pink Floyd project without Syd Barrett and proves they had something going right. Similarly with my review of the 1969 compilation, this is a nice album for a Pink Floyd fan that wants to know what the band was up to, but doesn’t need an ungodly amount of redundant tracks. If that concept album at the second half was released at the time without the audience noises and with light overdubs to give more “pop”, it would probably be seen as a classic rock album and an essential listen, unlike the similarly-lengthed Ummagumma they worked on instead. Even what we have is an essential listen, despite it not being in the most obvious of places. While 1969: Dramatis/ation has some of the most tired Floyd tracks, it has enough good material to be worth a visit. This review should be a good guide for what is and isn’t pleasurable to listen to.

Pink Floyd – 1968: Germin/ation (2016) Review

Pink Floyd in 1968

Pink Floyd has one of the most interesting trajectories in terms of quality. Many bands start alright, get to great, then fall to bad. Pink Floyd started great, went to bad, great again, then finally bad again. Music that breaks the convention is sprinkled throughout. The first “bad” era started in 1968, Pink Floyd’s second year of significant recording. The reason is one of rock music’s great tragedies, the mental decline of the band’s leader Syd Barrett. While he was able to make good music in his far too brief solo career, the rechristened Pink Floyd needed time, despite being armed with a better guitar player in David Gilmour. The 2016 boxset The Early Years 1965–1972 chronicles highlights of the group’s recordings post-Syd. As a set, it’s admirable, giving you the gist and necessary recordings without being too tedious. Those that want to hear what the band were up to in 1968 outside their LP A Saucerful of Secrets should give this a listen. As the music itself goes, tedium is an issue.

The band, especially with David Gilmour, succeeds at long and ambitious tracks that have the time and scope to fulfill what they’re going for. The format of releasing singles is very limiting, which the group soon realized. After two post-Syd singles, they essentially stopped doing them. The first four tracks are those singles and flip-sides, while the fifth and sixth are studio tracks that seem like they could have been recorded with the intention of being singles. Much of these feel like they may have either been intended to be longer, but then too shortened; or intended to be shorter, but lengthened to fit in with their sound. Either way, there’s a sense of directionless-ness. The group wanted to prove they could still be a good band and more importantly pay the bills. The product of that is it seems like someone had a riff or idea that’s very ambient or ethereal, then it was stretched to the length of two and a half to six minutes.

“It Would Be So Nice” in a sense feels like an album. Tempo changes and different sections litter it. A psychedelic vocal makes it feel like a parody of its genre and Pink Floyd specifically. Its b-side “Julia Dream” captures a similar tone, with double tracked lead vocals and air-y sound beyond belief. Neither feel like the band had an interest in even doing the music, but instead reverse engineered it after listening to other psychedelic bands like The Zombies. They turned up the trends to the max. Flutes and organs and everything blast at you, despite also featuring many slow and quiet moments. It’s everything, and thus nothing. The next single is “Point Me at the Sky”. While a little cheesy with Roger Water’s yell-esque singing style, it doesn’t outstay its welcome and captures its mood well. David Gilmour’s guitar and Richard Wright’s organ have a magical way of giving life to the music. The organ somewhat emulates Church music, without taking too much from it. It’s a nice touch to mix that Church-style with psychedelia. The track is quite nice and breezy, being the best studio cut here. “Careful with That Axe, Eugene” has good potential, but doesn’t do much with it. It’s cold and trippy, but doesn’t have an impact. At one point Roger screams and it feels like just another thing there. Perhaps the band realized the error of their ways because their Ummagumma album features a much longer and much better version. The studio version does go past its welcome at almost six minutes, but not too badly.

The last two studio tracks, “Song 1” and “Roger’s Boogie”, feel like demos, possibly being so. You could believe the band were just noodling and playing around one day, these being the product. The very coarse voice on Boogie is irritating, though not gratingly so. Neither are essential, but they are much better than Nice and Dream, as at least they’re straightforward. The final seven tracks were recorded for BBC Radio, some being of the studio tracks prior. While they are similar to the studio versions, there are some flourishes. The guitar on “Julia Dream” resonates more and would’ve benefited the studio version. “The Massed Gadgets of Hercules (A Saucerful of Secrets)” trims down the studio version of it on its s/t album. Due to the similarities, if you like a studio version of a song, you’ll probably like the live version here. The only notable one is “Interstellar Overdrive”, which is quite different from the Piper at the Gates of Dawn version. Other than using a little bit of the original, it’s basically a different song. This ends the album well. The room to let the ideas breathe and epic feeling make it a good finale. Despite the more muddled sound quality, the guitar and drums’ moments to stick out soar quite well. It feels like a creepy and fun little trip into rock space.

OVERVIEW

Pink Floyd has seen better days. For the sake of having the most consistent catalog, it would be better to leave most of these on the cutting room floor. This is still a good document, despite the downfall of making you think that what wasn’t included must’ve been even worse than the lowlights here. Whether that’s true, who knows? I have a soft spot for “The Committee” soundtrack, fortunately remastered by Albums That Should Exist. Those interested in what I personally would recommend and re-listen to should check out both versions of “Point Me at the Sky”, “The Massed Gadgets of Hercules”, and “Interstellar Overdrive”. The rest is best left aside.