Review: Pink Floyd At Pompeii – MCMLXXII
Pink Floyd At Pompeii – MCMLXXII
Format: CD – Vinyl LP – Digital / Label: Legacy Recordings
Release: 2025
Text: Martien Koolen
I have always been and still am a huge Pink Floyd aficionado, however it is my humble opinion thar Floyd’s first good album was their sixth one called ‘Meddle,’ released in 1971. Their very first albums, especially ‘The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn’ and ‘Saucerful Of Secrets’ were mere experimental “try out” albums with weird – thanks to Syd Barret of course – music indeed.
‘Meddle,’ featured Floyd’s first epic masterpiece, being Echoes of course, and the rest, as we all know is musical history…’Pink Floyd at Pompeii’ features that utterly brilliant Echoes, here divided into -god knows why – two parts and it is of course THE highlight of this notorious live album, mainly due to the brilliant guitar playing of Gilmour of course!!
Another track from Meddle featured here is the amazing instrumental One Of These Days, the second brilliant song of that 1971 album and I have to say that it sounds live even more impressive indeed. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun and Careful With That Axe, Eugene, also featured as live versions on the ‘Ummagumma’ album (1969), are of course also two spectacular, atmospheric, “spooky” and remarkable Floyd songs that showcase the high musical skills of the Floyd boys.
The title track of Pink Floyd’s second studio album is definitely not one of my favourite ones, as it is lacks musical diversity and the song packed with soundscapes, drags on way far too long to be really interesting. Mademoiselle Nobs completes the first CD, and it feels distinctly out of place, as it is no more than a generic blues instrumental with a howling dog; luckily, it only lasts two minutes….
The second CD contains an alternate take of Careful With That Axe, Eugene, and an unedited version of A Saucerful Of Secrets; in my humble opinion, really, and utterly superfluous, or you must be a 100% die-hard Syd Barret Floyd fan.
Conclusion, two brilliant tracks, two good ones, two redundant mediocre ones and two superfluous soundscapes “songs.” So, is it a must have Floyd album? I do not think so, and oh yes, I almost forgot to mention that mister Steven Wilson remixed Pink Floyd at Pompeii and he did an excellent job.
Tracks:
CD 1
01. Pompeii Intro
02. Echoes – Part 1
03. Careful with That Axe, Eugene
04. A Saucerful Of Secrets
05. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun
06. One Of These Days
07. Mademoiselle Nobs
08. Echoes – Part 2
CD 2
01. Careful With That Axe, Eugene – Alternate Take
02. A Saucerful Of Secrets – Unedited
Website: https://www.pinkfloyd.com/