Alright peeps, hold on to your heads cause this video offers only a glimpse of the wonder that is Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii, the DVD that my buddy Kev so fortunately bestowed upon me this holiday season.
I’ll be short and simple: the DVD is excellent, and it has totally changed my perspective on Pink Floyd as a band (as opposed to being just the creators of amazing music). The film itself was filmed in 1971–73 (which just so happens to be the era when they were forging together their masterpiece album!) at locations that range from volcano to amphitheater to Abbey Road studio and beyond. As far as filmmaking goes, the movie is a little unpolished at times, but I think the director himself sums it up best when he says that people either love it or hate it, i.e. if you love the music, you’ll love the film. I sure did.
Here’s a little outline of the clips I selected above, in case you’re still unconvinced:
- it opens with Roger Waters (who happens to be contagiously high) giving us an intimate glimpse at his philosophic sense of humour
- next is my favorite part of the movie overall, the live rendition of “Careful with that Axe, Eugene”. It’s not only explosive and powerful, but it seriously trumps the album version, which I’m not even a big fan of
- that cuts into “A Saucerful of Secrets,” which is basically just a chance for the band to have fun and experiment on stage, feeding off each others’ vibes and creating some amazing improvised noise
- finally is Richard Wright in the studio while working on the piano for “Us and Them” - one of my favs from (then unfinished/in recording) DSOTM. I think it’s so cool to hear the differences between this and the eventual final release.
So here’s the deal: you should watch it. Ask me, and I’ll lend it to ya, or, get it some other way.
P.S. mannn, is the second half of Dark Side good or what!?
Film.
