Ummagumma - Pink Floyd > Reviews > Set the controls for the top of the charts.

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money

Advantages:	The Live Album
Disadvantages:	The Studio Album

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Pink Floyd's Ummagumma is a double album consisting of a studio album and a live one. It's quite expensive but really is worth it if you're into post Barrett, pre Dark side ... Floyd.

Live albums have had bad press ever since they were invented, but recently they have beceom a good way of measuring wheather a successful band can really cut it. I would point to Radiohead's 'I might be wrong' to prove this, while Stereophonics 'Day At The Races' proves what a waste of time they have become.
Pink Floyd, while at the top of their creative powers released this double album. After their previous couple of albums it shows how far they had come since 'Piper at the gate of dawn' and for anyone wishing to hear the real Pink Floyd the live album is essential.

But let me start with the studio album. Oh dear. I like progressive music, in fact most people think i'm crazy because of the wierd music I listen to. But this goes too far. I won't analyse the CD track by track - there's no point. All the songs sound the same. There is no melody, harmony, musical structure or anyrthing to grab hold of. Dave Gilmor's usually first rate guitar solo's are annoyingly puntuated by sound effects. The Nick Mason drum solo is ok if you like that kind of thing but rather boring if you don't. The best thing on the studio album is the song titles - 'Several spicies of small animals gathered together in a cave a grooving with a pict'. Methinks the drugs may have had a adverse effect on the song writing and general thought at this point.

The Live album, as i'm sure you've guessed by now, is quite different. It's not for everyone but if you like 'Wish You Were Here' for its long instrumental bits you'll probably love it.

The first track is Astronomy Domine, a Syd Barrett composition, which I have to admit prior to hearing it on this, I didn't like very much. However, Dave Gilmour is a great replacement for Barrett in Guitar playing terms and the band do the song great justice. The lyrics are superb, and Gilmours Guitar playing excellent. Even the vocal's, which pink floyd somtimes let slip, are first rate. This reworking of the original is not for the faint-hearted. You really have to listen to it rather than have it on in the background and It's really rather long, like all the other tracks on the live album.

One of my favorite pink Floyd songs follows, 'Careful with that axe Eugene'. This is a wonderful version (topped only by the one on the 'Live in Pompeii' video, and this really shows what Floyd were capable of. The Sheer brilliance of the arrangement is something to remember, while each member of the group gets his turn to take thier instrument to its limits without straying from the main ideas of the song. The melody is beautifully haunting and misterious while the lyrics, while limited to just one line, are good (especially the scream!).

Set The Controls for The Heart Of The Sun is next and again follows some of the same ideas. A deep throbbing bassline with magnificent drum work by Mason. This song even has lyrics and they are in fact some of the best ones Roger Waters ever wrote. It continues the theme of dark and mysterious and builds suspense in the same way Careful with.... does. The guitar solo's sound really good, improvised one assume's. I first heard this song on 'Sound's of the Sixties' when I was 14 and it really blew me away.

The last song is the only one that dissapoints in any way. It starts with about ten minutes of Floyd messing around on each others instruments and using loads of wierd sound effects. It's quite unlistenable. Thank God for the Fast Forward button. However mid way through the song it becomes an organ piece before the vocals cut in with some 'wailing'. Another song that builds to a climax and while Dave's guitar takes a beackseat on this track it is really good.

So in conclusion if someone offers you this album for free, take the live album and leave them with the studio on. Oh and nick the poster as well.