Every so often I remind myself what a great band Pink Floyd was. I believe they were at theit most creative as they were leading up to the creation of Dark Side of the Moon. If you watch the film Pink Floyd – Live in Pompeii you will see exactly what I mean. What we have here are four wonderfully talented artists and experimentalists. Though Dave Gilmour definitely shines as the best musician in the group (I believe he actually taught the other members how to play their instruments – I know he gave Syd guitar lessons), all four at this time had some wonderful thoughts on creating a live experience. I did see Pink Floyd in Philadelphia the last time they toured, and I plan on seeing Roger Waters this summer. However, I regret that I, being born a few decades too late, will never be able to experience the true Pink Floyd Sound, as it was a few years pre-DSOTM.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be stoned to enjoy the psychedelic mix of audio and visual that they provide in this film. Though the camera tricks are very dated, the effect on the mind they produce is most important. The piece Echoes is much more than a “song.” It’s truly a multi-faceted piece of art, especially when combined with scenes of erupting volcanos, etc… (though the music stands very well on its own).
Dark Side of the Moon was a turning point. Definitely very artistic, but the actual production of the album is just as artistic as the music itself. It’s even interesting thinking about how the last two tracks, penned by Roger Waters, have a completely different sound and feel than the rest of the album, sort of foreshadowing the direction in which he was about to take the band (Wish You Were Here, Animals, The Wall, The Final Cut all being mostly Roger’s music).
The most interesting is listening to the early live recordings of the DSOTM shows, before the album was released, with all the fancy production added. If I were to travel in time and space, I would go to the day after my (future) birthday — March 12th, 1972, to Japan, to see one of the first DSOTM concerts, where they perform all of Dark Side of the Moon, Echoes, Atom Heart Mother, One of These Days, and Careful With That Axe, Eugene. This was Pink Floyd at the most artistic and most experimental.