Pink Floyd - Ummagumma

7.5 - England - 1969

A high-concept double album.  Disc 1 is a four-track live album – and possibly the best single disc the group ever released, whereas Disc 2 is split into four sections in which each member recorded a mini-solo album, and the results are, at best, mixed.

Still: the live component is fantastic.  This period – when the Floyd were struggling with their direction due to the forced departure of Barrett – represents the band at their most dynamic and interesting.  While the live version of “Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun” does tend to drag a bit, the rendition of “A Saucerful Of Secrets” takes the studio version’s atmosphere and adds some epic rocking to the final section.  But it’s the live version of “Careful With That Axe, Eugene” that really takes the cake here.  Originally a B-side to the criminally forgotten non-album A-side “Point Me At The Sky”, the track really comes into its own in the live rendition that showcases how the group’s dynamism can make so much out of a one-chord jam.  Some pretty chilling screaming from Waters, too.  It is unfortunate, though, that this disc (which is admittedly of somewhat poor audio quality) is the only available document of the live Floyd during this period.  Perhaps someday they will release their BBC sessions so we can finally hear the live version of the acoustic More track, “Cymbaline”, or the unreleased, never-actually-recorded-in-a-studio, epic “Embryo”.  Those interested are urged to check out Live At Pompeii for a good visual document of live middle-period Pink Floyd.

Ummagumma’s second disc, wherein each group member takes a half side for solo recordings, doesn’t work nearly as well.  Richard Wright contributes the four-part, somewhat unlistenable “Sysyphus”, and David Gilmour’s half-assed “The Narrow Way” has some moments but is generally noodly and sloppy.  Nick Mason’s tape ‘n drums experiment “The Grand Vizier’s Garden Party” fares a bit better – samplers may find some useful (and largely, thus far, unused) breaks there, but Roger Waters’ half-side is probably the best of the bunch. “Grantchester Meadows” is a trifle dull, but still a pretty acoustic number, but the fantastically titled tape experiment, “Several Species Of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together In A Cave And Grooving With A Pict”, is probably the most interesting thing here.  Consisting of layers of sped-up vocal samples (which approximates the titular gathering of Small Furry Animals – one wonders if they eventually moved to Wales and became Super) that climaxes in a bizarre Scottish rant (presumably an ancestor of the teacher from The Wall), the track is often cited as an example of middle period Pink Floyd’s sacrificing of tunes for concepts, but aside from an enormous Zaireekian sense of “I can’t believe we’re getting away with this” fun, it actually does have a pretty good groove.

Still, all in all, the first, live disc of the set is essential listening for any Floyd fan, but the second, studio disc can largely be ignored.