There’s a fairly clear distinction among the different eras of Pink Floyd. Most fans know the band from The Dark Side Of The Moon and what followed. From there, it splinters into the Roger Waters years and the David Gilmour years. Of course, there’s those feisty purists who hold fast to the Syd Barrett years, claiming the band’s relevance came to an abrupt end as the Madcap’s last gasp faded on the way out the exit door.
What’s received more attention in recent years is what happened between 1968 and 1972. That was when six albums were made, along with a movie filmed in 1971 and released in 1972 called Pink Floyd At Pompeii. What no one seemed to acknowledge at the time what that this was the ultimate cinematic record encompassing everything to love about Pink Floyd. That it planted the seeds for The Dark Side Of The Moon becomes obvious the minute the first pool of boiling mud flashes across the screen.
With high-definition 4K video, along with a Dolby Atmos mix to release the spatial qualities of the music, Pink Floyd At Pompeii has been restored to new heights of sights and sounds. Adding MCMLXXII (1972) to the title not only indicates the year the film was released; it also reinforces the power of the Roman architecture that surrounds the band as they perform. For a limited time, you could (and maybe still can) see it in all its IMAX glory. Behind closed doors, the Blu-ray turns your home theater into a Pink Floyd orgy for the eyes and ears.
From the outset, director Adrien Maben creates a mystical, surreal atmosphere as each sequence flowers into life. A long, establishing shot inside the Amphitheatre of Pompeii, built around 100 BC, moves in ever so slowly toward the action — the members of Pink Floyd, their instruments, their gear, the camera and sound crew holding steady in their positions — as Rick Wright’s piano pings through the solitary intro of “Echoes.” The song is split into two parts to bookend the film. Most followers agree that this song is the bridge and catalyst between everything before and everything after The Dark Side of The Moon.
This is Pink Floyd in their purest, most collective form. There’s no pageantry or spectacle about it. Clad in jeans, t-shirts, and tank tops (or, in Gilmour’s case, shirtless and barefoot), they set course on a rocky journey through space and time. Even in the sunshine and Mount Vesuvius in the background, the oblique, ephemeral sounds emanating from the Amphitheatre may well have rumbled through the neighboring Phlegraean Fields, unleashing a river of molten lava. The golden retriever yowling its heart out in “Mademoiselle Nobs” is a sobering reminder of just how far the band was willing to go to test the patience and tolerance of their audience.
They push the plume through “Careful With That Axe Eugene” where Waters’ infamous screech is intense enough to erupt volcanoes and ravage the landscape. On “A Saucerful Of Secrets,” they pack it all in — taking square aim at their instruments, culminating with Waters making mincemeat out of a gong before the melody oscillates, floating off into the sunset and Gilmour’s golden pipes parting the way.
The cantankerous instrumental “One Of These Days” puts the focus on drummer Nick Mason, whose relatively simple, yet impactful attack on the tubs underscores his importance to the Pink Floyd imprint. “Set The Control To The Heart Of The Sun” finds Waters whispering the lyrics against an Arabian soundtrack, as Wright’s keys and Mason’s tom toms stir up an exotic flair.
When they’re not playing music in the film, the four Floydians wander the countryside, chow down (Mason makes numerous attempts to order pie without crust), and speak to the technology behind their sound. The audience is also taken into Abbey Road studios where the band stitches together parts for the then-upcoming album, The Dark Side of The Moon. In essence, a purview into a typical workday of one of the mightiest institutions in rock and roll.
Steven Wilson’s punchy new mixes certainly embellish the allure. One can imagine how he worked through the technical challenges of the recordings, much of it captured live in the thick of rich Italian air swirling around the bowl of an outdoor theater. He’s famously listed Pink Floyd as his favorite band, so he wasn’t about to let this one slip by with a mediocre upgrade. All those Yes, Jethro Tull, and Porcupine Tree mixes had prepared him for this moment. All in all, he beautifully navigates the sonic landscape without letting any rusty nails fall through the cracks.
The 4K restoration brings out the stark detail of the green grass adorning the Amphitheatre’s perimeter. The intricacy of the butterfly embroidered into one of Mason’s shirts even stands out. Due to the nature of the frame-by-frame restoration from the original 35mm cut negative, the MCMLXXII version comprises an old-school 4:3 aspect ratio, which may confuse those weaned on widescreen 16:9. Fortunately, once you’re pulled into the flow, any misgivings regarding the size and shape of the picture don’t seem to matter all that much.
The senseless modifications Maben added to 2003 reissued ‘Directors Cut’ may have filled out the screen, but it falls short when it comes to the clarity of 4K, the boisterous soundtrack, and really, the original film as a whole — which never needed anything more than Pink Floyd playing their music in an ancient setting to an invisible audience.
Stereo mixes of Pink Floyd At Pompeii – MCMLXXII are available on double CD and vinyl sets, as well as digitally, also mixed by Wilson. These have a couple of bonus tracks — edits and alternate takes — not included on the Blu-ray. With so many choices, including the theatrical IMAX experience, there’s no question audiophiles, completists, old, young, longtime followers, even fresh fish just boarding the bus all have a lot to celebrate with the release of Pink Floyd At Pompeii – MCMLXXII. In so many ways, it is arguably the most intimate, honest, and enjoyable document of David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Rick Wright and Nick Mason’s time together as Pink Floyd.
~ Shawn Perry
~ Shawn Perry
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Pink Floyd At Pompeii
