Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii

It really should be no surprise that Pink Floyd of all bands could put together such a fantastic live performance. PULSE is one of the best live sets I have ever seen, but for the longest time Live at Pompeii eluded my attention. The first twelve minutes and the last twelve minutes of the movie are devoted to the best version of "Echoes" that I have ever heard. Other songs included in the set are "One of These Days", "A Saucerful of Secrets", and "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun". Depending on which version you watch, you will also get a glimpse of the band working in the studio on tracks for Dark Side of the Moon.

The cinematography of the movie has already been complimented upon by numerous reviewers, but it is definitely worth complimenting again, because it is so good. The actual interviews with band members vary in quality. Most interviews with Roger Waters involve him just messing with the interviewer. Mason and Gilmour are alright, but the best interview of the film is probably with the most under-appreciated member of the band, keyboardist Richard Wright. I watched this movie under the impression that is was only live set, and instead became an interesting mixture of live performances of music video quality intertwined with interviews and just filming the band hanging out in the studio. It almost seems like a documentary, and it works refreshingly well.

If I had to give the highlights of the performances, I would say that "Echoes" is a very obvious choice and is by far the highlight of the set. A not so obvious second in my opinion is "Careful With That Axe Eugene". This song manages to be so menacing yet subtle that I just can't help but like it. In both cases I find these performances superior to the studio recordings. The main detractor of this film is that "Echoes" is broken up into two parts. With a song so psychedelic and epic, it is such a shame it was cut in half. If the movie ended with the song in its entirety, it would have been almost perfect.

The idea. The scenario. The music. The performance. The Band. The greatest.

I can only say that Pompeii and Pink Floyd talk for themselves. It transmitted me the complete idea of what Pink Floyd is...or was in that time. After seeing this movie every music lover will be you delighted and every Pink Floyd fan will be enlightened (and if you do not like music nor pink floyd at all don't bother continuing reading this commentary).

The songs perfectly match the Greek amphitheatre, the space sequences shown, and every song was PERFECTLY performed, so exact, including the participation of a dog singin the blues in "Mademoiselle Nobs", Roger banging the gong with the sun behind (an amazing picture!!!), the speechless improvising between songs, that leaves you only with the desire of having been there when it all happened.

It also contains some fragments of what was the beginning of the recording of the masterpiece "Dark Side of the Moon" and commentaries by the four, which you'll find very interesting and wise, which give you also the perspective of Pink Floyd by its members.

Buy, beg, borrow or steal...(well, not steal), but see it right away cause Adrian Maben and Pink Floyd really hit the spot in this one.

If you're a Floyd fan, then you know that the best way to experience their music is with both audio and visual. That's why this new dvd, `Live in Pompeii' is a must have. If you already own and love the video version like I do, you'll be blown away by the dvd. It has both the original version (in pan scan, minus the interviews) and a new director's cut (widescreen, with added interviews) as well. The visuals in this video are just amazing. The ancient amphitheater among the ruins of Old Pompeii is awesome and a great place for the band to play. There is a great mosaic shot of Nick Mason that is pretty trippy. The director's cut has footage from the band's recording of Dark Side, and some great interviews with the guys. This is definitely a must have for anyone's Floyd collection.

This film is nothing short of "must see" documentary history. I'll never be able to fully express how moving it is to see the young men of Pink Floyd during uninhibited moments of creativity, eating and chatting together, rehearsing, having philosophical discussions about the fate of rock-n-roll music and the shaking off of their drug-oriented image, and even arguing now and then.

Beyond how intriguing the band and it's members are, the film itself is so well directed and beautifully shot. The sound is excellent. Incredibly artistic film montages add to, rather than detract from the music. I have never seen a better portrayal of live music. The sheer musicianship of these men is mind boggling. Each is highlighted at different points in the film and it is clear that they have immense skill and talent.

Pink Floyd was so ahead of its time and will never seem out of style. And this film, although shot in 1972, is as fresh as a daisy. There are some incomparable moments, making this truly the best rock documentary I have ever seen. David Gilmour looks very handsome, by the way, and will always be my favorite guitar god. **swoon**

I absolutely love the Pink Floyd, but have been let down by Floyd-related things in the past, so I was quite wary of this movie. It managed to win me over, however, and now it's one of my favourites.

It was absolutely hysterical to see Mason go absolutely wild and smash his drums so hard that one of his sticks was flung off into the distance. It was amazing, how fast he managed to recover with a spare. Makes you wonder if he has some sort of quick release drum stick gadget hidden somewhere in his pants.

All in all, a fantastic piece. I highly recommend it!