From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website
Cesar Inca Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator
With their first two albums, Pink Floyd shaped and refurbished the emerging trend of psychedelic rock
that was taking place in the British underground rock circles in the second half of the
70s. "Ummagumma" is the official manifestation of the band's intentions to keep moving on artistically
from the challenging standard that they had set for themselves; it is also the album that reinforces the
role of then newcoming guitarist Dave Gilmour. The first volume is a live set that finds the band
maturing the vision previously accomplished in "A Saucerful of Secrets" and stating a solid sound
beyond the urgent naivety of their debut release. 'Astronomy Domine', arguably the epitome of Syd
Barrett's vision, starts the live set with a robust combination of strength and eeriness, in no small
degree due to the relevant organ layers and expansions by Wright. The beginning of the live set is
really climatic, perfectly coherent with the increasingly sinister kind of sound that the band was
particularly interested in the 1968-70 era. 'Careful With that Axe, Eugene' preserves the overall mood
turning more closely toward the languid side of psychedelic prog. This sense of mystery is properly fed
by the track's ever-expanding flow. The ambitious live rendition of 'Set the Controls for the Heart of the
Sun' sets a proper reelaboration of the two preceding tracks' mood, with the advantage implied in the
enhancement of the original idea's exotic vibe and dynamic rhythmic structure. And of course, there is
the archetypical rendition of the second album's title track: the rough muscle and raw bizarreness
possible in this live environment are the result of a shared inspiration in the momentum. Of course, we
can find lots of faster and/or louder renditions in other bootlegs, but this live rendition has its mixture of
magic and sonic power as a relevant asset. The ethereal intro, the second section's neurotic tribalism
and the soft third section inevitably lead to the electrifying ending, a real showcase for Wright's
essential input for the Floydian thing. Volume 2 is a studio effort in which the band decides to make
room for individual exploration. Wright's 'Sysyphus' is a majestic 4-part opus. It starts with a sequence
of ceremonious mellotron and pompous tympani, followed by a piano sequence that flows from
classicist reflectiveness to creepy tension. Next comes a portion based on avant-garde chamber
(something like Varese-meets-Cage), followed by an eerie section dominated by mellotron and organ,
distant yet captivating. The final section is the most sinister, with a horrific emergence of distorted
organ segued into the initial theme's reprise. Great!! Waters penned 'Grantchester Meadows' and the
long-titled next track: the former is a pastoral ballad that sets the pace for other acoustic pieces to
appear in following albums; the latter is an experimentation on processed voices and noises that create
rhythms, cadences and atmospheres, plus a touch of humor, too. Gilmour's 'The Narrow Way' is the
other highlight in this studio item: with a first part that explores a candid mixture of country and
acoustic blues ornamented by weird slide guitar intrusions, and a second part focused on Western-
flavored psychedelic hard rock, the main section consists of a melancholic rock ballad with heavily
bluesy undertones. Mason's 'Grand Vizier's Garden Party' is a demonstration of multiple percussions
and a drum solo developed in crescendo, refashioned through studio processes: its entrance and finale
are mellow flute solos. A very interesting ending for a very interesting experiment: the traces of this
double album's endeavor will be fairly noticed all the way to the "Meddle" album, so the most important
value (not the only one) of "Ummagumma" is its way of reshaping PF's vision in its avant-rock context.
[I dedicate this review to the memory of the recently departed Richard Wright].
Cesar Inca |4/5 |
MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE
As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.
You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).