UMMAGUMMA

I wouldn't recommend this album to people who have just started being Folyd fans.It's a really STRANGE album.The first disc is LIVE.It contains: Astronomy dommine, writteb by BARRETT.In this version Barrett is not in the band anymore.The vocals are done by Wright, Gilmour and, often by Waters.It's much longer than the original(It's two times longer_The original is 4 minutes long, and this one's 8 minutes long, and it's the SHORTEST on this disc!) Gilmour does a HEAD_KNOCKIN'-MIND-BLOWING guitar solo, and Wright does a strange keyboard solo in the middle.Careful with that axe, Eugene, almost gave me a heart attack , when I first heard it.It starts quite soft, but then, Waters says:"Careful with that axe ,Eugene" and makes a loud SCREAM and the heavy rock n' roll starts! It's a really strange song.Set the controls for the heart of the sun has a very mysterious style, Waters plays the gong from time to time, on this song.In the middle-section they do strage sounds with the keyboards and the guitar.The closing piece is A Saucerful of Secrets.The introduction is very good.In the middle, there is a part, in which they start to do strange noises, till it gets unlistenable(but it's a really good song for Floyd fans, like me). The second disc features solo studio projects by each member of the band.First, Richard Wright starst fooling around with the keyboards and some percussion making a four part piece called Sysyphus, it's a very good track for hardcore Pink Floyd fans, but maybe not for unexpierenced Folyd fans.Then comes Waters' two songs.The first one is Grantchester Meadows which is just Roger playing acustic guitar & singing.The other one is really strange, and good for a laugh:Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict , that is a 5-minute piece of strange kinds of animals like:Birds, and other "furry" insects.Gilmour's 3 part piece is "the Narrow way", which I think is the best one on the studio album.Gilmour does EVERYTHING here: He plays the guitar,bass, organ, piano, mellotron, drums and vocals! The last one is Mason's piece:Grand Vizier's Garden Party.He probably "cheated", because the flute is playd by his wife Lindy.Then, he starts creating new and catchy sounds. This album is amazing, but I'll give it 4 stars, because it's not Perfect(just that!), or just because The Wall is A BIT better.