UMMAGUMMA

Perhaps the best thing about the 'Ummagumma' experiment is that Pink Floyd never repeated it, right? This is a fascinating musical document of the early development of one of Britain's legendary bands, and it also happens to be one of the most unorthodox double albums in the history of psychedelic rock, with one side comprised of live tracks, and the other comprised of the individual contributions of each band member. This is an ingenious approach, which is something that might not surprise us knowing who the artist is, but it also predisposes Floyd to ridiculous amounts of experimentation - something that can lead to music that is greatly overblown and occasionally even unlistenable, when lacking a clear objective. The live disc comes first and features four staples from the band's early shows. Of course, the sound of these recordings is quite rough and exploits the avant-garde and improvisational side of Floyd, which by all means defines their early works. Certainly, a fascinating piece of work, indicative of the unique and transcendent atmosphere of those early musical meanderings of Pink Floyd.

The second disc features the solo contributions of the band members, and this is where things get even more exhilarating. There is a daring peculiarity to all of these compositions, but they should be taken merely as experimental trials that do not reveal the full extent of each musician's capabilities in terms of playing or songcraft, since the band was occupied with presenting themselves as an obscure act that does not follow the norm. 'Sysyphus' is Rick Wright's part of the studio album - this 13-minute piece is an abstract composition on organ, piano and Mellotron that offers a somewhat promising beginning but derails into a hodgepodge of disconnected sounds, never really going anywhere. 'Grantchester Meadows' is one of the two Roger Waters compositions - a laid-back, acoustic and folky tune that proposes a more pastoral approach compared to the striking nature of Wright's piece. 'Furry Animals' is made up of various effects, with Waters manipulating his voice and the speed of the recordings, a weird but welcome entry on 'Ummagumma'. 'The Narrow Way' is Gilmour's contribution, perhaps the most consistent offering from the studio album, moody and melancholic, there is a greater sense of apprehension to this 12-minute-long suite. Finally, there is the 'The Grand Vizier's Garden Party' from Nick Mason - a drum piece with various effects that can sometimes be difficult to go through. As an isolated solo piece this does not work as well as all previous parts of the album.

'Ummagumma' is an album you can either be fascinated by or indifferent to. It is one of the most obscure offerings from Floyd and its rough, experimental nature serves as an obstruction to its complete appreciation. Punctuated by moments of sheer enthusiasm and occasionally ingenious ideas, this kind of music is a difficult listen nevertheless and only hints at the capacity of the band.

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