LIVE AT POMPEII (THE DIRECTOR'S CUT)

The original video ('71) was one of my favorite's although I was not particularly pleased with the video re-release ('73) that contained interviews and studio-scenes from the "Dark Side of the Moon" era. In my opinion this distracted from the compelling 'Pompeii-climate'. Well, this DVD gives me the opportunity to zap and to choose (track selection) my ultimate experience. In comparison with the video some beautiful and exciting 'visual effects' are integrated (the original city, the vulcanic eruption, waves of lava, atmospheric space shots). And on the main menu you wil find: a documentary with an interesting interview with director and mastermind ADRIAN MABEN (about the worse start of the project, no electricity in Pompeii and his wish to re-release the film with extra interviews and scenes from "Dark Side of the Moon" rehearsals in the Abbey Road Studios), the original concert, track selection, miscellanea (posters/press/illegal copies), Pompeii map and history, lyrics, photo gallery and album graphics.

The music from PINK FLOYD has been recorded in the empty amphi-theater of Pompeii, only the roadies, film-crew and the band were present. The combination of the impressive surroundings, the extraordinary light, the silence (according to ADRIAN MABEN "a kind of anti-Woodstock with no audience and applause") and the compelling music is perfect and turnes this DVD into a mindblowing experience! My favorite moments are the second part of "A saucerful of Secrets" (great build up with Gilmour's guitar, Mason's propulsive drumming and Wright's Farfisa organ and splendid climax with Gilmour's howling vocals), "One of these Days" (night-shots with furious drums and great slide guitar by the almost invisible Gilmour), "Set the controls for the heart of the sun" (a fierce climate with lots of spotlights, perfectly blended with expressive Pompeii mosaics and the aerie combination of the psychedelic keyboard solo and images from the dead Roman bodies, surprised by the waves of lava) and of course many parts of the epic "Echoes". This DVD belongs to my Top 3 of best DVD's of all time!

I begin with an important warning to anyone contemplating purchasing the DVD, especially if you think you're going to get rid of the VHS version, or you plan to get only the DVD for the very first time--the VHS is still the definitive version, and you will regret not having it around. The reason is that the DVD was done by producer ADRIAN MABEN with no input from the band, and therefore will be a grave disappointment. Aside from some additional interview material, including the keyboardist RICK WRIGHT (sorely neglected on the VHS), there is very little to recommend the DVD above the VHS--in fact, some will strongly argue that the DVD is worth nothing and this is really the only good version. The DVD ruins the ambience with terrible computer animation--MABEN seems not to have matured over the years in his technique. His style makes for an interesting period piece on the VHS, but when he thinks he can carry over the exact same techniques on new technology, it's really quite sad. Furthermore, no attempt was ever made to correct the tape speed, and thus the pitch remains nearly a semitone sharp...not even a full semitone, so don't expect to be able to jam with either version.

My advice is, if you are going to get the DVD for the extra interview material, get the VHS with it, or make sure to hang on to your original copy. And make sure to purchase the DVD with gift money, not out of pocket. The VHS is worth a lot more trouble than the DVD. Yes, the video cassette is an inferior format in the 21st century, and PINK FLOYD does deserve better...but as MABEN did not see fit to provide anything truly better, this is the best you can do for yourself. Make sure to order a VHS now, in case they go out of print!

Yes, there are some noticeable flaws in the original, but we need to remember, PINK FLOYD was not yet the financial powerhouse that it is now...nor were technology or filming technique up to today's standards, by a long shot. This means you will have to put up with some oddities, including a filming technique that makes it look very much like a period piece. But perhaps the most notable flaw is the fact that the film runs at a slightly high speed. Those observing closely may notice that the band's movements seem unnaturally fast. But more noticeable is the fact that everything is pitched significantly sharp, so you will not be able to jam along with this without retuning. And finally, as I mentioned before, RICK WRIGHT fans will be very disappointed to note that he is only included once in the interviews, and is not even seen as he speaks (one of the few deficits you might wish to also pick up a DVD to correct).

WRIGHT's keyboard playing, for instance, goes a long way towards making up for the lack of interview material from him, particularly at the end of "A Saucerful of Secrets" and during "Echoes, Part II" (the latter of which reduced me to tears!). And who can forget the delightfully funny performance of "Mademoiselle Nobs", a remake of "Seamus" where his instrument is...the dog? Truly a great piece of Floydian humor to watch (Although is it me, or does ROGER WATERS not get the joke? Watch and find out...). Another set of fans will be greatly appreciative of the VHS--here, NICK MASON's more exotic, pre-Dark Side drumming style is showcased fantastically. Notice that he continues without a pause even when a drumstick flies out of his hand. DAVID GILMOUR is also in fine form, although to me his most notable moments are in the creation of Dark Side, and ROGER WATERS delivers almost mad-seeming vocal and percussion performances, in addition to his bass work.

The peek into the production process for Dark Side is truly fascinating, and most notable is a wicked version of the "On the Run" synth loop that will make your hair stand on end. There are also some interesting practice takes by GILMOUR and WRIGHT, including parts from "Brain Damage" and "Us and Them". Finally, you'll at last discover the source of some of the great FLOYD-fan inside jokes (pie without the crust, and so on).

The concert here is amazing, it is very similar to the "Ummagumma" live album and i love it. Nick and Roger definetly get their spotlight, Nicks drumming is outstanding and you gotta love Rogers gong bashing. I like Dave when he is sitting there making effects on his guitar during Saucerful, which they recreated even better than the studio version. The features are very good, i actually prefer the original film without any of the documentary bits in because it shows more footage of the boys playing live. Some of the footage was lost or incomplete so they tried to recreate some of the pompeii footage in a studio in France, it is very obvious when the fake Pompeii footage is in play, this is annoying but musically its amazing. Some of the camera angles are very annoying like when they only film the amp stacks instead of the band.

The Directors Cut only footage is very good, interviews with the band, Roger acting like a prat, Nick trying to get a pie the way he likes it in the abbey road canteen. Its brilliant stuff. One problem though, although this captures Pink Floyds amazing live spirit, it misses out a key monument of Pink Floyd which is their light shows, this is all filmed outdoors in the daylight. It is a real shame that there are no light shows from this era Floyd on DVD. Most of the footage shows the creation of Dark Side of the Moon, which i think is a very important document and i'm glad it was put onto this DVD.

This is a very good watch, just there are some things that are annoying but it is probably the best Pink Floyd DVD. I highly recommend this, The recreation of "Echoes" is incredible and the new song, "Mademoiselle Nobs" is fun to watch, with a dog on vocals, it's basically "Seamus", the sequel. The best track is "Careful with that Axe, Eugene". Roger screams his head of as a volcano explodes. Other standout tracks are "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun", "A Saucerful of Secrets" and "One of these Days". This is an excellent addition to your Pink Floyd collection.

While lauded by many as a cult-classic and the best example of FLOYD in their early creative days (before they became stadium rock monsters), I hesitate in awarding this DVD re-release of "Live at Pompeii" a masterpiece label. IF you are a FLOYD fan, well then yes, this is wonderful stuff. Personally I love it. But, if you are not a hardcore fan, you will find this interesting to watch once, but will probably not want to see it more than once.

The reason being is that much of the material on here is definitely of the 'older' variety. Yes there is some behind the scenes 'Dark Side' studio material shown which is intriguing, but I'd bet the majority of people watching this for the first time will not be happy with which songs are played. The pieces selected ('Set the Controls', 'One of These Days' and 'A Saucerful of Secrets') are superior to their studio versions, and are excellent soundtrack for the atmospheric locale of the film shoot, but all things considered they are still fairly obscure songs. If you enjoy the long instrumental portions of these pieces (especially the percussion of Nick Mason) then this is recommended, otherwise, you will probably lose interest quick.

Maben, the director, has recieved a lot of criticism for the computer-generated images he has added to the original film. After watching the film again recently I agree they are corny to be sure, but not entirely devoid of merit. Besides if you really can't stand them, just watch the full original unedited film instead, which is also included on this DVD amongst other bonus material.

I feel this film is great 'background' for Poker games, but find it hard to sit and watch straight through without getting distracted. Still a classic film, even if 'Echoes' is cut into two seperate pieces. For FLOYD afficianados this is mandatory, for others less so. 4/5 stars.

Interesting film captures of some live performances from Italian ruins on this one certainly. I have seen the original 1971 release, and only some scenes from the new 2003 version. My own absolute favorite is "Careful with That Axe Eugene", where the chaotic potential of this track reaches its maximum heights. Also the epic "Echoes" gets a pleasant treatment here, revealing the visual appearance of the guys doing their stuff on heydays of the band. I would recommend this more to the fans of earlier Floyd, as those who like only the material from "Dark Side of The Moon" production era may find these earlier experimental tracks with the ghost of Syd Barrett haunting behind a bit weird. At least their expressionism is not yet been polished to the sterile sonic architecture found from "Dark Side of The Moon", but revels yet on more trashy impressionistic rock levels.

Well all has been said with this masterpiece. Floyd was at the apex of their career at the time, and were about to record Dark Side.

I would just like to say that , yes , the new arrangements on the movie is disruptive and ruins the original version (especially on Careful With That Axe Eugene where the burning of the film effects and the band walking in the Vesuvius crater are suppressed by other images. BUT THE ORIGINAL MOVIE VERSION IS IN THE SPECIAL ADDED FEATURES AND THE INTERVIEWS ARE ABSENT FROM THAT VERSION. Mason is brilliant in One Of These Days and so worked up that we can see him losing a stick, grab another and still manage to break the tip of it a few seconds later. Echoes is superbly book-ending the film.

So this is still an excellent buy since both the new version and the original version are available. You just have to know where to get the original version.

Get a haircut!

"Live at Pompeii" is an excellent visual record of the band before they assumed legendary status. The live tag is slightly misleading, as the performance was not in front of an audience (apart from the film crew, and a few kids who managed to sneak in), but took place in the ancient auditorium at Pompeii. The band's latest release at the time was "Meddle", the film thus being book ended by sections of "Echoes". The only other track from "Meddle" to be included is "One of these days", perhaps a reflection of the more disposable nature of the other tracks on that album.

It is wonderfully nostalgic to see the lank, chest length hair of the band members, which is caught by the wind, at times completely obscuring their faces. I love the way how at one point Roger Waters lays down his bass at precisely the right time(!) during a lengthy jam on "A saucerful of secrets", and walks in a slow, dignified manner to a gong, waits for the appropriate moment, and proceeds to beat the sh*t out of it!

For those less familiar with the pre-"Dark side of the moon" work of Pink Floyd, do not expect the tight structured songs of that album. Much of the music here is of an improvisational nature, with long instrumental passages. While there's little interaction between the band members, this was clearly a time when they were very much together with three fine vocalists all pulling their weight, and a wealth of creative energy.

The DVD version of this classic film from 1971 offers the "Director's cut" complete with extra footage of the band working on "Dark side of the moon". With the "Classic albums" series DVD now available which documents in superb detail the making of that album, the footage here is interesting but not essential.

The original version of "Live at Pompeii" is included on the DVD as a bonus feature. The main differences between the director's cut and the original are:

- The extra DSOTM related footage, including the Abbey Road Studios canteen

- The titles have been updated from the quaintly primitive originals

- Some space related film has been added, together with computer images of Pompeii of old. There's also for no apparent reason, a bus and an underground train!

Whether or not these changes are enhancements or detractions is a matter of personal choice, but the fact that both versions are here renders any complaints churlish.

The DVD also includes an interesting interview with director Adrian Maben, who offers many intriguing snippets of information, both about the original recording, and the "Director's cut". One disappointment I have with the new version is that the sound remains in 2 channel stereo, no 5.1 surround sound. That said though, this is an excellent DVD, with a wealth of extras and some fine music.

Amazing video with an overall mystic effect and very focused on Nick Mason, Live at Pompeii shows amazing versions of the respective studio ones of some of the FLOYD's most remarkable songs. "Echoes" is amazing here, both parts making a cyclic effect with an awesome intro on the second part, much better than the studio version. "Careful with axe, Eugene" is not so great as in Ummagumma or some ROIOS, but it still doesn't disappoint. "Sauceful of Secrets" is pure brilliance here, it is the kind of song that HAS to be seen live to be fully enjoyed, and "Celestial Voices" is the climax of the entire set. Roger goes crazy on that gong, and the scene with the sun reflecting at him hitting the gong is the best one from the film. "Set the controls..." is amazing as always, Nick's drumming is great and the "ooohh" done by Dave harmonizing with Roger's vocals is very well done. "One of These Days" shows Nick going nuts on his drums, proving that his talents do exist and that he is one of the most underrated drummers ever. He has a style of his own, since the FLOYD's music is actually more melodic, so we can expect more slight drumming works. Unfortunately that's often misunderstood as "lack of talent", but it is only Nick's style and people have to understand that. "Mademoiselle Nobs" is actually "Seamus", and it is a very fun part as the original is on Meddle. The other video parts show great shots of the band working on their equipments and having fun together, making the video even more awesome as we know more of each member on each scene (there's that classic one where Roger starts having fun with his cigarrete's smoke, a very cool part indeed!).

So, this is my favorite PINK FLOYD video and i watch it a lot often, and never get bored of it! Truly addicting and trippy from the first space travel showing on the video's intro to the outro of the second part of "Echoes". GET THIS DVD NOW!

And it has to be without the crust!

A superb concert movie, if there ever was one. With excellent picture and sound quality (hey, this is in original from 1972!) Pink Floyd present us a real masterpiece in a unique form. In the stunning theatre of Pompeii the band shows, why they are such big legends under the sun in our sunset. Director Adrien Maben explains in the interview how it came to "Live At Pompeii" and the fact, why he wanted Pink Floyd for that experiment. Simply he got a vision, about this majestic scenery in the theatre of Pompeii and a band, that was able to give this special atmosphere the fitting music to deliver a great concert film, which also was about to reach the cinemas.

There are two different full versions of the film on the "Director's Cut" I own. You got the original live concert and a extended version with additional interviews with the band, which come to place between the songs. Also you'll see in the extended version some different sceneries and some bonus material, like the recording of some material for the "Dark Side Of The Moon" record. "Us And Them" and "Brain Damage" are played live in the studio. The musicians answer some interestening questions to the band history to this point, and give a statement how it was with Syd Barrett.

This is a highly recommended DVD for Pink Floyd fans. You really should like the earlier material of PF to enjoy this concert film in all of it's pride. If you do, you'll get a masterpiece, specially the both "Echoes" parts are unbelievable intense. I've enjoyed this DVD Director's Cut very much and will watch it again, that is sure. It's really that great - Essential and a masterpiece indeed!

First of all, I love the video Pompeii, but after a while it becomes boring, so, I take only the sound from DVD, Uau man! This live performances make me dizzy. The veriosn from A Saucerful Of Secrets is just amazing, great vocal by Gilmour. Mademoiselle Nobbs is funny e great 'vocal' from the dog rsrsrsr The sound is jus amazing people. Buy the new version by DVD that have a lot of extra material, and interviews. Have fun!!!

... and the ProgShine!

I've been faced to a dilemma writing this review: should I apply the rating to the 2003 Universal Pictures Video DVD release or to the original PF Pompeii movie itself?

Well, let's begin with the PF movie. This PF concert is a summit within PF's discography: PF was technically at the top in 1972, and plays its full first era/psychedelic repertoire for the last time, before recording DSOTM, hence the recording sessions extracts and interviews.

The beauty and solemnity of the Pompeii amphitheatre adds an almost mystical feel to the performance, which is filmed with much talent, even by night, like for the "Careful." cover.

The way it's filmed also enables to enjoy in great detail the playing of each of our heroes, like close-ups and screen incrustations on Gilmour's solos, or the impressive Nick Mason at work, proving that he was a highly skilled drummer. Lava in fusion, smoke images within Pompeii site adds an acid/organic dimension to the movie.

So, this movie is not only an excellent PF filmed performance but also an essential element within the whole PF discography. In other words, a masterpiece.

Which is not the case of the 2003 Universal Pictures Video DVD release. Two big problems on this DVD:

First, on a visual level, the original movie has been ruined by some scandalous modifications: some images have been removed to be replaced by others, why?! Some of the new images are nice (lava in fusion, natural elements) while others are simply ridiculous. But the worst is that fantastic moments showing the band playing have been replaced by these new images. A terrible frustration when you know the original movie: you loose virtually half of the performance.

Last, but not least, sound is poor on this DVD: poor imaging, weak dynamic, compared to the VHS release. In a way, nothing surprising as its numeric versus analog. Fortunately some musical DVD manage to sound nice, but not this one.

So, my rating of this five stars movie will be lowered to four stars because of this shameful DVD release. Let's hope that a new satisfying DVD release will come soon. Rather get the VHS release if you still own a VHS deck.

Well, this is the classic Floyd video and should be a part of any collection of their admirers!

That said, and keeping the memory of the original 1 hour video film of Pompeii alone, I am not particularly thrilled by this "Director's Cut" extended version. Although it does contain many interesting moments, it basically distracts from viewing the original Pompeii scenes. Particularly annoying are computer-generated space images, which seem to me as a cheap tool to fill in holes of producers' unimaginativeness.

Nonetheless, since this performance of Pink Floyd is one of their best live acts I have ever seen, it goes into the category of timeless classics.

This is one of the few times I have had a completely fresh experience with some classic material. There were no expectations coming into it. All I had heard was that these versions of the songs were quite good. I recently found a copy of the DVD at my local video store, and spent an evening with Pink Floyd.

The debate about whether the DVD is as good as the original film is irrelevant. With the DVD you get both. In essence, that does make it superior. That is all I have to say about that issue.

The original is a surprising piece of work. It is not an actual concert setting. This is a film of the band performing some very engaging music, in an unusual setting. The ruins of Pompeii (more specifically the amphitheater) seem to make a good setting. The mood is set by natural light, and a sense of the ancients making up the audience. There are a couple of segments that were filmed in Paris ("Careful With that Axe Eugene," and "Mademoiselle Nobs"). The latter is a reworking of "Seamus" with a live dog giving a virtuosic performance. The music is drawn from "Meddle," "A Saucerful of Secrets," and "Ummagumma" With the band now in its prime, only "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" seems a bit dated. However, the strength of the song soon makes you forget that. There are also added shots of the band walking around steaming mud baths, ancient artwork, and exploding volcanoes. It is all very engaging, but there are drawbacks. The titles are very poorly done, and look as dated as they are. Most of the focus is on Nick Mason. This is not a large problem, since he is electrifying. However, it would have been nice to see more of the other guys (something the director says as well). In actuality, it is really not much more than an early form of the music video. The superiority lies in the fact that they actually played the music.

The new version is far more interesting. All of the performances are there, along with added visuals, new titles, and interviews. Unfortunately there are no added shots of the other band members, as all of the original extra footage was lost. The space shots are very cool, and add much to the feel of the thing. The only thing I didn't like was the computer-generated images of Pompeii. It looks as phony as it is. Earlier, there was some stock footage of a town being ravaged by a volcanic eruption. This was a much more effective device.

The main interest is the documentary footage, and is what turns this into a complete film. There are many insights into the band through this. You get a sneak peek at the beginnings of the new album (did it end up doing very well?). I was surprised by the self-awareness is present in a comment about the band being in a formative state for the previous four years. A recurring theme is the relationship of the band members. They all profess to be getting along nicely, but body language tends to belie a certain amount of tension. Gilmour comes off as still being a bit of an outsider at times, and the old specter of Syd seems to be present.

The interviews are also a great source of quotes.

"We're in danger of becoming a relic of the past." - Nick Mason (pre "Dark Side of the Moon")

"I think we're ever so progressive, and evolve between every record." - David Gilmour

"I like to think oysters transcend national barriers." - Roger Waters

"People think of us as a very drug orientated group. Of course, we're not." - David Gilmour (with a smirk)

All in all, I think this is a terrific video package. It is a great showcase of a band just entering its maturity. The exacting nature of their work is thoroughly expressed. They were on the brink of international superstardom, and they look ready. Any doubt about Pink Floyd's abilities, or proggitude can be put to rest with this.

H.T. Riekels

Essential......this is a remake of the original film released in the early 70's. This was just prior to the Dark Side Of The Moon release. What is so classic about this footage is there are various outtakes of the band experimenting in the studio between running up volcanoes. They do a stint in the studio which is definitely " On The Run' in the making. There are great interviews mainly with Waters and Gilmour, some haggling over breakfast ingredients to name but a few.

In terms of the music and the ambience of the Pompeii setting, I would have to say very few films ( the Band and the Last Waltz being another) where the moment is so well encapsulated. ' Echoes' is divided into two parts and the first section begins the Pompeii performance. Note: no fans to watch this just the roadies and production crew and of course the Director on the other side of the camera!' Careful with That Axe Eugene" is another classic and shows a nice early glimpse of the manic side of Roger Waters. ' Set Your Controls To The Heart Of The Sun' and ' Echoes Parts 2' are equally great especially the last 5 minutes of Echoes when Gilmour and Wright break into the mournful singing and the keyboards ebb and fade out in the amphitheatre's setting.The musicians were all at their finest, I still prefer the original but modern technology has brought us the Director's cut on DVD.

I don't need to tell you this DVD will be essential viewing for anyone who ever wondered what Pink Floyd looked like in their prime, giving a splendid performance of "Echoes" and other pieces, surrounded by sunny Roman ruins! Too many reviewers told you already .

I would just like to add that the Director's Cut is ideal for anyone who ever wondered what the keyboards setup in Abbey Road studios was like. Apart from the Pompeii footage, there are tantalising glimpses of Rick Wright and David Gilmour recording piano and guitar overdubs for DARK SIDE OF THE MOON. Each time you've started enjoying their playing, the camera slowly moves away, only to show you the same old Hammond organ, the same synthesizer and the same stack of headphones. (At least I think it's headphones; our TV screen is on the small side.) The first two times this happens you're mildly annoyed; from the third time onwards you just want to get up and give your own private performance of "Careful with that axe Eugene".

If I have one gripe with the actual Pompeii concert, it's that we get to see far too much of Nick Mason. Oh, I know he had a cute moustache, and there's really nothing WRONG with what he is doing, but during "Echoes pt.1" we hardly ever see Roger Waters, and it's terribly frustrating that Gilmour is nowhere to be found during "One of these days", or during the most exciting moments of "Echoes pt. 2". At least not in the Director's Cut. All this is a shame, especially if you consider that the digitally restored footage is wonderfully clear.

I'll always be fond of LIVE AT POMPEII because a couple of friends and I organised a showing of this film in our hometown, Genk, now thirty years ago. We'd set up a charity named VIBRANIA - does the name ring a bell with you? If anyone reading this remembers that momentous occasion, drop me a line!

This DVD shows Pink Floyd performing in an amphitheatre at Pompeii, without audience, there also is footage of the recording sessions of The Dark Side Of The Moon. The location is wonderful, the band playing their most experimental work in an empty amphitheatre really is impressive, it really looks nice how in the centre of the amphitheatre a massive castle of amplifiers, instruments and an huge gong stands.

I have to say ALL of the performances on this DVD are excellent, the band starts out with the first half of "Echoes", in which David takes the guitar solo to another level, it is fantastic, also the funky jam is more free and better than the studio version. The sound quality of these live performances is very good by the way, because they are edited in studio. "Careful With That Axe, Eugene" and "A Saucerful Of Secrets" are just as experimental as always, and definitely Careful With That Axe, Eugene is an outstanding version, one of the best live versions I've ever heard. "One Of These Days" is as powerful as always and I prefer the song live much more than the version on Meddle, it is much more free and really much more experimental. "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Song" is also a great performance, though I have to say I've heard some better performances on several bootlegs. The second part of "Echoes" is a lovely ending to the whole performance.

The Dark Side Of The Moon contains some nice footage of the band, of course, recording songs as "On The Run" and "Us & Them" and David playing the solo guitar on "Brain Damage", but also contains footage of the band in the cantine of the Abbey Road studios and some interviews with the band members.

The bonusses on this DVD are nice features but aren't too special, the interview for example is pretty interesting to watch and the photo gallery has some nice pictures too.

So, This DVD is very good, it has some outstanding performances of the band and a couple of nice extra's. I bought this DVD a while ago just for five euro's, and that's really nothing for such a great DVD, it's about three or four times cheaper than most bootleg DVD's, and the quality is much better! This is a must for everybody who is into Pink Floyd, for those who love their late 60's / early 70's era, and also for those who are new to this wonderful band!

Ah, the "better" one from these two versions. Even lacking as much of emotional memories, as first one, it's far better in terms of technical quality. And OK, lot of these memories are here too, it's just that it's not VHS, that's all. Silly reason, huh ? I know, so this is why I'm just saying it, not considering as important for this review.

There's something in "fuxi's" reviews that's strikingly truthful. When I start to enjoy them playing these songs (from DSotM), it suddenly stops, or is interrupted by talking, or other darn things to annoy the listener/viewer), fun stops early. Why for Pink Floyd's sake, why ? Anyway, interview isn't the reason why we love this, it's the legendary gig with audience of 10 people (as I like to say), all of them sound engineers (even it's probably not truth). This is beautiful. Not as extreme as my favourite The Wall, in fact it their music can be not considered as prog by some (!!! - it's hard to understand opinion), it's playful. You can see that they're having fun and it's affecting also us, listeners, viewers, whatever you're doing at the moment (are you really concentrated on both audio and video all the time ? aren't you blinking ? ha, I got you). After all, choice of this exact location is unique in prog world. Let's say, what about Mandalaband's (first album) gig on the top of Mount Everest ? Or French prog group Nemo on the bottom of Mariana Trench. Or Los Jaivas dvd with locations from Macchu Picchu, isn't it just beautiful ? Or The Beatles in France, hehe. Location matters, when doing these "special" projects and images, sculptures, under-weight Waters (drugs anybody, but he's fuc_in visionary after all), zealous Nick Mason (do you remember, or will you be able to find the moment when he loses his stick and till gets new one he plays drums with one stick and his bare hand (!) ?

5(+), you know why.

Cosmic. A perfectly captured glimpse of a psychedelic foursome at their creative peak.

What is particularly great about Pompeii over later live releases is that all the music, the emotion, the imagery, is genuine. There is no vanity or pretentiousness because the band aren't successful yet. Nothing is there to fulfil a contractural or popularity requirement and there is no sign of internal warfare yet. This is why the music (which is predominantly 'Meddle') works so well, and carries through so much energy and fire. It's bright and dark, full and empty, loud and soft. The visual imagery and desolate Italian setting compliments such beautiful music perfectly.

'Echoes' is very strong. It's played very tightly as a unit but with deep, colourful emotion and some fine playing. Splitting it in half and bookending the film with it ensures that the opening and closing moments of this dvd are equally memorable and moving. It beats the album version, and thats no mean feat! Other favourites of mine (favourite in that they are superior to their original studio versions) are 'Set the Controls...' OBVIOUSLY, 'One of These Days', and 'Saucerful...', which I love, despite being unmoved by the original. The newly added 'Dark Side' cuts are interesting too, especially seeing Rick Wright leave his lit cigarette on the top of the Steinway while he performs the 'Us and Them' piano solo. How hippy and care free! The other less significant offerings are okay but nothing special, yet they all fit in with the setting well (other than 'Madmoiselle Nobs', which is Seamus but with a posh french dog).

With insightfully witty intertwined interviews and plenty of psychedelic noodling, this film captures what's great about Pink Floyd: music, imagery, and little else (other than an apple pie with no crusts).

15/15P.: Explosive experimentation, awkward psychedelic sound effects, driving rock and deliciously flowing symphonic prog.

Live at Pompeii is not only one of the best, but the best concert DVD that I know. Pink Floyd have always been my favorite band, and this record shows the best live achievements of the group. Yes, it is completely live, but not 'in concert': the band didn't play in front of an audience this time, but recorded their music in an old amphitheatre in Pompeii, enriching the video footage with astonishing videos: spooky shots of antic drawings and relics from long-gone times in Pompeii as well as psychedelic films of the Vesuvius volcano (sometimes with the Pink Floyd walking around there). A little downer is the fact that three pieces were recorded in Paris and not in Pompeii, but as the group managed to add some Pompeii landscape recordings in the background it all isn't too big a let-down.

The people who have seen the group live or those who have listened to live recordings know that especially the vocals were sometimes a bit problematic in concert, but regarding the recording and playing quality of this film this one is - in my opinion - as good as or (in terms of the sound) even better than the early Pink Floyd studio records.

The most impressing thing: the sound! Here we have one of the best, most unique and most independently sounding drum mikings (listen to this wonderful punch in One Of These Days), a delicate stereo mixing where every instrument - be it the raucous Hammond organ, the chunky Fender bass guitar or the crystal clear electric guitar - gets its turn.

From the musical perspective Pink Floyd also couldn't have done anything in a better way: the listener is presented the whole Ummagumma Live setlist (except for Astronomy Domine and the unissued Interstellar Overdrive) and additionally the highlights of the 1971 Meddle record: in total 27 minutes of Echoes, One Of These Days and a more upfront version of Seamus, called Mademoiselle Knobs.

The division of Echoes into two parts is of course a bit daring, but the band succeeded very well in doing that as firstly the song becomes better accessible and secondly the film becomes more coherent when it begins and ends with the same (outstanding) piece of music. Despite being quite similar to the studio version we find a prolonged avantgarde two minute beginning before Part 1 called Pompeii whose heartbeat and synthesizer effects should later appear as Speak To Me on the Pink Floyd's quintessential record Dark Side Of The Moon.

Another interesting piece of information is that A Saucerful Of Secrets still was a somewhat overlong improvisation piece in 1970 (sometimes even longer than 20 minutes); by the time of this concert it had been shortened to to a length of ten minutes and thus, simply because of its more concentrated frame, got a more assertive and aggressive sound which is quite beneficial here. As well, watching David Gilmour sitting on Pompeiian soil and fooling around at his guitar while Roger Waters is fighting himself through crash cymbals and a China gong is a big pleasure; Rick Wright uses a grand piano in the first two parts, but of course he switches to his Hammond B3 organ to deliver an achingly beautiful performance in the last part with really celestial voices by David Gilmour.

Mademoiselle Knobs is an alternate version of Seamus which - despite being less impressive than the other pieces - doesn't destroy the atmosphere, but rather enhances it with its funny sounds of a dog howling. Interestingly, the lyrics are missing here, which I like quite much.

The alternative version of the film includes interviews of the band and some interesting shots of the band working on Dark Side Of the Moon. Although these elements prove themselves as very well watchable (even after many times of watching the DVD) the most fascinating aspect is of course the live footage that is (in my book) the best that has been recorded ever.

All in all the music of this DVD shows all the great facettes of the ''magnificent perfection'' (to quote the Moody Blues) of the early Pink Floyd: explosive experimentation, awkward psychedelic sound effects, driving rock and deliciously flowing symphonic prog music, music that abducts you and allows you to revel in your own thoughts and imagination - all of that combined in this 90 minutes long film with crystal-clear sound and video. Highly recommendable, *****, one of the most essential films of progressive rock ever and one of the, maybe, ten recordings on which there are so many tracks which do not only get 15/15 points, but also my personal masterpiece rating (Celestial Voices, Echoes and One of These Days).

(Those who like this concept [concert film and landscape/nature film combined] should also check Sigur Rós's Heima where this somehow Pink-Floyd-like postrock/indie/psychedelic band plays at many places in the vast Icelandic countryside, miles from anywhere.)

Set the Controls for the Amphitheatre of Pompeii

This is a dynamic 'concert'. Here they are with an invisible audience, playing in broad daylight at the Pompeii Amphitheatre. It is iconic imagery that sticks in the brain; the slow zoom towards them at the beginning of 'Echoes', Waters working with the infamous sequencer for 'On the Run', the mosaic skull at the intro of 'Careful with that Axe Eugene', the bold colour fonts introducing each song, and of course Waters banging the gong in silhouette on a white sky. There is an atmosphere of impending doom on 'Careful With that Axe Eugene' as we see images of the band walking on the volcanic mountain, mist and steam circling at their heels, and Waters deathly cold whispering. The lave spouts ignite sparks in the blackened sky as he sardonically screams, augmenting the ethereal atmosphere.

The camera tends to linger on one shot rather than edit quickly and jump cuts from one sequence to another. 'A Saucerful of Secrets' returns to the outdoor amphitheatre. Here the band go into full flight with Waters bashing the hell out of the cymbals, and a massive frenetic drum solo follows. Gilmour sits cross legged and scrapes his guitar strings with sweep downs and slides, Wright improvises on keyboards; this is the band at their most experimental. Waters waits at the gong like some demi god and then bangs it with purpose. Gilmour gets echo effects out of his guitar, spacey and surreal. The noise is a psychedelic blaze of imperfection. The track soon settles into a dreamy passage of sustained chords and a moderate beat and the band are completely absorbed in the transcendental music; Gilmour vocalises with his face covered by hair. Amazing piece of footage.

In the studio the camera pans slowly in a fly on the wall style during 'Us and Them'. One of the earliest versions of this classic is heard and how it is created, which is fascinating to watch knowing how important these tracks became for the band. Later we see Wright who does act rather annoying but the band put up with him. The interviews say little but if you read between the lines you can pull out things of interest; "rock is dying", Waters moans, "Unfortunately we mark a certain era... most people think of us as very dramatic...if people come to a concert and they don't like it they don't come again..."

'One of These Days' is featured with great bass and drums, a very powerful song in any case, but live even more so. This version feels faster and more intense, with cameras focussing on the expressions of the artists, Mason at the drums, the vibrating bass section has some iconic imagery, still shots of the band recording, the mixer, Mason lost in his drumming, 9 images of Mason in one kaleidoscopic shot, It is cult classic material.

'Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun' begins with a low drone, wind effects and a ton of gong. The ambient textures are created with bass drum playing and keyboards swoops. Waters sounds convincing on this, the vocals tend to match the strange imagery, statues, religious art works, and a plethora of bright spotlights flanking the band, like miniature suns. The instrumental break is phenomenal vintage psych prog. Wright showcases some improv skills on keys, with spacey effects akin to Hawkwind.

The film is bookended by 'Echoes Pt. 2' and we are back at the beginning with the outdoor performance. The band are seen playing against a screen with bubbling fountains and the band running on the volcano, ash spilling of their footsteps. There is a mystical feel on this as we see shots of the Pompeii ruins and very strange sounds. The camera rotates slowly from one member to the next, occasionally hiding behind the massive speaker stacks for elongated periods and them peering above or through cracks to glimpse the band playing, who seem completely oblivious of cameras.

Overall the film is certainly an indispensable document of early psych prog from the masters themselves. They seem to be cohesive and work as a unit and are enjoying themselves on this, but of course it was not to last. We see the visionary genius that is flawed as each tries to exude a unique approach to music. You do need patience with this. It can be a dull experience if you are not into the band or this type of music for sure, but this is nevertheless a compelling doco/concert and well worth a look for space prog addicts.

Pink Floyd - Live at Pompeii DVD (1971, reissue 2003)

Ok, I'd swear I already written a review about this dvd, but apparently I did not. This is one of my most celebrated moments of prog. An alignment of the right time and a band in it's right stage. A true highlight of the symphonic and psychedelic genre and my favorite moment of the band, which of course has a lot to offer. Ok I must admit, I like the Atom Heart Mother suite equally much.

What have we got? Pink Floyd plays live in an ancient theater in Pompeii. No public, just a band, a wall of equipment and a film-crew. Besides footage of the band, there's some great photography of Greek art on the walls of a fallen city. Furthermore there's some really good footage of lava and volcanic eruptions.The band is filmed playing in daylight (both Echoes parts, A Saucerful of Secrets, ) and at night (Careful with that Axe Eugene, One of these Days, Madmoiselle Nobs, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun). The footage shot at night is really good because of the many lamps that look really mysterious.

The band. At this stage Pink Floyd has become a stellar live band with some of the most effective songs. The band is very professional, has a great sound and perhaps all of the best equipment available. All instruments sound equally amazing.

The gig. Pink Floyd plays some of it's best material, and the live versions are all significantly better than the (since you've listened to this) dull studio-material. Echoes becomes an epic of interstellar proportions with it's amazing guitar parts, it's relaxing jam-part and it's intense ending section. Careful with Axe Eugene isn't very recognizable, but this re-work is for sure one of my favorite Floyd tracks ever. The atmospheres are so dark and dynamic, can't find the words to describe it. A Saucerful of Secrets is also given proper treatment with a long avant-garde noisy improvisation and a nice symphonic/melodic ending section. One of these Days also sounds a bit different, but the live version is a bit more dynamic. The solo's of Gilmour are again great. Set the Controls to the Heart of the Sun gives me an experience equal to Careful with that Axe Eugene. Divine Spaciness with a spiritual feel. The spacey middle section is innovative whilst the the intro and the outro evoke a dark spiritual atmosphere. Shocking live material this is.

The original film has a lot of documentary material between the songs. The interviews are very good and the right questions are asked. However, I prefer the version without interviews (also available on this dvd). The version without interviews also has the original cut, which is better in my opinion than the recut with digital images.

Conclusion. This is one of the few documents that really shows the full potential of the progressive genre. Buy.

There are many live bootlegs and BBC performances from the '70-'71 Floyd period and unfortunately, Live at Pompeii is the only official live document. Unfortunate, because it is far from perfect and at times even seriously inferior to the non-official ones. On the other hand, in combination with the live shooting at Pompeii, this remains an essential title for Floyd fans.

The DVD main feature goes by the name of "The Director's Cut" and that's literally what it is, a cut-and-paste job mixing parts of the Pompeii live performance with 1972-1973 interviews (or rather chatter) The original footage is cut up badly with aged computer animations simulating the Pompeii eruption and, even worse, totally irrelevant images from the NASA vaults showing planet simulations and other new-age space stuff. Yuk. Fast forward through this movie to watch the chit-chat with the band, and then forget about this whole clumsy affair as quickly as possible.

Navigate back to the main menu and chose "Highlights" > "Original Movie". Ha! Here we are, Pink Floyd at Pompeii! A unique film capturing the band playing live without audience - that is not counting the souls of the Pompeii dead that hangout in those eerie ruins. The atmosphere of the setting is a perfect match for Floyd's dreamy/nightmarish psychedelic music of that time.

The film was shot in 4 to 7 minute cuts and unfortunately that shows in the editing. Especially Echoes suffers from it with a bad volume balance and rather abrupt transgressions. Also One of These Days and A Saucerful of Secrets disappoint, mainly due to the guitars that are mixed much too far to the background. On the other hand, Wright shines as always and if you're a fan of Mason you will greatly enjoy this.

Of course it's great to see the guys in action and with Set the Controls and Careful with that Axe we get two stellar performances which offer a worthy alternative for the Ummagumma versions from just two years earlier. And of course there's fun to be had with Madam Knobs.

As said, an essential Floyd film, but for more adventurous improvisations, a better sound and a setlist including the mighty Embryo, Atom Heart Mother and better versions of One of These and Echoes you will have to look elsewhere. 4 stars for the original movie, 3.5 for the performances, 2 for the recording and mix.

What has this DVD more than the original VHS? Well, apart the fact that it's digital and contains an interview to the director, absolutely NOTHING.

Some spacey images have been added. Considering that some studio footages were used in the original to fill some parts, as in Careful With That Axe Eugene that's filmed in UK, this is not a sin, but digital pictures of starships and planets don't add anything and are not much appropriate. They don't fit well with the volcanic environment, the Roman ruins and the sunny theater.

The only good reason to purchase this DVD is that it contains the original movie, too.

The heartbit of Dark Side is more effective in the darkness of the original than in the purple space with digital planets of this re-edit.

I have rated the original with 5 stars. I would have preferred a shorter DVD with few extra contents (not obligatory) and the original movie, just a change of support, instead of this useless video remix. I should rate this DVD the same as the VHS because the film has been restored and remixed and this is an improvement in any case, but the spacey stuff is so out of place that I lower it to 4.