LIVE AT POMPEII (THE DIRECTOR'S CUT)

To be honest, I haven't seen this DVD. But I feel qualified to at least comment on the film itself. I first saw this wonderful film in the summer of 1988. I had just taken drugs. As those began to kick in, the opening sounds of Echoes began..........and my life changed forever. Okay, perhaps I'm being overly dramatic, but watching that video, under those conditions, hearing Floyd tunes I had never heard before, was quite the religious experience (I can tell you we all laughed uncontrollably when Gilmore slyly tells the interviewer, "we're not a drug orientated band.........not really........you can trust us"). That day started 2 years of a Floyd obsession for me, mainly focussed on the pre-Darkside material.

Now I realize that not everyone reading this can relate to my experience. And upon seeing the movie again, a few days later, I found that it was far less moving and psychedelic than I remembered (obviously). But the music is still great. This was filmed at a time when most of these songs were about to abandoned from their set list (well, it would take a year or two, but still). They had been playing them for a couple of years, and they had them down to, there is no other way to say it, an art form. These performances highlight the Floyd I still love best.......spacey, tight, experimental, and working together as a cohesive unit, with no one person dominating the performances. THIS is what a truly great band is. Not one ruled by a megalomaniacal dictator like Waters became. With the possible exception of Madmoiselle Nobs (and even that is somewhat more interesting to watch than to listen to it's Meddle version, Seamus), every song is a standout masterpiece. And the Dark side sessions footage is fascinating an even shows the beginnings of cracks in the friendly group inner workings. Great stuff.

Normally, I would give something like this 4 stars at most. Since I have not seen the DVD, I probably shouldn't give it more. But for sentimental reasons, and the impact it had on my life for 2 years, I simply must give it 5.