LIVE AT POMPEII

The "Live At Pompeii" version that has the band's blessing

Before the 2003 issue of the "Director's Cut" version of the movie, there was the original VHS video release in 1981. This is the version that was as Pink Floyd intended us to see it, free from "unauthorised" additions by director Adrian Maben.

The music in this video is a great look at Pink Floyd as the band is coming into its heyday, with the "Dark Side Of The Moon" album just around the corner. (As a side note, DSOTM had been released several years earlier when I first saw the original "Live At Pompeii" movie in the mid-70's, so at that time I was expecting a totally different film, but what I saw blew me away as I had not discovered the pre-DSOTM Floyd at that time.)

The atmosphere of this concert is perfect - no audience, just the band totally focussed on laying down the music in a live-in-the-studio style in a majestic and mysterious ancient amphitheatre instead of the studio. The Pompeii version of 'Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun' is my all-time favourite Pink Floyd track; The brilliant 'Echoes' split into two parts for this movie, are the perfect opening and closing numbers with Richard Wright excelling on keys. I believe that each of the songs-proper from this movie are superb explorations of Pink Floyd's work, even the blues tinged, dog howling 'Mademoiselle Nobs'.

For "Live At Pompeii" Pink Floyd is totally on song: the band memebrs are working together really cohesively and are at their brilliant best. For me this version of the "Live At Pompeii" concert is an essential masterpiece. Five stars from the Dinosaur!