Ummagumma - Pink Floyd Album Reviews
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
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Their most important album? This double album of live tracks and studio experiments done separately by each band member? Let's discuss... #pinkfloyd #albumreviews #historyofrock #Ummagumma
Pink Floyd is without a doubt one of the greatest classic rock bands of all time. They began in the 60s with Roger Waters on bass, Nick Mason on drums, Richard Wright on organ and Syd Barrett on lead guitar and vocals. Syd was the band's leader and chief songwriter in the early days, penning their first singles Arnold Layne and See Emily Play. This would lead to the release of their 1967 album Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Their live shows were equally inventive incorporating unique light shows. However due to Syd's intake of LSD mixed with a breakdown involving schizophrenia, he would gradually be pushed out of the band he fronted, being replaced with David Gilmour on guitar. This would become Pink Floyd's classic lineup with Roger taking more of a songwriter role. A Saucerful of Secrets was the only album to feature all five band members. More came out in 1969. Pink Floyd was still finding their voice, focusing more on albums rather than singles. It was on Ummagumma where concert versions of Astronomy Domine, Careful with that Axe Eugene, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun and Saucerful evolved their sound. The studio disc contained experimental tracks: Sysyphus, Grantchester Meadows, Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict, The Narrow Way and The Grand Vizier's Garden Party. The album sold well proving there was life for Pink Floyd after Syd. In 1970, Atom Heart Mother proved to be a success with the 23 minute instrumental and featuring Dave's song Fat Old Sun. 1971's Meddle would turn out to be an important staple for the band with the rocking opener One of these Days I'm Going to Cut You Into Little Pieces, featuring a rare spoken vocal by Nick, Roger's echoing bass line and Dave's Slide Guitar. The flip side, another 23 minute piece, Echoes, featuring Dave and Rick on vocals, is often regarded as Progressive Rock's finest moment, from the opening ping of Rick's leslie piano. They would also perform both these songs along with earlier classics Live at Pompeii. The Obscured by Clouds soundtrack appeared in 1972 with tracks like Burning Bridges and Free Four. However 1973's Dark Side of the Moon would become one of the most successful albums of all time, staying on the charts for nearly 13 years and still a best seller today. Roger's lyrics dealt with the evils of society driving one to madness, while the music was nearly one entire inter-connected piece (making it difficult to separate for a playlist or a best of / greatest hits compilation). Still standouts like Money, Time and Great Gig in the Sky are favorites among fans. Their 1975 followup Wish You Were Here, featuring the opening and closing piece Shine On You Crazy Diamond (a tribute to Syd Barrett who even showed up at the sessions), is thought to be equally great, if not greater, as Dark Side. But tensions between the band were beginning to rear their head. 1977 saw the release of Animals, likening three animals: Dogs, Sheep and Pigs to various classes of society. Roger became the band's main frontman and sole songwriter with Dave occasionally sharing the mic and writing credits. Tensions grew during the tour when Roger ended up spitting on a fan in Montreal and coming up with the idea for The Wall to separate himself from the audience. 1979 would see the release of The Wall, the album and later the tour and film. Another Brick in the Wall Part 2 became their best selling single and Comfortably Numb remains one of their most popular tunes. But it nearly broke up the band as Roger fired Rick for lack of output, creating a greater rift between him and Dave. 1983's The Final Cut was Roger's final album with Pink Floyd before he officially left, leaving Dave and Nick to reunite with Rick for 1987's Momentary Lapse of Reason. Roger sued to break up the band, but failed to do so instead focusing on his solo career. The Gilmour led Floyd would produce 1994's The Division Bell, a return to form for many fans with Rick now sharing vocal and songwriting duties again. It wasn't until 2005's Live 8 concert when Dave, Nick and Rick reunited with Roger for a short set giving closure for many fans. Syd died in 2006. Rick died in 2008. The album The Endless River was dedicated in his honor. Pink Floyd's legacy has continued to inspire fans and aspiring musicians, myself included.
I think their next album, Atom Heart Mother, is criminally underrated. I look forward to your review of it.
Amen to that. Try Nick Mason's not too recent released "Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets songs Atom Heart Mother live version. It's incredible! Starts with If , then merges in Atom HM then syncs back to If. Beautiful addition 🔥
Agree
@@dannypacini9820 i agree so much with this!
I love AHM, easily in my top 5 for PF.
@@dannypacini9820 yeah I saw that version and it’s awesome. I’d love to see them
In my opinion that live version of gilmour and waters doing ganchester medows was an amazing duet between them
I definitely prefer that to the studio cut.
I agree the live version from San Francisco 1970 is way better than the studio version
I love this version as well. The contrivance of Ummagumma forced to have only Roger Waters on vocals, but the song suffered for it on the official album. The interplay of their vocals with the combination of Gilmour's sweetness to compliment the salt of Roger's vocals makes for a great performance.
I think Ummagumma is quite an interesting listen
my favorite track on Ummagumma is “Careful With That Axe, Eugene”, but other favorites would be “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun”, “Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict”, and “The Narrow Way”
After relistening to Ummagumma, I've grown to appreciate this album a lot more. They were definitely taking a risk here, as this is the most experimental album in their catalog. But I think it ended up working out for them. There's more good material than bad on this album. And even with the bad songs, they at least showed what didn't work for Pink Floyd. My essential track on the studio album is The Narrow Way. One of David's first solo songs, and maybe one of his best. Lots of great psychedelic soundscapes and a memorable finale. I also like Grantchester Meadows, and I enjoy parts of Sysyphus and The Grand Vizier's Garden Party. The songs tell interesting stories, but they're a bit of a slog to listen to in full. As for the live disc, I prefer the Ummagumma versions a little bit over the Pompeii ones. I really love their interpretation of Astronomy Domine, and I think this version of Saucerful of Secrets was the best song the band had released up to this point. And if Careful with that Axe, Eugune isn't heavy metal, then I don't know what is. It seriously kicks ass.
So, I enjoy Ummagumma overall, but it still has a lot of flaws. I love the live disc, and the studio disc is a fun novelty to check out with a couple good songs. However, it's definitely one of the lower tier albums in their discography. Thankfully, we're about to get into the 70's, which I would consider the golden age of Pink Floyd. From Atom Heart Mother all the way up to The Wall. I love all of these albums, and I can't wait to see your reviews of them!
The 'Man and The Journey' was the most experimental show or concert they ever put together. They toured the UK with it in 1969. There was never an album of the concert. The songs that made up the show are on RUclips if you search for them. I caught the concert during June of 1969, it featured amongst other things, bits of wood being sawn up onstage during the 'work' sequence' and the band having a tea break on the stage in front of the audience, a person in a Gorilla suit running amok during one number and the band donning gas masks during another as the stage was flooded with smoke. This effect was to make the emergence of a person in a scaly monster suit from the smoke even more effective.
@@standbytogo123 Even though I didn't mention The Man and The Journey in my initial post, that's actually something I wished JT would have talked about (well, maybe he does and I just forgot about it). It's a pretty essential part of early Floyd history and even features some Ummagumma tracks before they were released on the album. I kinda wish they had actually done a live album of the entire show, but it sadly never happened.
My opinion . The first disc has some great live material . The second disc is strange though . I like Rick’s Sysyphus starts and the ending part is good . Grantchester Meadows is my favorite on this album. The Narrow Way is slightly overrated and The Grand Vizer’s garden party is a highlight for me .
To understand Ummagumma, listen to the bootleg "The man and the journey".
I like just about everything on the studio disc; Sysyphus, Grandchester Meadows, Several etc...(though I can do without Roger's ranting at the end),The Narrow Way and The Grand Vizier's garden party.
My personal favorite is the masterpiece "Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict"
I may be in a minority, but I love "grantchester meadows". It perfectly evokes the peace of the English countryside on a warm summers day. One of my favourite Floyd tracks.
I remember when I first got this album as a teenager, I took it as a cautionary tale. "This is what happens when you don't have a designated driver" This album needed someone to take control and drive the thing home... instead everyone is too drunk or high to realize they drove into a ditch an hour ago and the wheels came off.
Oh, fun fact, if you play “Several Species” at half speed, at around the 4:31 mark, Roger can be heard in a chipmunk voice saying, “That was pretty avant-garde, wasn’t it?”
Glad I'm not the only one who has done this. You can also hear a different take of the Scotsman rant!
... and the wind cries Mary. Thank you, thank you.
Woah, on Pink Floyd's official channel there's a stream premiering about Careful With That Axe Eugene from Ummagumma at the same time this is premiering
Yeah just realised that as well. They were next to each other on my recommended.👀 little bit sus haha
@@samduff7650 Dammit! Ya'll exposed my carefully laid plans to coincide with Pink Floyd's premiere in my latest attempt to take over the world! ... or not...
@@JTCurtisMusic Haha. Can’t wait for the review. So far they’ve been bloody awesome mate. Keep it up!
I love this album. Astronomy Domine , Careful with that Axe and Set the controls……. back to back. Blew me away first time I listened to them. One of my favorites as a teenager. Lots of marijuana and shrooms during those years. Some areas are really avant-garde and hard to follow though.
I really like "The Narrow Way." It's my favorite part of the studio portion. And, in general, I'm glad they made the record. My favorite Pink Floyd song ever is the version of "A Saucerful of Secrets" from this album.
Yeah, i'm one of those hipsters that adores this album. But i'll keep it short.
I think The Narrow Way 1-3 is one of Pink Floyd's/David Gilmour's absolute best work. It's emotional, immersive and impactful. I adore it.
Wow that was harsh! I know this album gets slagged regularly, but it is one of my favorites. I like that the band took chances and experimented with the studio side. Band’s that never push the boundaries I usually get bored with in the long run. Live Side: this is worth the price of admission alone. Saucerful is especially great because it blows away the studio version. It is also important to note that these songs would go on to become concert staples in the decade to come. Even after Darkside was released they were still used as encores. Studio Side: hit and miss for sure. I think Grantchester Meadows is a beautiful pastoral piece that has some lovely evocative lyrics. The Narrow Way is also a standout and the first song to really demonstrate Gilmour’s capabilities as a songwriter. The rest are interesting sound collages that have their moments, but don’t hold together as well. They don’t get as much repeated listening by me but I still like to go back to them from time to time to experience what they have to offer.
Well said.
tim baldwin thank you! 🙂
I agree with you completely except for the fact that I like the studio version of Saucerful of Secrets better.
It's a fun and interesting album if you've first heard it when you were a teenager. Particularly if you smoked something and now you're laying in the dark listing to this record on headphones. There's no doubt that it's a headphone record; the stereo mix is quite well done. It's not music that works on any sound system or in many situations, but in the right context it does deliver an experience worthy of of the Pink Floyd name
Or tripping while laying on the grass, looking up at the night sky, with a full moon, and a sky full of broken clouds, in some sort of dance between the heavens. What an album.
I really enjoyed this video, you really explained the album well and made some great points. I'm loving this series!
No one ever seems to comment on - or even notice- what a fantastic slab of psychedelic proto-metal menace the riff on "Narrow Way" part 2 is. Am I the only one in the world who thinks this is a great Floyd moment? Maybe, but then I love "Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk" and would rather listen to that than any of the meandering sludge of self-pity that is "The Wall".
I agree 100%
I REALLY REALLY enjoy your. Also, i REALLY REALLY REEEEEALLY hope you do GENESIS!!!
Unfortunately I had an issue arise regarding copyright with Phil Collins and since then, he, Genesis and Peter Gabriel are on my DO NOT COVER along with Prince, The Eagles and a few others. Great band for sure, I did manage to talk briefly about LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY in the 70s Extras vid.
@@JTCurtisMusic It's a shame that a lot of copyright holders have decided that they are above fair use laws. But that's how the legal system in our country works.
I love the studio disc of Cream's 'Wheels of Fire' but haven't listened to the live disc again since I first acquired the album 50 years ago. On the other hand, I enjoy the live disc of 'Ummagumma' but - apart from Roger Waters' two tracks - I have listened to the studio disc less than a handful of times during the same half century.
I have always enjoyed 'Grantchester Meadows' very much and still listen to it from time to time - a charmingly unsettling early example of PF's pastoral aspect. 'Several Species...' seems like an adventurous and light-hearted contrast to 'GM' that satisfyingly completes Waters' segment of the studio disc.
After 'Wish You Were Here' - which I quite like but listen to rarely - I never had much interest in later Pink Floyd. Since the 1970s I would have heard 'Dark Side of the Moon' no more than once a decade. I have never listened to a whole side of 'The Wall' (and never will).
'More' was the first PF album I heard - that was in the year of its release - and I have continued to return to it from time to time, especially since the dawn of the digital age, with the ambition of re-sequencing it to achieve a more satisfying listening experience overall.
Been a PF fan for over fifty years. "Meddle" was what got my attention and blew me away, but I'm happy to tell y'all that Ummagumma is their greatest album, in fact, one of my two desert island albums (the other being David Byrne's "The Catherine Wheel"). And no, I've never used anything stronger than an occasional glass of wine.
Ouch, I’ve never heard such a critical review of “Grantchester Meadows”. It’s pleasant and inoffensive, at least. Plus, I believe this is one of Waters’ first genuinely poetic lyrics. “Laughing as it passes through the endless summer, making for the sea.” That’s so evocative of of pastoral imagery, I can see Roger relaxing there right now. You said that without the experiment of Ummagumma, the following albums might not have happened. I hold this to be true for “Grantchester Meadows” specifically. If Waters hadn’t made the effort to write such poetry here, the lyrics of the Floyd’s later work would have been far weaker.
I think he already had some genuinely poetic lyrics in his previous songs, even "Set the Controls" has some provocative imagery: "Counting the leaves which tremble at dawn." "Cymbeline" is another great example and that to me is a clear display of the lyrical vibe to come. And in terms of pastoral imagery, "Green is the Colour" really gives off that relaxing vibe. I would say also the flow of the melody with the lyrics isn't as cohesive on "Grantchester" as it is on the previous mentioned songs. But if you like it, that's cool.
@@JTCurtisMusic Indeed, Roger had some writing chops pre Umma Gumma. Although, I must admit that Grantchester is the only track from U G included on my phone. Cheers!
@@JTCurtisMusic - Roger does have some good lines pre-Ummagumma, but "Set the Controls..." isn't one of them. He borrowed those lyrics from a book of Chinese poetry, and for the refrain, used a line from William S. Burroughs. I guess it's also a good talent, to be able to borrow and interpret properly from other writers!
I think this was my first Pink Floyd album, so..."Nostalgia Alert." That said, I still like it, and play it - even the experimental studio disc. I find "Grantchester Meadows" lovely and pastoral, David Gilmour's Narrow Way suite is romantic and melancholy. Even the experimental sets from Richard Wright and Nick Mason fill the air nicely while I am working. As for "Several Species..." I did too much acid with this playing in my headphones to trash it now. The live disc was my first real introduction to space rock. It opened up a world of music to me just as Amon Duul and Tangerine Dream and Hawkwind were coming in for a landing.
I'd be curious to see you review the Man and Journey Suite from the Early Years box set (it was recorded for a radio broadcast). It takes songs from early albums like ummagumma, more, Saucerful, and Biding my Time which was also recorded in the studio and released on Relics. These tracks are reworked and retitled into a two part concept.
This version of "A Saucerful of secrets", makes me cry, i love every second of that, my top ten floyd songs, that's why i bought the album
It's definitely a step up from the studio version, though my heart will always belong to Pompeii's version.
There is a very good bootleg with outtakes and alt mixes from the live album including a version of Interstellar Overdrive that includes an added section in the middle that's loosely based on Up The Khyber from the More soundtrack. I like Roger and Rick's part of the solo studio album. I like some of the sound experiments during Nick's part but it goes on a bit too long. Dave's has some good bits but I think his material was performed better during Pink Floyd's '68 - '69 BBC sessions and as part of Pink Floyd's stage show of the time, The Man and The Journey. At one point the studio album was going to be structured like Yes' later album Fragile, a mix of group and solo pieces. They recorded the great Embryo and Biding My Time before abandoning that idea but the studio versions of those tracks showed up on later comps.
I think it would have been cool if Pink Floyd tried doing an album version of The Man and the Journey. Incorporating some of the best parts of More and Ummagumma, both live and studio tracks, along with the legendary Biding My Time would have made for one hell of an album.
Bit harsh on Grantchester meadows, could be a bit shorter but it’s still good. And the 3rd part of the narrow way is awesome
Yeah, the song is a classic. Love this album.
Several species of small furry animals gathered together in a cave and grooving with a pict is the bonified masterpiece of Pink Floyds discography
JTC I realize you did this video some time ago but I just found your channel. I really enjoyed this video. You did a great job. I’m old enough to have an original vinyl copy of this album. I never knew what to make of it but I did have friends who loved it. I have a lot videos to catch up on.
I like this album alot as it has a great live album (carful being a firm favourite) and the studio album being very unusual in their, if any psych rock catalog of that time. Grandchester meadows is another highlight too. Also swore the record was damaged after listing to the grand vizers Hotel for the first time!
Why on earth would it be their most important album?
We'll find out soon enough ;)
I've had this on vinyl for years and I have a soft spot for it. Some of the avant garde stuff, particularly on the 4th side, I think, is rather spooky and unsettling.
Personally, Ummagumma is my favorite Pink Floyd album. I love every cut-except for those damn furry animals. But then, I was there in those days, listening to such psychedelic bands as Ultimate Spinach and Silver Apples. You might say that Ummagumma was the last explosive flash of that short-lived genre of music. To this day, I play Sisyphus on Halloween night- for the entire neighborhood!
At least the album cover kinda looks cool.
FYI, having the vocals sound discernable wasn't a big consideration back then for some bands. Jagger didn't like some of the stones reissues because the vocals were cleaned up to where you didn't have to guess the words.
That's interesting because Mick Jagger says the exact opposite about EXILE ON MAIN STREET in the book I have. Maybe his opinion changed once the reissues came out.
@@JTCurtisMusic This was a couple years ago, maybe 3?
Pink Floyd has the most incredible discography in terms of hearing a group find their way and master their instruments
7:35 I can hear Dave’s voice on “The Narrow Way (Part 3)” very fine.
A late friend of mine and I were huge David Crosby fans. He told me there's a Crosbyesque song on the studio disc of Ummagumma, and suggested-as a game-I Iisten and get back to him with the song I thought he had in mind. I put it off awhile, butt eventually linstened and when I got to "Grantchester Meadows" knew that must be the one (and I was right). Soon after, he died somewhat unexpectedly; so I'm glad I didn't put it off any longer, because if I had I'd always wonder (without too much doubt, but also without confirmation) whether that is indeed the one he had in mind. He wasn't a big Floyd fan (nor was I, though I've become a bigger once since). If you appreciate what makes Crosby great, aside from his harmony vocals, that song is cast in a whole new light.
Though, i like the amount of adventure on this album, touching or creating atmospheres i never felt/heard on any other album
Thank you for calling out the hipster take of “Ummagumma is the best album of all time and if you don’t think so you’re not a true Pink Floyd fan” bullshit. Everyone is entitled to like what they like but I guarantee there are a ton that just say it for the memes
6:47 It's a Scottish accent, not an Irish one. Picts lived in Scotland. He sounds almost like Ewen Bremner on that one.
It’s a great album esp Narrow Way. Love the cover as well. More is my favorite album from this period.
Grew up in 70s was into zeppelin big time boy did I miss out...these guys are on a whole other level, one that I very much appreciate now that Im older 😝
I actually LOVE this album.
Top 5... 1- dark side of the moon. 2- wish you were here. 3- the wall. 4- momentary lapse of reason. 5- division bell.
The Narrow Way part 3 may have been recored and mixed pretty badly, but it's a wonderful song, really showcases David's compositional skills. The BBC versions on the Early Years boxset are much better.
Several species led to Music From The Body 1970 Ron Geesin/Roger Waters which is one of my favorite albums so it is the highlight for me.
The Narrow Way is one of my favorite songs.
The Narrow Way is pretty cool and kind of heavy
Grantchester Meadows is actually ma most favourite song of the stuio-disk :-D :-D
Basically the only one I remember from that album (taht and the Roger's song, which I think hold record for a longest song name :-D )
Are you kidding me? I think the studio disc of Pink Floyd's Ummagumma is really really good in my opinion, I'm impressed with the creativity that the band put on that album. I gotta say that 1969 is a wonderful golden year in my book.
And I say this album is bad
i love your hair man
Rick's playing made every tracks !!!!!
I don't know why this album gets such a bad rap, ILove it! It should have been two separate albums: they should have put out the awesome live Album. And put out the Avant Garde stuff (without Several Species) and with Embryo instead. I absolutely Love the Narrow Way (1,2,3), Grantchester Meadows and Rick's piano stuff! But to be fair: the first time I heard it I was on Mushrooms, so it will always be very special to me!🍄
Ummagumma is disjointed but if used as a tool of enlightenment through musical meditation is very interesting and useful.
Spirit and Art transcend the artists and their individual opinions.
Ummagumma was the first pink Floyd album I listened to we all thought it was neat the why they used stereo on the record had it bouncing back and forwards. the dark side of the moon, wish you were here and the wall. Were the next ones. I want to know what happened to Pink Floyd first 7 avant-garde albums "Obscured by Clouds" full album and then Dark Side of the Moon hit and it was different from all previse 7 albums and massive hit?
I’m at this album in my Floyd marathon and dreading it 😆
My god, how different can be personal taste 🙈 The single stuff for me is simply a Grace, so trippy, colourful, suprising, innovative and couraged! The life stuff is outstanding and intriguing.
Hey JT with the Pink Floyd reviews are you also going to talk about the early years boxset after the albums?
I've been kind of covering their contents as we've been going on (their early recordings I mentioned in the Early History video).
@@JTCurtisMusic I’m actually tryin to get into them and I must say I’m digging there stuff I tried a couple times before but lost interest kinda quickly but now I’m liking there stuff a lot more
This is a GREAT album IMO
This might actually be my favorite album cover of theirs. I guess I'm just a sucker for the Droste effect.
I love your “haa let’s discuss the studio disc” I have to say I consider myself a pink Floyd complete nut bag, I do love the album
Bummer, Grandchester meadow is one of my all time faves
Yeah, he lost me on that one. Then again, I love the whole album.
As far as experimental/avant-garde music is concerned, PF did much better with AHM (well.. Geesin is actually the mastermind behind it) and "meddle", undoubtely. That said and all in all, to my mind the most authentic identity of PF w/o Syd is more song-based than experimental.
When I was a teenager, going to sleep would equal Ummagumma. I would actually play it before going to bed.
No way!! The Studio Album is fantastic, we just can't hear it expecting to hear simple pop songs (except for Grantchester Meadows and part 3 of The Narrow Way). The development and recording tricks on The Grand Vizier's Garden Party are just awesome! Think that was 1969 and the band could make in stereo a percussion dialogue that plays with musical questions and answers panning not just left and right but front and back too! Genius compositon!! Sysyphus and The Narrow Way too!!
Aside from Mason's crapola and Several Species, I wholeheartedly love this album. Yes, even Gilmour and Wright's solo sections! They really should have used the full-band arrangement of Grantchester though.
mescaline + ummagumma was an experience i shall not forget
This album and Atom Heart are made for psychedelics
By the way, Ummagumma can be pronounced either "ooo-ma-goo-ma" or "um-ma-gum-ma".
It kinda hurt, hearing your opinion on Grantchester Meadows. I respect your opinion of course, but Grantchester Meadows is one of my favorite Pink Floyd songs. One of the most beautiful songs ever written.
I don’t care what anyone says. Ummagumma is one of the best Pink Floyd albums that should have been a number 1 hit record.
one of their most interesting albums. I like it !!
It got some praise from critics.
This was 1969, the height of drug experimentation. Did it dawn on you that those critics were bombarded with mind altering substances at the time they heard this album?
Change my mind: Several species of small furry animals gathered together in a cave and grooving with a pict is the best post-syd song /s
It lowkey is tho
The Fury Animals track is the highlight, played it at full volume in the barracks one early morning! 😃
I hate to say it because Pink Floyd is probably the band I hold dearest to my heart, but Umma Gumma feels like experimentalism but a group that was a little out of their depth except maybe Richard Wright. I think even most of the band members would admit that the studio side wasn’t’ their finest work.
I’ve had to study atonal/avante-garde music like Schoenberg and Ligeti, and while it’s not music I would go out of my way to listen to and enjoy, the way those pieces are constructed are objectively pretty interesting and intricate, but a lot of this album seem to be just be random.
I think the live disc is excellent, as for the studio side, the hi-lites for me are bits of Rick Wright section & the 2 Waters tracks. BTW Roger is doing a Scottish accent, clue is in the title , Pict. Waters is pretty good at Scottish accents probably because his mum was Scottish.
Nice nod to Dark Side as the child of Ummagumma but Meddle is probably also near the peak of Floyd as a collaborative band
I can agree with a lot what you say, but I’d give a couple more listens to Grandchester Meadows.
It was one of the most sold albums by Pink Floyd in Mexico. Essential album. Everyone had it and everyone respected it there.
You totally overlooked Nick Mason’s drum solo on The Grand Vizier’s Garden Party.
i like the narrow way part 3, it's nice, i don't have it on my playlist but it's alright
The album may have meant something to them at that moment, but it’s very strange.
I don't dislike this as much (rather like the live disc), but I do find large parts of the studio album unlistenable. They did better live versions of "Grantchester Meadows" with a full band performance, and as a sound collage, "Several Species" is fine. None of the studio disc is great, though.
This was either the 2nd or 3rd Pink Floyd album I've ever purchased or listened to. DSOTM was the 1st....and THAT was in '75. Desperate for more.... I bought this on cassette tape. I don't think there was a date listed & there were NO liner notes. LOL.
I have enjoyed your reviews, very cool, but I have to slightly disagree with you about 'Ummagumma', the live album makes it worth it, but I also like "Grrantchester Meadows', there's some cool menacing parts to "The Narrow Way, part 2 and 3" and I like the first two parts to "Sysyphus", and feel the track was a precursor ideas explored with 'Atom Heart Mother', much in the same way that album would be a precursor to "Echoes". What amazes me about the 1968 to 1972 period is that their record labels didn't drop them as they seem to be putting out music for its own sake.
It's probably the most artistic album by Pink Floyd--most academically artistic. One of the most interesting albums I've ever listened to, especially during my youth. And it's a most genuine representation of what the band was ALL about.
I think you’re totally wrong about Grantchester Meadow
I agree with PF members about this album
While PF were making this piece of sh!t, the Moody Blues were making TOCCC
Can't wait for Atom Heart Mother!
Hi JT. Love your work. As a massive PF fan I look foreward to you going through their output. When it comes to Ummagumma, I pretty much agree with you on everything.
I've tried and tried, but I've come to the conclusion that I'm not going to waste more time on that album. There's so much (basically everything else) music from PF that I've rather want to play. One thing annoys me though. People telling people who don't like the album that the reason they don't like it is because they don't get it. Completely wrong. I've get the album, and for me it's not a very good album. Infact, I will concider it to be one of the worst albums I owe, and the only reason it's still in my house, it's because I'm a PF completist. Another thing that annoys me is the phrase "only for hardcore PF fans". Again, I'm a hardcore PF fan (well you get my drift). All that being said, I've totally respect and understand those that hold this album in high regard. It just tells us that taste is an aquared thing. Sorry for the rant JT, but I promise this is the only one (really). It just shows us that Ummagumma is an album that provoces strong feelings wether you love it or don't.
The way I see it, if the band themselves unanimously refer to it as a "Disaster" it's probably not worth spending so much time trying to "Get it." We can appreciate the experimentation behind Ummagumma that lead to their subsequent output, but that's as far as I go with it.
Love the album. Rick's Sysyphus is a masterpiece..
And the wind cried back...
I don't mean to nitpick over such matters but it's actually a Scottish brogue that Roger does, not an Irish one.....he did the same thing on the Wall with his Scottish 'You can't have any pudding.......' And the Picts were one of the early peoples of Scotland .......now you know :)
You are totally wrong about Grandchester Meadows......it's great
I actually really like 'Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving With a Pict' lmao
and Grantchester Meadows live version with David Gilmour is very calming and beautiful
Ummagumma is a weird Live / Studio Double Album. The Live Tracks saved it from being a Mess. Still like Gilmour's The Northern Way.
This album is not amazing but it's amazing. And the live disc is amazing.
I have a t shirt of the cover of the album.
It's not "hipster" to find something unique in art, especially when it is as experimental as Ummagumma was. Yes, there are some really strange choices made throughout the entirety of the album, and it's definitely one of their weaker albums as a whole, but I will take this over The Endless River or More any day, hell even over Momentary Lapse of Reason. Is it a particularly worthy album? No, but it attempts to take the band in a different direction, and due to the risks they took here, it allowed them to continue evolving. So no, this isn't being like someone who is like "Batman v. Superman is a misunderstood masterpiece" just because there are aspects of the album that are underappreciated and deserve recognition
Well I'll admit to "hipster" being used more as a joke - kind of a running gag on my channel. We definitely agree that this did take the band in a different direction, which was needed after the loss of Syd.
I strongly disagree with Umagumma being better than The Endless River, I don't understand the hate for that album. Do people hate the idea of Pink Floyd having an instrumental album?
@@Chico50445 Ummagumma is literally an instrumental album albeit for two of its songs. The Endless River has awful pacing, as well as just a retread of some familiar material. The only good song is Louder than Words
It’s uma gooma. Not ummah gummah
Grantchester Meadows is great.