Pink Floyd - Ummagumma (1969)

Steve:

I have gone on record before claiming that Pink Floyd could do no wrong. I've since clarified that statement to mean "Pink Floyd with Roger Waters....", but that may still leave some readers gaping at me in disbelief. Pink Floyd, especially during the years 1968-1972, were experimenting so boldly (some would say recklessly) that there were bound to be failures among the triumphs. Ummagumma, more than any other Pink Floyd album, puts my claim to the test.

Ummagumma was the first pre-Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd album I ever heard. Dan had a copy on his shelf, and my natural curiosity was drawn to it immediately, from the striking cover art to the very structure of the album (a live album and a studio album, with the studio album split into four segments to showcase solo projects) to the mere presence of a song whose title is so long and ridiculous it can't help but garner attention. For the live portion, this album cover was the first place I ever saw the name Syd Barrett and heard a song of his ("Astronomy Domine"), and the remaining three live tracks were my first impressions as to what Pink Floyd sounded like live. Strange stuff, and a bit alarming if you're not prepared. I found this out years later when my college roommate and I had some guests spending the night, and I put on music to go to sleep to, as I often did, and Ummagumma was my selection. Imagine the horror my guests felt when the scream in "Careful With That Axe, Eugene" came on. They still mention it to this day. Oof. My bad.

The studio record is mostly brilliant, as long as the critic's term "self-indulgent" is not an immediate turnoff for you. Richard Wright wins 1st prize with his 4-part "Sysyphus", a keyboard-based composition that sounds like one of Keith Emerson's fever dreams. Roger Waters contributes the ridiculous long-titled track (fun if perplexing) and a great acoustic ballad. David Gilmour turns three separate ideas into a questionable "suite" called "The Narrow Way", but all three parts are solid if incompatible. Nick Mason's composition closes it out with an eye-opening tour-de-force totally redefining percussion's role in rock music. "The Grand Vizier's Garden Party" keeps me on the edge of my seat, improbably building its dramatic heft with every new wave of sound.

Actually, "The Grand Vizier's Garden Party" is a snoozy drum solo with electronic effects, and it's a bit of a drag. But let's pretend it's awesome so I can rescue the integrity of my "Pink Floyd can do no wrong" statement. 

Dan:

Ummagumma is an album that could only have been made in the late 1960s. It's experimental, self-indulgent, and spotty. Albums later became much more disciplined, if only for commercial reasons. I'm glad that the reins were loosened for the important prog bands of the time, especially Pink Floyd.

I bought the album after viewing a film that included at least two of the cuts off of the live record: "Careful with That Axe Eugene," and "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun." The film I saw was probably studio material that was added to the film Pink Floyd at Pompeii, shot in 1971. It was partly scenes from the studio and partly dreamy scenes such as aerial shots over what looked like mangrove swamps. Those memories are definitely faded since I probably saw the film in 1972. Regardless, it made a big impression on me. The scream on "Axe" was amazing to see performed live, but the quiet "Set the Controls" was equally profound. Those long-haired young men in the film were probably the coolest hippies I ever saw. 

On the studio LP I like "Grantchester Meadows," "Sysyphus," and "The Narrow Way." I don't challenge Steve's assessment of "The Grand Vizier's Garden Party." I would always trust his opinions on all things prog.