Product Description

It has never mattered which of Pink Floyd's leaders (Barrett, Waters, Gilmour) is at the controls, the band has always been about grandeur. The epic scale of their psychedelic explorations, the life-altering themes of their recordings, theground-breaking, conceptual stagings, all have helped in the construction of the group's mythology. And more than any other rock band's, Pink Floyd myths have lived on and prospered even as the band and its fan-base have evolved with time.
A live, double-album, PULSE works not only as a great extended postcard of 1994's biggest tour, but as Pink Floyd's myth re-charger. Consider the facts: the release was celebrated with a laser-light show atop the Empire State Building, and the spine of the CD package features a perpetually blinking light. But, as is always the case with Pink Floyd, thereis reason to their madness. The blinking light harkens backto the heartbeat that is the unifying theme of their classic DARK SIDE OF THE MOON album, which is performed in its entirety on disc two.
Disc one is an approximation of the band's first set, featuring a powerful run through Syd Barrett's "Astronomy Domine" (the definition of late '60s British psychedelia), as well as a host of songs from 1987's MOMENTARY LAPSE OF REASON and '94's DIVISION BELL. But the second set is the true keeper of the two. Having made its tour debut on the 25th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing (how's that for a myth?), DARK SIDE loses none of its glow when transferred to a live setting. David Gilmour ably handles Roger Waters' vocal parts, but escapes comparisons by throwing the focus on instrumental interludes that further the imagination--"On The Run", for instance, sounds like a true precursor to The Orb's ambient noodlings. Still, the radio hits ("Money", "Us And Them", "Brain Damage") are all re-interpreted enough to sound novel, but familiar enough to feel like ours. In this way, Pink Floyd are our own Homer, our own Jason & The Argonauts: their stories have been with us forever, but we never mind hearing them again.

Track Listing

1. Shine On You Crazy Diamond
2. Astronomy Domine
3. What Do You Want From Me
4. Learning To Fly
5. Keep Talking
6. Coming Back To Life
7. Hey You
8. Great Day For Freedom
9. Sorrow
10. High Hopes
11. Another Brick In The Wall
12. One Of These Days
13. Speak To Me
14. Breathe
15. On The Run
16. Time
17. Great Gig In The Sky
18. Money
19. Us And Them
20. Any Colour You Like
21. Brain Damage
22. Eclipse
23. Wish You Were Here
24. Comfortably Numb
25. Run Like Hell

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #68016 in Music
• Released on: 1995-05-29
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Live

Amazon.co.uk Review
Having lost their two figureheads over the years--first Syd Barrett, then Roger Waters--the remaining members of Pink Floyd reformed, augmented by a multitude of back-up musicians, and hit the road. This double-CD is the result, its 18 tracks covering a broad selection of the band's 30-year career, from early classics (the still-magnificent "Astronomy Domine") through to more recent cuts, such as "Learning To Fly" and "Keep Talking". Occasionally the desire to replicate the "live" atmosphere becomes annoying (except on "Another Brick In The Wall, Part Two", where it seems almost appropriate)--particularly when you consider that most of this band's great music has been about paranoia and isolation, rather than any notion of community. Equally puzzling is the decision to devote the second CD to a performance of Dark Side Of The Moon which, though played in its entirety, adds precisely nothing to its original incarnation. Mostly, though, Pulse is every bit as vast and impressive as you'd expect. --Andrew McGuire

Customer Reviews

Magnificent.
No matter what you think of the two albums by Pink Floyd MkIII, PULSE is a staggering collection.

The two discs offer a vibrant mix of the old and the new - Astronomy Domine is including partly because it's still brilliant and partly to give Syd Barrett some royalties out of sympathy - plus a complete Dark Side Of The Moon and the best parts of the impressive Division Bell album.

While Dark Side... is not improved and some of the songs are faithful recreations of the studio, there are some fine, fine moments. Money gets jammed out to a worthy nine-minutes as David Gilmour remembers why he started playing guitar in the first place; the version of Run Like Hell is, in my humble opinion, superior to the original when Gilmour and Rick Wright trade vocal parts (the fact that the last lyric on the album, 'They're gonna send you back to mother in a cardboard box,' is sung by Rick Wright mere months after being reinstated into the band makes me smirk every time) and the versions of Sorrow and High Hopes, each the best part of their respective albums, are dizzying.

While it's undeniably a cash in purely to annoy Roger Waters, PULSE is a great live collection that shows what a Floyd show in 1994 was like for the people that wish they could've been there. Exceptional.

The Ultimate Live Experience
Pulse was the last time Pink Floyd set oput onto the stage and was the last release of an original album.

Before even slipping the CD into your player you can't help but be impressed with Pulse. The case and inner sleeve contain great shots taken by the legendary Storm Thorgerson. And inside the inner sleeve is a book of ohotos from the tour that realy capture the atmosphere and scale of Pink Floyd in concert (well, I can only assume that, having been too young to have ever been to see Floyd live).

The first disc is essentially a collection of "Greatest Hits" (if one may be so crude), starting with Shine On You Crazy Diamond. Gilmour provides the vocals, backed up ably by bassist Guy Pratt and an array of backing singers. Gilmour revives and makes his own Syd Barrets classic Astronomy Domine. next follows a selection of tracks from A Momentaryt Lapse of Reason and The Division Bell, all taken to another level in live performamce. Disc One ends with the Floyd hit ANother Brick in the Wall Part Two. This is a little disappointing in my opinion, but still a great listen.

What can I say about Disc 2? Well, very little, in fact. Dark Side of the Moon live was the perfect ending to the carrer of Pink Floyd spanning nearly forty years. The tone is warm and rich, with many moments exceeding the studio version and some not quite delivering the perfection of the 1973 album. "Time" is a fantastic development on the original, with the immense solo bettered in Concert.. Great Gig in the Sky is the best attempt since 1973 and easily matches the vocals of Clare Torry. "Money" is a little disappointing, despite the extended guitar solo. Gilmour, after immense build up, refuses to push his Strat up to top E (you know the bit!) and it becomes a bit of an anti-climax. He does redeem it with some rather special playing a litle later in the solo, however. Eclipse meets the expectations of the audience, matching the album version in spite of Waters' absence.

But that isn't it for the concert. Gilmour serves up a triple encore. Wish You Were Here was briliantly captured- the audience joining in the vocals is something special. Comfortably Numb is taken by Gilmour and made perfect. The Wall version is put to shame by the musicaliity of this version. The verses are sung the same as on Delicate Sound of Thunder (sung in three part harmony) and chorus by Gilmour harmonised by one of the backing singers. The first solo is as the album, but it is the second solo that really makes the album, for me. The solo is about 5mins long and exploits all of the fretboard and all of the equipment Gilmour has to offer, all complimented by some great keyboards and organ by Rick Wright and incredible drumming from Mason.

Even after this solo has left you Comfortably Numb, Floyd aren't finished yet. Run Like Hell tops off the album and does not disappoint after such an awesome solo in the previous track. Everything is built up towards the end of the track and Nick Mason puts the icing on the cake by throwing in some spectacular drum fills, leaving the audience thirsty for more. But alas, Pink Floyd are only human and retire from the stage after over 2 hours of brilliant music.

Well worth the Anti Social Behaviour Order you get for playing this far too loud at an unreasonable hour. A brilliantly played and produced album. A must have for anyone, let alone Floyd fans.

(Appologies for any typos!)

Wish I Was There!!!
Even after the very first time of listening to this album, it was already my joint favourite live album of all time (tied with Led Zeppelin's How the West Was Won). Pink Floyd has been one of my favourite bands for a while now, but unfortunately, as I am only 14, I never had the chance to go and see them live. I'd always heard they were fantastic live, and that as a good a studio band they were, to get the proper Floyd experience, they had to be heard live. So after their amazing and triumphant reunion at live8 (highlight of the show!), I placed p.u.l.s.e at the top of my birthday list, hoping I'd get it. Sure enough I was in luck, and ever since then I've pretty much been playing it everyday.

When I first heard about this album, I was a little unsure of whether to get it or not. This concert was after all done by a Waters-less Pink Floyd, and I thought what is Pink Floyd without the genius that is Roger Waters? But, after hearing p.u.l.s.e, no offence to the man, but you don't notice that he isn't there. Guy Pratt does an excellent job filling in, and even on songs such as Money and Comfortably Numb, where Rogers' superb bass playing and distinctive vocals respectively make the songs what they are, you don't realise that it is someone else playing or singing, which I think is a good thing.

Disc one is mainly post-Waters stuff, but with a handful of 'classic' Floyd songs scattered here and there, and all performed brilliantly, I might add! It kicks off with a spine-tingling Shine on You crazy Diamond, a tribute to ex-band mate Syd Barrett, who went insane. Dave Gilmour really does give it his all in this song, and it gives me goose bumps every time! The next song is the very early Syd-era Astronomy Domine, again performed brilliantly. The next highlight on disc one (after Shine on You crazy Diamond) is Hey You, from their classic album The Wall. It starts off with that amazingly eerie guitar intro and then towards the end, spectacularly builds up into one of my favourite Floyd solos!! We end the first disc with Another Brick In The Wall; a song often associated with Waters, but carried off superbly.

Disc two is a real treat, Dark Side Of The Moon in its entirety, LIVE!! Dark Side of the Moon, is of course Floyd's most famous album, and as spectacular an album it is, nothing can prepare you for how incredibly awesome it all sounds live. Time, with its famous alarm clock introduction, sounds like you've never heard it before, and Breathe, On The Run, The Great Gig In The Sky, Money, Us And Them, Any Colour You Like, Brain Damage and Eclipse also sound just as excellent as you'd expect them to be. And then, just as you think its all over, the Floyd return for an encore consisting of three more songs! The first encore is Wish You Were Here, not only my favourite Floyd song, but my favourite song of all time! It starts with that simple and beautiful guitar intro, and then Dave comes in and sings with all his heart. The crowd certainly give him a helping hand, sometimes even drowning him out!! Then comes that sweeping Comfortably Numb intro, and at this point I was thinking, can anyone sing it like Roger can?! The answer is, yes, and it sounds just as good as when Roger sang it, with the ever impressive solo by David Gilmour making it even better!! The final song is another track from The Wall, Run Like Hell. Sang extremely well by David, this is a great way to end the album, even though you don't want it to end!!

No Pink Floyd fan should be without this album, and anyone who isn't sure of what all the fuss is about should definitely check this out, nothing beats the sound of the Floyd live!!