Head To Head
Log In
Register
Unsung Forum »
Pink Floyd '69 '70 '71
Log In to post a reply

Pages: 3 – [ Previous | 1 2 3 | Next ]
Topic View: Flat | Threaded
Dog 3000
Dog 3000
4611 posts

Edited Dec 19, 2007, 07:16
Re: Pink Floyd '69 '70 '71
Dec 19, 2007, 06:57
Coldrumhead got it exactly -- all Floyd's records sold really well in the US, but only after DSOTM went to #1 in 1973 and then stayed in the top 200 until almost 1990!!

By then Ummagumma was 4 years old and avant-garde weird noise wasn't such a farout concept (let's not forget Lennon's tireless promotion of Yoko Ono, who's records certainly have "avant garde" moments as well as "screeching".)

From a US perspective, by the time very many people were listening to "weird early Floyd" Zappa, Yoko and "Revolution #9" had already been there, done that.

(So were those '68 to '71 Floyd records actually going over big in Europe when they were released?)


Barrett was pretty much a nobody over here too, at least until he emerged in the 70's as a "long lost" legendary cult character (I'm not sure his solo albums were released here til 1974 -- the mythologizing on "Wish You Were Here" in 1975 certainly helped a lot too.)

If you've ever seen their appalling appearance on American Bandstand (or one of those shows) around 1967 . . . Syd doesn't even bother to move his mouth and "lip sync", he just stares off into space -- so the camera mostly focuses on Nick Mason plinging a cymbal -- no wonder they were never invited back! (And no wonder the other guys kicked him out.)
Dog 3000
Dog 3000
4611 posts

Re: Pink Floyd '69 '70 '71
Dec 19, 2007, 07:08
Actually Atom Heart Mother isn't all that "avant garde" either; the long suite is just, you know, an album side of everything-but-the-kitchen-sink prog rock where everybody gets a chance to wank for awhile.

The "Breakfast" thing is a pretty literal exercise in playing sound effects about "breakfast" over a psychedelic jam; again, not that "avant garde."

Then there's soime acoustic guitar piffle (this has never been one of my fave Floud records obviously!)

Ummagumma seems like the holy grail of "avant Floyd" -- but when you think about it, it's really just bits of Mason and Waters' solo turns. Gilmour and Wright just do low watt solowank, and the other record is live hits.

Just a smattering of tracks from 1967 to 1969 then . . . the first 3 records or so (not including soundtracks & singles.)

But then, what is "avant garde" exactly?

I think alleatoric or chaotic sounds that aren't classifiable as a "genre" (rock, jazz, blues, funk, classical, etc.): Taj Majal Travellers, Stockhausen, Yoko Ono's less rockist music . . .

(Of course the neat thing about that late 60's period was that "avant" was combined with "pop" on records by Beatles, Zappa, Floyd . . . .)

Anyway, does it matter if Floyd came first? It's not like they invented ideas like mixing a tape of chirping birds over a song, gongs played through delay pedals, etc. (Stockhausen did the latter, Martin Denny the former!!)
Citizensmurf
Citizensmurf
1703 posts

Re: Pink Floyd '69 '70 '71
Dec 20, 2007, 02:19
Dog 3000 wrote:
...But then, what is "avant garde" exactly?...


Avant Garde is a type of music that you don't like listening to until you've thought about it for a while. Then you either love it or dismiss it as not avant garde enough.
Citizensmurf
Citizensmurf
1703 posts

Re: Pink Floyd '69 '70 '71
Dec 20, 2007, 02:22
zphage wrote:
zappa only two gold, not relevant ones.


Overnite Sensation and Apostrophe not relevant??? How dare you.
zphage
zphage
3378 posts

Re: Pink Floyd '69 '70 '71
Dec 20, 2007, 03:33
Actually I thought it would be those two, but its 'Apostrophe' and 'Does Humor'
machineryelf
3679 posts

Re: Pink Floyd '69 '70 '71
Dec 20, 2007, 08:11
even taking into consideration that most of these LPs were purchased after DSOTM they are still going to make an impression.
I first heard Meddle about 77 and AHM shortly after, and had that first two albums double set [a nice pair] they certainly changed the way i thought about music, though i would say yhat AHM and Saucerful Of Secrets were the ones that really did it for me
As did the early TD albums that were cheap on Virgin,and after Zeit every thing was easy listening
I would think that if One Of These Days is on the Floyds greatest hits[i'm assuming here, don't bother slating me if it isn't] then anyone buying Meddle would be in for a pleasant surprise, and before long they would have the entire JMJarre collection as well
zphage
zphage
3378 posts

Re: Pink Floyd '69 '70 '71
Dec 20, 2007, 15:22
EXactly. Be it the Beatles, Floyd, Tdream, Can, etc all these are opening experiences for the fan first coming upon them.
zphage
zphage
3378 posts

Re: Pink Floyd '69 '70 '71
Dec 20, 2007, 16:02
Jm Jarre has rerecorded "Oxygene" as a mock Mobile Fidelity Remaster. He wanted to record on modern equipment as the original was only recorded on 8track.
radagast
radagast
264 posts

Re: Pink Floyd '69 '70 '71
Dec 20, 2007, 17:40
Don't let down Ummagumma too easily...

At least it's the first and only non-compilation with Careful With That Axe on it - and a brilliant live one...

As for the Gilmour Stuff: The Narrow Way Pt III pretty much defines the Floyd at the period ( via Saucerful Pt. III and on to Fat Old Sun...)
British Country Music or the Musical Mists of Albion (with lotsa pipe smoke & dreams included....)
Dog 3000
Dog 3000
4611 posts

Re: Pink Floyd '69 '70 '71
Dec 20, 2007, 18:10
I'm not dissing the album -- over the years, Umma has strangely enough been the 60's Floyd record I reach for most often -- just that it's only got a certain amount of "avant-gardeness" or whatever you call it.

The nice thing about that album is really it's diversity!
Pages: 3 – [ Previous | 1 2 3 | Next ] Add a reply to this topic

Unsung Forum Index