Pink Floyd - Pulse NonBlinking (24 tracks) +Album Reviews

A quality live set that seems to lack some energy at times

Daniel Jolley | Shelby, North Carolina USA | 01/22/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The claim to fame of Pulse, Pink Floyd's two-CD live album released in 1995, is the live performance of Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety. If you're a casual Pink Floyd fan, that's great; if you're a devoted fan, you're apt to be disappointed by the lack of nuance expressed in a concert setting. It has obviously been a few years since I listened to Pulse because my memory told me it was superior to 1988's Delicate Sound of Thunder live two-CD album - my memory was wrong. I'm not saying Pulse isn't a quality performance or that fans won't enjoy it, but to my ears it clearly lacks the sort of passion and energy that was captured on Delicate Sounds of Thunder. The two live albums of the reconstituted, post-Waters Pink Floyd share a number of songs in common, and I prefer the Thunder versions in almost every single case. Here, the long instrumental sections of Shine on You Crazy Diamond, for example, seem to drag on interminably, while on Delicate Sound of Thunder each minute of the music built up toward a pressurized unleashing of vocals.

The first disc features a healthy portion of material originating after Waters' acrimonious exit from the band. There are two tracks from 1987's A Momentary Lapse of Region (Sorrow and Learning to Fly) and five from 1994's The Division Bell (What Do You Want from Me, A Great Day for Freedom, High Hopes, Keep Talking, and Coming Back to Life). These are intermixed alongside some older Pink Floyd tracks: Shine on You Crazy Diamond from Wish You Were Here, Astronomy Domine from 1967's The Piper at the Gates, and two classic cuts from The Wall. Another Brick in the Wall (Part Two) is good but seems to lack a little oomph, but Hey You is delivered with the passion and energy that make it easily the most impressive song on either of the Pulse CDs.

Disc Two takes us through a complete version of Dark Side of the Moon; the live setting does take something away from the purity and magic of these songs, so your appreciation of the live set may depend upon the depth of your commitment to Pink Floyd itself. Three tracks are added on at the end in the form of musical encores. I have a feeling there would be rioting in the streets if Pink Floyd showed up and didn't play Wish You Were Here, Comfortably Numb, and Run Like Hell. I was impressed by the first of these three classic songs, but Comfortably Numb and Run Like Hell seem to fall short of their counterparts on the earlier Distant Sound of Thunder.

At first glance, Pulse looks like a no-brainer, a guarantee of musical nirvana courtesy of one of the greatest bands of all-time. As I listened to it, though, I just felt as if something were missing - something subtle and comparatively minor, but noticeably missing all the same. Still, this is Pink Floyd, and no Pink Floyd recording could ever be bad - but it seems to me that Pulse could have been more intense and musically dazzling than it is."

One of, if not, the best live Pink Floyd album

elchanco | canada | 10/09/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I first saw "Pulse" in stores I thought it was a greatest hits album released so that the remaining Pink members could make one last cash grab. Was I mistaken. The live "Pulse" album consists of the entire "Dark Side Of The Moon" album along with some of the best cuts from "The Wall" and "Wish You Were Here". It also includes excellent selections from post-Waters albums, "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason" and "The Division Bell". Another aspect that makes this album even more complete is the appearence of Astronomy Domine from their debut album, "Piper At The Gates Of Dawn". Overall, Gilmour and company belt out great versions of Pink classics with "random precision" and prove they still have what got them called "the best conceptual album writers of all time and one of the top three bands in history". The choice cuts would definitely have to be Comfotably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Run Like Hell, Brain Damage, Eclipse and from the 1994 "Division Bell" album High Hopes. As an added bonus, the two CD set comes in a deluxe slipcase package with an extensive booklet complete with tour pictures, equipment and track listings. An absolute must. Listen and you will understand why."

This album made me a Pink Floyd fan

Larry Cannon | Bothell, WA USA | 11/23/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Forget the three stars shown -- I voted five, but Amazon's website goofed. This one's a five, believe me!

Somehow, I skipped over Pink Floyd while getting older and never really noticed them. A longing for some good British band music led me to give Pulse a shot and boy was I surprised. I'd always thought their songs that I heard on pop radio were sort of 'down' because of the lyrics. Yes, there are negative themes here, but there are an equal number of passages where the minor keys are resolved into beautiful, shining majors. Gilmour is a stupendous, versatile guitar player. I have to rate him as one of the best lead guitarists I've ever heard -- intelligent work that doesn't rely on cliches that are repeated over and over (Ever take a close listen to Clapton, even going back to the original Layla? I honestly don't know what all the fuss is about him. He's smooth, but not really very inventive -- and he plays off pitch, as well!). These two CD's will satisfy anyone thirsting for guitar elevated to an art form.

At first I was disappointed because Gilmour's voice on these CD's doesn't sound like I was expecting. It's not as clear as the studio versions of these songs that were recorded 25 years ago. But after listening several times, I actually like his mature voice better. It has a nice quality to it.

What amazes me is that these three remaining Floyds have played these songs live countless times. But there is not even a hint of jadedness here. They really put everything they had into the music and that's impressive. The recordings are superb for live recordings.

I could go on -- great backup vocals, great bass, neat interchanges between the fans and the band. The version of "Money" on this album is just really great. It makes the original studio version sound very canned. This one breathes with interesting parts that'll have the darned thing going through your head over and over and over again.

If you're even half interested in Pink Floyd, you won't be sorry with this purchase."

Transported once again, a surprise ride!

JLS | Texas | 06/04/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like so many others, I reluctantly and sadly gave up on Pink Floyd after The Wall. Final Cut is too dismal, and without Roger Waters, how could they possibly still be the true Pink Floyd we all know and love? I missed them terribly, and I wanted more. In my bias (and I'm not proud of this), Momentary Lapse seemed more a solo album, or perhaps an offshoot of PF, but not the real Pink Floyd, and I scarcely gave it a chance. Not long ago, a friend loaned me Pulse, mainly to hear the entire performance of Dark Side (which is excellent). The other familiar songs were good, too, even the singles I had heard from Momentary Lapse.

Before returning the CD to my friend, I felt obliged from loyalty to the great years to at least give the unknowns a serious ear. Randomly, I started with "Keep Talking." To my complete wonder and amazement, here was a true Pink Floyd song, as pure and as enthralling as anything from Animals or Wish You Were Here. It must be a lucky fluke, I thought. My second choice was "Sorrow," simply because it is long. Again, I found myself grinning and drawn in exactly like during their prime. It was wonderful to realize that the mistake was mine. These songs definitely ARE true Pink Floyd, and taking nothing away from Roger Waters, he is NOT an essential ingredient after all. So I went back - "What Do You Want With Me," "Coming Back to Life," "A Great Day For Freedom," "High Hopes," and "Sorrow" again (even better the second time). I felt like I had discovered a rare gem I never knew existed - another lost Pink Floyd masterpiece. How could I have been so blind and so deaf? Since 1980, I have thirsted for more Pink Floyd, and here it has been all along!

To those others like me who may have given up on them and have always wanted more, give Pulse a chance. Listen closely, turn it up, and see if you are not transported to the same place that PF has always been able to take us. I defy you to hear that little concert within the concert and not run out and buy Division Bell and Momentary Lapse. Gilmour, Mason, and Wright, please forgive my own lapse. Thank you all once again."

A great introduction to Pink Floyd!

FloydWaters | 07/21/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I risk admission of how new a Floyd fan I am...but this was my first album, bought when it very first came out. It was through this album that I actually got to know the band. I still see it as a very enjoyable album, even in light of the large collection of studio albums that I now own. In fact, I even believe there are certain cuts on PULSE that are far superior to the studio versions. Believe it or not, I actually found that the studio album of Dark Side of the Moon paled in certain places to this, in terms of sound quality! I much prefer the effect of the guitar and drums thundering through the stadium at the beginning of "Time"--this resonant, rich sound gives it a certain air of...magnitude...like the beginning of Creation, for lack of a better metaphor.While I would say that on "Great Gig" Clare Torry's original singing is probably better--I don't think there's anything at all lost by the choice of the three background singers who take up her role. Also, Mr. Wright does not stick note-for-note with the original; he improvises where possible. The other real standout track from DSotM is "Any Colour You Like"...for some reason, there is just something so entrancing about that synth solo.Another song that benefits from the stadium performance is "Learning to Fly". Somehow, it really takes on that spacey sound that it ought to have had in the studio album; one can really imagine speeding down the runway and suddenly lifting into flight. A switch that I believe was made that made the most dramatic moment of the song twice as effective: I cannot tell for sure, but it almost seems as if that dinky prop plane was replaced with a massive jumbo jet. This is also a case where that reverberating stadium sound really transports the listener "above the planet on a wing and a prayer". The studio album doesn't even come close.The one mistake, however (despite the fact that I love it to death!) is in "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". I only call it a mistake in retrospect, now that I am familiar with Wish You Were Here. Somehow, as I was not familiar with the story of Mr. Barrett or WYWH, I took this for an uplifting, inspiring piece. Though musically very beautiful and I will always love it, I have to say that leaving out the "darker" parts of the song rather interferes with its mood--even causing a new fan to miss the point.Of course, beyond doubt the most powerful performance is "Comfortably Numb". This surpasses the studio original by so much that it is almost beyond explanation; however, I will attempt it! It is in this song that you can truly see just how stifled the musicians (Mr. Gilmour and Mr. Wright in particular) were during the production of the studio original...because it is incredible what gets free in the live setting!Much of what I write here will be a sort of reverse reaction--I actually reacted adversely when I heard the studio original, after being used to this one--I simply could not stand it! The thing felt wrong from so many angles. Almost immediately, the first thing that separates PULSE from the studio original is the slowed tempo--this creates a swaying feeling...as though things really are coming through in waves that push the "numb" listener back and forth...a feeling that was very much lacking in the less expressive studio version. Also, the guitar throughout the whole song (not just the famous solo) is far more passionately played--and in the second solo, there is even a screaming noise that sounds as if it could be all of the agony that Pink held inside until then.The sound itself is very flowing, so rich that it is almost tangible, lifted upwards by the beautiful synth playing of Richard Wright. Without knowing a thing about the circumstances of the breakup, this is something I immediately noted in the studio album as a hollow absence...as though the music had been forcibly sucked dry. But how wonderfully things changed, in the creation of this new Floyd fan seven years ago. It is none other than Mr. Wright himself that takes over for the now absent Roger Waters. He really takes well to the role, and his enthusiasm shows clearly in the musical result.Forever it will be his haunting, ethereal sounding voice that I associate with the "doctor" in "Comfortably Numb". Mr. Wright can pull off an incredibly spooky effect when he wants to--you can almost imagine the nearly walled-in Pink hearing this voice coming through as though from another plane, one in which he no longer fully functions. This, and the incredible musical power of this song, both in the guitar solo and in Mr. Wright's contribution, make this easily the best version of "Comfortably Numb" in existence.All in all, this is probably the Floyd's best concert album."

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