Pink Floyd
London 1966/1967

Syd left us last summer… but he left Pink Floyd a long time ago… back in 1968… and to think how far our Floyds have come on their own without the crazy diamond, their founder.

And sometimes I think… damn, how would they have been born, or how would our dear four have become famous without Syd's songs??? Needless to say, he was the soul of the band, he was the one who wrote the lyrics and the music, he was the inspiration behind the light shows so loved in the London underground. Seeing Syd sitting on stage improvising on "Interstellar Overdrive" in this DVD feels (at least to me) very melancholic. It seems like I'm seeing a genius alienated from the fantastic moment that was passing.

Yes, because the dream lasted little, too little, but certainly enough to be remembered by everyone and to leave an indelible mark in the history of rock. This DVD contains scenes of Pink Floyd during their concerts in London clubs (particularly at the UFO) in the psychedelic years of "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn". There are 2 songs: "Interstellar Overdrive"(16:46) and "Nick's Boogie" (11:50).

Do you know "Interstellar Overdrive" in the album version?? Well… forget it… because here it is a completely different song, completely improvised, truly fantastic. Notice, in this DVD, the light show, it is one of the few occasions where it can be seen. Syd's improvisations leave you stunned, they all seem out of scale, it seems like he's playing a detuned guitar, but then you understand that this was exactly the effect he wanted to achieve: to amaze the viewer. Also note the clothes of the time, now they seem quite ridiculous… but fashions change, we know that. Follows "Nick's Boogie", a song I had never even heard of. The drum start gives way to another dive into the underground. Less beautiful song instrumentally than "Interstellar Overdrive" but no less fascinating for that. The DVD is completed by a series of interviews with director Pete Whitehead, Mick Jagger, and other figures of the era.

Highly recommended DVD for Pink Floyd lovers, and for all lovers of the underground scene.