Pink Floyd
Pulse

THE REVIEW

PULSE THE SURPLUS. 

Well. . . I'd say let's skip the usual pointless chatter about who Pink Floyd is, Syd Barrett, the flying pig, and The Wall, blah blah. These are well-known things, now even found as stickers in the 6-pack Kinder Cereali boxes at SMA. Instead, I'd like to draw your attention (for a few minutes) to this double musical DVD, yet another Semi-Christmas Treat (albeit far in advance) for fans that presents - beware - almost the same double CD (or almost) from 1995 BUT in a version with images taken from those famous concerts: essentially 2 CDs in DVD format. (For those who didn’t know, a "Pulse Baby" version played by Nason, Wright, and Gilmour's sons is already scheduled for 2008, and in 2009 the double "Pulsatilla", a version of the same 2 CDs remastered by the new emerging writer… It seems like nonsense, but you'll see if it isn't so!)
I'm not saying it's a bad testimony or poorly done work, not at all. . . it’s still Pink Floyd and there’s still the usual good music. . . I'm just saying that fans, record labels, and media are picking at an (excellent) corpse like insatiable vultures willing to do anything to grab what's left. What more is there to say? Are there unseen clips? never-before-seen photo galleries, snippets from cartoons? a rare video of Gilmour clipping his toenails? "Wish You Were Here" sung with Billy Corgan, "Time" performed by Iam James, "Money" sung by Cristiano Malgioglio (no. . . not that yet)? the names of the tour's crew?! The names of the webmasters who managed the site? In short. . . How much more can be squeezed out of these three dinosaurs who are nearing retirement? How much longer will the record label keep scraping the barrel?! How much more fluff will the most praised Pink Floyd fans in Rock History have to endure?! And above all: how many more millions of euros will flow into the perpetually dry coffers of English EMI Records (and those of the three surviving band members now a faded pink)?! Why must everything (or much of it at the dawn of this century) be reduced to the haphazard and uncontrolled marketing of artistic products born with far nobler intents? Why must we constantly bow to this damn Global Marketing, the true Hidden Plague of the coming years?
A Proposal: and instead of sucking up yet another DVD-SPECIAL-DOUBLE-SURROUND-LAMEROTANT-SUPERCAZZOLA ETC., what if we all chip in together, like 1 euro each (considering we are 20 million young people only in Italy, shouldn't that be enough?) and donate it to the "poor-bloodsucker-Emi-English" wouldn't that be an idea?! Just to see what effect it gives as our local doctor from Brianza would say. . . So, let's write then, in block letters and legible handwriting:
"I, the undersigned. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . born in. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . residing in. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Italy), DONATE the sum of 1 Euro to your label so you won't hassle us anymore with triple Deluxe, Gold Platinum Lead Collection compilations, Live Blah Acoustic etc. Please, take this money and let's not talk about it anymore. Goodbye and thanks. Sincerely (signature). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "
Send it all to: EMI House, 43 Brook Green, London, W6 7EF

And let's see if by Easter (at least), we can avoid the usual promotional package of a "Live Pulse Unplugged Session" with the same tracks from Gilmour and company's demos in the garage under the house on the same old squeaky 4-track more creaky than Jack (who’s back in the group). Want to bet 1 euro that by Easter something similar comes out? You say no?! Shake my hand; I'm in!

For the maniacs, here's the complete Tracklist:

Part 1: Shine On You Crazy Diamond; Learning To Fly; High Hopes; Take It Back; Coming Back To Life; Sorrow; Keep Talking; Another Brick In The Wall (part 2); One of These Days; Screen Films: ; Shine On You Crazy Diamond; High Hopes; Learning to Fly; Bootlegging the Bootleggers: ; What Do You Want From Me; On The Turning Way; Poles Apart; Marooned. Videos: Learning To Fly; Take It Back; Tour stuff: Maps, itinerary, stage plans.

Tracklist Concert - Part 2: Speak To Me; Breathe; On The Run; Time; The Great Gig In The Sky; Money; Us And Them; Any Colour You Like; Brain Damage; Eclipse; Wish You Were Here; Comfortably Numb; Run Like Hell. Screen Films: Speak To Me (graphic); On The Run; Time 1994; The Great Gig in the Sky (wave); Money; Us And Them 1987 - Brain Damage -Eclipse; Alternate Screen Films: ; Speak to Me 1987; Time (Ian Eames); The Great Gig In The Sky (animation); Money (Alien) -Us And Them 1994; Behind the Scenes Footage: ; Goodbye To Life As We Know It ; Photo Gallery; The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony (US 1996) - Wish You Were Here with Billy Corgan.