Pink Floyd
Ummagumma

THE REVIEW

It was already thought of as the beginning of the end for this English band in the last months of 1968. Indeed, after the release of "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" (1967), "A Saucerful Of Secrets" (1968), and "More" (1969), which achieved moderate success, Syd Barrett was showing significant signs of mental imbalance caused by drugs and was removed from the group, replaced by a certain David Gilmour.

In 1969, the turning point album "Ummagumma" was released, composed of two parts: the first consists of four live songs. It begins with "Astronomy Domine," taken from the first album. "Careful With Axe, Eugene" is an instrumental piece, based on an initial bass line and Wright's keyboards, followed by a tremendous scream from Waters and the subsequent explosion of sounds that, as the seconds pass, calms down reaching the end. It is followed by "Set the Controls For The Heart Of The Sun" and closes the first part with a massive version of "A Saucerful Of Secrets," introduced by guitar, keyboards, and drums, whose progression becomes increasingly frenzied until a moment of silence leads to an angelic organ melody accompanied by the bass, to which guitar and Waters' singing join at the end, concluding a spine-chilling piece.

The second part, on the other hand, consists of previously unreleased studio recordings, individually written by the four members of the new Line-Up: opening with "Sysyphus" by Wright, divided into four parts. It’s a piece of classical music for piano: introduction, delirium, improvisation, and suite, which concludes with the initial theme. Waters, however, presents two very different pieces: "Grantchester Meadows" and "Several Species Of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together In A Cave And Grooving With A Pict". The first is acoustic, while the second is a melody constructed from animal sounds, psychedelic effects, and the writer’s voice. Instead, new entry David Gilmour presents a three-part piece entitled "The Narrow Way," immediately showing himself to be a great musician: the first part is acoustic, the second is a repeating bass line covered by psychedelic guitar and keyboard improvisations. Instead, the final part is the pivotal piece: the guitarist manages to give the group a new sound that will characterize them for the rest of their career and make them a key band in the history of music. Drummer Mason concludes with "The Grand Vizier’s Garden Party," a composition where the percussion dominates, enclosed by a flute that sounds sweetly both at the beginning and the end.

This is the first post-Barrett work, in which the band members do not deny the psychedelia of their predecessor, but do not refuse to experiment with new sounds, which as the years go by, they will perfect, and their career will be dotted with ups and downs until 1995, the year of their demise.