Movie DVDAt long last Pink Floyd: Pulse has arrived on DVD, and Floyd fans already know it’s a major cause to celebrate. The original VHS release was a milestone bestseller, but it seemed to take forever for the DVD to arrive, with numerous delays while Floyd guitarist David Gilmour and long-time Floyd producer James Guthrie labored to restore, re-edit, and remix this legendary concert video in 5.1-channel Dolby Surround Sound. The resulting two-disc set was well worth the wait: While the limitations of the original video source are still evident in the sometimes-hazy image quality (Gilmour would later admit the concert should have been captured on film), Floyd fans will unanimously agree that Pulse has never looked or sounded better, and only the absence of group co-founder Roger Waters prevents this from being the ultimate document of Pink Floyd in performance. (Even without Waters, it’s easily one of the group’s most impressive stage productions.) Gracefully directed with minimal intrusion by veteran music video and concert director David Mallet, and shot on video during Pink Floyd’s two-week stint at London’s Earls Court Exhibition Centre in October 1994, this 145-minute performance (from Floyd’s Division Bell tour) is a sonic marvel to behold. Under a massive arch festooned with then-state-of-the-art laser, lighting, and projection systems, the 1987 incarnation of Pink Floyd (Gilmour, keyboardist Richard Wright, and drummer Nick Mason) and their stellar supporting band kicks off with “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” (a loving tribute to Floyd co-founder Syd Barrett), followed by four tracks from The Division Bell, two from 1987′s A Momentary Lapse of Reason, “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” from 1979′s magnum opus The Wall, and leading into intermission with an absolutely stunning performance of “One of These Days,” the timeless opening track from 1971′s Meddle.
The centerpiece of Disc 2 is a near-perfect performance of 1974′s Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety–reason enough to make this a must-have DVD for even the most casual Floyd admirers. And while no one will ever re-create the sheer magnificence of Clare Torry’s original tour de force vocals on “The Great Gig in the Sky,” it’s safe to say that backup singers Sam Brown, Claudia Fontaine, and Durga McBroom deliver the next best thing, in addition to seamless contributions throughout the concert. After the closing heartbeat of “Eclipse,” the concert ends with encore performances of “Wish You Were Here,” “Comfortably Numb,” and a no-holds-barred, pyrotechnically explosive rendition of The Wall‘s “Run Like Hell,” all showcasing Gilmour’s guitar mastery with frequent close-ups of his picking and fret-work as seen throughout the concert. (Like Gilmour, Mason and Wright were never dynamic onstage, and that’s true here as well, but their technical precision is fully evident, and while guitarist Tim Renwick and saxophonist Dick Parry are each given moments to shine, bassist Guy Pratt is a worthy substitution for Waters, especially when vocally sparring with Gilmour on “Run Like Hell.”)
With beautiful packaging, an 8-page booklet, and menu designs by long-time Floyd associate Storm Thorgerson, the DVDs offer an abundance of bonus features including “Bootlegging the Bootleggers,” featuring surprisingly good-quality “boot” video performances of “What Do You Want From Me?,” “On the Turning Away,” “Poles Apart,” and “Marooned.” The surreal round-ratio screen films seen throughout the concert can all be viewed independently (still in round format, and several offered in both original and alternate versions). Music videos for “Learning to Fly” and “Take It Back” are included on Disc 1, along with “Tour Stuff” including maps, itineraries, and stage plans for the 1994 tour. “Say Goodbye to Life as We Know It” is a playful backstage video (mostly involving the production staff’s ongoing quest for a good pint of beer), and after delivering a heartfelt introduction to Pink Floyd’s 1996 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (with Roger Waters and Syd Barrett acknowledged by Gilmour), Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan joins Gilmour and Wright for a moving acoustic performance of “Wish You Were Here” (directed at Waters, perhaps?). Additional features include album cover art, a photo gallery, and the concert-only audio choice between a 448kbps audio bitstream or a higher-quality 640kbps stream for higher-quality DVD players. The system set-up feature ensures that audiophiles will achieve optimum speaker performance in keeping with Pink Floyd’s exacting technical standards. In tandem with the superior concert presentation, these features make Pulse one of the best–if not the best–music DVDs of 2006, guaranteed to satisfy Floyd fans for many years to come. –Jeff Shannon
More from Pink Floyd and David Gilmour
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Buy “Pink Floyd – Pulse” For Only $11.44
February 5, 2006
#1
PF died when Roger left…He and Syd founded the band … without them it was all just a downhill grab for money.
Who needs Gilmours drone of a voice … (He was a good backing singer – but a horrible lyricist).
And yeah – He wanks away on guitar … but there are a million guitarists who can play just as good – you’ll just never hear of them because they didn’t have the good fortune to rest upon someone elses laurels.
REMEMBER- David was simply a replacement for Syd.
Nothing more than a session guy.
February 5, 2006
#2
Listened with Sennheiser 595′s, the best that I have found, had 555 for a couple years they are nice too, but cant touch 595′s, pay the dif and see, er I mean hear.
First off, their should be a cardinal rule, you can NOT write a review if you have only seen a concert dvd once. you must watch it twice or even 3 times. Even as I have this rule, I was even someone taken in pretty good the first time I watched this DVD. I have now watched it 3 times in one week. I have also watched “Flesh” DVD maybe 10-12 times in the last year. That one gets 5 stars on my review, I am not faulting Roger for no stage show like this one so I gave him 5, because I just fig that kind of stuff just doesn’t happen anymore, way to costly, esp if you going to do a states wide tour. But I will be waiting and watching for his no doubt new dvd that will come out of his current 06 tour with a huge stage. Until then.
Second off the top this dvd is NOT closed Captioned ability ( Roger Waters in the Flesh is year 2000!) NO excuse for a dvd that has been held up for months and months. People need to flat understand this. One star alone off for this
ok its not like it’s the best thing to do is compare videos/concerts, but at times you just have too. For once something comes out that is real good; it has to be at least equaled or better, not backwards. Once a standard has been set, its set, that’s all there is to it.
I am also not into the Roger vs David deal. It is just plain and simple, is it good or not, not complicated to understand that. I don’t care if the whole band was together still, ( pick a band, any band, same thing applies) if one video/concert was better than another, then call it like it is, simple as that.
Also, the state of Rock and Roll is deplorable today, so when something comes out, anything, it’s like “oh cool”! Many people that write the reviews in here are not even 40 ( I am 42 ) and missed out on all the great shows of the 70′s and 80′s. pick a band, many of them smoked. Today? I have seen hundreds of shows, so I know. Saw PF in 86, was better than this show. The sax player at that show was all over the place when he would solo, body all over. Pulse guy sounded very good, but just stood there. I have a CD player if I want to just listen.
Well when the Eagle and Paul McCartney come out and tour and charge 250 a ticket and sell out everywhere, well that says allot. For they are not even as good as yester year! Nothing substitutes the energy of youth and a concert. The only time I have seen where this does not apply is Cream Reunion DVD 2005. They sound better than ever! ( well getting off drugs and booze helps allot haha )
having said all that.
Get your vote no fingers ready, but to bad, truth is the truth. If you’re under 40 then you won’t get it.
…………..wellllllllll I have to say I’m more than a little disappointed in this DVD. Now don’t get me wrong, it is the best DVD of Pink Floyd available at this time but wow I really had expected much better quality.
Light show is the best I have ever seen, but don’t be fooled by, as they say about church, ( pomp and circumstance ) or ( all show and no go )
this show doesn’t even get *going* until almost all the way through the first disc.
I suppose my biggest issue with PULSE is that while the performances are mostly perfect, they are cold and barren sounding, like a band tired of playing the same songs over and over. Roger Waters’ ‘In the Flesh’ DVD may have not sounded as original, the group obviously enjoyed themselves and that came through making the viewing more pleasurable.
Doyle Bramhall II on “Flesh” pretty much almost stole the show. From what I see the new Roger R tour has the whole band back together from “Flesh” BUT DBII! Well well, so I just don’t know and will have to do the wait and see deal.
Flesh is way better sounding than Pulse, but no stage props. So when I heard Roger was coming out again with the same band and all the stage props I went weeeeeeeeeeeeee, then I heard no BDII
Why? Did he not want to do it again?
Did Roger not want him on again?
Was/ is Roger jealous that BD stole the show, thus his “thunder”?
Does BD know he smoked on the dvd and wants more of the share of the shows than before and Roger said no?
Whatever the reason, once something works good DON’T MESS WITH IT! but its being messed with. Pretty much this is the main reason I am not going to go see it live, for what if its not as good?
Can’t go backwards, life is to short for that. Pay $500 and be bummed? Would rather pay $20 for the dvd and be bummed it didn’t work out then the show.
Been there done that with LOTS of bad shows, way more bad shows in 25 years then good ones. Tired or wasting money, it gets old ya know?. After the flesh dvd I went man! Missed the show! Will NOT miss it if it comes again. But no DBII on this tour.
Another Pulse bummer, David’s voice was not even up to par, not even. His guitar was awesome.
Plus David does not have much stage presence, and that is important. I have a CD player if I want to just listen.
Bass player on this show using “Slap” technique”, cool to hear it but it’s not PF sound.
the guy with shoulder length curly hair, black vest on, white long sleeve, plays the synth, he was on Flesh also, on this dvd you just “saw” him here and there, didn’t stand out. on Flesh, I still remember him on Dogs, starting out the song with an acoustic song and solo singing, very good job. now this is how you do a show. Spread it all around, give people some solo. I have a CD player if I want to just listen.
no excuses on old tech 94 yada yada yada, see Led Zeps DVD, best concert DVD released EVER. sounds killer. Or is there not a master tape for this PF show? well ok then, but if so.
The 3 singers, they were faded way into the background, unlike Flesh dvd where the 3 ladies stood out much better. Some PF “purists” may say that’s not a good thing, that’s debatable. However, music and well as women, have come along way since orig PF was recorded. Women are much more accepted to stand out and lead now. Its not like they were soloing all over the place, a few real good ones ( Mother! ), now WHO can say that Mother on Flesh DVD doesn’t sound better than the orig CD? it blows the orig CD away!
The Encore was good, awesome ball that falls from the ceiling. And hey LOOK, David is actually moving! Some kind of hokie pokie dancing, or shuffling of some kind. And way more lights movement. I guess all this falls under bust them good on the last couple of songs and that’s how they will remember you and forget the rest of the show was lame? Well the fans got into it ( for the first time and where pumping arms as you can see ) no David, doesn’t work that way. well it does in here as one can see on the reviews, but like I said, most are young and missed out on allot, and many people are easily pleased.
Oh ya that plane that comes flying out of nowhere, that was good! Rewinded that one 3 times.
February 5, 2006
#3
I will never buy a PF concert without Roger Waters in it.
Enough said.
February 5, 2006
#4
I’m not sure how people can review a DVD that’s not even out yet.This is just simple speculation.Division Bell is the worst Pink Floyd album ever made Followed a close second by A Momentary Lapse of Reason.David Gilmour has already said this concert looks terrible .
February 5, 2006
#5
After all the years of waiting, I can’t believe this DVD is going to be released in atrocious 4:3 aspect ratio, NOT 16:9. What a disaster and utter disappointment. It’s nice you get a remastered 5.1 DD audio experience, but visually this concert is incredible and needs to be accomodated in finer picture quality. You can forget about an High-Definition version of this concert coming out anytime soon, because it isn’t. Now I really don’t care. What a joke!