In preparation for the Roger Waters concert held here in Malta yesterday night, I decided to watch this filmed relic of pre-superstardom Pink Floyd which I've taped off local TV several years ago. Obviously, the psychedelia--tinged songs including "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun" (which Waters also included in his Malta set) can't be faulted and the fact that the film offers a unique insight into the birth of the Floyd's magnum opus, "Dark Side Of The Moon" (1973) - which would forever change their fortunes and status in rock - would arguably make this essential viewing for serious rock fans everywhere.
However, I have to say that the film as a whole was somewhat disappointing: starting from the fact that the title is a misnomer as this is not a filmed concert but rather a no-nonsense rehearsal, since only members of the crew (the band's and the film's) are present on the strikingly picturesque site of the Pompeii ruins, this is a largely uninspired filming of an emerging and ambitiously progressive band with static shots of the performing members alternating with repetitive crane shots and interspersed with images of bubbling volcanic lava. Besides, the film-makers' attempts at catching the Floyd in a casual mood (dining, during recording sessions, giving candid interviews and having in-band discussions) pale significantly in comparison to what The Beatles did in A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (1964).
However, I have to say that the film as a whole was somewhat disappointing: starting from the fact that the title is a misnomer as this is not a filmed concert but rather a no-nonsense rehearsal, since only members of the crew (the band's and the film's) are present on the strikingly picturesque site of the Pompeii ruins, this is a largely uninspired filming of an emerging and ambitiously progressive band with static shots of the performing members alternating with repetitive crane shots and interspersed with images of bubbling volcanic lava. Besides, the film-makers' attempts at catching the Floyd in a casual mood (dining, during recording sessions, giving candid interviews and having in-band discussions) pale significantly in comparison to what The Beatles did in A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (1964).