Release Date: Jun 1995
Label: Columbia
Genres: Album Rock, Prog-Rock/Art Rock, Hard Rock
Number Of Tracks: 24
Pink Floyd play the greatest hits and the new songs professionally, yet the versions differ only slightly from the original recordings, making P.U.L.S.E. a tepid experience.
P.U.L.S.E.
Reviewed by:
fendergibson, on april 05, 2006 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Sound: If anything, Pink Floyd, itself, as a total magnum opus of rock music, with their heavily-processed guitars, sound effects, and lyrical style. PULSE heavily emphasizes David Gilmour's guitar solos, making Comfortably Numb, a usual 6 minutes, 25 seconds, a whopping 9 minutes 32, thanks to an extended guitar solo. The (interesting) cover of the double-disc set is a dilated pupil, surrounded by an iris, and orbited by the moon, with various photographic and painted imagery around it. The cover itself was designed by Storm Thorgeson, a long-time painter for The Floyd, with a distinctive style himself, and has also worked with some computer effects, on albums such as Wish You Were Here, Dark Side Of The Moon, Animals, and the photography on the Piper at the Gates Of Dawn. Their use of sound effects to blend each song into the next is quite effective, and one last thing: look out for Learning To Fly. Personally, I liked the album version better, with the guitar intro. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: Although Roger Water's lyrical style is quite a distinctive sound, David Gilmour and Richard Wrights vocal cords can't exactly pull off that Waters sound. David sings rather low, and Wright has a tendancy towards The Beatles sound. However, I enjoyed the music, and some songs were better than others, so I've relingquished a bit. // 8
Impression: As for overall impression, PULSE is a pathetic attempt at a 'Best Of' album. I'm sorry, but there's always Echoes. I also think that among all the fancy packaging, there is a message. A message that says "We want Roger back, we're trying to get back into the scene" thing. As for me, I'm off to listen to DSOTM again. // 6
P.U.L.S.E.
Reviewed by:
indian rocker, on january 06, 2006 2 of 4 people found this review helpful
Sound: Pink Floyd created history with Dark Side Of The Moon, released several albums afterwards which had again gone to the top. After 20 years they performed live at the earls court, on Oct. 20 1994, London, one of the worlds greatest live show. They performed live at the same year 'The Division Bell' was released. The show, more popularly known as P.U.L.S.E. The guitaring is absolutely phenominal, with David Gilmour and Tim Renweck on the main guitars, and Guy Pratt on the bass, Richard Wright on the keyboards and Nick Mason on the drums. P.U.L.S.E. is one of the best Pink Floyd albums with the highest energy produced when you listen to it. Tim Renwick used his normal electric and acoustic one, while Gilmour uses his Apple Red Strato, his acoustic guitar and his Lapsteel guitar. The sound is clear and melodic. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: Pink Floyd don't know how to create stupid lyrics. The lyrics of Shine On about Syd Barett say you were caught in the crossfire of childhood and stardom, torn on the steel breeze, and we're just 2 lost souls swimming in an fish bowl year after yer from wish you were here, and a soul in tension is learning to fly, condition grounded but deermined to try from learning to fly. Their lyrics completely suit with their sound they produce. However Gilmour's voice is changed as he sings after a long gap. // 10
Impression: Since it is an live album, the energy still remains the same wherever you listen to it, whenever you listen to it. And the sound is clearer than their earlier album Live delicate sound of thunder. The album contains superb tracks like Shine On You Crazy Diamond [part 1-5], Learning To Fly, High Hopes, Coming Back To Life, Sorrow, Time, Breathe In The Air, Money, Us And Them, Comfortably Numb, Brain Damage And Most Of All, the unforgetable Wish You Were Here. The album has excellent guitar solos which you guys must listen to like the solos from Learning To fly, Wish You Were Here, Comfortably Numb, but the solo of Coming Back To Life is the best but Sorrow's solo at the end becomes a little boring. The thing I love about this album is that it's simply Pink Floyd and different. Roger Waters absence only dissapointed me. Superb guitaring, superb solos, superb vocals, superb purcussions from nick mason, the superb energy, what else can you ask for. if The album were stolen or lost, I would definately buy it again. And if it were again lost, I would again without hesitation buy it again. If you have bought the album, also buy the P.U.L.S.E. DVD which was out on 5th Dec. 2005. // 10
P.U.L.S.E.
Reviewed by:
someone_not_you, on july 25, 2007 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Sound: In 1994, with the release of "The Division Bell", Pink Floyd went to one of the most extensive, massive, gigantic tours by a major rock band ever. Touring with various assisting musicians (extra guitarist, extra percussionist, extra keyboardist, the usual three-girl choir), the European (and final) leg of the tour ended with an impressive, and record-breaking two-week residency at Earl's Court in London. PULSE is the live document of the European tour and (mostly) of the London concerts. And it's a pretty good live album. Even for such a late period. It could be "Delicate Sound of Thunder part 2", but fortunately, Gilmour, Wright, Mason, and the multiple musicians assting them correct the problems of the previous live release. How? Well, sure "The Division Bell" is better than "A Momentary Lapse of Reason", and of the latter we get only the best stuff. As for "The Division Bell" tracks, the only weak is "A Great Day for Freedom", which, coincidentially, was "Division Bell"'s weakest song. For the originals, well, "Another Brick in the Wall" is not so nice, but is saved by Gilmour's and assisting guitarist Tim Renwick soloing. Oh, and there's a surprise, the second disc contains a complete performance of Dark Side of the Moon. It has it's share of defects, though. "Money" is disgusting, the solo on "Time" is bad, and there are some minor defects.
So, these were the problems with this release, now lets concentrate with the best things about it. First, a powerful version of "Astronomy Domine", perhaps more powerful than the original. A pleasant surprise for the album. Then we have a good performance of "Learning to Fly" (though it's not so different from the "Delicate Sound of Thunder"), and a pretty good performance of "What Do You Want from Me?". There's also an OK performance of "Hey You" (though it may not sound convincing always). Oh, and the best recording of "Sorrow", improved, and extended enough to convince me that this wasn't too much a filler track of "A Momentary Lapse". Great guitar. Also, the best version of "Coming Back to Life", this sounds more powerful than the original for some reason I can't explain. And finally, we have the closing three gems: "Wish You Were Here" (even if is not the definitive rendition of the song as some people tend to name it, it's an excelent performance), "Comfortably Numb" (along with "Astronomy Domine" the best song here, thanks to an amazing 5-minute solo (that is in fact an edit of SIX minute solo), and a superpowerful "Run Like Hell", with the strange intro noises, and an effective coda. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: Well, there's no much banter, but that's what you expect from a Pink Floyd live performance, isn't that? Oh, and the vocals. Just as seven years before, Gilmour's vocals aren't too stronger for "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", but his voice is needed after the long introductory instrumental passages of "Sorrow" and "Coming Back to Life". Oh, and unfortunately for late Floyd, Waters is needed for the vocals on "Another Brick in the Wall", but fortunately, the vocals aren't you'll be more interested in "Comfortably Numb". // 7
Impression: If you're already a more or less experienced Floyd fan that is trying to find a live album you may like, start from Ummagumma's live album, the best official live album they ever released. However, move to this after you know enough of the band. Is an interesting double album, filled with two hours and a half of average-to-great live (and late) Floyd. Enjoy! // 8
fender, PULSE is not supposed to be a greatest hits show, no live show is. This show was made to endorse the Division Bell and give a bunch of old favourites, of not only the listeners, but of the band itself. Another thing, your Waters comment, they aren't putting on a show to get Roger back, the Division Bell album is about Roger, and the hard times he put the rest of them through. Don't get me wrong though, Roger Waters is my favourite member of the band. I don't know who you think you are to give it a 6 on impression, maybe you should put on a show yourself and see how great it turns out.
A correction, the DVD was actually released on July 11, 2006. I actually saw an atractive laserdisc release from a collector who was selling it, but guess it was way too much expensive...
As for overall impression, PULSE is a pathetic attempt at a 'Best Of' album. I'm sorry, but there's always Echoes.
No way. Even if PULSE was a performance of old and new stuff, and even if in a certain way is for hardcore fans, it's not a flaccid compilation like 'Echoes' (and many others) is. I enjoy a thousand times more the live and sometimes exciting ambient of it than the incomplete compilation... Also, you may want to reconsider you rating particularly for the powerful performance of "Astronomy Domine" or the solo on "Comfortably Numb", or many other "little" details...
Get Roger Waters' "In the Flesh Live" CD/DVD if you want to hear/see a GOOD live performance. This is mediocre material at best, and the Division Bell songs just sound awful. All the songs written and sung by Waters sound terrible here, and it really feels like a lackluster commercial sellout album from a lackluster commercial sellout stadium tour. The only good thing that came out of the '87 and '94 tours were that they seperated the TRUE Floyd fans from the phonies. The phonies took this garbage in along with all their other bubble gum crap, while the TRUE Floyd fans went to see Roger Waters live instead. Waters' performances have heart and soul. These do not.
