Pink Floyds - Pulse

Discussions about Pink Floyd and Solo Official Album CDs and DVDs.

Rate this album

5 - Best
17
27%
4
29
45%
3
7
11%
2
5
8%
1 - Worst
6
9%
 
Total votes: 64

ChickenStu
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Re: Pink Floyds - Pulse

Post by ChickenStu »

Follix wrote:all the rest is an upgrade vs studio version to my ears, especially Sorrow and the 3 encores.
I'd agree. "Sorrow" and "Comfortably Numb" are the absolute highlights of this in my opinion.
Neil
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Re: Pink Floyds - Pulse

Post by Neil »

azza200 wrote:i agree. Pulse is to over produced, Brick p2 is a shite version you can tell the band is bored on that night same with Time very bland boring performance over produced loss of atmosphere mix

Lyon is just epic along its my fav version from 1994 :D along with Modena, Hannover, Torino, Rotterdam, Gelsenkirchen, Basel, Oslo to name a few

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lcoA04bDNk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbVGIk3zqpw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4uXSmwDzYk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1mZrpGBodM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvRIdk5BYmA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mq8_n7g-_k

Those are some of the best versions of Sorrrow from 1994 IMHO and are all well worth shows getting hold of for excellent performances which are alot better then found on Pulse's.

I listen to DSOT more then Pulse

I rate it 3 overall its good but not great great i have bootlegs from the tour which are better then the album and is what i go to for my fix from the tour be it video or audio
Interesting you say its overproduced actually. I was reading an article somewhere (either in a guitar magazine or on Gilmourish.com) which was explaining in detail the use of reverb. The article was basically saying that the natural reverb (ie, the reflection of the sound in the arena, and then decay as it is absorbed by surfaces) you would expect to hear in an arena gig wasn't actually picked up in the recording of Pulse, because the sound was recorded from a variety of microphones throughout the arena, and particularly up close to the instruments; the natural reverb was barely heard at all. Reverb was instead added in post production to give the effect of listening to the music in an arena, as though you were an audience member.

I think you can really hear the difference in some of the recordings on youtube. If you take this version of the outro solo on CN for example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPdlJFDpU6o

Not sure what format this was recorded on (live broadcast / laserdisc?) but aside from the obvious inclusion of about a minute's worth of licks that were excised from the CD version, the sound is also completely different. Tim Renwick's acoustic guitar, for example, is far more noticeable, to the extent that I can hear what chords are being played, rather than just a rhythm accompanying the drums with the chord sounds being indiscernible. The drums also have a lot more attack, and at that little section from about 1min 22secs, you can hear a double hit on the drums which is barely picked up on the CD.

Questions of sound production aside, I felt most of the CD was excellent in terms of its selection of tracks (or versions of tracks). Personally I rate this version of Time highly, as well as Hey You. The phrasing Gilmour uses in those solos just hangs together so well, its a thrill to listen to. You might have a point with Brick 2 - I preferred the DVD version over the CD version; its a completely different animal. CN though - I don't think has been bettered than on Pulse. Its an absolute rollercoaster, and a brilliant one at that. I can kind of see why that minute in the middle was cut out, but even including it, its the best version I've heard. And Ive heard a lot!
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azza200
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Re: Pink Floyds - Pulse

Post by azza200 »

Not sure what format this was recorded on (live broadcast / laserdisc?) but aside from the obvious inclusion of about a minute's worth of licks that were excised from the CD version, the sound is also completely different. Tim Renwick's acoustic guitar, for example, is far more noticeable, to the extent that I can hear what chords are being played, rather than just a rhythm accompanying the drums with the chord sounds being indiscernible. The drums also have a lot more attack, and at that little section from about 1min 22secs, you can hear a double hit on the drums which is barely picked up on the CD.
After playing that clip i agree and there is difference in sound and what instruments are picked up on the actual cd version true about Tim's acoustic is more noticeable on the PPV audio there is a FM radio broadcast bootleg of 20/10/94 which i need to listen too. Also on Learning to Fly Gary does the double tap thing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l037bbnZR0 part at 1.55 that drum beat is not on the live album yet the same drum parts by Gary at 3.48-50 are.
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Re: Pink Floyds - Pulse

Post by drafsack »

I played this again after some time and realised that the running order on the packaging and the CD are different. the packaging has Hey you at 06 and Coming back to life at 07 but on the CD they are reversed - still sounds good though
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Re: Pink Floyds - Pulse

Post by Rooster1 »

Excellent news!!! "On May 18th, a remastered edition of live album Pulse will be available as a 4-LP box set, making it the album’s first vinyl reissue since it was first released in 1995. Featuring audio remastered from the original tapes by James Guthrie, Joel Plante and Bernie Grundman, the songs will be pressed on 180-gram wax and ensconced in individual inner and outer sleeves. As on the live recording’s original cassette release, this edition will also include “One Of These Days”, which wasn’t included on the CD version. There’s also a 52-page hardback photo book, as well as artwork that’s been recreated by Hipgnosis’ Aubrey Powell and Peter Curzon. Curzon, it should be noted, worked on the original packaging with late Hipgnosis cofounder Storm Thorgerson."

About time too.
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Re: Pink Floyds - Pulse

Post by drafsack »

All yours for £99.99 - bargain :---)
Neil
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Re: Pink Floyds - Pulse

Post by Neil »

Rooster1 wrote: Fri Mar 23, 2018 1:16 pm Excellent news!!! "On May 18th, a remastered edition of live album Pulse will be available as a 4-LP box set, making it the album’s first vinyl reissue since it was first released in 1995. Featuring audio remastered from the original tapes by James Guthrie, Joel Plante and Bernie Grundman, the songs will be pressed on 180-gram wax and ensconced in individual inner and outer sleeves. As on the live recording’s original cassette release, this edition will also include “One Of These Days”, which wasn’t included on the CD version. There’s also a 52-page hardback photo book, as well as artwork that’s been recreated by Hipgnosis’ Aubrey Powell and Peter Curzon. Curzon, it should be noted, worked on the original packaging with late Hipgnosis cofounder Storm Thorgerson."

About time too.
Don’t know exactly when PULSE was released - 1995 maybe? - but I know most of the tracks for the PULSE album were taken from an Earls Court concert in 1894... which means later this year will be the 25th anniversary of those concerts. I wonder if they’ll remaster and re-release PULSE on CD/DVD/another digital format (for those of us that don’t have the means to play vinyl??)
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Re: Pink Floyds - Pulse

Post by DarkSideFreak »

Neil wrote: Fri Apr 05, 2019 7:09 pm
Rooster1 wrote: Fri Mar 23, 2018 1:16 pm Excellent news!!! "On May 18th, a remastered edition of live album Pulse will be available as a 4-LP box set, making it the album’s first vinyl reissue since it was first released in 1995. Featuring audio remastered from the original tapes by James Guthrie, Joel Plante and Bernie Grundman, the songs will be pressed on 180-gram wax and ensconced in individual inner and outer sleeves. As on the live recording’s original cassette release, this edition will also include “One Of These Days”, which wasn’t included on the CD version. There’s also a 52-page hardback photo book, as well as artwork that’s been recreated by Hipgnosis’ Aubrey Powell and Peter Curzon. Curzon, it should be noted, worked on the original packaging with late Hipgnosis cofounder Storm Thorgerson."

About time too.
Don’t know exactly when PULSE was released - 1995 maybe? - but I know most of the tracks for the PULSE album were taken from an Earls Court concert in 1894... which means later this year will be the 25th anniversary of those concerts. I wonder if they’ll remaster and re-release PULSE on CD/DVD/another digital format (for those of us that don’t have the means to play vinyl??)
Don't make us feel even older!

I'd like a blu-ray disc, but given the source material, I'm not sure what the chance of that is.

Remixing the original album, or at least re-instating OOTD to the CD would also be recommended.

There are some great performances here (Sorrow especially) but they're drowning in the mix.
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Re: Pink Floyds - Pulse

Post by Neil »

DarkSideFreak wrote: Wed Apr 17, 2019 1:25 pm
Neil wrote: Fri Apr 05, 2019 7:09 pm

Don’t know exactly when PULSE was released - 1995 maybe? - but I know most of the tracks for the PULSE album were taken from an Earls Court concert in 1894... which means later this year will be the 25th anniversary of those concerts. I wonder if they’ll remaster and re-release PULSE on CD/DVD/another digital format (for those of us that don’t have the means to play vinyl??)
Don't make us feel even older!

I'd like a blu-ray disc, but given the source material, I'm not sure what the chance of that is.

Remixing the original album, or at least re-instating OOTD to the CD would also be recommended.

There are some great performances here (Sorrow especially) but they're drowning in the mix.
:D

Whoops!

Absolutely with you on OOTD... never understood why that wasn’t included on the CD, it was an excellent performance.
dj865
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Re: Pink Floyds - Pulse

Post by dj865 »

Hey all

I was at the Earls Court gig - October 94, but I don't remember which night (I think possibly a Monday night!) and I'm trying to recall the ACTUAL set list from the night I was there! The album itself doesn't match my recollection. Specifically, Coming Back to Life and Great Day for Freedom - were these played every night? Don't think I heard Poles Apart either, but I could be mistaken.

I need to watch the video of it again (not seen it in years) but I believe the footage may be pieced together from various nights?

Wish I'd kept my ticket :(
mabewa
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Re: Pink Floyds - Pulse

Post by mabewa »

dj865 wrote: Mon Dec 02, 2019 1:17 pm Hey all

I was at the Earls Court gig - October 94, but I don't remember which night (I think possibly a Monday night!) and I'm trying to recall the ACTUAL set list from the night I was there! The album itself doesn't match my recollection. Specifically, Coming Back to Life and Great Day for Freedom - were these played every night? Don't think I heard Poles Apart either, but I could be mistaken.

I need to watch the video of it again (not seen it in years) but I believe the footage may be pieced together from various nights?

Wish I'd kept my ticket :(
Basically, the live video is the entire October 20 performance in order. The album, though, is a very different story. They used about half of the concert used for the video, but the rest is taken from a whole bunch of different performances. And the setlist on the album was something that they never actually performed, as it's a mix of concerts.

Here's the setlist for the Oct 20th concert--as you can see, only some songs were used in the album.

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/pink-flo ... 767a2.html

And here is the Wiki page for the album, showing where every song was recorded.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse_(Pink_Floyd_album)
mabewa
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Re: Pink Floyds - Pulse

Post by mabewa »

Really, I wish they would expand it into two separate albums: One being the full Oct 20th performance with the DSotM performance, and the other being one of the non-DTotM performances.

As it is, the songs are a mixture of the two main setlists they performance on the Division Bell tour, so it's not a setlist they ever actually performed.

Generally, I've preferred the sound and performances on Pulse to that of DSoT, but now that they are releasing DSoT with the full setlist and with greatly improved sound, I think that Pulse may get eclipsed. Hopefully the standalone version of DSoT won't take too long!
dj865
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Re: Pink Floyds - Pulse

Post by dj865 »

Thanks for that. Comparing all the dates on Setlist , it looks like the recorded night (20th) may well be the night I was there. There was an identical set on the 16th but I'm pretty sure I wasn't there on a weekend night.

Something confusing me is I thought I saw Hey You, but looking at all the nights/ setlists I must be mistaken. The 16th/20th list seems closest. I may be mixing up my memory with watching other nights footage down the years.
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Re: Pink Floyds - Pulse

Post by mabewa »

dj865 wrote: Tue Dec 03, 2019 9:34 am Thanks for that. Comparing all the dates on Setlist , it looks like the recorded night (20th) may well be the night I was there. There was an identical set on the 16th but I'm pretty sure I wasn't there on a weekend night.

Something confusing me is I thought I saw Hey You, but looking at all the nights/ setlists I must be mistaken. The 16th/20th list seems closest. I may be mixing up my memory with watching other nights footage down the years.
Seems that they generally played Hey You on the nights where they didn't tackle the entire DSotM, but not on the nights they did. At the show you saw, did they play the whole DTotM?
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Re: Pink Floyds - Pulse

Post by dj865 »

Yes I saw Dsotm in its entirety :)

I'm now thinking my memory of.hey you has come completely from seeing the VHS a few years later. (Was it televised in the UK? I may have recorded it, if memory serves!)