Pink Floyd At Pompeii MCMLXXII @ IMAX

Stephen Mazikewich

As a 17 year old I got sucked into the world of Pink Floyd after I borrowed a box set from a friend who still attends concerts with me to this very day. At the time I had no idea what progressive rock was, but I knew I really liked Pink Floyd. One thing I did notice about the band was there were very few pictures of them as this was a time before the internet was as prevalent as it is today. This added to the mystique of the band creating even more intrigue. One fateful day while rummaging through a video store, in a time when they still existed, I happened upon a VHS of Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii. At this time there wasn't a whole lot of media available on Pink Floyd outside of CDs, and of course YouTube was almost a decade from existence. In short, I had no idea what to expect, but figured it would unlock some kind of mystery with this seemingly cloaked band, and what better a setting than the ill-fated Pompeii.

I was really curious what kind of crowd would attend a concert in a remote location once destroyed by a volcano nearly 2000 years ago. Turns out none. Right from the opening piano note, Pink Floyd, backed by their WEM amplifiers, is playing to a very empty amphitheater with only a production crew in attendance. In fact, the slow burn of Echoes Part 1 created anticipation as the camera slowly creeps toward the band and also was used as an opportunity to display bubbling hot springs and the band walking around the surrounding terrain proving this was the perfect backdrop for a band that emerged from the London psychedelic underground. After soothing harmonisation of guitarist David Gilmour, and keyboardist Richard Wright, drummer Nick Mason's overlapping symbols splashing, and an almost funk jam with Roger Waters' bass leading the charge, Pink Floyd in action was more than I could have ever hoped for.

After Echoes Part 1 came to an end with a chaotic crash, I was ready for the next song only to find the four lads ordering and eating breakfast in a studio. What started as a live recording was all of a sudden a documentary?

Screenshot from the film.

This wasn't just the documenting Pink Floyd recording any album, this was the sessions for Dark Side Of The Moon. Even though Pink Floyd had many solid releases after the departure of Syd Barrett, it could be argued that the band was still finding their way. It was fascinating watching the band working on a project having no idea it would not only be one of the most iconic and accessible progressive rock albums of all time, but one of the greatest albums of all time period. This was the start of a whole new era as Pink Floyd were completely shedding their psychedelic beginnings and would become one of the most prolific prog artists of all time. Moving on from their roots is even addressed during the interviews.

The welcome distraction of the making of Dark Side Of The Moon could almost cause the viewer to forget about Pompeii altogether until the film returns us back to live Pink Floyd with Careful With That Axe Eugene. The dichotomy of Live At Pompeii is quite an intriguing offering, one half live recording, and one half studio documentary as well as seeing the end of one era and the beginning of the next all at the same time.

Live at Pompeii was the vision of director Adrian Maben who wanted to combine music with art, finally settling on the location of Pompeii in an amphitheater below Mount Vesuvius. Maben described it as an anti-Woodstock film with Pink Floyd performing for no one. Filming began in October 1971, and according to Nick Mason's autobiography Inside Out it was extremely hot. So David Gilmour and Richard Wright performing without shirts wasn't just to look cool, but more or less to stay cool. It is going to take more than a hot sunny day to get Roger Waters out of his iconic black t-shirt. At this point it might as well be tattooed on him.

Screenshot from the film.

The 1972 version of Live at Pompeii ran for only 60 minutes consisting solely of the live material. The studio documentary was just a means to pad out what was originally a short film. Little did anyone know what they were capturing. The filming took place at EMI studios better known as Abbey Road Studios in London. The documentary almost acts as comic relief, as we witness humorous banter between bandmates and some very quotable interviews. Also witnessed is the band navigating through early versions of On The Run, Us And Them, and Brain Damage. It would have been interesting if studio engineer Alan Parsons was caught tinkering about in the background. Alan was so well regarded by the band that he was asked to return for Wish You Were Here, but turned down the offer due to working on some other “project”.

The tragic history of Pompeii doesn't need to be rehashed other than it was destroyed in AD 79 due to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Minor tremors preceded the eruption with a severe earthquake occurring in AD 62 as a precursor to a more devastating fate. Probably the most progressive rock means of learning about Pompeii is through the 1977 concept album Pompeii by German band Triumvirat. It is not their best album, but certainly not their worst either. Triumvirat is known to be compared heavily with Emerson Lake and Palmer, sometimes favorably and sometimes unfavorably.

As great as Live at Pompeii is, it is not without its flaws. In some of the songs Richard Wright's beard is noticeably absent, disappearing and reappearing throughout the movie depending on the song. This was due to the band recording Mademoiselle Nobs, Careful With That Axe Eugene, and Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun live in a studio in Paris two months after the Pompeii excursion, although it fits into the final product.

Also, One Of These Days featured mostly Nick Mason on drums. This seemed rather peculiar since it is a very bass heavy song. Where was the rest of the band, especially Roger Waters? The lack of footage of the other band members was due to misplaced film canisters that were never recovered. This is disappointing since it would have been fun to watch the band play. No disrespect to Nick Mason who at times has some subtle but amusing expressions during the performance.

Rest assured none of the aforementioned problems take away from the film. If anything, it adds more endearing qualities giving Live at Pompeii more of a personality. Adrian Maben worked successfully around plenty of issues giving us what we have today, however, the DVD release did include a director's cut more in line with Maben's vision. I personally switched back to the more charming original version which is how we all remember it.

Live at Pompeii, in its most complete form, would finally be released in theaters to the general public in 1974. It was and wasn't a financial success depending on who was asked. In certain cases the film was accompanied by a quadraphonic mix of the soundtrack which brings up an interesting history of releases. The VHS version I bought in the 90s was of course in stereo. The DVD I also purchased in the early 2000s? Also stereo. A 5.1 mix of the soundtrack was eventually released in 2016 as part of The Early Years 1965 - 1972 box set, as well as the smaller Volume 6: 1972: Obfusc/ation box set, but unfortunately with no footage of the actual film... ugh!

So this brings me to the IMAX experience on April 24th in Scranton, Pennsylvania, retitled Pink Floyd at Pompeii MCMLXXII. This was my first experience with IMAX and what an experience it was. The screen pretty much takes up the viewer's entire field of vision. The movie was restored to 4K giving an extremely detailed picture on a screen that is 50 feet tall and 72 feet wide. Even being placed in the centre of the stadium seating you still had to move your head to focus on different parts of the screen.

Added a human being for scale...

It seems odd, but details like Roger Waters' gold tooth in Careful With That Axe Eugene or the cigarette smoke billowing up in the studio stood out to me for some reason. It would take multiple viewings to really catch everything missed in the previous versions.

Steven Wilson's surround mix is obviously the big winner here with a perfect balance of intensity and clarity. Hats off to the original recording as Wilson did have a lot to work with. The Pompeii theme opens with a heartbeat that builds anticipation on a black screen until the first images appear of a city in ruins. Buzzing synth sounds are then heard overhead moving from side to side giving the listener an hors d'oeuvre before the main course of Echoes Part 1. The separation between the vocal harmonies of Gilmour and Wright were very distinct as you could hear the individual voices. A whispering Roger Waters to his primal screams in Careful With That Axe Eugene also stood out. Synthesizer oscillations wash over the listener, making good use of the Doppler effect on a primitive version of On The Run as Waters could be mistaken for a NASA operator manning the EMS VCS3. Gilmour's slide guitar sounded like an alien spacecraft was lifting off in Saucerful Of Secrets. Wright's organ never sounded so good and Mason's drumming could be felt as much as heard.

To accompany the IMAX version, Steven Wilson's mix of Live at Pompeii will be released on all formats including CD, LP, digital, and yes DVD and Blu-ray with 5.1 surround sound. It's about time!!! A Pink Floyd recording that has been somewhat glossed over for 50 years will finally get a proper release and the marketing it deserves. We should all be excited, although even the best home theater will probably not compete with the IMAX experience.

This wouldn't end Pink Floyd's connection to Pompeii. David Gilmour would return in July 2016 for two concerts in the amphitheater, this time with an audience. Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets would also perform at the Pompeii Grand Theatre in 2023.

The 1970s saw other progressive rock concert theatrical releases such as Yessongs by Yes and Emerson Lake and Palmer's Pictures At An Exhibition. As good as they were, Pink Floyd's Live at Pompeii stands out due to unique visuals and the perfect setlist to match the eeriness of the desolate surroundings. Walking out of the theater, I felt the same satisfaction as I would at the end of any concert, but also coupled with the realization that I would never experience this in such a way again. Live at Pompeii has truly withstood the test of time and will hopefully remain a testament for progressive rock another 50 years.