Smoking Blues



Format: 2CD
Catalog: FBR 001/002 Funny Boot Records
Produced: 1995
Date: 701121
Matrix: Disc 1: FBR 001
Disc 2: FBR 002
Cover: Book: Folded; front has B&W photo of Syd-era band with the band and CD names and a logo boasting "Super Digitally Remastered Sound"; back is plain black field with source/date info.; inside has more B&W photos of Syd-era band. Liner: Outside has B&W photo of Syd-era band with tracklist overlay; inside has "Pink Floyd" in large pink script. Between these words is "Smoking Blues" in blue script. Discs: Disc 1 is screened in solid magenta; Disc 2 likewise in blue.
Sources: 21 Nov 1970, Montreux Casino, Montreux

Tracks:
Disc: 1
1. Astronomy Domine 10:35
2. Fat Old Sun 14:07
3. Atom Heart Mother 18:36
Total Time: 43:20

Disc: 2
1. Cymbaline 11:41
2. Embryo 13:09
3. Just Another Twelve Bar 5:30
4. More Blues (fades out) 9:17
Total Time: 39:40

Band:
  • Roger Waters
  • David Gilmour
  • Rick Wright
  • Nick Mason

    Comments: The most important thing is Disc2, Track 3 "Just Another Twelve Bar" It's the first available recording of this bluesnumber.

    I think it was THE AMAZING PUDDING who wrote: *** live blues - recorded 1970 for the "ill-fated" Montreux ***

    I think it was 1970 when the Montreux Casino was burning down and Deep Purple created "Smoke On The Water" so I'm not sure if the concert-date is correct.

    In the next days I will listen carefully to this CD and try to find out more details.

    This is a soundboard recording and well worth seeking out, but one can see why it was not released. Dave has one of his trademark laughing attacks during FOS. During the closing segment of Cymbaline (after the footsteps sequence) there is a particularly bad and prolonged problem with the sound system, causing Dave to burst into laughter once again.

    Roger introduces the show with a 'good morning' and introduces More Blues with remarks about it being 'too late for mind expanding music, so we'll play some music to calm down by,' presaging his words years later before the concluding encore of the infamous Montreal '77 concert.

    There is a minor amount of tape hiss, and a somewhat more annoying distortion during loud passages which prevent a Sup rating for this CD, but then again how often does a newly uncovered PF soundboard recording like this appear? The date must be 1970, rather than '69, because of the references to the AHM album.

    Listening to "Smoking Blues" again in a more conducive frame of mind, I think I overemphasized the intrusiveness of the tape hiss and level distortion present. Maybe it ought to get a Sup rating after all. Also, to see a cool reference to the CD title check out the little detail in Rick's left hand on the front cover.

    It actually sounds better than Live At Montreux and they're not the same. Here are the song intro's by Roger: -AD (someone yells "Roger!") 'Good morning, this is called Astronomy Domine' -FAS 'This one's Dave's and it's called Fat Old Sun' -AHM 'We've got a new album out at the moment and it's called Atom Heart Mother and there's a track on it called AHM, which is got brass instruments and a choir, as well as us, but we do a version without the brass and choir and we're going to do that now and then we're going to take a break' -Cymbaline 'A song we recorded for a film called More. The song is called Cymbaline. -Embryo 'This song is called The Embryo' -Just Another Twelve Bar (no intro) -More Blues 'Ok, it's a bit late for mind expanding, so we're going to play music to calm down to' (song fades out before it's finished, so there are no further comments) All of the above seem to be in continuity and have consistent sound, so it doesn't appear to be a compilation of different material.

    This is the _MOST IMPRESSIVE ROIO I HAVE ENCOUNTERED_ for a long time! A soundbord recording from an early 1970 show. Something I always dreamt of, the sound quality is amazing. Details are crystal clear. The quiet parts are easily comparable to Ummagumma. Definitely a Sup rating. Unfortunately, the tape is saturated in the louder parts which results in distortions. This is nothing more than EX-. Fortunately, this doesn't happen very often.

    The crowd is quiet. VERY quiet. You simply don't hear anyone talking in the footsteps scene of "Cymbaline". Boy, what did I miss in those old days! After that, people come to life but don't spoil the record but instead give it a true feeling of being there. Incredible.

    The most remarkable song "Just Another Twelve Bar" is unique. It is faded in, so the beginning is missing, as is the ending of "More Blues". This version of "Embryo" is also a must for every fan.

    Just listening to Smoking Blues, and writing this as each track finishes: Astronomy Domine is great. Better than the UmmaGumma version, apart from some slightly ragged vocals. Some distortion at the start.

    Fat Old Sun: Clearest vocals on any ROIO I have heard, though the stereo balance and vocal volume wanders a bit. Some distortion on louder passages.

    Atom Heart Mother: Drags a bit at the start (this seems to be a common live fault), but the vocal passages in the middle are excellent, and the ensemble playing really comes together.

    Cymbaline: Nothing to add to existing comments
    The Embryo: Best live version I have heard. Harder-edged than the Picnic/Works demo, but still has the other-worldly aspect I love. Dave does the Echoes seagulls here.

    Just Another Twelve Bar: Fairly standard rock 12-bar. I am not so sure that "Just Another Twelve Bar" is actually PF. The fact that it fades in, and effectively runs into the applause and intro to "More Blues", means there are no band comments about it. The announcement after it is also a bit confusing. I can't really make it out, but it sounds like an American accent, shouting something like "Time to sit down. (something garbled, which might be a name) Thank you. Bill Clark" Then there are some guitar chords and an organ fill, which is definitely faded out, before Roger's announcement about being late for mind-expanding. More Blues definitely sounds like Dave, both in style and sound.

    More Blues: Another standard blues. Nice to hear these two though. The first blues is not just a simple blues. In fact it is not a blues, it is "Biding my Time" ! But as the lyrics are edited out, you just have the bridge part and coda. But it is really. After the piece The Man & The Journey shifted out of the Floyd repertoire, BMT was sometime played as a single piece with an extra long jam after the verse (listen to Water's gate LP).