Pink Floyd & Syd Barrett Story - Definitive Edition |
2 disc DVD. Video format: 16:9 anamorphic widescreen. Some of you will be wondering what on earth a "definitive" version of the Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story might entail. Some of you will already own a past edition of the release. We've taken a thorough look at the 2-DVD set for you, and here's our thoughts... The first thing that strikes you is the menu - a real thing of beauty. For those who've seen the previous release of this documentary (2004; through Voiceprint), consider the multicoloured inlay, which is peppered with memorabilia, cuttings, and more, from the Syd Barrett era Floyd.
Now picture that, taking up a
huge amount of space, so much so that as you make each selection, you
slowly scroll around the whole picture until you reach the particular
bit you are after (eg chapter selection, extras, etc.). Very nicely
done!
Disc
one is devoted to the BBC documentary, originally broadcast in 2001.
Most of you will be familiar with this, so we won't retread old ground. Suffice it to say, it is a fascinating, and well crafted, look at the history of the band with a particular focus on the very early days of the band.
Sound and picture quality are, to
our eyes and ears, pristine; an anamorphic, widescreen picture, and
choice of soundtracks, including Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS. No
complaints there. The navigation is also easy to use - no fancy tricks
that tend to frustrate or confuse. What many will be interested in are the extra features on this new, "definitive" edition. To date, there have been three releases of the documentary. The original, fairly bare bones edition, released in Europe and the US. This included a short, ten minute interview with Roger amongst the few extras. At the same time, a (little known) Australian edition came out with a different cover, and a 55 minute, chiefly unedited interview with Roger (more on that shortly). Finally, last year (2004) Voiceprint brought out a new edition which included a new cover and slightly upgraded quality. This new edition is a definite improvement on all of these.
The questioning elicits some good responses from Roger, with some unusual lines of attack. He even responds in the positive to a searching question basically positing that his empathy with Syd and his decline had elements of "there but for the grace of God, go I". He relates a situation at Abbey Road Studios where he experienced a shocking, almost out-of-body episode, which he equated to a nervous breakdown. At the time he thought he was "going crazy", and it seemed to give him fresh insight into Syd's condition. Turning to the second disc, here we find the rest of the interviews - with David (lasting 36 minutes), Nick (28 minutes), Richard (26 minutes) and Robyn Hitchcock (20 minutes) - alongside other items which include a timeline, discography and a quiz.
Certainly, this interview is pitched more towards the music, and technical details surrounding it, and also focuses on David's feelings, views, and ways of working. There's even a look at his guitars, including the one that started it all - a Spanish acoustic he got at age 14. Nick's interview looks at the band's history, with particular focus on the early days, and the nature, or "sound", of the songs themselves. Typically honest, and at times looking quite inscrutable, his dry humour shines through. The interviewer (director John Edgington) even treads on what must be painful ground, looking at the band's attitude to Syd whilst he was falling apart, and how they handled the situation.
Any interview with Richard is a
rarity indeed, and the one presented here lasts a healthy 26 minutes.
It's fascinating to hear Richard's recollections, and he gives a
particularly amusing anecdote involving a stoned audience, and a
backstage argument between the band members! He decries the notion of
the band taking a lot of drugs, particularly before hitting the stage
(illustrating this with an example from the early days), and also
shares his view that Syd's downfall occurred as a result of one "lost
weekend" on acid, rather than attributing it to a gradual buildup.
To fill any remaining space on the second disc, you get a timeline. This is a silent, fairly static exhibit, but it gives a taste of some of the band's activities in the early days. You also get a discography, which again is silent, and covers just the Barrett-related releases. There's a biography which consists of small text screens - the font size used could render it tricky to read on some screens, especially with the coloured background. It also moves rather quickly for these eyes to keep up with...
Finally, there is an interactive
quiz. An interesting selection of questions to test your knowledge of
the early days of the band, and like the other extras mentioned, is
silent. Get all the questions right, and you get an extended version of
the Abbey Road walkabout found on a previous release - this time, you
actually get to see a control room and studio properly, rather than
just randomly amble round the corridors of the famous facility.
And for those who've not seen the documentary itself, you are in for a real feast of Floyd. Top marks, DVDisc - a nice job, and a worthy update in our opinion.
The title is
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