Rating: 
Summary: Wow. This was a great find!!!
Review: As a casual Pink Floyd fan, I was intrigued by the concept of a concert played to no one in the ruins of Pompeii. I wasn't dissapointed. This is one video (C'mon DVD), that captured the essence of Pink Floyd when they were young and improving. I was transfixed to the video, without moving, until it's end. The show in the ruins is a remarkable piece. But, in addition to the "live" shots, which is the prominant part of the video, the video is especially fascinating in that it captures a part of musical history with the recording of pieces of "The Dark Side of the Moon". The interraction and general discussions were really intriguing. Watching and listening to Gilmour work out a lead, with "suggestions" from Waters is worthy the price of admission by itself. This is a great interesting video.
Rating:
Summary: DVD
Review: I read that Pink Floyd's Live at Pompeii is scheduled for its DVD release in March of 2003. ABOUT TIME!!! An added note, Roger Waters' manager Mark Fenwick confirms Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii(The Directors' cut) will be released on DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Tremendously exciting...and a remarkable film achievement
Review: There have been so many Amazon reviews of PINK FLOYD LIVE AT POMPEII that another seems a bit superfluous. Still, I was watching this film with such admiration that I felt the need to comment. One aspect of this movie that's so tremendous, and has tended to be overlooked, is the fact that the filmmakers caught the Floyd at a real turning point in their career. Indeed, right after the recording of DARK SIDE OF THE MOON (some of which is captured here--amazing luck for the filmmakers, to say the least!), Pink Floyd would never ever be the same again. That album would finally give them stupendous commercial success and really "break" them in America. During the time of filming, they were a cult band in the States, and even in Britain--where they had hit singles with Syd Barrett, and were darlings of the press--the fickle marketplace there was beginning to tire of their art-rock soundscapes (despite the brilliance of UMMAGUMMA, MEDDLE, and others). So here you have Gilmour, Waters, Mason and Wright commenting on their past, and talking about setting their sites on what they hope will be a bright future...and of course only the audience knows exactly HOW successful that future will be, with those umpteen millions of albums sold. The young Roger Waters comes off as more than a trifle arrogant, but anyone who's heard THE WALL would expect nothing less. Waters still manages to be likeable, nevertheless, because of his conviction in his own talent. This movie captures them before they were multi-millionaires, back when they played with an intensity that their later work didn't quite match. LIVE AT POMPEII is a bit of an early-Seventies time-capsule, arty and pretentious, but also fun, attention-grabbing and rewarding. The Belgian and French filmmakers took a truly great group of musicians, placed them in a stunning setting, and rolled tape and film. Although it never quite tops the opening song, "Echoes, Pt.1"--the cameras dolly and swoop around the band, and their huge amplifiers which read PINK FLOYD. LONDON--the rest is still leagues better than most of what passes for filmed rock and roll. Also, when they play "A Saucerful of Secrets," in their pounding, stoking, and general abuse of their instruments, you can almost see the birth of Sonic Youth and "No Wave." Thrilling stuff. The film as a whole ranks as one of the most influential rock movies of all time...check out the Beastie Boys' video for "Gratitude" to see them do their own little homage to FLOYD AT POMPEII. They even wrote "Pink Floyd London." on their amps. The MEDDLE period was a great time for the band, when they really looked and sounded cool as never before or since. Although it really should be seen on a big screen in a movie theatre, I'm very happy to have this VHS as part of my collection, and I hope it stays in print forever. (A DVD of it would be nice, too, come to think of it.)
Rating:
Summary: An Essential Concert Film of the 20th Century
Review: In 1971, Pink Floyd took their unique blend of psychedelia and electronic minimalism to the ancient, unearthed amphitheater of Pompeii, which was turned into more of a crater after a volcanic eruption thousands of years ago. They performed a surprisingly extraordinary concert to an audience of zero (unless you count the film crew), the result of which was a superb concert film that shows a unique band in a class of their own, isolated from the trend of their time (accented by the somewhat eerie surroundings).
Here, the legendary foursome performs some of their most original psychedelic space-rock suites, including the magnum opus 'A Saucerful of Secrets,' 'Careful With That Axe, Eugene,' and 'Set the Controls For the Heart of the Sun.' Some of these "live" renditions are better than their studio predecessors, such as the two part 'Echoes,' 'Saucerful,' and the puzzling 'Mademoiselle Nobbs' (otherwise known as 'Seamus'). The full-length edition contains extra footage, including shots from inside the recording studio, showing the band at work creating their phenomenal breakthrough "Dark Side of the Moon." Also included are images of the band eating breakfast, but the interview segments prove that Pink Floyd speaks best through their music (i.e. guitarist David Gilmour saying, "to get something out of your head, it's got to be in your head in the first place," one of those 'duh'-provoking statements).
"Pink Floyd At Pompeii" holds all the things that normally make a concert film enjoyable. Is it self-indulgent? Of course. Without this, other concert films like Led Zeppelin's "The Song Remains the Same" would be nothing but home videos of a performance. This is one of those great things about concert films--it allows a band to see how they come off visually, and gives them a chance to improve their appeal. Only with "At Pompeii," Pink Floyd takes that mirror-element and uses it to further display their innovations in music.
Rating:
Summary: Still Great
Review: Back before the slick sound and before the disagreements, Pink Floyd puts on what is really a filmed concert without an audience in the ruins of Pompeii. I've seen this film many times in the past and I was thrilled to be able to purchase it from Amazon. Those who can appreciate the early music of PF will enjoy this and newer fans will be amazed. There is also interview footage and footage of the making of Dark Side of the Moon in the studio. The studio process shows us the cold side of putting together an album. Nice photographic effects too.
Rating:
Summary: A must have.
Review: This is an amazing example of PF great live performances. Every single song totally lives up to its original version. Also, its great to listen to each one of them talkin bout their convictions & ideas. The pompeii location is great & the dark side of the moon sessions shoots r really something. A must have. Really.
Rating:
Summary: hmm.....a dog's an instrument......I guess......
Review: Most people will not enjoy this film but as Frank Zappa the great once said:"most people wouldn't know good music if it came and bit them on the arse".
Despite the fact that hardly anyone likes this film it is absolutely fantastic. This is "Arty junk" at its very best and, unsuprisingly, at its very loudest.
It would be foolish to take Dave's comment about not being a drug-orientated band seriously ("Of course we're not! You can trust us." Yeah, sure we can) and equally foolish to think that Roger and Nick close their eyes a lot because they are tired after staying up late to watch a "Carry on" film but the main impression that I got from watching this video was not of a bunch of stoners but of a group of talented young artists fooling around, making very "different" music and spewing forth a tremendous quantity of brilliant ideas. It seems quite a miracle that four musicians should come together whose ideas are so compatable and who all realise that the full limitations of sound have not yet been reach and need to be reached pretty soon.
Live at Pompeii begins and ends with the psychedelic tour de force "Echoes parts 1 and 2". The wild, outlandish complexity of the piece is represented marvellously by the band's crazed live performance especially in the sheer energy and LOUDNESS of Roger's bass playing. It's amusing to see Rick singing "inviting" and Dave singing "inciting" simultaneously and then giving each other knowing glances. Inbetween the two parts of "Echoes" there is an electrifying version of "Careful with That Axe, Eugene", which is probably the most technically accomplished version available. In "A Saucerful of Secrets" Dave's slide guitar is so loud in the middle section that it totally drowns out Rick's pounding onto a grand piano. Roger staggers around smacking gongs, attacking symbals with all his strength (damn, he really couldn't hit those things any harder!)and then picks up his axe for the "Celestial voices" section. This last section is very different from the Ummagumma version with a much thinner organ sound, more emphasis on the spacey guitar and more volume in Dave's faultless vocal improvisation. Both versions, though, are monumental. "One of these days" is as thunderous as ever and "Set the Contols for the Heart of the Sun" is perhaps in its spookiest ever. Slotted inbetween the live tracks are amusing interviews (good point Roger, people don't watch you again if they don't like you!), some revealing footage of recording sessions and the not-quite-legendary "Mademoiselle Nobbs". This is perhaps my favourite moment of the film. Rick, Dave and Roger sprawled cross legged on the floor- dusty, long-haired, bare-footed and happy- playing a blues jam with a dog (who, unlike most music critics, knows good music when he hears it and croons along joyously).
Just imagine, some poor tourist could have walked innocently by at any time during the making of this film and had their ear drums blown out!
Rating: 
Summary: audio anomaly
Review: need to say one thing...the vhs version contains several audio anomalies...noise in the middle of some great soloing.. whoever released this batch should be shot!obviously a mastering/duplication problem.. unfortunately there is no dvd yet..
i cannot return this unfortunately..it was a gift..
greatest music floyd plays! i often listen to it without the video portion on and had previously owned it but the same problem existed...NOISE, and in the same exact spot(s).and it's real bad, the noise that is!
the music is tainted due to this...
Rating:
Summary: Essential stuff for fans of early Floyd.
Review: Live at Pompeii is a fine music movie but also great film in its own right. There are some wonderful moments: the camera zooming in REALLY SLOWLY during the introduction to Echoes, the slow pan along the back of the enormous speaker stacks also during Echoes, the Abbey Road footage during the making of Dark Side of the Moon, the interview with David Gilmour and, most memorably, the superb shots of figures and mosaics in Pompeii ruins, which are at times actually quite frightening (lyseric enthusiasts beware!). It is an artistic film - the film-makers really knew what they were doing - and one which complements Pink Floyd's music perfectly. Unfortunately some of the songs have aged rather badly, and in my opinion should be edited out before the inevitable DVD remaster. Saucerful of Secrets, for example, just about completely bereft of any musical points of interest. The rest, however, is a real treat for early Floyd fans.
Rating:
Summary: Essential Pink Floyd. At the pinnacle of their career.
Review: Lots of the images of Pompeii and the ruins and of volcanoes and Roger Waters shreiking may seem a bit dated (and the 9 shots of Nick Mason at once, as well). But all-in-all, this video is amazing, I first saw it at a midnight show in a theater and had to get it on video. The performances document most of my favorite Floyd songs incl. Echoes, One of these Days (a particularly awesome version), Careful with that Axe Eugene, and many more from the post-Barrett-pre-Dark Side era. But the video also features some footage of the band working on Dark Side of the Moon in the studio, as well as some humorous mock-interviews and shots of the band eating (w/ Nick being very particular about getting a piece of pie w/out crust, but it is a round pie!)... We get to see a very glazed eyed Gilmour assert that Pink Floyd is not a drug band... much much more here. Your Pink Floyd collection is not complete without this video.
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