Ummagumma
(1969)

UMMAGUMMA features a set of live performances on Disc 1 and a collection of solo studio projects by various band members on Disc 2.

Disc 1 was recorded live at Mothers, Birmingham, England and live at The Manchester College Of Commerce, England in June 1969.

Tracks

1.01. Astronomy Domine (Barrett)

1.02. Careful With That Axe, Eugene (Mason, Gilmour, Waters, Wright)

1.03. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun (Waters)

1.04. A Saucerful Of Secrets (Waters, Wright, Mason, Gilmour)

2.01. Sysyphus - Part 1 (Wright)

2.02. Sysyphus - Part 2 (Wright)

2.03. Sysyphus - Part 3 (Wright)

2.04. Sysyphus - Part 4 (Wright)

2.05. Grantchester Meadows (Waters)

2.06. Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together In A Cave And Grooving With A Pict

2.07. The Narrow Way - Part 1 (Gilmour)

2.08. The Narrow Way - Part 2 (Gilmour)

2.09. The Narrow Way - Part 3 (Gilmour)

2.10. The Grand Vizer's Garden Party - Part 1 - Entrance (Mason)

2.11. The Grand Vizer's Garden Party - Part 2 - Entertainment (Mason)

2.12. The Grand Vizer's Garden Party - Part 3 - Exit (Mason)

Lyrics

1.01. Astronomy Domine (Barrett)

Lime and limpid green a second scene a fight between the blue you once knew
Floating down the sound resounds around the icy waters underground
Jupiter and Saturn
Oberon, Miranda, Titania,
Neptune titan stars can frighten
Blinding signs flat flicka flicka flicka blam pow
Stairway, scale down, dare whose lair
Lime and limpid green, the sound surrounds the icy waters underground
Lime and limpid green, the sound surrounds the icy waters underground

1.02. Careful With That Axe, Eugene (Mason, Gilmour, Waters, Wright)

Careful with that axe, Eugene
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh ! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh !

1.03. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun (Waters)

Little by little the night turns around
Counting the leaves which tremble at dawn
Novices lean on each other in yearning
Under the leaves the swallow is resting
Set the controls for the heart of the sun
Over the mountain watching the watcher
Breaking the darkness waking the grapevine
One inch of love is one inch of shadow
Love is the shadow that ripen's the wine
Set the controls for the heart of the sun
The heart of the sun
The heart of the sun
Witness the man who raves at the wall
Making the shape of his question to heaven
Whether the sun will fall in the evening
Will he remember the lesson of giving
Set the controls for the heart of the sun
The heart of the sun
The heart of the sun

1.04. A Saucerful Of Secrets (Waters, Wright, Mason, Gilmour)

(Instrumental)

2.01. Sysyphus - Part 1 (Wright)

(Instrumental)

2.02. Sysyphus - Part 2 (Wright)

(Instrumental)

2.03. Sysyphus - Part 3 (Wright)

(Instrumental)

2.04. Sysyphus - Part 4 (Wright)

(Instrumental)

2.05. Grantchester Meadows (Waters)

Icy wind of night, be gome.
This is not your domain.
In the sky a bird was heard to cry.
Misty morning whisperings and gentle stirring sounds
Belied a deathly silence that lay all around.
Hear the lark and harken to the barking of the dog fox gone to ground.
See the splashing of the kingfisher flashing to the water.
And a river of green is sliding unseen beneath the trees,
Laughing as it passes through the endless summer making for the sea.
In the lazy water meadow
I lay me down.
All around me,
Golden sunflakes settle on the ground,
Basking in the sunshine of a by gone afternoon,
Bringing sounds of yesterday into this city room.
Hear the lark and harken to the barking of the dog fox gone to ground.
See the splashing of the kingfisher flashing to the water.
And a river of green is sliding unseen beneath the trees,
Laughing as it passes through the endless summer making for the sea.
In the lazy water meadow
I lay me down.
All around me,
Golden sunflakes covering the ground,
Basking in the sunshine of a by gone afternoon,
Bringing sounds of yesterday into my city room.
Hear the lark and harken to the barking of the dog fox gone to ground.
See the splashing of the kingfisher flashing to the water.
And a river of green is sliding unseen beneath the trees,
Laughing as it passes through the endless summer making for the sea.

2.06. Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together In A Cave And Grooving With A Pict

(Instrumental)

2.07. The Narrow Way - Part 1 (Gilmour)

Following the path as it leads towards the Darkness in the North
Weary strangers' faces show their sympathy
They've seen that hope before
And if you want to stay for a little bit
Rest your aching limbs for a little bit
Before you the night is beckoning
And you know you can't delay
You hear the night birds calling you
But you can't touch the restless sky
Close your aching eyes beyond your name
Mist is swelling, creatures crawling,
Hear the roar get louder in your ears
You know the folly was your own
But the force behind can't conquer all your fears
And if you want to stay for a little bit
Rest your aching limbs for a little bit
Before you the night is beckoning
And you know you can't delay
You hear the night birds calling you
But you can't touch the restless sky
Close your aching eyes beyond your name
Throw your thoughts back many years
To the time when there was life in every morning
Perhaps a day will come
When the nights will be as on that morning
And if you want to stay for a little bit
Rest your aching limbs for a little bit
Before you the night is beckoning
And you know you can't delay
You hear the night birds calling you
But you can't touch the restless sky
Close your aching eyes beyond your name
Rest your weary head, be on your way.

2.10. The Grand Vizer's Garden Party - Part 1 - Entrance (Mason)

(Instrumental)

2.11. The Grand Vizer's Garden Party - Part 2 - Entertainment (Mason)

(Instrumental)

2.12. The Grand Vizer's Garden Party - Part 3 - Exit (Mason)

(Instrumental)

Notes

Ummagumma
Released October 25, 1969
Total Time : 1:26:19 minutes

A double album, divided into live and studio discs. The live disc did a lot to put them on the map as figureheads of the international background, with precise, well-recorded versions of four of their most interesting early lengthy opuses ("Astronomy Domine," "Careful with That Axe, Eugene," "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun," "A Saucerful of Secrets"). "Astronomy Domine," though performed minus its writer and original vocalist (Syd Barrett), could be said to surpass the original studio version (from Piper at the Gates of Dawn) in spookiness and drawn-out intensity. The studio disc allowed each of the four members one or two lengthy compositions, with variable results. The attempts at avant-garde experimentalism were unimpressive and have dated badly, but Roger Waters' "Grantchester Meadows," by contrast, is a lovely ballad, and one of their best early songs.

PERSONNEL
Roger Waters : Bass, Guitar, Guitar (Bass), Vocals
Nick Mason : Percussion, Drums
Richard Wright : Keyboards, Vocals
Pink Floyd : Producer
David Gilmour : Guitar, Vocals
Brian Humphries : Engineer
Peter Mew : Engineer
Norman Smith : Producer
Hipgnosis : design, photography