h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

What about Ummagumma? I'm listening to it right now, and it's fantastic stuff!

My favorite song on Ummagumma is "several species of small furry animals gathered in a cave and grooving with a pict".
ESPECIALLY if you are surrounded by speakers!

Sounds good at 16 rpm - and you can hear the "hidden message".

Eh? what's this about playing ummagumma at 16 rpm?

Ummagumma? Half historic live album, half self-indulgent twaddle, almost! Grantchester Meadows is the only listenable track on the studio disc. What about EMI expanding the live half and releasing it on it's on?

OK, I admit it's not their greatest hour. But the "self-indulgent twaddle" contains some hints of things to come, so Ummagumma is important just for the history. You've got to remember that this was about the same time as Jon Lord's "Concerto for group and orchestra" (Deep Purple), so experimenting was seen as an OK thing to do in itself, whatever the musical "quality".
You're right, though - Grantchester Meadow is probably the only track that really stands up as "playable music" thirty years later.

Cheers
Nathan

What about the album cover showing all that equipment that they have to squeeze in that van? I don't think they had that van for much longer.

I would say it *was* one of their greatest hours - the version of "Careful with that axe, Eugene" on Ummagumma is probably one of the best PF songs ever. I don't think there's a bad track on the album.