Nick Mason‘s drum talents are put on full display in a clip of “One of These Days” from the new remastered cut of Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii. The 4K update with newly mixed and enhanced audio will screen in select cinemas and IMAX on April 24th as Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII.
Recorded in October 1971, Live at Pompeii finds Pink Floyd at a crossroads. The expansive psychedelia of Ummagumma (1969), Atom Heart Mother (1970), and Meddle (1971) were giving way to ambitious thematic projects like the forthcoming The Dark Side of The Moon (1973), which the band was already working on at the time of Live at Pompeii. The middle ground of these artistic identities finds Pink Floyd’s groundbreakingly experimental psychedelic rock placed within a grand thematic context, one that connects the band to thousands of years of artistic tradition.
In terms of instrumental ability, Pink Floyd is at some of its best in Live at Pompeii. A newly released video of “One of These Days” makes that abundantly clear with a front-row seat to drummer Nick Mason. As Roger Waters‘ trembling bass introduces the brooding instrumental, Mason throttles the mood with malletts on his cymbals. “One of These Days” is a vehicle for tension, and Mason holds the key to the inertia as he keeps the chaos contained until the final full release amid a fury of snare and cymbal crashes.
Set in the hauntingly beautiful ruins of the ancient Roman amphitheater in Pompeii, Italy—which was eventually buried and uniquely preserved following the eruption of nearby volcano Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.—the Adrian Maben-directed film captures Pink Floyd performing an intimate concert without an audience. Additionally, the film includes rare behind-the-scenes footage of Pink Floyd at Abbey Road Studios, recording what would become The Dark Side of the Moon.
Watch Nick Mason helm Pink Floyd on “One of These Days” from Live at Pompeii. Click here to find a screening near you.
Pink Floyd — “One Of These Days” — Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII