Munich 1973 Collector’s Edition (Siréne-006)
Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany – October 12th, 1973
Disc 1 (67:47): Obscured By Clouds, When You’re In, Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun, Careful With That Axe Eugene, Echoes
Disc 2 (69:36): Speak To Me, Breathe, On the Run, Time, Breathe (reprise), The Great Gig In The Sky, Money, Us And Them, Any Colour You Like, Brain Damage, Eclipse, One Of These Days
Disc 3 (64:41): Obscured By Clouds, When You’re In, Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun, Careful With That Axe Eugene, Echoes
Disc 4 (63:48): Speak To Me, Breathe, On the Run, Time, Breathe (reprise), The Great Gig In The Sky, Money, Us And Them, Any Colour You Like, Brain Damage, Eclipse, One Of These Days
After taking a four month break after a US tour, Pink Floyd returned to the stage to finish out the year with two shows in Europe: October 12th in Munich and October 13th in Vienna. The setlist remained the same as it was in America with the first half of the show devoted to several songs and the second half with the Dark Side Of The Moon suite and “One Of These Days” as an encore.
Munich 1973 Collector’s Edition is an early Siréne production dating back to close to their beginning. It was their second Pink Floyd title and their first attempt at presenting a comprehensive title of a particular show. The four discs contains two edits of the same audience recording.
The first two discs has the unedited tape including all the tune ups and cheering between songs, while discs three and four present the same tape but edited. This is the same tape source used for the fan produced CDR titles Conscience At Rest and Paranoid Delusions (DR 01273-4), except Siréne has the complete encore. Siréne remains the only silver title with this show.
The recording is very good and close to the stage. The only negative is that the dynamics are a bit flat and there is a small cut 1:41 in “The Great Gig In The Sky” (unedited).
The first half of the show serve as an effective vehicle for Pink Floyd’s unsettling dramatic aural narrative. Through the use of drones, screeches, echoes and their tension-imbued keyboards, they transform the Olympiahalle into a hall of spook.
Drones start off the show with the instrumental “Obscured By Clouds” and “When You’re In.” It is particularly dramatic in Munich with the loud, crashing heavy metal riffs in contrast with the pastoral feeling of the rhythm section. It is one of their most effective show openers. But this arrangement would be played for the last time the following night in Vienna.
“Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun” relies upon a nasty, noisy middle improvisation. And in the following number, “Careful With That Axe Eugene,” Waters’ scream in the middle provide more tense moments.
The second half of the show is devoted to the Dark Side Of The Moon suite. Now almost two years old, it is played in its definitive album arrangement but with David Gilmour adding a touch of lyricism to the piece, adding fills to “Breathe” and “Time.”
“Us & Them” becomes a highlight in this performance, striking a careful balance between haunting tension and a modicum of hopefulness. The jam on “Any Colour You Like” reaching eight minutes in length. At the end, when they play “Ellipse,” subtly is bypassed by Gilmour’s shouting the lyrics over the bombastic finale.
The only encore is a long “One Of These Days” in which the band lingers over the “Dr. Who” interlude in the middle.
Munich 1973 Collector’s Edition is packaged in a fatboy jewel case with period photographs and is limited to 200 numbered copies. Having the same tape source twice is a bit excessive and something which the label didn’t duplicate on future releases. This would have been much better if they just released discs one and two. But for what it contains, a great show in very good sound quality, this is a nice title to have.
