Pink Floyd has been extremely busy over the past several years in releasing ambitious reissue projects. The two most talked about have been The Early Years (2016) and The Later Years (2019) mammoth boxes. Both sets are sold out, but available on the used market and fetch high prices.
As a consolation for those who missed out on the sets when they were released, or who would prefer to only have various parts of the sets, several live releases have come out in the past few years. So far, The Delicate Sound of Thunder (2019) was released on its own from the upgraded The Later Years box version, and Live at Knebworth (2021), available in full for the first time in The Later Years box, has also been issued on its own.
Both reissues, in addition to the new PULSE Restored & Re-Edited, are from the post-Roger Waters years. All three are released on vinyl, CD, DVD, and Blu-ray, except the new PULSE which is being re-released on DVD and Blu-ray. The PULSE audio reissues on CD and all-analog vinyl came out in 2018. The vinyl reissue is already out of print and commands hefty prices on the used market.
PULSE, directed by David Mallet, was originally released in 1995 on VHS, DVD, and Laserdisc. It chronicled the group’s October 1994 concert at Earl’s Court in London on its Division Bell tour. It was also released on CD/MiniDisc, vinyl, and cassette. The original CD release featured a red pulsing LED light, and the four-LP edition is also a collector’s item. The music releases were mixed in QSound to provide a 3D sound effect on two-channel stereo sound systems and the vinyl was mastered from analog tapes.
That period was certainly a peak for the post-Roger Waters Pink Floyd. Of the two studio albums the group did after the initial departure of Roger Waters, The Division Bell was certainly the best one and the mix of old and new music from that tour captured that particular band with a healthy amount of good new material, making it feel less like just a nostalgia show.
This new package, released as either a double-DVD or a double-Blu-ray edition, brings back the blinking red LED light. This new re-edited and restored edition of the film done by Aubrey “Po” Powell of Hipgnosis also contains all the bonus material that was included in The Later Years box.
The visual quality of this version is a major improvement over the original PULSE concert film. The first disc contains 22 performances, including the only authorized filmed concert of the entire Dark Side of the Moon album from Pink Floyd. The second disc contains three music videos, three tour rehearsals, 11 concert screen films, the group’s induction into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, documentaries, and additional materials.
Other than the upgraded packaging, pulsing red light, and 60-page booklet, the only bonuses fans get on this package not included in The Later Years box are the audio-only DVD or Blu-ray versions of “One of These Days” live from 1994 in Hanover, Germany and “Astronomy Domine” Live in Miami, Florida in 1994. These two live performances were included on The Later Years box, but only on CD.
With the reissue of PULSE , three concerts that are featured in The Later Years box are now available separately and also available on vinyl. The 1989 Venice concert included on The Later Years box has yet to be released separately.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
B
