| Pulse | 
 enlarge | Artist: Pink Floyd
Label: Sony
Category: Music
List Price: $24.98
Buy New: $9.93
You Save: $15.05 (60%)
New (52) Used (21) Collectible (4) from $9.92
Avg. Customer Rating:  209 reviews
Sales Rank: 5567
Format: Live
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.7
MPN: 67064
UPC: 074646706428
EAN: 0074646706428
ASIN: B000002B35
Release Date: October 10, 1995
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
Disc 1
| • | Shine on You Crazy Diamond | | • | Astronomy Domine - Pink Floyd, Barrett, Syd | | • | What Do You Want from Me | | • | Learning to Fly - Pink Floyd, Carin, Jon | | • | Keep Talking | | • | Coming Back to Life | | • | Hey You - Pink Floyd, Waters, Roger | | • | A Great Day for Freedom | | • | Sorrow | | • | High Hopes | | • | Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2 - Pink Floyd, Waters, Roger |
Disc 2
| • | Speak to Me - Pink Floyd, Mason, Nick | | • | Breathe | | • | On the Run | | • | Time | | • | The Great Gig in the Sky - Pink Floyd, Waters, Roger | | • | Money - Pink Floyd, Waters, Roger | | • | Us and Them - Pink Floyd, Waters, Roger | | • | Any Colour You Like | | • | Brain Damage - Pink Floyd, Waters, Roger | | • | Eclipse - Pink Floyd, Waters, Roger | | • | Wish You Were Here | | • | Comfortably Numb | | • | Run Like Hell |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
A two-CD live collection from a band left splintered by the departure of bassist-songwriter Roger Waters, Pulse is perhaps best noted for the blinking red light that was set in its spine upon initial release. It contains the remaining band (with guest musicians) performing the entire Dark Side of the Moon album, the novelty of which wears off soon after the crowd noise interrupts any potential intimacy. The crowd also sings along for several songs, which makes this either a great audio-video document or a misguided attempt at replicating the live experience. --Rob O'Connor
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| Customer Reviews: Read 204 more reviews...
 A quality live set that seems to lack some energy at times January 22, 2005
47 out of 52 found this review helpful
The claim to fame of Pulse, Pink Floyd's two-CD live album released in 1995, is the live performance of Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety. If you're a casual Pink Floyd fan, that's great; if you're a devoted fan, you're apt to be disappointed by the lack of nuance expressed in a concert setting. It has obviously been a few years since I listened to Pulse because my memory told me it was superior to 1988's Delicate Sound of Thunder live two-CD album - my memory was wrong. I'm not saying Pulse isn't a quality performance or that fans won't enjoy it, but to my ears it clearly lacks the sort of passion and energy that was captured on Delicate Sounds of Thunder. The two live albums of the reconstituted, post-Waters Pink Floyd share a number of songs in common, and I prefer the Thunder versions in almost every single case. Here, the long instrumental sections of Shine on You Crazy Diamond, for example, seem to drag on interminably, while on Delicate Sound of Thunder each minute of the music built up toward a pressurized unleashing of vocals.
The first disc features a healthy portion of material originating after Waters' acrimonious exit from the band. There are two tracks from 1987's A Momentary Lapse of Region (Sorrow and Learning to Fly) and five from 1994's The Division Bell (What Do You Want from Me, A Great Day for Freedom, High Hopes, Keep Talking, and Coming Back to Life). These are intermixed alongside some older Pink Floyd tracks: Shine on You Crazy Diamond from Wish You Were Here, Astronomy Domine from 1967's The Piper at the Gates, and two classic cuts from The Wall. Another Brick in the Wall (Part Two) is good but seems to lack a little oomph, but Hey You is delivered with the passion and energy that make it easily the most impressive song on either of the Pulse CDs.
Disc Two takes us through a complete version of Dark Side of the Moon; the live setting does take something away from the purity and magic of these songs, so your appreciation of the live set may depend upon the depth of your commitment to Pink Floyd itself. Three tracks are added on at the end in the form of musical encores. I have a feeling there would be rioting in the streets if Pink Floyd showed up and didn't play Wish You Were Here, Comfortably Numb, and Run Like Hell. I was impressed by the first of these three classic songs, but Comfortably Numb and Run Like Hell seem to fall short of their counterparts on the earlier Distant Sound of Thunder.
At first glance, Pulse looks like a no-brainer, a guarantee of musical nirvana courtesy of one of the greatest bands of all-time. As I listened to it, though, I just felt as if something were missing - something subtle and comparatively minor, but noticeably missing all the same. Still, this is Pink Floyd, and no Pink Floyd recording could ever be bad - but it seems to me that Pulse could have been more intense and musically dazzling than it is.
 One of, if not, the best live Pink Floyd album October 9, 2000
19 out of 20 found this review helpful
When I first saw "Pulse" in stores I thought it was a greatest hits album released so that the remaining Pink members could make one last cash grab. Was I mistaken. The live "Pulse" album consists of the entire "Dark Side Of The Moon" album along with some of the best cuts from "The Wall" and "Wish You Were Here". It also includes excellent selections from post-Waters albums, "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason" and "The Division Bell". Another aspect that makes this album even more complete is the appearence of Astronomy Domine from their debut album, "Piper At The Gates Of Dawn". Overall, Gilmour and company belt out great versions of Pink classics with "random precision" and prove they still have what got them called "the best conceptual album writers of all time and one of the top three bands in history". The choice cuts would definitely have to be Comfotably Numb, Wish You Were Here, Run Like Hell, Brain Damage, Eclipse and from the 1994 "Division Bell" album High Hopes. As an added bonus, the two CD set comes in a deluxe slipcase package with an extensive booklet complete with tour pictures, equipment and track listings. An absolute must. Listen and you will understand why.
 Get the video instead June 30, 2000
17 out of 22 found this review helpful
In the seventies, Pink Floyd was an incredible live band. It wasn't just the visual show or the surround sound. It was the music. In the first set, they would experiment with new material. In the second set, they would play old material in new and exciting ways. Atom Heart Mother and Echoes were played in numerous different ways and at one time were even combined into one song. Before Dark Side of the Moon was released on album they would play an early version of it called Eclipsed, that was quite a bit different than the finished product. On the tour to support Dark Side of the Moon, they played early versions of songs from Animals and Wish You Were Here. They also played a great extended version of Dark Side of the Moon that was an hour long. Pulse is from the 1994-5 tour to support the Division Bell CD. Midway through the tour, they decided to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Dark Side of the Moon by playing the complete piece. Pulse represents a typical Pink Floyd concert. Most of the first set is new material from A Momentary Lapse of Reason and the Division Bell. The second set is the older material. The big disappointment here is that most of the material doesn't vary much from the studio versions. Except for the jam in the middle of Money, the whole of Dark Side of the Moon sounds just like the studio LP, but not as good. The only songs where the group really breaks out are Comfortably Numb and Run. But similar live versions of those songs can be found the Delicate Sound of Thunder. This is a better CD than the Delicate Sound of Thunder, but if you have one it isn't necessary to get the other. Pulse used to come with a blinking LED that pulsed to the heartbeat at the beginning of Dark Side of the Moon. For either of the Pink Floyd live CD's the videos would be a much better choice. On the Delicate Sound of Thunder, you get more tracks. On Pulse, they leave off one unnecessary track. But, in both cases, you get to hear the music in the context of the visual show. This is much more impressive, since the performances don't stand up on their own.
Their Best Live Album.. By Far! May 31, 2000
15 out of 21 found this review helpful
Pulse is easily one of the greatest live albums ever. It also has great packaging. It comes with a 44-page book that has lots of great photos and information. Also in some versions of Pulse a blinking light is attached to the cd case, that beats in rhythm with the heart, which ties the album to Dark Side. And, of course, that is the main point of the album. Since the Floyd had just recently released DST, they needed a special reason to make another live record, and putting Dark Side live in it's entirety is certainly a good one. Of course, overall, it isn't as good as the studio version, but it is still great. The three song encore on disc 2 is great as well, especially Comfortably Numb, one of the greatest songs ever. Highlights on disc 1 include Keep Talking with it's awesome voicebag solo, and the Another Brick medley.If you have yet to buy this album because of post-Waters prejudices then I feel incredibly sorry for you. You are missing out on one of the best live albums ever released, and Pink Floyd's greatest ever live album by a considerable margin. Who cares what your favorite era of the Floyd is? This album belongs in everyone's collection.
 The Most Useless Album of All Time October 31, 2001
13 out of 23 found this review helpful
Okay, here's a test: grab disc one of "Delicate Sound of Thunder" and disc one of "Pulse". Have a friend shuffle them around behind his back and put them in a CD player. Close your eyes and listen to track one off each disc. I will personally give you $50 if you can tell which is which. Want fifty more? Play the last two tracks off disc two of each and tell me the difference.I mean, DSOT was bad enough because every song sounds EXACTLY like the studio version (plus crowd noise), but this is going too far. EIGHT of the songs here were on the last double live album, and no new changes have been made. Apart from that, you get a bunch of (...) songs from "The Division Bell" (as opposed to a bunch of (...) songs from "A Momentary Lapse of Reason"), a version of "Astronomy Domine" that isn't as good as the studio and sounds just plain embarassing next to the unbelivable live cut on "Ummagumma", and, in a move that, to my mind, could only be a way to flesh this out into a double album and get more money, ALL OF "DARK SIDE OF THE MOON". Okay, now do they honestly think that somebody is going to buy this live set if they don't already own DSOTM? The chances are slim. And the only difference is you get to hear about ten million people scream whenever the music gets quiet or lets up. Didn't you always wonder what that record would sound like with a bunch of washed-up baby boomers on acid praising Floyd the whole way through? Yeah, me niether. Don't waste your money. This is easily the worst album in the bands history (and that's saying a lot if you heard the three preceeding it) simply because it was obviously created for the sole purpose of exploiting every braindead Floyd fan who will buy anything bearing the band name. There's nothing new here, and its a waste of money. Plus, this was released six years ago, and those blinking lights have probably burned out. Come on people. Time to wake up.
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