As I mentioned recently, there seems to be a great wave of new Pink Floyd releases upon us at the moment. From what I have seen, the good news is that most of them are really amazing. Are they groundbreaking in the sense that they are newly uncovered or totally reimagined recordings? Not really. We are, however, seeing some great stuff that has been floating around for years released for the first time on vinyl. What’s the bad news, then? Well, as usual, all of this stuff is dreadfully expensive and pretty difficult to find. Sometimes, it’s just the luck of the draw on what you see someone selling or what you come across at the local record fair.
Today, I’m taking a look at one of these still fairly new releases. This one has been out for around a month or so, and I was really happy to finally get a copy. According to the box, the manufacturer is a company called Squeals & Oinks Records, but it doesn’t take much thought to realize this isn’t an actual company. It’s still worth mentioning I think, since little bits like these may help the collectors of the future track these releases down. I don’t know for sure, of course, but I imagine the manufacturer is the same company that puts out other Floyd titles such as the “Re-Made” series that I’ve written about on this site in the past. Normally, their products are great quality, and this release is no exception.
As is usual with these sets, the presentation is amazing. The printing on the box is better than almost any officially released Floyd set that I’ve seen, and someone really took their time with the layout and artwork. It’s obvious that the creator wasn’t just trying to make money but was also looking to create something nice for their own collection as well. In The Flesh : The Best of the 1977 US Tour is a 4 LP set pressed on colored wax and presented in a high quality, glossy printed box, complete with a folding set of liner notes. This release is limited to only 300 copies worldwide and comes with a numbered sticker affixed to the lid of the box.
Sometimes, the notes that come with sets like these can be pretty useless and they are included mostly as filler. Thankfully, this is not the case here. As you are listening to the records, you’ll definitely want to follow along with these notes, as they include amazingly well documented information as far as where all the audio sources came from, how they were put together and why. To give you a quick rundown, this work is not new. Originally, it was conceived as a fan-project that started on the old Yeeshkul! message board to put together a “fantasy show” from all the different recordings of the 1977 US Tour. I imagine this idea came about due to the fact that unusually great audio sources exist from this time period that could be drawn from.
To make a long story short, this is exactly what happened. Different bits from different shows, most notably California and New York, were stitched together to create one amazing project that represents, essentially, the full experience of listening to one of those concerts live. There were also, however, smaller pieces of shows from Montreal, Fort Worth, Miami, and even Zurich, Switzerland used as well. Partly, this was possible because many samples and effects tapes were used for these shows. So, much like The Wall shows later on, the band had to be pretty precise in their playing and timing. Since things were pretty much the same every night, this allowed the project creators to use all the best parts of each tape, fill in missing pieces, and even replace missed drum fills! The result is an amazingly high-quality fan-made project. If you are interested in learning more, the liner notes in the box will fill you in.
So, the audio is great, but what about the package itself? As I’ve already mentioned, the box and notes are top notch. I really like the color scheme they chose to go with, and everything is very carefully manufactured. Each record comes in a poly-lined sleeve to prevent scratches, and the wax and labels look great. I will mention that the paper on these particular labels is high absorbent. Most of the time, if you get a droplet of water on a label during cleaning, you can wipe it right off and as long as you get to it quickly, it won’t be noticeable. These labels, however, are a softer type of paper, and they absorb water easily. If you get a drop on there, it sort of swells up. Hopefully this won’t be an issue for you, but I think it’s worth mentioning to take some extra care while cleaning these. Apart from that little bit, the labels look fantastic, and they really add something to the artistic feel of the set.
Each of the discs in my box were totally flat and heavyweight. I didn’t put them on the scale, but I would say they are all about 180g a piece. The wax has just a small hint of marbling, and the color choices are different from what we usually see. Of course I cleaned mine straight away, but honestly, they looked pretty nice right out of the box.
When I put the first LP on, I was amazed by how nice this pressing is. I have heard the digital files of this project, and the company did a very faithful and high-quality reproduction here. The vinyl is defect free and silent. Just a pleasure to listen to, with nothing getting in the way of the sound. The audio is sharp and crisp, and I found myself checking the liner notes to make sure this really was an audience recording rather than a soundboard, which of course it was. The opening numbers in the show, which come from Animals, were mostly taped by some guy who was right up front by the stage, and the quality is stunning. Due to the nature of how the audio was constructed, the quality varies at some points throughout the show but is consistently amazing. Any edits are virtually unnoticeable.
Performance wise, these are my favorite live recordings of Animals that were ever made. The clarity of the samples (animal noises, special effects, ect.) is great, and you can actually hear what’s being said. The entire first LP is taken from that California recording, so the quality is tops. Roger is also on another level during this performance, with high energy singing and playing. Of course we don’t know for sure, but it seems like the band is having a good time despite all the in-fighting that was apparently happening around this time. If you are a guitar fan, the solo work here is not to be missed on any of the tracks but specifically on the Animals pieces.
Both “Dogs” and “Pigs” are fantastic both musically and sonically speaking. The guitar solos are both on another level, and the intro to “Pigs” is particularly haunting, drawing on some fantastic keyboard work from Richard Wright. As similar as these shows were in structure, there was still a good amount of room in certain spots, such as the guitar solos, where we can find very unique bits. This is just one of the reasons that musicians and music fans are very often interested in recordings and projects like this, and I think those people will find plenty to be excited about here.
For me, some other highlights in this “best of” recording including the interesting and very different guitar tone used on “Have A Cigar”, as well as the inclusion of “Drift Away Blues” as the final number. Apparently, this was used as an encore piece when the band didn’t have anything else left to play. Also, Roger mentions something about playing something a little easier going to calm the audience down. From what I have heard, the crowds at these massive shows could get pretty out of control, so this makes sense.
Honestly, I could go on and on about the little things that make this project and the “In The Flesh” release unique and worthwhile, but I hope I have given you enough here to decide whether or not you want to find a physical copy, check it out online, or whatever. If you are a Pink Floyd fan or collector, this is a piece you should really have in your collection one way or another. I think this is also a great place for someone who has never been interested in live bootlegs before or is just beginning to fall down the rabbit hole to start. Just don’t expect everything to sound as good as this one does. In general, it’s a major exception to the rule. I know some collectors who absolutely will not listen to, or even have in their collection, shows that are “Frankensteined” together like this. On this occasion, I can say for sure that they are missing out.
I’ve been giving out a lot of good ratings lately, but I guess I can’t help that I pick good stuff. It’s also helpful that many of these labels seem to be caring a lot more than they have in the past about the quality of the projects they release. On one hand, that of course means nicer stuff. On the other hand, it means it’s going to cost a little bit more… and in some cases, possibly a lot more. The packaging and presentation for “In The Flesh” is a solid 10/10, no doubt about it. The pressing itself, as well as the audio quality of the source material, is also a 10/10. This is an audience recording, but unless someone told you that, you really might not know. You just have to hear it for yourself to believe it.
It should also be noted that originally, this project was not intended to be released for sale or profit. A cursory Google search will reveal some places where you can listen to it absolutely for free. Whether or not it is “right” to sell fan made projects such as these in physical format or otherwise is a topic for a different day. The liner notes are extensive, but they don’t give any project credits outside of mentioning the internet forum it originated on. I don’t know if that’s because the people involved didn’t originally want to be identified, or if they just weren’t included. In any case, a big “thank you” should go out to the dedicated fans who made this possible, when profit in any way was never a thought in their minds. If you would like to find a copy of this masterpiece on vinyl, however, keep in mind that there are only 300 copies out there. As usual, now is the time!