| The most important thing is Disc2, Track 3 "Just Another Twelve
Bar" It's the first available recording of this bluesnumber.
This information is taken from Ian and Glenn's wonderful book,
In the Flesh. Everyone must own a copy!
21nov70 - Montreux
AD, FOS, Cym, AHM, TE, GitC/CWTAE, StCftHotS, ASOS
encore: IO
22nov70 - Montreux
AD, FOS, Cym, AHM, TE, GitC/CWTAE, StCftHotS, ASOS
encore: Just Another 12 Bar, Blues
"Both Montreux shows were recorded and EMI pressed white label
acetates which included interviews with Gilmour in French.
However, it it likely that these would have been intended as
promotional tools, not for commercial release. 'Just Another 12
Bar' is a title shown on the acetate and is simply an
improvised blues instrumental."
The CD roio Smoking Blues is apparently from these acetates and
has tracks from both performances.
- John
I think it was THE AMAZING PUDDING who wrote: *** live blues -
recorded 1970 for the "ill-fated" Montreux ***
I think it was 1970 when the Montreux Casino was burning down
and Deep Purple created "Smoke On The Water" so I'm not sure if
the concert-date is correct.
In the next days I will listen carefully to this CD and try to
find out more details.
- INGO
This is a soundboard recording and well worth seeking out, but
one can see why it was not released. Dave has one of his
trademark laughing attacks during FOS. During the closing
segment of Cymbaline (after the footsteps sequence) there is a
particularly bad and prolonged problem with the sound system,
causing Dave to burst into laughter once again.
Roger introduces the show with a 'good morning' and introduces
More Blues with remarks about it being 'too late for mind
expanding music, so we'll play some music to calm down by,'
presaging his words years later before the concluding encore of
the infamous Montreal '77 concert.
There is a minor amount of tape hiss, and a somewhat more
annoying distortion during loud passages which prevent a Sup
rating for this CD, but then again how often does a newly
uncovered PF soundboard recording like this appear? The date
must be 1970, rather than '69, because of the references to the
AHM album.
- THE HEDONIST
Listening to "Smoking Blues" again in a more conducive frame of
mind, I think I overemphasized the intrusiveness of the tape
hiss and level distortion present. Maybe it ought to get a Sup
rating after all. Also, to see a cool reference to the CD title
check out the little detail in Rick's left hand on the front
cover. :-)
- THE HEDONIST
It actually sounds better than Live At Montreux and they're not
the same.
Here are the song intro's by Roger:
-AD
(someone yells "Roger!")
'Good morning, this is called Astronomy Domine'
-FAS
'This one's Dave's and it's called Fat Old Sun'
-AHM
'We've got a new album out at the moment and it's called
Atom Heart Mother and there's a track on it called AHM,
which is got brass instruments and a choir, as well as us,
but we do a version without the brass and choir and we're
going to do that now and then we're going to take a break'
-Cymbaline
'A song we recorded for a film called More. The song is
called Cymbaline.
-Embryo
'This song is called The Embryo'
-Just Another Twelve Bar (no intro)
-More Blues
'Ok, it's a bit late for mind expanding, so we're going to
play music to calm down to'
(song fades out before it's finished, so there are no
further comments)
All of the above seem to be in continuity and have consistent
sound, so it doesn't appear to be a compilation of different
material.
- ANON
This is the _MOST IMPRESSIVE ROIO I HAVE ENCOUNTERED_ for a
long time! A soundbord recording from an early 1970 show.
Something I always dreamt of, the sound quality is amazing.
Details are crystal clear. The quiet parts are easily
comparable to Ummagumma. Definitely a Sup rating.
Unfortunately, the tape is saturated in the louder parts which
results in distortions. This is nothing more than EX-.
Fortunately, this doesn't happen very often.
The crowd is quiet. VERY quiet. You simply don't hear anyone
talking in the footsteps scene of "Cymbaline". Boy, what did I
miss in those old days! After that, people come to life but
don't spoil the record but instead give it a true feeling of
being there. Incredible.
The most remarkable song "Just Another Twelve Bar" is unique.
It is faded in, so the beginning is missing, as is the ending
of "More Blues". This version of "Embryo" is also a must for
every fan.
My suggestion: HUNT IT. Buy it. Put it next to Ummagumma. This
one goes directly in the beginners guide.
- HERWIG
From the A-Z (TAP)
Just Another 12 Bar (uncredited) : A live blues recorded in
1970 for the ill-fated 'Live in Montreux' album (see TAP 6
of Best of 6-10). - TAP
The Montreaux Smoke On The Water concert was a Frank Zappa
performance on December 4, 1971, preserved on the roio "Swiss
Cheese/Fire!" Hence, nothing on this roio can have any possible
link to that concert, as was hypothesized by one commentator on
this roio set.
Just listening to Smoking Blues, and writing this as each track
finishes:
Astronomy Domine is great. Better than the UmmaGumma version,
apart from some slightly ragged vocals. Some distortion at the
start.
Fat Old Sun: Clearest vocals on any ROIO I have heard, though
the stereo balance and vocal volume wanders a bit. Some
distortion on louder passages.
Atom Heart Mother: Drags a bit at the start (this seems to be a
common live fault), but the vocal passages in the middle are
excellent, and the ensemble playing really comes together.
Cymbaline: Nothing to add to existing comments
The Embryo: Best live version I have heard. Harder-edged than
the Picnic/Works demo, but still has the other-worldly aspect I
love. Dave does the Echoes seagulls here.
Just Another Twelve Bar: Fairly standard rock 12-bar. I am not
so sure that "Just Another Twelve Bar" is actually PF. The fact
that it fades in, and effectively runs into the applause and
intro to "More Blues", means there are no band comments about
it. The announcement after it is also a bit confusing. I can't
really make it out, but it sounds like an American accent,
shouting something like "Time to sit down. (something garbled,
which might be a name) Thank you. Bill Clark" Then there are
some guitar chords and an organ fill, which is definitely faded
out, before Roger's announcement about being late for
mind-expanding. More Blues definitely sounds like Dave, both in
style and sound.
More Blues: Another standard blues. Nice to hear these two
though.
Overall: cleanest ROIO sound I have yet heard (but I can't
claim to be a connoiseur!). Although the tonal balance seems
good for the music, it is a bit trebly on the audience (which
isn't terribly intrusive anyway). I would definitely rate this
as a must buy. The quality overall is easily the match of the
UmmaGumma live tracks.
- ANON
The first blues is not just a simple blues. In fact it is not a
blues, it is "Biding my Time" ! But as the lyrics are edited
out, you just have the bridge part and coda. But it is really.
After the piece The Man & The Journey shifted out of the Floyd
repertoire, BMT was sometime played as a single piece with an
extra long jam after the verse (listen to Water's gate LP).
- ANON
To me, this is the definitive 1970 RoIO!
Of course, the BBC session (see "Libest Spacement Monitor") is
also an excellent performance from that year (and with a little
bit better sound quality). But, this time, we have a full
concert. This is the best soundboard quality I ever heard for a
concert from that year. It's particulary interesting to hear
"Atom Heart Mother" without the brass section.
It seems to be a very rare RoIO, and I didn't find any X-ref
for it. So, if you can buy it... don't hesitate!
BTW, the bass line of "Just Another Twelve Bar" is in fact the
bass line from the second part of "Biding My Time". The song is
slightly different. It's more bluesy, and there's no trombone.
- MARC-OLIVIER.
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