Careful with That Ax, Eugene
| Careful with That Ax, Eugene | |
|---|---|
| Pink Floyd | |
| publication | 17th December 1968 |
| length | Studio / Live
|
| Genre (s) | Progressive rock , psychedelic rock |
| text | Roger Waters , David Gilmour , Richard Wright , Nick Mason |
| music | Roger Waters, Richard Wright, Nick Mason and David Gilmour |
Careful with That Ax, Eugene is an instrumental composition by the British rock band Pink Floyd from 1968.
Publications
A studio recording was originally released on the B-side of the single Point Me at the Sky and appeared again in 1971 on the compilation album Relics . The song was produced by Norman Smith .
Well-known live versions are available on Ummagumma (1969) and Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii (1972). In addition, Pink Floyd played the piece again under the title Come In Number 51, Your Time Is Up for the time-critical film by director Michelangelo Antonioni , Zabriskie Point, shot in 1970 . Careful with That Ax, Eugene replaced the Us and Them originally intended by Richard Wright , which instead appeared on The Dark Side of the Moon . On the sampler Picnic - A Breath of Fresh Air (A Breath of Fresh Air - A Harvest Records Anthology 1969–1974) the song appeared on the track list of 2007.
Careful with That Ax, Eugene was also up for inclusion in the best of album Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd , which was released at the end of 2001, but this was ultimately not done.
Composition and construction technology
Musically, the piece is based on the bass ostinato of Roger Waters on the tone D , above the Richard Wright an improvisation in the Phrygian mode developed. This creates a hypnotic soundscape with melodies reminiscent of Arabic and Indian music . Nick Mason accompanies with pelvic-heavy playing until the piece merges into the only text passage - the title held in a whisper - followed by Waters' threateningly choked screams in a suggested agony . From this point on, the song gets significantly louder because David Gilmour joins in with roaring guitar playing. After reaching the climax, the piece calms down visibly. In the live versions, Gilmour sings his solo in both the loud and quieter phases in wordless syllables .
In the version of the piece Come In Number 51, Your Time is Up used for the film Zabriskie Point , whisper passages and a choir were integrated. On the other hand, there is no whispering in the title stanza and the key chosen was E minor instead of D minor . In the film, the piece was placed as background music for a slow-motion explosion to create a cataclysmic finale.
Alternatives and live versions
Pink Floyd played Careful with That Ax, Eugene often at their concerts during the period from 1968 to 1973. The tempos varied as did the concept of the game. Live performances of the title were always longer and more atmospheric than the studio version. Mason used to start his part softly and gently and then increase the volume in order to continue playing for minutes in a trance-like manner. Waters accentuated the rhythm with hypnotic one- or two-note motifs on his electric bass. Gilmour's guitar, which was at times electrifying and sometimes crudely used, aroused ominous premonitions, which increased to excruciating horror in the course of the piece.
A still immature version was presented at Paradiso in Amsterdam in May 1968, then under the title Keep Smiling People . In June of the same year, the song was recorded at Piccadilly Studios ( BBC ) and was heard in August on John Peel 's radio show Top Gear as The Murderotic Woman .
When it was recorded in 1977, a version was finally made in the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California .
A long live version can be found on the album Ummagumma . Another live appearance was shown on the Australian television program GTK .
Staffing
- Roger Waters - bass guitar , whispering and screaming
- David Gilmour - guitar , vocal lute
- Richard Wright - Farfisa organ (live versions), Hammond organ (studio version), vibraphone
- Nick Mason - drums
More song usage
- Careful with That Ax, Eugene was used by director Bernard Rose and composer Philip Glass in their 2010 film Mr. Nice .
- Careful with That Ax, Eugene was recorded in the first episode of Jacob Bronowski's 13-part series The Rise of Man .
- Careful with That Ax, Eugene is mentioned in the song Octavarium on the 2005 record of the same name by the progressive metal band Dream Theater .
Web links
- John S. Cotner: Pink Floyd's Careful with That Ax, Eugene - Toward a Theory of Textural Rhythm in Early Progressive Rock
- George Reisch (Ed.): Pink Floyd and Philosophy: Careful with that Axiom, Eugene!
Individual evidence
- ^ Andy Mabbett, The Complete Guide to the Music of Pink Floyd , Omnibus Press, London, 1995, 150 pages, ISBN 0-7119-4301-X
- ↑ Rock goes to the Movies
- ↑ A breath of fresh air
- ↑ James Guthrie, Building a compilation album ( Memento June 2, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Shea Stuart, Pink Floyd FAQ: Everything Left to Know ... and More!
- ^ Pink Floyd: Keep Smiling People
- ↑ Unreleased Pink Floyd Material
- ↑ Nick Hodges, Ian Priston, Embryo: A Pink Floyd Chronology 1966–1971 (published 1999), Cherry Red Books, p. 126
- ↑ Pink Floyd: Oakland Coliseum 9/5/77
- ↑ Song credits to the soundtrack Mr. Nice
- ↑ When Bronowski's 'Ascent of Man' went all 'Apocalypse Now'