The Man and the Journey
Encyclopedia
The Man and The Journey are the names of two album-length suites of music performed in concert by Pink Floyd
during their 1969 tour. They consist of several of their early songs coupled with material that would appear on Soundtrack from the Film More and Ummagumma
, as well as unreleased songs. The concerts also featured visual performance elements such as the sawing and construction of a table and consumption of afternoon tea onstage.
The concept was first performed 14 April, 1969 at the Royal Festival Hall
in a show billed as The Massed Gadgets of Auximenes - More Furious Madness from Pink Floyd. A truncated version of the show was recorded 12 May, 1969 for the Top Gear
radio programme. The 17 September performance at the Concertgebouw
in Amsterdam is the most widely bootlegged
of the shows on the tour because it was broadcast by radio station VPRO
. Plans for an official live album release of The Man and the Journey were considered, but abandoned due to overlap of material with Ummagumma.
The band members have seldom made reference to the suites in later interviews. Yet the unique combination of quadraphonic
sound effects, abstract program music
, and recursive themes — all of which can be traced to The Man and The Journey — were to become further developed in the band's most enduring music.
", "Syncopated Pandemoneum" (part 2 of "A Saucerful of Secrets" - the first show of the tour featured this) or "Party Sequence
". Sometimes, "The End of the Beginning" is cited to also include "Storm Signal," another part of "A Saucerful of Secrets."
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
during their 1969 tour. They consist of several of their early songs coupled with material that would appear on Soundtrack from the Film More and Ummagumma
Ummagumma
Ummagumma is a double album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in 1969 by Harvest and EMI in the United Kingdom and Harvest and Capitol in the United States...
, as well as unreleased songs. The concerts also featured visual performance elements such as the sawing and construction of a table and consumption of afternoon tea onstage.
The concept was first performed 14 April, 1969 at the Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
in a show billed as The Massed Gadgets of Auximenes - More Furious Madness from Pink Floyd. A truncated version of the show was recorded 12 May, 1969 for the Top Gear
Top Gear (radio show)
Top Gear was originally a short-lived pop music show on the BBC Light Programme in the mid-1960s.- Origin and format :It was one of the Corporation's few attempts to compete with the pirate radio stations and Radio Luxembourg, who had attracted large audiences of young British pop music listeners...
radio programme. The 17 September performance at the Concertgebouw
Concertgebouw
The Concertgebouw is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch term "concertgebouw" literally translates into English as "concert building"...
in Amsterdam is the most widely bootlegged
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
of the shows on the tour because it was broadcast by radio station VPRO
VPRO
The VPRO was established in the Netherlands in 1926 as a religious broadcasting organization. Falling under the Protestant pillar, it represented the Liberal Protestant current...
. Plans for an official live album release of The Man and the Journey were considered, but abandoned due to overlap of material with Ummagumma.
The band members have seldom made reference to the suites in later interviews. Yet the unique combination of quadraphonic
Quadraphonic
Quadraphonic sound – the most widely used early term for what is now called 4.0 surround sound – uses four channels in which speakers are positioned at the four corners of the listening space, reproducing signals that are independent of one another...
sound effects, abstract program music
Program music
Program music or programme music is a type of art music that attempts to musically render an extra-musical narrative. The narrative itself might be offered to the audience in the form of program notes, inviting imaginative correlations with the music...
, and recursive themes — all of which can be traced to The Man and The Journey — were to become further developed in the band's most enduring music.
Example track list (from the Amsterdam show, 1969)
Note, this is an example track listing only. Often, "Doing It" is cited as being "Up the KhyberUp the Khyber
"Up the Khyber" is an instrumental by the British rock band Pink Floyd. It was written by their drummer Nick Mason, and keyboardist Richard Wright.-Overview:...
", "Syncopated Pandemoneum" (part 2 of "A Saucerful of Secrets" - the first show of the tour featured this) or "Party Sequence
Party Sequence
"Party Sequence" is the seventh track by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd on their third album, Soundtrack from the Film More. It is a short instrumental credited to all members of the band, and consists of a sequence of tribal percussion, and a penny whistle playing the melody to...
". Sometimes, "The End of the Beginning" is cited to also include "Storm Signal," another part of "A Saucerful of Secrets."