And so finally, reassuringly expensive and packaged in a typically expansive set, Pink Floyd’s P.U.L.S.E. gets its long-awaited upgrade to HD. Restored and re-edited from the original tapes, this is the same version that graced the insanely pricey Later Years box set (the bulk of which has now been separately released), albeit with some spectacular packaging that sits somewhere between the 2006 DVD and the original, blinking light CD. The blu ray is currently forty pounds in the UK, potentially making it too pricey for the casual fan. However, for the dedicated follower priced out of The Later Years, the question remains, is it worth the upgrade?
The Package
In terms of packaging, P.U.L.S.E. is a thing of beauty. A far cry from the disappointing DVD release, which featured a shiny digipack destined to show every dent and ding, this beast comes in a hard-shell slipcase, bearing updated artwork. The first thing you’ll notice is that the blinking LED is back and this time it’s been constructed in a way that means the batteries can be removed or replaced without ripping the case to shreds. It’s a nice touch and, while it’s currently driving my wife insane, the fanboy in me is simply delighted to have it pulsing away on the shelf once more. Inside, there’s a reinforced card sleeve containing the discs and a sixty-page book, with a mix of familiar live images and less familiar concept art. The only packaging flaw is that it doesn’t match the decent boxes granted DSOT and AMLOR (and, given the cost, not including the CD is a kicker), but it is still a thing of beauty.
Tech Details & Extras
Given that the DVD was something of a technical marvel, offering higher resolution sound (640 kbps compared to traditional 448 kbps) than most other DVDs of the period, the Blu Ray needed to pull something special out of the bag to compete. Fortunately, it does. Re-edited from the master tapes in 2019, the disc offers stereo PCM (48/24) and 5.1 DTS Master Audio (96/24). It is, quite simply, the best it has ever sounded. The extras are mixed – the music videos, documentaries and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction are 48/24 stereo, the rehearsal footage, screen films and bonus audio are 96/24.
In terms of content, much of the 2006 DVD has made it to the new release, but not everything. Gone is the Bootlegging The Bootleggers footage (although this is not a terrible loss), also some of the screen films (High Hopes, Learning To Fly, On The Run, Eclipse), including most of the alternate versions. Also missing is the Say Goodbye To Life As We Know It behind the scenes documentary, as well as various bits of tour stuff such as maps and stage plans.
What you do get, however, is an additional music video (2014’s Marooned), three tour rehearsal tracks (two versions of A great Day For Freedom and Lost For Words), four new documentaries, and two audio-only tracks (One Of These Days and Astronomy Domine). It’s a comprehensive list, and given that this is a different version of the film to the original, it’s likely that fans will want to keep both anyway. Also, as a minor point, it’s great to have the complete film on one disc.
The Video & Edit
We all knew this was coming. The video… well, it’s not great. Don’t misunderstand, this is the best P.U.L.S.E. has ever looked (and ever will look), it’s just that the source was never going to allow for the depth and detail that graced the amazing restoration of DSOT. Whereas that concert was shot on film and now looks gloriously cinematic, someone somewhere took the decision to film P.U.L.S.E. on video, limiting the extent to which the image can be upgraded. Pop it in the player and the first thing that you’ll notice is that the screen ratio is retained at 4:3. While this is a little frustrating, the team made totally the right decision, as stretching out a 4:3 image to 16:9 does nothing other than make the band members look like Homer Simpson. Nevertheless, it feels like a throwback, and it’s a shame that a band as forward thinking as Pink Floyd dropped such a clanger on their final tour.
Get past the ratio and the image really has improved from its 2006 forebear. Brightness levels are drastically improved across the board. The circles of light that play on the audience, for example, previously looked like someone was pointing a torch in their direction, while tracks with pyro whiteouts (One Of These Days & Run Like Hell) now look like tracks with pyro whiteouts. Moreover, the lasers cut through with greater vibrancy than previously. Nevertheless, there’s only so much that can be done with the resolution of the image, and you’ll soon see that fine detail is largely absent. Overall, it is as sharp and as detailed an image as we’ll ever get for this particular set, and it’s an impressive job, but fans should not expect miracles.
Beyond the surface changes, this is also a new edit of the film, and it’s difficult to say whether this improves the experience or not. It certainly feels more dynamic than the original, with more cuts between band members and frequent angled shots creating a sense of movement from a band who are (Guy Pratt and Gary Wallis excepted) notoriously static. Plenty of long shots of the stage remain, maintaining the grandeur of the spectacle, and there are enough cut aways to the screen to remind us of any conceptual elements. It certainly offers a more modern look at the film, while keeping the scale and drama largely intact. For what it’s worth, I’ll be keeping the DVD, but I can imagine this being my go-to version from hereon in.
Final Thoughts
For fans of latter-day (Waters-less) Floyd, P.U.L.S.E. has a special place in the band’s canon. It may lack the scathing vitriol of The Wall tour, but it is an opportunity to see a first-class band running through a mix of material from the band’s storied history and, of course, a complete run through of DSOTM. Adding to the drama of the film is the fact that, although the band members did not know it at the time, this was Pink Floyd’s final tour together (barring the brief return for Live Aid), and yet, on stage, the members seemed to actually enjoy themselves, frequently smiling to each other when caught unaware by the roving eye of the camera. The package is expensive, and that has been something of a trend with Pink Floyd releases of late. On the other hand, a good deal of thought and care has gone into the production, from the blinking LED to the case art; while the audio/visual upgrade is worthwhile despite the limitations noted above. Ultimately, you probably already know if you want this (hell, you may even have bought it on day of release with wide-eyed enthusiasm), but if you are an undecided fan of the original, then you can rest assured that P.U.L.S.E. will never look or sound better than it does right here. 9/10
I’ve seen comments about the aspect ratio before with bewilderment. I bought the DVD when it first came out, having waited 10 years, and it fills up the screen perfectly (only a 32 inch TV) with no sign of band members looking an odd size. Anyone spending a fortune to watch this in 4;3 must be out of their tiny minds….
I don’t quite know how to tell you this, but the original DVD is also 4:3 (read the back if you don’t believe me). If it filled the screen, it’s because you had either your TV or your DVD player set to stretch the image. While we have become used to widescreen over the years, not everything was shot in that format. Most TV shows shot during the CRT era, for example, were 4:3 and there is often debate on forums as to whether they should be resized or left in the original aspect ratio, with most favouring the latter.
In this instance, for whatever reason, P.U.L.S.E. was shot in 4:3 and, while there’s nothing to stop you stretching it artificially (if it floats your boat) the creative team made the sensible decision not force this upon you. At the same time, the work done in rescanning and cleaning up the image is as impressive as it could possibly be, representing a decent upgrade in all other respects.