Zabriskie Point (album)

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Zabriskie Point
Soundtrack album by
various artists
ReleasedMarch 1970
GenreRock[1]
Length36:22
LabelMGM (original issue)
Rhino (early reissues)
Sony Classical/WaterTower Music (current reissues)
Pink Floyd soundtracks chronology
More
(1969)
Zabriskie Point
(1970)
Obscured by Clouds
(1972)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB−[2]

Zabriskie Point is a soundtrack album to the Michelangelo Antonioni film of the same name. It was originally released in March 1970[3] and features songs recorded by contemporary rock acts of Antonioni's choosing, including Pink Floyd, the Grateful Dead, and the Kaleidoscope.[1]

A 1997 re-release includes four bonus tracks each from Jerry Garcia and Pink Floyd that were used in the film, but not the original soundtrack.[4] Jim Morrison of The Doors wrote the track "L'America" for the film, but was rejected by Antonioni ("L'America" was later released on The Doors' album L.A. Woman). A Rolling Stones track, "You Got the Silver", is featured in the film but not included on this album.

Pink Floyd[edit]

Pink Floyd's contributions to the album were recorded in November and December 1969, after the release of Ummagumma. "Come in Number 51, Your Time Is Up" is a re-recording of "Careful with That Axe, Eugene", originally released as a B-side in December 1968.[4] "Love Scene (Version 4)" is a Rick Wright solo piano composition. "Country Song" (also known as "The Red Queen") is a ballad filled with chess metaphors. "Unknown Song" (also known as "Rain in the Country") is a relaxed instrumental. "Love Scene (Version 6)" (also known as "Alan's Blues") is a bluesy instrumental. A track entitled "Fingal's Cave" and another called "Oenone" were recorded but did not appear on the finished album.

Pink Floyd also recorded other unreleased material during the same sessions. Most notable is a lengthy composition which at that time was known as "The Violent Sequence" (later released on Dark Side of the Moon Immersion Box Set).[4] This was later reworked, as "Us and Them" from The Dark Side of the Moon.[4] An additional number of tracks of previously unreleased studio work from these sessions have been released in 2016 on The Early Years 1965–1972 (Volume 4: 1970: Devi/ation).

Critical reception[edit]

Village Voice critic Robert Christgau has said the soundtrack album is "considerably deeper and more coherent" than the film.[2] AllMusic's Steven McDonald later called it "an odd melange of songs" but also "well worth hearing" for the Pink Floyd recordings.[1]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
1."Heart Beat, Pig Meat"David Gilmour/Roger Waters/Richard Wright/Nick MasonPink Floyd3:12
2."Brother Mary"David LindleyKaleidoscope2:42
3."Excerpt from Dark Star"Jerry Garcia/Mickey Hart/Robert Hunter/Bill Kreutzmann/Phil Lesh/Ron "Pigpen" McKernan/Bob WeirGrateful Dead2:32
4."Crumbling Land"Gilmour/Waters/Wright/MasonPink Floyd4:16
5."Tennessee Waltz"Pee Wee King/Redd StewartPatti Page3:03
6."Sugar Babe"Jesse Colin YoungThe Youngbloods2:13
7."Love Scene"GarciaJerry Garcia (Grateful Dead)7:02
8."I Wish I Was a Single Girl Again"Roscoe HolcombRoscoe Holcomb1:56
9."Mickey's Tune"LindleyKaleidoscope1:42
10."Dance of Death"John FaheyJohn Fahey2:43
11."Come in Number 51, Your Time Is Up"Gilmour/Waters/Wright/MasonPink Floyd5:01
Total length:36:22
Bonus disc from 1997 release
No.TitleArtistLength
1."Love Scene Improvisations (Version 1)" (Garcia)Jerry Garcia6:18
2."Love Scene Improvisations (Version 2)" (Garcia)Jerry Garcia8:00
3."Love Scene Improvisations (Version 3)" (Garcia)Jerry Garcia7:52
4."Love Scene Improvisations (Version 4)" (Garcia)Jerry Garcia8:04
5."Country Song" (Gilmour/Waters/Wright/Mason)Pink Floyd4:37
6."Unknown Song" (Gilmour/Waters/Wright/Mason)Pink Floyd6:01
7."Love Scene (Version 6)" (Gilmour/Waters/Wright/Mason)Pink Floyd7:26
8."Love Scene (Version 4)" (Wright)Pink Floyd6:45
Total length:55:03

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Steven McDonald. "Zabriskie Point - Original Soundtrack | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  2. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: Z". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 23 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. ^ Billboard, March 14, 1970
  4. ^ a b c d Andy Mabbett (2010), Chris Charlesworth (ed.), Pink Floyd: The Music and the Mystery, Omnibus Press, OCLC 762731304, Wikidata Q25766745

External links[edit]