Careful With That Axe, Eugene (5:44)
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“Careful with That Axe, Eugene” is a song by the British band Pink Floyd. The studio recording is featured on Relics, while a live version can be found on Ummagumma. The song was originally released as the B-side of their single “Point Me at the Sky.” Pink Floyd re-recorded the track for Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni’s film Zabriskie Point. The song is retitled “Come in Number 51, Your Time Is Up” on the soundtrack album for the film.
Composition
The music consists of a light organ based jam (using the “Egyptian” style organ that is common of Rick Wright in this period), and an accompanying bass guitar playing just one tone (in this case, D) in octaves with a segue into the song’s only lyrics: the title of the song whispered menacingly, followed by a Roger Waters scream, as in “Candy and a Currant Bun”. This scream would reappear on many subsequent songs such as “Run Like Hell”, the very beginning of “Another Brick in the Wall Part 2,” and “Two Suns in the Sunset.” In the heavier parts and later, quieter parts, David Gilmour can be heard with guitar and scat vocals; in concert, Gilmour would often sing along with his guitar line.
Live History
Pink Floyd performed the song at almost every show from 1968-1973 and once in 1977. An embryonic form was performed as early as 23 May 1968 (captured in a recording at The Paradiso in Amsterdam) under the original title of “Keep Smiling People”, and another version was recorded on 25 June 1968 at BBC Piccadilly Studios and broadcast on John Peel’s Top Gear radio program 11 August 1968 with the title “Murderistic Woman”.
Composition
The music consists of a light organ based jam (using the “Egyptian” style organ that is common of Rick Wright in this period), and an accompanying bass guitar playing just one tone (in this case, D) in octaves with a segue into the song’s only lyrics: the title of the song whispered menacingly, followed by a Roger Waters scream, as in “Candy and a Currant Bun”. This scream would reappear on many subsequent songs such as “Run Like Hell”, the very beginning of “Another Brick in the Wall Part 2,” and “Two Suns in the Sunset.” In the heavier parts and later, quieter parts, David Gilmour can be heard with guitar and scat vocals; in concert, Gilmour would often sing along with his guitar line.
Live History
Pink Floyd performed the song at almost every show from 1968-1973 and once in 1977. An embryonic form was performed as early as 23 May 1968 (captured in a recording at The Paradiso in Amsterdam) under the original title of “Keep Smiling People”, and another version was recorded on 25 June 1968 at BBC Piccadilly Studios and broadcast on John Peel’s Top Gear radio program 11 August 1968 with the title “Murderistic Woman”.
Video
Added by OneBadEsse
Pink Floyd plays Careful With That Axe in Pompeii.
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Albums featuring this track
Shouts
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ProvWolf wrote:
So intensely psychedelic.. smoke to it regularly, it's a track that doesn't lose it's magic.
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Ciacchi wrote:
a friend of mine listened to it on acid, and I've been wanting to do that since then
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Ghorbadul wrote:
Get high and listen to this with headphones on full volume in a dark room.
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Lord0fPirates wrote:
live version.
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radio-tractore wrote:
love pompeii version (L) I named my Spore creature Eugene ^^ but it's not online
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TheGordy wrote:
I utterly adore the early 70s live versions of this piece (especially Pompeii). It's much more slow and menacing, and the release after the crescendo is staggering; I think it is perhaps the first post-rock composition...
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BradyMan wrote:
Man Roger can can scream
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speedemon86 wrote:
tshay, tshay, tshay
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Hanesu wrote:
A week ago when i was playing Spore, there was a creature called Axe-Eugene.
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YOMOTHAINLAW wrote:
The Pompeii version without a doubt blows any other version of this song well out of the water. I don't know if I'd be daring enough to watch this on acid though. I'd shit my pants in total fear.
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Big_Dip wrote:
In the heavier parts and later, quieter parts, David Gilmour can be heard with guitar and scat vocals; in concert, Gilmour would often sing along with his guitar line.
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Bambimannen wrote:
Oh, and I thought Hypothermia had som unique vocals...
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[deleted-user]
wrote:
GREAT FLOYD LSD PSYCHODELIC
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christoph42 wrote:
Yeah, just saw the Pompeji video on TV by mere chance, and it didn't take drugs for it to give me the creeps. It's exactly the kind of creepiness that most black metal bands aspire to, but never reach. And Floyd don't even need goat blood and corpsepaint to be creepier than most bands that do. This song is pure evil! :-D
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[deleted-user]
wrote:
Good lord that fucking scream... This is incredible to watch on the Pompeii video, its my favorite song EVER. it is absolute mindfuckery in the best sense one could imagine
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susurr0 wrote:
I don't need drugs to enjoy it mate ;)
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bryantee wrote:
DRUMS!
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philthesperry wrote:
listen to it on LSD. better yet, watch the Live At Earl's Court version or the Live At Pompeii version while on LSD. unexplainable terror.
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Alessio79 wrote:
Psichedelia pura!!!
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gbrading wrote:
The scream on Ummagumma is utterly terrifying.
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