A Technicolor Dream is a 90 minute documentary of the mid-late 60's London underground music scene, as well as the early history of one of the scene's most ambitious acts, Pink Floyd. Featuring many interviews with folks who were prominent on the scene (as part of the London Free School, the International Times, the UFO Club, and the Notting Hill Carnival) as well as those in and around the band, this DVD is a well put together and insightful look at Britain during the peace, love, and psychedelic era. The most fascinating parts deal with the rise of the UFO Club and its main act, Pink Floyd, as Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Rick Wright, and Nick Mason looked to take the parameters of pop music to a new level. The movie also features brief clips of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown and The Pretty Things, two other groups that frequented the UFO Club, and if you follow along you'll also see John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Paul McCartney, and other notable 60's rock stars, showing up in various spots on the London underground. Interviews with Waters, Mason, and other people who were close to Pink Floyd at the time reveal just how naive yet inspirational the band was during those days, and all go in- depth on the breakdown of Barrett and how we went from bandleader & innovator to drug user and recluse who completely lost touch with reality. All of the happenings that are discussed on the DVD lead up to the '14 Hour Technicolor Dream' event that took place on April 29, 1967 at the Alexandrea Palace, a cultural phenomenon that is covered fully on the Pink Floyd 1966/1967 DVD released a year ago. This DVD is a great companion piece to that one, and provides much of the background of the planning leading up to the event, as well as a much closer look at Pink Floyd's early career.
Don't be fooled however by the DVD's boast that this set comes with 3 Pink Floyd performances. They are actually three videos, all featuring the Barrett era of the band, but two are merely odd early 'videos' of "Scarecrow" and "Arnold Layne", two very poppy numbers that see the band goofing around, walking through a lush field and wearing masks & custumes, while the third is an actual live clip in black & white of the band's classic "Astronomy Domine". The latter is worth the price of admission alone. In summary, this is well worth a watch, especially for lovers of 60's pop culture, British rock, and the mighty Pink Floyd.
Bonus Features
Video Performances by Pink Floyd of Arnold Layne, Scarecrow, and Astronomy Domine
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