Careful with That Axe, Eugene
| "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Single by Pink Floyd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| from the album Ummagumma | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A-side | "Point Me at the Sky" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Released | 17 December 1968 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Format | 7" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Recorded | 4 November 1968 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Genre | Psychedelic rock, acid rock, progressive rock, space rock, instrumental rock | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 5:45 (single version) 8:49 (Ummagumma live version) |
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| Label | Columbia (EMI) (UK) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | David Gilmour Roger Waters Richard Wright Nick Mason |
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| Producer | Norman Smith | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pink Floyd singles chronology | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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"Careful with That Axe, Eugene" is an instrumental piece by the British rock band Pink Floyd.[1] The studio recording was originally released as the B-side of their single "Point Me at the Sky" and is also featured on the Relics compilation album; live versions can also be found on Ummagumma and in the film Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii. Pink Floyd re-recorded the track for Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni's film Zabriskie Point, retitling it "Come In Number 51, Your Time Is Up" on the film's soundtrack album.[2] It was included on the multi-artist Harvest compilation, A Breath of Fresh Air – A Harvest Records Anthology 1969–1974 in 2007.[3]
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Composition [edit]
The music consists of a light, organ-based jam (using the Locrian mode on a Farfisa Compact Duo that is common of Richard 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. The song becomes much louder and more intense before gradually settling down again. 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.
For the re-recording made for Zabriskie Point, "Come In Number 51, Your Time Is Up", whispering and a choir were added. David Gilmour and Roger Waters provided the vocals, and Waters' screaming is noticeably louder. It is a complete instrumental; unlike the original "Careful with That Axe, Eugene", "Come in Number 51, Your Time Is Up" does not feature the spoken words "Careful with that axe, Eugene", and is in the key of E minor instead of the original D minor. In the film, it plays at the end during an explosion sequence filmed in slow motion. In the booklet of the soundtrack's reissue, David Fricke writes: "'Come In Number 51, Your Time Is Up' is a cryptically titled remake of the Floyd's volcanic 1968 B-side 'Careful With That Axe, Eugene.' But its bonfire sound — all roaring guitars, crashing drums, and death-throe screaming — is the perfect complement to the movie's cataclysmic finish."
Live history [edit]
Pink Floyd performed the song frequently in concert from 1968–1973 in progressively slower and alternative formats, and once at the Oakland Coliseum in 1977.[4] An embryonic form was performed as early as 31 May 1968 (captured in a recording at The Paradiso in Amsterdam) under the original title of "Keep Smiling People", [5][6] and another version was recorded on 25 June 1968 at the BBC Piccadilly Studios and broadcast on John Peel's Top Gear radio program 11 August 1968 with the title "Murderistic Woman".[7] A version was recorded live in May 1969 for the Ummagumma live disc.[8] This version is considerably longer and more haunting than its studio counterpart.[9] During 1970 and 1971, live performances were even longer lasting 15 minutes and were more atmospheric and menacing.
Personnel [edit]
- Roger Waters — bass guitar, vocals
- David Gilmour — guitar, vocals
- Richard Wright — organ, vibraphone
- Nick Mason — drums
Other use [edit]
- "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" is featured in the 2010 movie Mr. Nice.
References [edit]
- ^ Mabbett, Andy (1995). The Complete Guide to the Music of Pink Floyd. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-4301-X.
- ^ "Albums: Zabriskie Point (1970), Pink Floyd". Floyian Slip. Retrieved 25 February 2011. Roger Waters revisited this theme in "One Of My Turns" from the Wall, in a lyric that reads "Run to the bedroom, in the suitcase on the left, You'll find my favourite axe."
- ^ "A Breath of Fresh Air: A Harvest Records Anthology, 1969-1974 - Various Artists : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "Pink Floyd Oakland Coliseum 9/5/77". Retrieved 2 August 2012.
- ^ "Pink Floyd : Keep Smiling People". Retrieved 2 August 2012.
- ^ http://pinkfloydhyperbase.dk/unreleased/index.html#KEEP SMILING PEOPLE
- ^ Hodges, Nick and Priston, Ian (1999), Embryo: A Pink Floyd Chronology 1966–1971. Cherry Red Books, p. 126.
- ^ Mabbett, Andy (2010). Pink Floyd – The Music and the Mystery. London: Omnibus. p. 160. ISBN 978-1-84938-370-7.
- ^ Manning, Toby (2006). "The Albums". The Rough Guide to Pink Floyd (1st ed.). London: Rough Guides. p. 160. ISBN 1-84353-575-0.
External links [edit]
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