So I got Ummagumma for Christmas

I don't think Species stands up as an altogether good track in the sense of typical music, or typical PF music, but it has a nice, hypnotic, experimental quality about it.

i fairly like grand viziers garden party part 3 and i love Sysphus Part one, as for several its a weird song, gets kinda boring.

I think Grand Vizier's and Sysyphus are a load of crap. Just dull workouts.

Indeed

Sysyphus has it's moments, but ultimately goes nowhere. I think, that given more time and less of the constraint to fill up half a side, Wright could have come up with something better and more coherent. The main theme is good, but there's too much banging away to make it any good. Experimental, but in a way that is unlistenable. It's too bad, it had potential.

Grantchester Meadows is a classic, definitely one of my favorite Waters tunes.

Several Species of Small Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict is experimental, but in a good way. It's catchy, rhythmic, and good. One of the first techno songs, and an interesting one at that, and you could see the progression from this to On the Run. And I love the gaelic shouting at the end, great Waters moment.

The Narrow Way is probably the most coherent piece on the album. A good tune overall, but probably longer than it should be. The first part has some great catchy acoustic guitar playing mixed with building electronic sound effects. The effects add an interesting atmosphere, but are sometimes too obtrusive to the music and get annoying. The second movement is a shift into more typical Floyd experimental jams, but more coherent. Definitely too long, however, as it again relies on building electronic effects that also build in annoyance. Still, it is a good tune. The last part is the main song part, and it is a good Gilmour song. I think he was a bit too shy with the vocals though. Overall it's a good Floyd song, that, without the imperfections, could've been great.

The Grand Vizier's Garden Party is definitely the weakest song on the album. It's essentially a long uninteresting drum-effect solo bookended by some nice flute playing. It would have been better had there been a tune to it, or if it was simply cut down by 8 minuts or so. A lot of it is very repetitive and needless. Still, the flute playing is nice.

Good stuff, Gianthogweed and your throw-away line at the end, Still, the flute playing is nice. made me laugh.

I can agree with some, if not most of your points, and only mildly disagree with only a few. It's all grist to APFFN mill.

You haven't listened to them enough times. In the words of Lennon, turn off your mind, relax and float downstream!

I have listened to Ummagumma a lot over the seventeen years I've had it and still don't like it. The live tracks are good, it is a shame that they couldn't have put Interstellar overdrive on as well.

I tell you what is good though. The two BBC concerts from 1970 and 1971? I really enjoyed them and made me re-evaluate the non-epic songs on AHM and Meddle.