Does anybody else hate Set The Controls?

I detest this song. Its so unimaginative, tedious and doesn't seem to go anywhere. How it managed to get on Echoes is beyond me, and they even managed to edit out the best bit, namely the deliberately (I assume) bad cutting towards the end. I think this is the worst song on Saucerful, even Corpral Clegg is better IMO. Nevertheless strikes me that this is quite a popular song, does anyone else feel the same way?

Well, before I seeing the live concerts of Roger Waters, "Set the controls" didn't say me very much, but after seeing 2 live concerts, I started to love this song. Now, it's my favourite song of "Saucerful of Secrets".

I have no strong opinion either way on Set The Contols however I know exactly what you mean. There are loads of songs and even the odd album I have strongly disliked only for them to turn into one of my facvourites. The Gunners Dream is one of the best examples for me. I used to HATE it I thought the lyrics were sooooo cheesy and the song in general just crap now I love it.

Exactly!
I always liked "Gunners Dream" song. It's fantastic the linking of the waters scream with the saxofone sound. And i love the lyrics, but i understand when you say "the lyrics were sooooo cheesy".

I love that to. It was the first part of the song I appreciated.

you dont listen to set the controls for the lyrics, at least i don't. Its more of a mood, atmosphere piece. the simple rythum repeated over and over with occasional deviation is a nice piece of music to have going in the back ground. Though the lyrics are vauge and there stolen from a book of chinese poetry. but none the less, i enjoy the song greatly.

Set The Controls is great. Pompeii and ITF versions is even better than the original. The guitar and saxophone parts on the DVD version of ITF are awesome.

The song is great untill the saxophone begins, which is the worst instrumental part in the Pink Floyd history.

I agree, the pompeii version is incredible. haven't yet seen the ITF yet.

THe studio tech behind the voice to sax solo is cool, but yeah its not the best insturmental on that album. I personally like the sax at the end of two suns in the sunset

right on

I absolutely love it! It isn`t "unimaginative" at all, it makes me imagine crazy things, and it`s lyrics are somehow connected with Chinese mythology or something like that.

I agree

I don't think that this song was intended to "go" anywhere. It's just a mood piece as someone else has said. Even the studio version was cut from a larger one (you can even listen to the cuts if you pay attention). This is why the studio version can sound a bit poor in comparison with other "proper" songs but the live versions are quite good. I specially like the "Ummagumma" version and how Roger revisited this song in his "In the Flesh" tour. This song really takes off live as the musicians expand its "soundscape/hypnotic" quality.

Yeah it's an okay song. It drags a bit. You have to be in the right mood to listen to it.

its one of the best songs of early floyd, in my opinion. I just love the mood it sets right from the beginning, very eerie yet soothing... to me at least

and its not too long, what, 5 mins is too much for you guys