"A Saucerful of Secrets" is a multi-part instrumental by the rock band Pink Floyd from an album of the same name, released in 1968. The track lasts 11:59 and was composed by band members Roger Waters, Rick Wright, Nick Mason, and David Gilmour. It is very much an experimental, avant-garde piece featuring howling feedback, menacing percussion, and wordless vocals.
"A Saucerful of Secrets" (originally known as "The Massed Gadgets of Hercules" in its earliest performances) became a Pink Floyd live staple from 1968 until 1972. A live version of the track is available on Pink Floyd's 1969 double album Ummagumma, and the version seen and heard in the film Live at Pompeii: Directors Cut is considered by many to be the definitive version. In 1969, its fourth movement, "Celestial Voices," was incorporated into the live concept The Man and the Journey as "The End of the Beginning." On the remastered Compact Disc versions of the album, the song is listed on the CD itself as "A Saucerful of Secret"
Roger Waters once stated in a Rolling Stone interview that this song was about a battle and the aftermath. "Something Else" represents the setup of the battle. "Syncopated Pandemonium" represents the actual battle. "Storm Signal" represents the view of the dead after the battle has ended, and "Celestial Voices" represents the mourning of the dead.
Live performances of the song differed significantly from the studio version. The closely miked cymbal sound that starts the piece was instead performed as a two note drone on the bass. For the "Syncopated Pandemonium" section, Rick Wright usually had to be content with playing his Farfisa organ instead of pounding a grand piano with his fists as on the studio recording (the version on "Pompeii" being a notable exception). The "Celestial Voices" section started with just organ as per the studio version, but gradually added drums, bass, guitar and wordless vocals, provided by David Gilmour. This led to a strong climax of the song, that can be best appreciated by the enthusiastic applause at the end of the version on "Ummagumma".
