Gilmour, David

I have been a David Gilmour fan for a long time. Got into Pink Floyd back in the late 70's not long after he put out his first solo album (which is now 30 years old as I write this). Follwed him through all the years of Floyd, his solo albums, and all that. When I heard he was putting out a live album, I wasn't terribly sure I was going to get it. Live albums are a mixed bag with me. If you saw the tour a live album came from, then it's kind of a must purchase. But if you weren't, you're essentially buying the same songs again. So I kind of waffled.

Then I saw the track listing, and it was quite varied. Went into the ancient days of Pink Floyd (60's era), and hit the usual Floyd hits. It also had quite a few songs from his third solo album. If there was any disappointment for me, it was that there were not any tracks from David's first two solo albums - there's a lot of good stuff there (mostly on the second), but that wasn't a major deal. The selling point for me was Rick Wright. As one of the founders of Pink Floyd (Gilmour was not), it kind of felt more like a Floyd album with two of the guys there, so I pre-ordered it. Then Rick Wright died before it was released. It kind of turned into a tribute because of that.

The music itself was quite good. It was recorded on the final date of the tour for his On an Island album. It was in Gdansk Poland - in the shipyards made famous by Lech Walensa (sp?). The track selection was pretty good, had some stuff I was not expecting (Astronomy Domine, Echoes!), and I did enjoy hearing live version of his third solo album. So yeah, I enjoyed it. I'm not terribly sure it's for everyone though. This does have a unique feel in that there's an orchestra playing. Lots of bands do that now, but this seems to fit the music more than most bands who just go "Oh, here's an orchestra, too".

A bit of a note here. There were MANY different versions of the thing. I'm going to cheat, and steal the text straight from David Gilmour's site about all of the versions. I bought the 2 CD / 1 DVD version myself.

Live In Gda?sk is available in versions to fit every pocket. The 2-CD audio-only version represents the August 2006 concert from the Gda?sk Shipyard, featuring David and his stellar touring band plus a 40-strong orchestra. The final concert of the On An Island tour in front of 50,000 people, it can be seen as well as heard on the 3-disc version, which includes an extra concert DVD (114 minutes long) and Gda?sk Diary, a 37-minute filmed documentary. All of the show is included on the CDs, except for Wot's... Uh The Deal?, which does however make an appearance over the concert end-credits on the DVD.

There is also a 4-disc version, packaged, like the 2-disc and the 3-disc, in a carbon-neutral cardboard wallet, with a 12-page booklet including credits and concert photos, plus a 5-disc package, presented in a cardboard box with bonus collectable extras. The 4-disc version is the same as the 3-disc version, but with an additional DVD of live performances from the Mermaid Theatre, the AOL Sessions, and Abbey Road. It also has three brand-new tracks performed as live jams by David with Richard Wright, Steve DiStanislao and Guy Pratt, filmed in David's barn. In addition, it also has the whole On An Island album in 5.1 surround sound audio, on Dolby Digital or DTS format.

As if that wasn't enough, the 5-disc version has all of the aforementioned discs, plus an extra audio CD of live tracks recorded on the Summer 2006 tour, and a 24-page booklet, reproduction concert memorabilia and a 2-sided poster.

Finally, for vinyl junkies, the entire concert is available in a box of LPs: 8 sides are the concert, including Wot's... Uh The Deal?, while the 5th disc holds two Barn Jams, On The Turning Away live from Venice, and two songs from the Live From Abbey Road sessions. You also get a 'Webpass', which allows one complete download of the whole five discs in MP3 format to a computer of your choice.

The first new solo album by David Gilmour in 22 years. First new studio album of any kind in 12 years. He was due.

After listening to this for a week or so, I can say it's a good album. It's not the monster hit I think a lot of people were expecting. Don't get me wrong, it will sell a lot. It will get a lot of notice. It's good - no doubt about it. But it's definitely a mellow album, and if you were expecting David to wail on guitar, this isn't for you. Honestly, it feels like Pink Floyd's 1971 album "Meddle", but with current production values.

If you're a Floyd fan, you should check it out, I think you'll enjoy it. But don't get me wrong - I like the album. I guess I was expecting something else, and didn't get it. I'll get over that. It is good music.

Also, the packaging is quite nice, it feels like a small book - or a child's "board book". Very VERY nicely put together.

Update Sep 18, 2006: My initial impression of this album was that it was TOO mellow, that there wasn't enough rock in it. I still sort of stand by that, but now that I've listened to it more, I have really enjoyed it. About two weeks ago or so, the lightbulb went on, and I really started enjoying this a lot. It's got more punch than I thought, although it is still very much a mellow album. It's just the punches are more woven into the music, it's not like a traditonal Gilmour rock album. It's a lot quieter than that, I can recommend it more highly than before now.

At the time this came out, there were two very "downer" and Waters dominated Pink Floyd albums (The Wall & The Final Cut) released. When this came out, it was a breath of fresh air - it's light, airy, and has some great guitar work. I saw him on this tour, and he played a 5,000 seat place in Philadelphia, and it was one of the most intimate awesome concerts I've ever seen (for an artist of this magnitude). I still love this album today - there's nothing weak on it.

In-between Pink Floyd's Animals & The Wall albums, David Gilmour put out this solo album. At the time it was new, I didn't know about it, so I don't have first hand knowledge of it then - I didn't get it until the mid 80's. It's a slow album, not much in the way of fast up tempo songs. Definitely have to be in the right mood to listen to this, but when I am, it's very enjoyable.