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David Gilmour, "On An Island" (Columbia, 2006)
The last new Pink Floyd album, "The Division Bell," came out a dozen years ago to big sales but critical indifference: supposedly, just another dinosaur that didn't know it was supposed to be extinct.
I enjoyed the album, though, and was disappointed when nothing followed and Pink Floyd seemed to have gone the way of the mastodon (the brief Live 8 reunion notwithstanding).
So I was pleased to hear that David Gilmour was releasing a solo album, just his third in nearly 30 years. Seeing as how his voice and guitar playing represent some of Pink Floyd's most distinguishable features, I looked forward to hearing "On An Island" as a followup of sorts to "The Division Bell."
It didn't disappoint, making for an enjoyable listen that brought back memories of the old Pink Floyd, especially the period before "The Dark Side of the Moon" launched the band into superstar status.
As I listened to the new album, I couldn't help but draw comparisons to previous material. After all, I've been listening to Gilmour most of my life. And the way I figure it, with his stellar track record, measuring what he's doing today against his past is meant as a compliment.
"Castellorizon," for example, kicks off the album with an atmospheric instrumental, in much the same vein as the openers to "The Division Bell" and "A Momentary Lapse of Reason." And in places it sounds like the monumental beginning section to "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" on the classic "Wish You Were Here."
The title track follows, with the added bonus of David Crosby and Graham Nash on vocals and Pink Floyd alumnus Rick Wright on Hammond organ. The song evokes a Floyd's lighter side of the late '60s and early '70s; some of it is reminiscent of Wright's "See Saw," from "A Saucerful of Secrets." Gilmour wraps up proceedings with the type of smoking solo that only he can play.
Most of the rest of the album follows along the same lines, a more mellow sound than, say, fans of "The Wall" might recognize. It sounds as if Gilmour, who's nearing 60, is reaching for an audience that has matured with him, as several songs feature pristine orchestral arrangements by Zbigniew Preisner.
Gilmour still can take it up a notch, though. "Take a Breath" is a harder-edged, faster-paced song that he closes with a heavy, minor-scale solo that shows he hasn't lost his touch for dramatic playing.
"This Heaven" has a distinctive jazz-blues feel that's rare in the Floyd/Gilmour catalog; perhaps its closest comparison is the obscure "Biding My Time," which appears on the Pink Floyd anthology "Relics." The most notable feature of "This Heaven" is the walking line of the bass, which Gilmour plays himself.
He also does a surprising turn on the saxophone for a brief instrumental called "Red Sky." While sax playing is no stranger on Pink Floyd albums since "The Dark Side of the Moon," it usually has been handled by veteran Dick Parry. Gilmour acquits himself quite well on the reed instrument here.
One huge difference between primordial Pink Floyd and "On An Island" is the sound quality of the new album, reflecting a great production job by Gilmour, Chris Thomas and former Roxy Music member Phil Manzanera. Put on a quality pair of headphones, and drift off to that island.
David Gilmour, "On An Island" (Columbia, 2006)
The last new Pink Floyd album, "The Division Bell," came out a dozen years ago to big sales but critical indifference: supposedly, just another dinosaur that didn't know it was supposed to be extinct.
I enjoyed the album, though, and was disappointed when nothing followed and Pink Floyd seemed to have gone the way of the mastodon (the brief Live 8 reunion notwithstanding).
So I was pleased to hear that David Gilmour was releasing a solo album, just his third in nearly 30 years. Seeing as how his voice and guitar playing represent some of Pink Floyd's most distinguishable features, I looked forward to hearing "On An Island" as a followup of sorts to "The Division Bell."
It didn't disappoint, making for an enjoyable listen that brought back memories of the old Pink Floyd, especially the period before "The Dark Side of the Moon" launched the band into superstar status.
As I listened to the new album, I couldn't help but draw comparisons to previous material. After all, I've been listening to Gilmour most of my life. And the way I figure it, with his stellar track record, measuring what he's doing today against his past is meant as a compliment.
"Castellorizon," for example, kicks off the album with an atmospheric instrumental, in much the same vein as the openers to "The Division Bell" and "A Momentary Lapse of Reason." And in places it sounds like the monumental beginning section to "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" on the classic "Wish You Were Here."
The title track follows, with the added bonus of David Crosby and Graham Nash on vocals and Pink Floyd alumnus Rick Wright on Hammond organ. The song evokes a Floyd's lighter side of the late '60s and early '70s; some of it is reminiscent of Wright's "See Saw," from "A Saucerful of Secrets." Gilmour wraps up proceedings with the type of smoking solo that only he can play.
Most of the rest of the album follows along the same lines, a more mellow sound than, say, fans of "The Wall" might recognize. It sounds as if Gilmour, who's nearing 60, is reaching for an audience that has matured with him, as several songs feature pristine orchestral arrangements by Zbigniew Preisner.
Gilmour still can take it up a notch, though. "Take a Breath" is a harder-edged, faster-paced song that he closes with a heavy, minor-scale solo that shows he hasn't lost his touch for dramatic playing.
"This Heaven" has a distinctive jazz-blues feel that's rare in the Floyd/Gilmour catalog; perhaps its closest comparison is the obscure "Biding My Time," which appears on the Pink Floyd anthology "Relics." The most notable feature of "This Heaven" is the walking line of the bass, which Gilmour plays himself.
He also does a surprising turn on the saxophone for a brief instrumental called "Red Sky." While sax playing is no stranger on Pink Floyd albums since "The Dark Side of the Moon," it usually has been handled by veteran Dick Parry. Gilmour acquits himself quite well on the reed instrument here.
One huge difference between primordial Pink Floyd and "On An Island" is the sound quality of the new album, reflecting a great production job by Gilmour, Chris Thomas and former Roxy Music member Phil Manzanera. Put on a quality pair of headphones, and drift off to that island.
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