David Gilmour might have ended the Pink Floyd we loved, but his creative instincts made it into a different, perhaps better band. His solo career has been sparse, yet impressive, with three albums in two decades. In his most recent work, On An Island, one rediscovers much of the old magic of Pink Floyd, while uncovering new, pleasantly surprisingly aspects of the musician's art.
The opening instrumental collage, Castellorizon could be two or more songs blended together. The layered fog-horn like beginning gives way to delicate harmonies, before a segue into numerous sample-type riffs that alternately remind one of Castelan, Hindustani and Celtic melodies, finishing off with a classic Floyd-style solo, soaring and frangent with chart-topping music today. Orchestration is provided by Zbigniew Preisner, with much classical flair, though not the Sibelius-style work he's done for Krzysztof Kieślowski.
The next song, the title track On An Island, has become a favorite and appears often on my pseudo-random iPod playlist, perhaps because of its nostalgic lyrics, tones, memories of times lived and unlived — a malaise, one believes, of one's third decade. The harmonies are arranged by Graham Nash and David Crosby, and lyrics supported by Gilmour's wife, Polly Samson. The orchestration is a bit over-powering and the solo tablature could have been borrowed from Division Bell, yet it's a bourgeois-satisfying track.
The Blue retains the leisurely mood, but the lyrics are trite enough to have been written in a teen-romantic blue period, following an AABB rhyming scheme. The solo section fits with the mood, turning into a plaintive lament for an approaching encounter with the abyss.
Take A Breath varies the tempo, and changes the mood, reminding one things can go wrong, terribly wrong. The song breaks pace in the second half, making a point, as it were, and providing an effective build-up to the instrumental perfection that follows. "When you fall from grace your eyes in blue/Your every breath becomes another world/And the far horizon's living hell."
Article comments
1 - nugget
articulate and detailed review Aaman.
You find alot to say about an album that I find (upon first listen) to be completely boring and void of creativity. I'm sure Gilmour has lived through some painful experiences, but who hasn't? The harmony is repetitious and as pretentious as ever. What kind of musician has to hire someone to orchestrate? It's not that hard! Learn to read music, David!
No offense, Aaman. I simply don't like Gilmour or Floyd.
2 - Aaman
Not liking Floyd is a mortal sin in some circles:)
3 - Mark Saleski
how the heck is harmony "pretentious"?
4 - DJRadiohead
Well written review, Aaman. I do like Floyd a lot but have found their post-Waters material to be inconsistent. I have a feeling I would react the same to Gilmour's new album. He can sing and he can play. I think lyrics have been troublesome for him over the years.
5 - Mark Saleski
the problem with Gilmour's solo stuff is that his first one was just sooo good that the others just don't measure up as well.
i think that record is being reissued soon too.
6 - DJRadiohead
If they re-issue I am buying it. I haven't heard the whole thing but I'd force myself to buy it if they put out a fancy re-mastered version.
7 - Guppusmaximus
Sure... The first one was amazing but look at the time in between. Come on, give the guy a break! Metallica took less time between a real album"And Justice..." & a crappy album"Black.." and didn't get this much shit for it...
Anyways, This album is one of the best fusion albums I have heard in a long time.
Thank you David!!
8 - DJRadiohead
No one will accuse Gilmour of being prolific, Guppus. That is very true.
9 - Earl
Floyd was Waters and Gilmour!
There is no getting around that.
10 - Alain
"Floyd was Waters and Gilmour! There is no getting around that."
Eearl, sorry but i completely disagree. Dave is an excellent guitarist. PERIOD.
Waters was the real artist behind Pink Floyd creativity.
Can you see any conceptualization, dreamscapes, lyricism etc in Division Bell or AMLOR the way you see them in Wish you Were Here, Animals and the Wall? No!
Let's not fool ourselves; music like everything else is about art and Rogers was the best act.
Thanks and regards
11 - Juuso Uusimäki
"Can you see any conceptualization, dreamscapes, lyricism etc in Division Bell or AMLOR the way you see them in Wish you Were Here, Animals and the Wall? No!"
Floyd's true strenght was its beautiful music written mainly by Gilmour and Wright and filtered through Roger's great lyrics. However Rog's stuff would've been nothing without David's music. Many of the Floyd's best songs - Comfortably Numb and Wish You Were Here as best examples featured beautiful melodies and music by Gilmour flawlessly cojointed with Roger's stunning lyrics. Floyd's best work was created by both of them collaborating but they can still create great stuff all on their own. For example Rog's Amused To Death and Pink Floyd's The Division Bell + Dave's this album.
Many Floyd classics are defined by his guitarwork and melodies. On Animals album - my personal favourite - there's uncredited writing by Gilmour on both Pigs as on Sheep (for example Sheep has some great riffs from Dave in addition to synth fades etc. but similar to Money it was credited solely to Waters even though song wasn't made by him alone)
Saying David can't do fine on his own is ridiculous. Post-Waters Floyd has some superb tracks such as On The Turning Away (music by Dave and lyrics penned by Anthony Moore), Sorrow (all Dave, magnificent song), Coming Back To Life (all Dave again and it is absolutely STUNNING song on par with Floyd's very best) and High Hopes (their newest classic, music by Gilmour and lyrics by David and his wife Polly).
Roger too has done some good solo stuff but post-Waters Floyd blows his doodlings out the water (apart from Amused To Death) easily.
On An Island was absolute masterpiece for me. It is best album with Floyd member since The Wall, easily defeading The Final Cut and post-Waters Floyd as well as Roger's solo albums (Amused To Death doesn't lose much for this though)
5/5 stars from me