Kevin's Watch

No problems. Just hurry up.

I'm not sure about outtakes for Dave, Rick or Nick. I know of Syd and Roger. But I'll do my best to find whatever there is.

David Gilmour



Released: May 1978
StevieG rating: 5.9/10

Davil Gilmour's debut solo album contains a lot of blues-style tracks with a ballad or two thrown in there. I haven't listened to it in decades. For the most part, the tracks are mildly pleasant standard bluesy numbers, generally pretty bland. In most cases, they are improved through a guitar solo - that's his thing after all!

Mihalis
StevieG rating: 5/10

Boring as all buggery until the guitar solo comes in over half way through. That lifts it from a 3 to a 5 for me.


There's No Way Out of Here
StevieG rating: 8/10

Catchy as hell! I always sing along to this one. It has a good melody and some good instrumentation.


Cry from the Street
StevieG rating: 6/10

Oh yeah, play that guitar! Great start, nice chunky guitar sound. Then the vocals come in - not so good. Nice guitar solo near the end as usual. Goes out to Sheep part 2.


So Far Away
StevieG rating: 6/10

Well here I am again in this mean old town. Ooops, that's the Dire Straits song So far away. Let's get on to this ballad. Hang on, this is Elton John! It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside. Hang on.... this is Gilmour and then the lyrics kick in - this ain't Bernie Taupin. The song itself is reasonable. Good use of backing vocals and good guitar as usual. Just... not great.


Short and Sweet
StevieG rating: 6/10

And so starts another song with potential. Nice guitar intro. Good use of vocals. Interesting ambient feel to the song. It's a good song. Not great, but good.


Raise my Rent
StevieG rating: 5/10

Another classic bland song until the proper guitar kicks in. He's a maestro no doubt, but needs a good kick up the arse to make an interesting song.


No Way
StevieG rating: 6/10

Another pleasant bluesy track. Good innovative guitar. That's about all I can say.


Deafinitely
StevieG rating: 5/10

I'm not overly sure what Dave was trying to achieve with this album. Maybe it was just a reprieve between the Floyd masterpieces. I'm not a major fan of instrumentals in general, so yeah, this is an instrumental... Yes, there's good guitar, but it just goes to show - great guitar doesn't always make a great song.


I Can't Breathe Anymore
StevieG rating: 6/10

Nice, pleasant, etc. Builds quite nicely. But still, a bit of a "yawn" of an album.

David Gilmour

Mihalis - takes a minute and a half to really start up. It's pleasant but doesn't go anywhere. Sounds like background music.

Null Rating - 5 out of 10.

There's No Way Out of Here - best song on the album. Great lead guitar. The rhythm section lays down a great groove. I love the back up singers. Dave's singing is perfect. I wish Dave would bring this one back. Ken Baker wrote the lyrics.

Null Rating - 8 out of 10.

Cry From the Street - it moves. The opening guitar is crunchy and the ending solo does echo Sheep. Dave obviously can do this type of song, i just wish he would more often. Dave wrote the lyrics with Eric Stewart.

Null Rating - 6 out of 10.

So Far Away - love the piano. Dave does well with the lyrics. The guitar solo is tasteful. I would have loved to hear Floyd do these songs. They almost seem a bit incomplete. This is another i wish he would bring back.

Null Rating - 6 out of 10.

Short and Sweet - nice intro. The origins of Run Like Hell. The song has a nice lope. The drums are outstanding. Dave wrote the lyrics with Roy Harper. Why not bring out Roy to sing this at a current show?

Null Rating - 6 out of 10.

Raise my Rent - the origins of What do You Want From Me. Another song that is more background than proper song.

Null Rating - 5 out of 10.

No Way - nice guitar work. Nice groove. The problem is Dave says he won't go down easy, but he sings it too smoothly. I would love to hear Roger singing this. He would bring the bile the song needs.

Null Rating - 6 out of 10.

Deafinitely - sounds like an outtake from Sheep. I can't find much info about the album, so I can't be sure. The song moves, but also feels incomplete

Null Rating - 5 out of 10.

I Can't Breathe Anymore - I like the music, especially when it kicks into higher gear towards the end. But the lyrics don't seem to make any sense. This is a time I wish he had used a co-writer for the lyrics.

Null Rating - 5 out of 10.

Album Rating - 5.7 out of 10.

Unicorn - There's No Way Out of Here
https://youtu.be/PDssNn8PvDU
Dave produced this before his solo version.

Unicorn - Sleep Song
https://youtu.be/4KklBhatssU
Dave produced this and played pedal steel on it.

Short and Sweet - Live with Roy Harper in 1984
https://youtu.be/X9pBmMZ3Ix8

Comfortably Numb demo
https://youtu.be/ajaS3ROQ634

No Way Out of Here - live 1978
https://youtu.be/IxbpYSRYG_w

Rockestra Theme - 1978
https://youtu.be/pOozYFLgNvs
Paul McCartney, David Gilmour, Pete Townsend, Denny Laine, John Paul Jones, John Bonham, Kenney Jones

I Can't Breathe Anymore - Live 1978
https://youtu.be/8etn_WorGHo

About Face



David Gilmour solo release.
Released: March 1984

StevieG rating: 5.8/10

Now we're really hitting the spacey world of the 80s, and David Gilmour embraced it willingly. I find this type of space rock to be mostly quite irritating. David assembled quite a list of musicians for this album. There are some highlights.

This could be one of those albums where there are differences of opinion. I'm not a fan.


Until we Sleep

StevieG rating: 4/10

The opening track doesn't encourage me. It reminds me a bit of the Dandy Warhols which shouldn't be a bad thing because I like their music. But...this is space rock central, or probably encroaches into space pop. The vocals are a mess of sound, the beat is ok, but the whole song just sounds like it has been recorded 100 miles away. Even when the guitar solo comes in at the end, it sounds distant. I don't like it. I get the feeling that Gilmour is guilty of all the early Floyd fade-outs, as most of his songs suffer from this affliction.


Murder

StevieG rating: 6/10

Has a very promising start. I like the guitar intro and Dave's voice. Then it moves into a Division Bell style of musical change, which is still ok. One of the problems is that the song is apparently about the senseless killing of John Lennon but the lyrics are not strong enough (to me) to evoke the emotion that it should. Still, it builds nicely and then comes the solo, as is mandatory with a Gilmour album. It's a good solo, I like it. Then the song changes pace, which I don't like but don't have a problem with overall. Then it just fades out and doesn't return to the original theme. It could have been a bit of an epic. It's either lazy or maybe Dave's just not a great song writer. I see this as a missed opportunity.


Love on the Air

StevieG rating: 5/10

Pete Townshend wrote the lyrics to this song, apparently in a day. Perhaps he should have taken more time - I'm not a fan. It's a pleasant enough pop song. 5 for the music, 0 for the rest.


Blue Light

StevieG rating: 5/10

All I can say is, WTF?? When I get over the shock of the style of music, it has a certain groove that you can get in to. I don't mind a bit of brass. It's almost too much to take. Who is this artist? As always, the composition is good, but it won't be going on my playlist.


Out of the Blue

StevieG rating: 7/10

Has a promising start. It's a good melody. It builds nicely. And importantly it doesn't outstay its welcome like most of Dave's songs. It seems to have the focus that some of the others lack.


All Lovers are Deranged

StevieG rating: 4/10

I wonder what era this song was created.. Lyrics by Townshend again. I can only conclude that Dave was influenced strongly by those around him. Perhaps he wanted to create an album that suited his tastes at the time. I kind of wish he didn't though.


You Know I'm Right

StevieG rating: 5/10

This song is apparently a dig at Roger Waters. The problem is that Dave's lyrics aren't good enough to give the impact that's intended. Lyrics aside, the music is... ok. I guess.


Cruise (updated link)

StevieG rating: 8/10

I really like the feel of this song. It has a much more laid back feel to it than some of the others on this album. In the scheme of this album, this song stands out for me.


Let's Get Metaphysical

StevieG rating: 6/10

Has a pleasant beginning - some moody guitar. It swells out nicely for a bit and has a dramatic feel about it. Overall it isn't a bad song.


Near the End

StevieG rating: 8/10

It's nice to hear Dave's rich voice on this one. It's something I've missed with a lot of his compositions. He seems to save good songs until the end. This song has a mournful feel to it, which is probably Dave's best mood when creating a song. Has a good solo later in the song. I like those acoustic solos he does so well.

EDIT: Fixed Cruise link

stevie - did you give the extras I dug up a listen? Dave did a lot of work as a producer. And guest starring on various things.

Kate Bush w/ David Gilmour - Running Up That Hill
https://youtu.be/W5wc1R0AQ_M

Kate Bush w/ Roy Harper & David Gilmour - You
https://youtu.be/6TWPUxLOIkU

David talking about Brigitte Bardot
https://youtu.be/4Hodq7mmUG4

David Gilmour (1967) - Do You Want to Marry Me / I Must Tell You Why
https://youtu.be/cI55clq8NwI

About Face

Until We Sleep - it is a loud mess. Thd drums seem to want to pound you into submission. 80's production dates this badly. The vocals create a separation between Dave and the listener. Whatever effect their using on his vocals, I don't like. The keyboards are just unnecessary noise. The lyrics are rather bland. I dont remember them.

Null Rating - 3 out of 10.

Murder - what a muddled mess. Three different musical motifs. The beginning is nice musically, Dave strumming along on acoustic. The fretless bass is also pleasant. Then Dave starts yelling at me. The lyrics become harder to make out. But I heard mention of a blade? Lennon was shot. So this makes no sense at all. Which is too bad because the lines right before that I like. "Did you get rid of all the voices in your head? Do you now miss them and the things that they said?" And then we have a nice musical ending that seemingly belongs to a different song. In this confusion I believe there was the makings of a good song. And I really hate the title.

Null Rating - 5 out of 10.

Love on the Air - this song is produced entirely wrong. The music does not match the cheesy lyrics. Stevie, listen to just the lyrics and imagine the backing track being done by a new wave band. It could have been a hit. Instead David attaches a power ballad to it. Its a waste of his time.

Null Rating - 4 out of 10.

Blue Light - why? What sequence of events created this song? The horns are awful. The lyrics make no sense whatsoever. What is a blue light? This is why Roger ended up writing everything. That said, Dave does play a mean guitar.

Null Rating - 2 out of 10.

Out of the Blue - why are two songs with Blue in title back to back on the album? Bad sequencing. Song starts well. But half way through we get the bombastic oversell. Sometimes less is more. I hate the strings. You would think that Dave would have learned something about production. But he seems to be using every cliche on the album. I'd like to hear a stripped down version of this.

Null Rating - 4 out of 10.

All Lovers are Deranged - this should have been so much better. Ditch the chorus. Switch out the dull thud of the drums. This song does not need a metronome. Its supposed to be a song about passion, but it sounds sterile. Dave starts to get the guitar right when the song ends. He needs to use the ending bit as his starting platform. Its a wasted opportunity, because its all there. And hus vocals are too clean.

Null Rating - 5 out of 10.

You Know I'm Right - as I've stated before, I tend to dislike these types of songs. I don't care to hear you write about stuff you should be working through in therapy. The music has nice touches, but the horns are not one of them. I dislike the tone of Dave's voice here as well. The song is not memorable.

Null Rating - 2 out of 10.

Cruise - Stevie, wrong song link. This is the biggest surprise. A funny, thoughtful and political song from Gilmour? The lyrics are extremely well written. The music is nicely understated especially compared to the rest of the album. And the reggae break at the end is a welcome surprise.

Null Rating - 8 out of 10

Let's Get Metaphysical - sounds like music from a film score. And parts of it echo Atom Heart Mother. It's pleasant enough, but seems.unfinished. it doesn't lead anywhere.

Null Rating - 4 out of 10

Near the End - Dave writing as if he were Roger? And it seems addressed to Roger. I like the mournful vibe. The track is produced how I wish the album had been produced. More stripped down and open. Not every second is filled with noise.

Null Rating - 7 out of 10.

Album Rating - 4.4 out of 10

All Lovers are Deranged - Pete Townshend
https://youtu.be/Mme3PXDAnQY

Another piece of music written for the album was not used by Gilmour.

He asked Roy Harper and separately, Pete Townshend, to supply lyrics, but felt that those provided were not messages that he could relate to. Harper subsequently used the tune, with his lyrics, as "Hope", on his 1985 album with Jimmy Page, Whatever Happened to Jugula? 
Townshend used it with his lyrics as "White City Fighting", which has a markedly faster tempo, on his 1985 album White City: A Novel, on which Gilmour plays.

Roy Harper - Hope
https://youtu.be/4iQsyf-Dhnw

Pete Townshend - White City Fighting
https://youtu.be/IYJuuRALcWs

Blue Light (Instrumental version)
https://youtu.be/rdIqvQzMQDQ

David Gilmour - About Face (live - 1984)
https://youtu.be/fUeWV8H1hvc

sgt.null wrote:stevie - did you give the extras I dug up a listen? Dave did a lot of work as a producer. And guest starring on various things.

Kate Bush w/ David Gilmour - Running Up That Hill
https://youtu.be/W5wc1R0AQ_M

Kate Bush w/ Roy Harper & David Gilmour - You
https://youtu.be/6TWPUxLOIkU

David talking about Brigitte Bardot
https://youtu.be/4Hodq7mmUG4

David Gilmour (1967) - Do You Want to Marry Me / I Must Tell You Why
https://youtu.be/cI55clq8NwI

I have been through these ones. Some interesting work there. I usually listen to all your links - there are some gems in there.

sgt.null wrote:
Cruise - Stevie, wrong song link.

Fixed now

Well, it looks like we both disliked this album!

Weak songs, bad 80's production. I have no idea what Gilmour was trying for here.

On An Island



Released: March 2006
StevieG rating: 6/10

The third solo album released by David Gilmour is a welcome relief from the 80s abomination that was About Face. It is his best album, no question. It also represents a step towards the fatal world of the ambient noodling disaster that was The Endless River. The huge difference here, though, is that the songs have substance - well, most of them.

Words I'd use to describe this album:

- dignified
- mature
- content
- assured
- chill
- reflective

There is a lot to like about this album. Let's get into it. Dave takes his time with the tracks and it feels like he is doing exactly what he wants, rather than what he thinks others will buy.

Castellorizon

StevieG rating: 4/10

I don't know what his fascination with 'intro' songs is. The first 2 minutes of this are a bit of a collage of sounds from the album - they don't really work for me. Then his guitar comes in and transforms it to something palatable. It received a nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the Grammys. In my opinion, the song should have started at the guitar part and then it should have been part of the next song.


On an Island

StevieG rating: 8/10

It's a celebration of life, and its appreciation, this song. Gone are the evil 80s influences. Now we have Dave's guitar front and centre, and clean backing instruments. It's such a relief. Nice guitar throughout. I love the laid back content feel about this song.


The Blue

StevieG rating: 7/10

He seems to like 'blue' in his song titles. This one is appropriate though. If you thought the last song was laid back, this one takes it to the next level! It meanders along pleasantly, and then his guitar gracefully continues the theme. It's so great to hear a guitar without 80s influence. It actually sounds more like his 70s guitar style.


Take a Breath

StevieG rating: 6/10

I'm not a fan of the refrain. The song is pretty good though. Once we get past the "Take a breath" bits, the song settles into its groove. The lyrics aren't great, but I like the sentiment of them. Guitar is good again.


Red Sky at Night

StevieG rating: 4/10

I like the sax. But this should have been part of the next song. I don't know why it needed to be a separate track. Is that Gilmour playing the sax?? Impressive!


This Heaven

StevieG rating: 7/10

I love the premise. There are some high moments. It has a great loping beat to it. When I see the faith in my children's eyes. I also like I need no blessing but I'm counting mine.


Then I close my Eyes

StevieG rating: 3/10

Now we're drifting into the world of 'ambient noodling'. It's nice... a bit too Endless River for my liking. It starts with some interesting but aimless banjo, I think, then drifts into pleasant nothingness...


Smile

StevieG rating: 8/10

The songs seem to slow down as the album progresses. My first listen of this one compared to now is quite different. It's quite a beautiful song. I feel like this one could have been on Meddle or some of the earlier albums. The big difference in this album and other Dave solo efforts is that the guitar matches the mood of the song so well. This is a perfect example. I can hardly recognise Dave's singing - it sounds like someone else.


A Pocketful of Stones

StevieG rating: 6/10

This has a haunted feel to it. I'm struggling to understand the general meaning of the lyrics, so I'll go with "haunted" for now. The guitar matches the song perfectly.


Where we Start

StevieG rating: 7/10

Caps off the album effectively. This album is "chill". Another word that springs to mind is "weary" - but it doesn't necessarily feel regretful, just weary.

yeeeeeesh you guyses!!!

do we need to change the name of this thread to THE DAVID GILMOUR LOVEFEST???

alls i'm sayin is...that was roger waters' pig up there.

I'd hardly call it a lovefest based on our reviews so far

Welcome back lucimay

How was your long service leave from the Watch

You're going to have to start several pages back to get the big picture! We will be moving on to Roger solo albums shortly. Once you've done your homework (by reading our reviews) you can come back even more informed

We've only touched on the Gilmour / Waters debate so far. Looking forward to that discussion!

For context: Sgt and I have committed to reviewing the entire Floyd catalogue (which we've done) and now we're doing the respective solo albums.

lucimay wrote:

And I tend to fall in the Waters camp. Also a huge fan of Syd [mostly his solo stuff oddly enough] and I remain a huge fan of Rick Wright. I remain neutral on Bob Klose. And I love Nick's drumming and remain rather dubious of his song writing abilities. I'm rather keen on Guy Pratt and Jon Carin. A fan of Tim Renwick and Gary Wallis.
I love Dave's guitar playing. I love many of his songs. But I find that he can be frustratingly inconsistent when it comes to how much effort he puts into the work. And I find it maddening what songs he chooses to ignore from his catalog.

sgt.null wrote:

lucimay wrote:

And I tend to fall in the Waters camp. Also a huge fan of Syd [mostly his solo stuff oddly enough] and I remain a huge fan of Rick Wright. I remain neutral on Bob Klose. And I love Nick's drumming and remain rather dubious of his song writing abilities. I'm rather keen on Guy Pratt and Jon Carin. A fan of Tim Renwick and Gary Wallis.
I love Dave's guitar playing. I love many of his songs. But I find that he can be frustratingly inconsistent when it comes to how much effort he puts into the work. And I find it maddening what songs he chooses to ignore from his catalog.

omgosh i LOVE Jon Carin!!!! his version of Dogs on Roger Waters' In the Flesh (which dvd i own) is freakin BRILLIANT!!!!!! i dearly love the line up of that In the Flesh tour!! doyle bramhall and snowy white... even wendy melvoin's sister susannah is singing backup...yeah....i LOVE LOVE LOVE that dvd.

David Gilmour - On an Island

Castellorizon - a waste of time for the first two minutes. Then some beautiful guitar. But Dave could have easily tacked the intro guitar onto the begining of On an Island.

Null Rating - 4 out of 10.

On an Island - beautifully produced, lush. Dave's guitar winds through. Guiding us. Lots of guest artists. Guy Pratt on bass. Rick Wright on Hammond. Original Floyd guitarist Rado Klose! David Crosby and Graham Nash on bgv's. But it all mixes well. Never sounding crowded.

Null Rating - 8 out of 10.

The Blue - reminds me of Wilco. The best of Dave's blue songs. Rick is co-lead vocals. Rado again on guitar. Jools Holland on piano! And Polly Samson also on piano. Very mellow track. Every instrument is given space. Again Dave's lead guitar is amazing. I would add the word contentment Stevie.

Null Rating - 8 out of 10.

Take a Breath - the groove reminds me of mid 80's Deep Purple. I also believe Dave could dump the refrain. But yhe fade out and come back towards the end was nice. Again a smoking guitar solo by Dave. I bet this one is great live, in person.

Null Rating - 7 out of 10

Red Sky at Night - that is Dave on sax. He took up lessons with his son. I agree that this is just a segue. It reminds me some of Shine On.

Null Rating - 4 out of 10

This Heaven - I love that lope. Shuffles along nicely. Among the strongest lyrics on the album. Grest production again

Null Rating - 7 out of 10

[ib]And Then I Close My Eyes[/b] - the banjo sound is Dave playing a cumbus. He also plays bass harmonica. Robert Wyatt guests on cornet. It's pleasant but goes nowhere. Belongs as a b-side.

Null Rating - 4 out of 10.

Smile - I would love to hear this on Meddle. That is Polly on bgv. A besutiful song. A gentle lullaby. Easily his best solo song to this point.

Null Rating - 10 out of 10.

Pocket Full of Stones - no idea what the song is about. It doesn't flow for me. I find it disjointed. I really don't find a way in for me musically or lyrically. Nice guitar at the end.

Null Rating - 4 out of 10

Where We Start - perfect way to end. Graceful. Again this production. Allowing space for the instruments. The drum doesn't bash you in the head. The pacing of each song moves along. No rush. Dave's guitar is clean. Just beautiful.

Null Rating - 8 out of 10.

Album Rating - 6.4 out of 10.

What drags down the album is the filler. Three instrumentals is too much. Take those off and it would have been a 7.4 album for me.

Island Jam - Smile B Side
https://youtu.be/vaKIdlXCjHE

Arnold Layne w/ David Bowie (non album single)
https://you[/b]tu.be/LmvtsBPz6Io

Arnold Layne w/ Rick Wright (non album single)
https://youtu.be/Ob7y8xQWJxY

Dark Globe - David Gilmour (Syd Barrett cover)
https://youtu.be/TGS4Xp8rLPA

David Gilmour - Remember that Night (2007)

On an Island w/ David Crosby & Graham Nash
https://youtu.be/kEa__0wtIRo

The Blue w/ David Crosby & Graham Nash
https://youtu.be/1zASlgFe208

Smile
https://youtu.be/F1owAiSYfPo

Fat Old Sun
https://youtu.be/umgoIvqLYbA

Coming Back to Life
https://youtu.be/V6LFjel-EaA

Wish You Were Here
https://youtu.be/OefzAinJzUg

Find the Cost of Freedom w/ Crosby & Nash
https://youtu.be/rpIhWvJIzZc

Comfortably Numb w/ David Bowie
https://youtu.be/HGXu1lNmL-A