On An Island

 

 

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The latest genre-bending rock-fugue ‘On an island,’ is a thematically rich, tasteful sonically hewn album, with the lyrical vibrance of a harvest lunar rise, care of David Gilmour.

This title track ‘On an Island’ from a very personal album reaches out to lift your consciousness above the echo of lapping waves, and holds true to form as only a timeless Floydian fugue could entwine your attention span. Gilmour’s Galapagos begins with the obligatory guitar permutation waxing and waning as it pushes us further out with the tide…soon you float closer to this distant island. You can see the edge of perception of this album as it extends just over the azimuth of this orchestrated yet improvisational horizon. All you need do is float with the tide to make landfall upon the warming sands of the island’s beach… Gilmour, Crosby, Nash await in three part harmony to greet you in a warm and familiar way, a sound so familiar you can walk down the beach kicking around on a piece of sand just like you were in your hometown.

The album holds fast to the sound of the days we all remembered, and have certainly by now almost forgotten on our way back along the path to the music we love. Now add the masterful amalgamator’s talent to meld music that Gilmour has indeed for pushing the envelope – here is the new album ready for your next journey.

The distant island track ‘Castellorizon’ also rings true with the same passion and method of loci as ‘Raise My Rent’ to which the conviction of an eviction notice seems the only thing to satisfy. On this piece, Richard Wright folds the space between the Hammond’s oscillating upon a flat plane merely twelve parsecs long…and Gilmour’s searing, red-hot, cometary leads burn across the fret board bludgeoned by his powerfully tasty licks.

There’s more…

- William Obscured

So much has been said about this album already and that is unavoidable since it comes from the very core of Pink Floyd, one of Rock's most deservedly legendary acts ever. The core being, of course, David Gilmour.

For me, a Floyd fan since 1970, pretty much most of my life, David Gilmour LONG ago proved himself. With the issue of his first solo album in "78, simply called "David Gilmour" I realized that a MASSIVE amount of Pink Floyd's sound and musical aesthetic came from it's guitarist and lead vocalist. Up until that point one just listened to Pink Floyd and thought of their albums as pretty much a group effort. They mostlly were. It really wasn't until 1977's "Animals" that you saw the domination by Roger Waters starting to begin. And it was the start of the end. It is interesting in retrospect to see that once that process began, Gilmour started working OUTSIDE of Floyd.

It took him a long time to gain the recognition of his name as the collective Floyd were NOT about their personalities or their faces. FLOYD was the star; the band, the music, their live shows - which no one has ever been able to surpass - if you are lucky enough to have seen them "back in the day". A second solo album came in '84 and it resolutely went nowhere. "About Face" a play on switching up musical directions and about getting some profile for his indentity was a mixed bag that lacked the focus of his first effort. After "Face", if you will, Gilmour realized that at that point the Pink Floyd name was worth far more in cache than any of their individual monikers - which is probably why he fought so hard to retain the rights to the name after Waters jumped ship. It was most likely the highly publicized acrimony of that split and the triumph of the 3-man Floyd in terms of album sales and concert attendance that finally gave our man David, the name recognition he needed.

In a sense then, "On an Island" finally brings it all home for Gilmour. A lack-a-daisical solo career? Perhaps not. I think he has worked very very hard to achieve the respect and admiration being showered upon him now. Is it any wonder lately that it seems EVERYBODY wants to work with the man? His reputation for being a really cool, easy-going leader who earns respect by giving it draws the talented to him like a magnet. Look at the list of names of muscians on this album. There are some big guns and really significant but lesser known luminaries contributing here. Gilmour also has a reputation for checking out new talent and enjoying collaboration.

"On an Island" is a magnificent piece of work. Gilmour feels it is some of the best music he's ever done. I think he's right. The songs range from hard rockers like "Take a Breath" to ballads of gossamer-light feeling and glow like the albums closer, "Where We Start". The production is perfectly balanced and "intimate" if you will. "Take a Breath" could have used more bottom end though, but that would have made it stand out even more, perhaps incongruously, from the rest of the set. "The Blue" is one of the most beautifully soaring pieces of art Gilmour has ever penned. "Island" is the work of an old master, an old master with still quite a lot to give. In a sense, it's as much a beginning as it is a latter expression. It's low-key but artistically rich format really shows just how MUSICAL "the voice and guitar of Pink Floyd" is. There is great taste and true beauty here, a virtuosic adeptness of style and a palpable feeling of fulfilment and personal epiphany. David Gilmour is now ... David Gilmour, not just the "voice and guitar of"...

The sense of peace and deeply felt love of life as it is affectingly radiates out of "On An Island" and goes to a very nice place inside. "This earthly heaven is enough for me" he sings. By the end of the album there is a radiant feeling of coming home after a journey, filled with memory, with a profound depth in the heart that life is so plenum rich in experience one can scarce express that realization in form. Here though, David Gilmour does more than manage it. He gives achingly beautiful shapes to something so elusive and experience-based that you come to understand that here is an artist of quite enormous talent and depth of feeling. Nevermind the lasers, the giant circular projections, the awesome, unbelievable quad sound, the showerings of flying sheep and that nasty big pig, all HUGE fun at the time, because here, at last, is the real thing - the heart and soul of David Gilmour.

This is most certainly a Gilmour album with a definite Floyd influence, not surprisingly of course. Like his previous albums as well as some of Floyd's latest work, one needs to listen a few times before it can be fully appreciated. I have gone over this newest album quite a few times already and it is starting to grow on me. It may even get to be 4 stars by the time I am all done with it. It took several months before I begun to like Floyd's (or should I say Waters') Final Cut. Now it is my favorite P.F. work.
Back to - On An Island. I find the music very relaxing and well put together. I would say that this is most likely a true musical representation of where David Gilmour is with his life, today. That is what I like most about this, meaning that he did not compose something he felt the consumer wanted to hear. He went with his gut and soul. Only one negative comment - The song - Take a Breath - ranks right up there with Floyd's - The dogs of War - which is to say that it's terrible. Other than that, if you liked previous David Gilmour albums, you will enjoy this one.

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3.0 out of 5 stars C'est un peu trop planant
C'est quand même bon. Le contraire eut été impossible de la part de David Gilmour et cie. Read more

Published on April 21 2006 by jean couture

5.0 out of 5 stars love this CD
The more I listen to this CD the more I like it. This is an incredible effort by David Gilmour. The cut "On An Island" is such a great song I have ordered the single so... Read more

Published on Mar 25 2006

1.0 out of 5 stars WORST ALBUM I'VE EVER HEARD
Pink Floyd has always been the greatest band ever, I thought. They always had the best music and best concerts---that ended with The Wall. Read more

Published on Mar 23 2006

5.0 out of 5 stars Magic!!!
This album is so fantastic, nobody can play guitar like this, David Gilmour is the only who are able to do that. Very great album for a fabulous guitar hero!!!

Published on Mar 16 2006 by sruel30

5.0 out of 5 stars A little gem to be discovered
There may not be any striking hit on this album, but still, the whole work has definitely something Floydian about it and it sounds to me as if it has evolved out of the Division... Read more

Published on Mar 15 2006 by pierre

5.0 out of 5 stars david gilmour rocks
this album is relly good. this is the first david gilmour album i have soo i thought this was worth all the money i spent on it. Read more

Published on Mar 14 2006 by kirk

5.0 out of 5 stars YAHOO!
This new Gilmour album is the best so far, to be frank. He still has is magic touch. When you listen closely, you hear strong but fresh melody.

Published on Mar 12 2006 by Reno

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent
you cannot get anything better than this.Lyrics,guitar works being excellent.remind me the pink floyd again. Read more

Published on Mar 9 2006 by asifharun

4.0 out of 5 stars All Hail the King Of Tone!
Granted About Face and David Gilmour were two heavy-er rock type albums, the heavenly flow of ballad Gilmour creates is pure magic. Read more

Published on Mar 9 2006 by David Thomson

2.0 out of 5 stars WOWEE - what an incredible letdown.
I'm a huge fan of Gilmour's previous solo offerings. In fact, they're two of my favourite all-time CD's. That said, this CD totally blows. There's no nice way to say it folks. Read more

Published on Mar 7 2006 by RushFanForLife

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