Meddle Review

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Meddle ReviewDavid Gilmour himself once remarked that Meddle was Pink Floyd's first true album. Though this is their fifth post-Barrett effort, it is musically light-years ahead of any of its predecessors. Of course there are many wonderful, brilliant moments on those early records, but it is clear in those recordings that the band was anxiously searching. Meddle is Pink Floyd finding itself. It is far more focused, far more melodic, and far more cohesive then anything before it. No longer searching, Pink Floyd had finally arrived.
The album kicks into gear with the savage instrumental One Of These Days. Howling wind sets the tone as a pulsing doubled bass line (complete with tape echo) pumps along. Intensity grows with organ stabs, reversed cymbal rolls, and fierce slide guitar. After a creepy bass interlude, Nick Mason makes his (distorted) vocal debut with "One of these days I'm going to cut you into little pieces!!" and slams the song into overdrive. Pounding drums and stinging slide guitar dominate for the next two minutes until nothing but wind remains. It is here that (appropriately enough) the gorgeous ballad, A Pillow Of Winds picks up. Made up of acoustic guitars and sparse bass, this is a beautiful floating piece that takes advantage of Gilmour's tranquil vocals. This gentle mood is held through Fearless, a relaxed mid-tempo summer breeze of a song, again driven by Dave's voice. San Tropez and Seamus show off the Floyd's eclecticism as well as humor. The former invokes a bouncy cocktail lounge jazz feel, while the latter stars Steve Marriot's dog Seamus who "sings" along with Gilmour on some acoustic blues.
And then there's Echoes. 31 years later, this epic sound journey stands as one of the band's greatest achievements. Every element that would become synonymous with Pink Floyd was crystallized in this one phenomenal song. Swirling, bubbling keyboards and liquid guitar lines mix with floating vocal harmonies and a dynamic rhythm section to move the music through several dramatic and powerful moods. Truly the band's musicianship had taken a monstrous quantum leap forward from Atom Heart Mother. Of exceptional note is David Gilmour who, after years of struggling, managed to firmly define his role in Pink Floyd with complete confidence. That he asserts his unmatched talents on this track is an understatement. Fluid guitar lines; silky bends; gorgeous vibrato; subtle slide; tremolo bar antics; funky rhythms; and soaring leads abound. A significant part of his style - playing sounds and textures as well as notes - is also well represented. In the intro, he carresses the strings with a steel slide (much like an E-bow) to produce a shimmering string section-like feel. During the middle section, when darkness falls, his echo-laden feedback cries can be heard over ominous keyboards, swirling wind, and the distant screech of crows. Then, as daybreak comes in the form of a musical buildup to the final verses, the track ends with a multi-layered guitar part that sounds almost like a ghostly choir rising higher and higher. All this over the single echoing piano note that started the piece off. Fantastic.
Meddle is often dismissed as a "transitional" album due to the massive success of it's follow-up, Dark Side Of The Moon. Though it's not quite as perfectly structured as Dark Side, it can easily stand shoulder-to-shoulder with it (and any of the golden era Floyd albums). I would say that if you've digested Dark Side, Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall, move on to Meddle next. This is an incredible album and should not at all be overlooked.Meddle OverviewJapanese remastered reissue of 1971 album packaged in alimited edition miniature gatefold LP sleeve.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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On an Island Review

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On an Island ReviewDavid Gilmour really deserves credit for his "On An Island" album, released today. The man clearly doesn't give a damn about following any trends, and I say more power to him. The album does indeed sound very Floyd-ish, which Gilmour himself admits, but it's not merely some toothless rehash of past glories, and the production values here are really excellent (the album was produced by Gilmour, Phil Manzanera, and Chris Thomas). And Gilmour's in excellent voice too, sounding as though he's barely aged a day in the past 20 years. You needn't have any worries about this being a "modernized", high-tech disaster--the album sounds more like something that was recorded in 1980 than in the 2000s, and I really mean that as a compliment.
I think it's off the mark and misleading to bluntly say that Gilmour has "gone adult contemporary" with this album--that might get certain people thinking he's chosen a bland synthesizer-heavy approach. Quite the contrary, synthesizer is only used for a light sprinkling of effects on the title track, and synths are nowhere to be heard on songs such as "The Blue" and "Where We Start"--instead, David favors real piano, real electric piano, and especially real Hammond organ (which all three of these have), and that plays a huge role in them sounding so wonderfully organic.
Yes, this is a VERY low volume album, but for the most part, it's very appealing, not just thanks to the production, but also because the songwriting is generally at a really high level. Frankly, I think you could throw the same kind of praise at much of the Floyd's work--"Wish You Were Here", great album as it is, never rocks very hard at all.
Most of the lyrics here were written by Gilmour's wife Polly Samson, and although they occasionally lean towards the sickly-sweet end of things, as on "Smile", they're hardly as embarassing as some of the reviewers make them out to be. And ultimately, Gilmour makes up for it with the music. The title track is sumptuous--it sounds kind of like an acoustic modification of Floyd's "Breathe", featuring superb guitar work, live orchestration, and vocal harmonies from Crosby & Nash that really take the song to the next level (Richard Wright plays the Hammond on this track as well). The super-mellow "The Blue" has a wonderfully serene, blissful feel to it, with gentle harmonica and a remarkably effective back-and-forth piano line, and Gilmour's extended soloing, even if he overdoes those swooping sounds a bit, is still really really nice, with extremely impressive tone. The relatively short instrumental "Red Sky At Night" is an intriguing change of pace, with Gilmour switching over to saxophone, and to excellent effect--he brings the same kind of unique feeling to his sax soloing as he does to his emotional guitar leads. "A Pocketful Of Stones" is also a really fine ballad, with Gilmour's vocal making the most of the wonderful lilting melodicism on the verses. "This Heaven" adds a welcome diversity to the proceedings, shuffling along nicely and containing a nice bluesy acoustic riff. "Smile", like I said, is kind of on the sugary side, but the acoustic slide guitar work, Gilmour's somewhat jazz-tinged lead vocal, and the sheer tunefulness give it much appeal.
Gilmour's previous solo album, 1984's "About Face", ends with the song "Near The End", and he ends "On An Island" with "Where We Start" which seems like a sequel to the former song. "Where We Start" is the one non-instrumental track on the album that Gilmour wrote entirely himself. Yes, the lyrics leave a little to be desired, but the song has an undeniably soothing and reflective feel, somewhat melancholy and yet with hope for what's still to come, a trademark Gilmour touch. It makes for a highly fitting finale to the album.
As for the few remaining tracks... "Castellorizon", the obligatory album-opening instrumental, starts off as a sound collage before Gilmour starts wailing away backed by a full orchestra--it's certainly more enjoyable than the somewhat similar "Let's Get Metaphysical" from his "About Face" album, but it's still pretty forgettable. Likewise, the instrumental "Then I Close My Eyes" is okayish, but pretty dull. The one track that particularly sticks out like a sore thumb and that you're better off skipping happens to be the album's hardest-rocking song--"Take A Breath" has annoying, repetitive spoken chanting, plus it's sorely lacking in terms of melody and catchiness; it considerably hurts the overall flow of the album, and it suggests that Gilmour isn't sure how to rock out effectively anymore, making it easy to see why the album is so ballad-heavy.
All in all, I can't see anyone who loves '72-'75-era Floyd or Gilmour's previous solo work not taking a strong liking to "On An Island". I'm well aware that this album is taking quite a beating from a lot of so-called professional critics, and I can't help but suspect it's partly because of the album's mellow tone and a lack of patience on their part to really *listen*. Maybe some folks were hoping Gilmour would push the envelope more, and I'll admit I do understand the feeling that if an artist just cranks out an album that sounds like a copy of earlier work, there's no point to it. That said, this is an album for diehard David Gilmour/ mid-'70s Floyd fans who have listened to those records religiously and want something familiar, yet new, and for an artist of Gilmour's age and stature, it's understandable that he'd put out a record to fit that bill, and the fact that the result sounds this fresh and effective, it not only justifies the exercise, it actually provides an additional demonstration of just how deep Gilmour's talent is. It also underlines that this is clearly the album he wanted to make, and I give him a lot of credit for following his instincts.
(P.S. My copy of "On An Island" includes a bonus disc featuring the laidback bluesy instrumental "Island Jam"--it's a nice little bonus. On the downside, the book-style packaging of the album is marred by the vulnerable foam rubber piece that's meant to hold the CD--you may very well end up needing a separate case to hold the disc itself.)On an Island OverviewJapanese Digipak pressing. On An Island is the third David Gilmour solo album and his first studio recording since Pink Floyd's 1994 multi-platinum 'The Division Bell'. From the first moments of the sound collage that begins 'On An Island', you know it's a special experience that not only bears comparison with the best of Pink Floyd, but also confirms their lead guitarist and singer as an outstanding solo artist. Here he reveals a personal vision and a breadth of styles - folk, jazz, orchestral and rock - brought together as a unified piece by his lyrical guitar playing and instantly recognisable voice. On An Island is a collection of songs and instrumentals that had its genus in the critically acclaimed 2002 London Festival Hall concerts. Gilmour has stepped out of his super-group to discover he's still at his peak - and he's rightly pleased. 'It's my best and most personal work,' he says. 'Making it with my musician friends has been a positive experience on so many levels.' EMI. 2006.--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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Olympia Review

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Olympia ReviewThis is a review of Bryan Ferry "Olympia" CD/DVD Deluxe Edition. This review is meant to summarize the Deluxe Edition of the album. Hope it helps you decide which edition to get. It doesn't do a track by track analysis because that is really for the listener to experience. But, I will tell you the song titled "BF Bass" basically means Bryan Ferry Bass (just in case you were wondering...I was)...j/k. Now as far as the deluxe edition is concerned: the content is packaged in a nice case with binding similar to a book. The book is a hardcover with a slipcase on the front and back that is glued to the book. Certain to create nice little scuff marks on the discs during frequent use. You may need to bring your own jewel cases to this set. A good example that springs to mind (as far as the "book" presentation) would be the recent Kylie Minogue Deluxe edition of "Aprodite." Inside the book contains the lyrics to the songs, pictures of Kate Moss, a brief two page description of the album that recounts Ferry past/present/future written by Richard Williams (I wasn't too big on the style this was written but whatever, some will think it is cool, it kinda is), and a nice photo of Bryan Ferry by Anton Corbijn. The DVD contained is Region Free NTSC that provides an excellent 27 minute behind the scenes of the making of the album. Shows the cast that made this album come to life. This album has a nice amount guest stars. For those interested in buying this because of guest stars on the DVD. The DVD does show David Gilmour but, no interview. Flea is shown and a very brief interview. Brian Eno is talked about but, not shown or interviewed. Steve Nieve is talked about but not seen. Good footage and interview snippets of Nile Rodgers and Jake Shears and Babydaddy. A brief interview of Groove Armada. Phil Manzanera is on many songs but, not on the DVD same with Dave Stewart. Nice interview of producer Johnson Somerset. Lots of Bryan Ferry interview and footage. Also a nice tribute to guitar player David Williams. Also nice footage of young guitar player Oliver Thompson (whom I wasn't famalair with) and Bryan Ferry's son Tara on drums with Andy Newmark. The DVD is directed by Ferry's other son Isaac Ferry. All in all the DVD is shot with beautiful lighting and really brings the album to life. Also included is the video for "You Can Dance."
Now for the music aspect. It must be known there is a more expensive version of this album coming out at the beginning of November called "The Immersion Edition," with a bigger book and an extra disc of six remixes and one instrumental. So yeah, this package does lack the remixes but, that set is almost as much as a cheap suit.
The CD included in this package is amazing. The music is pure Bryan Ferry. I liked "Frantic" but this is no "Frantic-era" Ferry. This album reminds me of the Bryan Ferry of the Avalon-Boys and Girls era. Words don't do the music justice but, it sounds like the Bryan Ferry of the 80's sting by a bumble-bee of 2010. Every song on this album is really incredible. It's not necessarily the type of album to sample on sound snippets but, really needs to be experienced in full. The regular CD ends with a song called "Tender is the Night" which is an excellent conclusion to the album and really acts a dimly lit candle burning out beautifully. The Deluxe edition CD has two bonus tracks: a John Lennon cover of "Whatever Gets You Through the Night" which is sung and arranged wonderfully and a Smiley Lewis cover (Elvis often sang live) of "One Night" which is sung well too. Both of these songs would have fit well during the album perhaps they were left off to focus more on the Ferry-penned material. The regular CD already has one excellent cover of the Traffic song "No Face No Name No Number" and a cover of the Tim Buckley song "Song to the Siren." The "Song to the Siren" bears little resemblence to the Tim Buckley original nor the This Mortal Coil cover. It sounds like if "Song to the Siren" was thrown into the Avalon-era Roxy Music Bizarro time warp complete but this time with Brian Eno on keyboards and even whale noises.
For the extra few dollars I highly recommend this package. The DVD is top notch (and works on US DVD players) the two extra tracks are not essential to the album but, a nice touch. If you have never liked the style of Bryan Ferry solo or Avalon-era Roxy I don't think you'll be liking this CD. If you only like early experimental Roxy Music you may not be too big on this CD. I was disappointed when I first heard he was making another solo album and not another Roxy Music album. My feelings have since changed because I think this is probably the best CD he has put out post Roxy and one of the coolest CD's of 2010 thus far. Buy it if want something just plain cool.Olympia Overview

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David Gilmour Review

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David Gilmour ReviewI've owned the original CD since it's initial release in the '80s, and I've always felt that it sounded flat and lifeless, so I ordered this remaster with hope of at least modest improvement. After fetching it from the mailbox, I popped it in my player, hit play, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This disc has depth, dynamics, warmth, and perfect tonal balance - all way beyond anything I had hoped for. Who remastered it? Doug Sax. He and his company, The Mastering Lab, do a lot of work for audiophile labels, and he is considered by many to be the best in the business. Apparently he was given a lot of freedom on this project, because even the volume level isn't jacked up to todays record company norms. He gave it plenty of headroom and no noticeable compression, and it sounds sweet! This is an audiophile quality disc for the price of standard admission. I wish they'd clone this guy.David Gilmour Overview

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David Gilmour in Concert - Live at Robert Wyatt's Meltdown (2002) Review

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David Gilmour in Concert - Live at Robert Wyatt's Meltdown (2002) ReviewFreed from the shackles of what Pink Floyd has become, David Gilmour sounds positively liberated on his new live DVD, David Gilmour in Concert. The years have snuck up on him, as it inevitably does to all of our heroes, but his voice is even more expressive now than it has ever been. He's actually becoming more like his long-estranged counterpart Roger Waters, and that's a good thing, a great thing in fact.
They are both world-weary veterans having finally arrived at similar crossroads in their lives after drifting apart in their not-so-distant youth. Both men's voices are thinning, sometimes straining to reach notes. While Waters is still the bleeding-heart poet, and Gilmour still the guitar virtuoso, both seem tired of the bloated excesses of the rock n' roll machine that had welcomed them with open arms all those years ago, instead opting to embrace a more deconstructed approach to performing.
Even moreso than Waters' latest hits tour, Gilmour has unearthed rarely performed gems and obscure covers, and has re-invented overplayed classics. The result is breathtaking. His take on Syd Barrett's seminal Terrapin is pure magic, and Dick Parry's sax solo on Shine On is a freeform revelation. It's this sense of experimentation that has been missing from Gilmour's repetoire since he and the Floyd recorded Dark Side. He's even managed to take his latter-day Floyd tunes into exciting new directions. Take High Hopes for example, what once sounded somewhat inflated and bombastic confined to its awkward Floyd-by-numbers construct, has now taken on a more stripped and organic flavor. Even his lyrics play better without the baggage of the brand name. It's also wonderful to see Richard Wright, playing Breakthrough from his own Broken China album, sounding relaxed and beautiful.
Much of the beauty of the performances is in the rawness of the sound; often times you can hear each finger slide down the fret, each bend of the string. It's a clear and pristine recording to be sure, but it's not sterile and perfect, it's live, alive. Listening to the 5.1 surround, you could swear Gilmour is just feet away, acoustic guitar slung over his shoulder, entertaining guests at an intimate gathering.
The bonus features are equally rewarding. Gilmour's cover of "Don't", the Leiber and Stoller song made classic by Elvis Presley, is heart-wrenchingly beautiful, and his rendering of Shakespeare's Sonnet 18, with Michael Kamen, is sublime.
I was quite frankly shocked at how much I enjoyed this DVD. I've already played it more times than I've played Waters' excellent In The Flesh Live. I'd nearly forgotten how definitive Gilmour's guitar sound is, and how much I missed his voice. It's truly the sound of a wisened man with nothing to prove, a man no longer haunted by the ghost of Roger Waters. If this release is any indication of things to come, I will be waiting with just as much anticipation for Gilmour's next solo album as I am for Roger's, and praying for old friends to make amends.David Gilmour in Concert - Live at Robert Wyatt's Meltdown (2002) Overview

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