David Gilmour - Live in Gdansk

David Gilmour - Live in Gdansk
Sony BMG - September 23, 2008
by Sam Frank

Some years back a friend told me that he learned more about life from Tupac Shakur albums than his actual parents. Following his statement was the seemingly inevitable question: who taught you life? Without a full understanding of what was asked I haphazardly replied, "my favorite band is Pink Floyd." Between owning Floyd's "studio" catalog and going to local laser shows every weekend for months at a time I knew that Pink Floyd's sound was truly my favorite, but it wasn't until I heard David Gilmour's 2006 solo album, On An Island, that I began to understand why.

Pink Floyd's music was the first to scare me. From the banshee screams that complete 1971's "Echoes"" to the squealing pig noises of 1977's "Pigs (Three Different Kinds)" drummer Nick Mason, bassist Roger Waters, keyboardist Richard Wright, and guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour, created some of the most unique music the world has ever known, and when Roger Waters went solo in the early 80's, the remaining members of Floyd were left with a legacy to uphold. Despite the success of 1987's A Momentary Lapse of Reason and 1994's The Division Bell, along with their record shattering world tours, most Floyd purists rejected the new sound, deeming it "Gilmour's Floyd," but no matter how it's labeled true Floyd fans can't deny the hypnotic power of inspirational ballads such as "High Hopes" and "A Great Day for Freedom," both on The Division Bell.

Read the full review at UnRatedMagazine.com