Continuing our look back at Power of Pop posts published before our move to WordPress in 2008. Here’s a review from 2006 featuring the wonderful David Gilmour solo album, On An Island.
The Floyd is dead…long live Dave Gilmour!
For me, David Gilmour has always been the heart and soul of Floyd, after Barrett’s exit. His languorous vocals and his blues-tinged elastic guitar licks responsible for much of Floyd’s success through its transformation from psychedelic rock pioneers to progressive space-rock juggernauts.
The Best Pink Floyd songs of All Time!
The Wall highlighted the schism between David Gilmour and Roger Waters and the Floyd degenerated into a pale shadow of its former self with the next three (pointless) releases. Thus, it is a pleasant surprise to discover that Gilmour’s third solo album is perhaps as enjoyable and as fulfilling – if not as groundbreaking – as anything his erstwhile group produced in the 70s.
Comfortably Numb (Rock Classics)
Now 60 years old, Gilmour – together with notable collaborators viz. Phil (Roxy Music) Manzanera, Richard (Pink Floyd) Wright, Robert Wyatt, David Crosby & Graham Nash, Jools (Squeeze) Holland and orchestral arranger Zbigniew Presiner – seems totally at ease and at peace with himself with this assured release.
The mood is light, dreamy, evocative and highlights include the languid title track, the gorgeous “The Blue,” “Red Sky At Night,” (with Gilmour playing sax!), the rustic “Then I Close My Eyes” and the fragile “A Pocketful of Stones.”
Yes, Pink Floyd fans, this is the album you have been waiting for even since The Wall came crashing down…
… still there’s more …