ON AN ISLAND

One hell of a luxurious booklet (digibook) for the latest Floyd-alumni solo album, although I must say that the artwork did make doubt (was I sure this was not a Celine Dion record?) but from the first seconds onwards my doubts were quickly dispelled. Doubts created by hearing on everyday radio the most commercial track around. A very laid-back album this is, though! A little too much for this proghead, even if I love some extremely laid-back and quiet music slices.

So we are a far cry from David's first two albums, but in this one as the previous ones, we can still detect some Floyd traces, but they are the more contemplative side of the mythic group. This album does share one similarity with its predecessor: it is rather uneven! There are some weaker (relative) tracks: the endless The Blue, Take A Breath (which sounds like the meagre period Floyd of MLOR), the boringly beautiful but lazy Then I Close My Eyes and the atrocious Smile. All those are siding up with some more inspired moments such as the title track, the instrumental Red Sky At Night, This Heaven. Musically speaking I think he overuses the slide guitar giving a twangy- countryish feel to the record (and you just know how I feel against that friggin' awful redneck music, right?) and his star-studded cast of guest do not bring much excitement.

David never claimed to be good lyricist (and next to his ex-old foe, he is certainly no match) , but the lyrics are handled by his wife, Polly Samson (who did more than her share on The Division Bell) and them lyrics are more than average, but avoid being bland. Yes, David has done a rather tame (but not lame) and tired album, one that shows and fits his age (the man is over 60), and we all like him to be himself rather than pretending to be some forty years younger dancing and prancing like a peacock, rolling his stones on huge stages. To each and everyone's definition of growing older gracefully, and Dave's definition of this concept is rather interesting. Hardly an essential album, though! Forget the sleeping pills, this should the job. Time to be talking with Roger, Dave!! I said talk, not shout ;-)

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