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Direct Link To This Post Topic: About Face: David Gilmour
    Posted: February 18 2015 at 16:39
Gilmour's second solo album is awesome at times. I love the song Murder. What's your opinion of About Face?

Edited by SteveG - February 18 2015 at 16:55
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 18 2015 at 18:21
I like all of it, even/especially Blue Light.  Peter Townshend wrote some good lyrics for it (Love on the Air and All Lovers are Deranged), but Dave's lyrics are pretty good in spots too - a nice sharp tune pointed at Roger Waters (You Know I'm Right), a solemn lament for mankind in the wake of the nuclear war many thought was right around the corner (Out of the Blue), an ironic love song to a cruise missile (Cruise), a meditation on death (Until we Sleep), and yes, the murder of John Lennon (Murder).  I personally think it's the best foot he's yet put forward in terms of establishing himself as an independent creative force outside the grip of Pink Floyd.  It's got his trademark guitar, but the songs don't sound like Floyd songs, and yes, they've got commercial potential.  Unfortunately, it just didn't take off the way he hoped it would, so then it was back to the drawing board that gave us Momentary Lapse of Reason - a good album in itself, but I've always wished he could have pursued the direction taken on About Face further. 

It took about 20 years for him to finally do it with On An Island.  That's a good album but a bit two-dimensional, even predictable.  But still a welcome album, no doubt, and one I'm proud to own, even if I usually skip 2-3 tracks while it plays.  It doesn't have the vitality of a bona fide commercial proposition by a young hungry viable modern performer, like About Face had.  There looked for a moment like there may be life after Floyd for Dave.  Now it's kind of too late for that.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 18 2015 at 21:41
I like it better than his first one. Some really good songs, specially Murder and Near the End, which I really love and would put along with the best Pink Floyd. However, I wish a live album from this tour would be released, for I have heard some of them live and they sound so much better (the very best part of the guitar solo of Murder on the live version begins where the studio version ends, making that one sound a bit tame in coparison).
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 18 2015 at 23:21
I'm sure a thread of this has been done before.....
No a bad album, some notable guests, some good material. I do enjoy You May Be Right, Murder, Out Of The Blue and definitely Near The End....
.......don't think much of Cruise, Until We Sleep, Blue Light and All Lovers Are Deranged. The other tracks are in-between.
Still, not an excruciating listen.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2015 at 21:13

Dave's first album was a bare boned guitar album....it could have used a little sweetening here and there, but a solid release nonetheless. 

 
About Face was his attempt to "make it big".....lots of shiny production and, at times, the lyrics (and production) are at the fore, which deemphasizes what we turn to Gilmore albums for in the first place - that guitar. 
 
 
On an Island focuses on guitar and atmosphere, but it drags and all the tracks seems to bleed into each other.....still can't tell which cut is which even after a few years of listening.
I like to feel the suspense when you're certain you know I am there.....
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2015 at 21:25
^ Absolutely correct on every count.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2015 at 23:45
Gilmour with a heavy edge and extremely enjoyable. Found it to be more enjoyable than most of Waters' stuff.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 25 2015 at 00:06
I like better his first solo album.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 25 2015 at 13:55
Originally posted by SteveG SteveG wrote:

Gilmour's second solo album is awesome at times. I love the song Murder. What's your opinion of About Face?


Gilmour ran out of ideas with his first solo album, an the leftovers were used in The Wall)


AF is about the worst Floyd-alumni album ever recorded, riddled with awful 80's productions and idiotic Collins/EW&F brass)

Saw Gilmour on that tour (with Ralphs on guitar), but the concert was very average.



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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 25 2015 at 14:49
Not as good as his first but then both are mediocre imho.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 25 2015 at 15:07
Originally posted by SteveG SteveG wrote:

Gilmour's second solo album is awesome at times. I love the song Murder. What's your opinion of About Face?
 
"Murder" is the best post-Wall song of Floyd or any member of Floyd. I appreciate Gilmour not sticking with a formulaic regurgitation of the Floyd shtick, and presenting himself as an individual performer, which I think he did admirably on this album.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 25 2015 at 15:22
Originally posted by The Dark Elf The Dark Elf wrote:

Originally posted by SteveG SteveG wrote:

Gilmour's second solo album is awesome at times. I love the song Murder. What's your opinion of About Face?
 
"Murder" is the best post-Wall song of Floyd or any member of Floyd. I appreciate Gilmour not sticking with a formulaic regurgitation of the Floyd shtick, and presenting himself as an individual performer, which I think he did admirably on this album.
 
 
IMO that best post Floyd song is this one.....
 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 25 2015 at 15:27
Sorry Wu, but I think this has more power and feeling. Great acoustic, nice fretless bass line and killer ending:
 
 
 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 25 2015 at 18:50
Waters wanted to stick to the Floyd aesthetic by producing concept albums which rarely left any impact. Gilmour did more of what he wanted to do and I pride him for it.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 26 2015 at 10:58
Originally posted by The Dark Elf The Dark Elf wrote:

Sorry Wu, but I think this has more power and feeling. Great acoustic, nice fretless bass line and killer ending:
 
 
 
Sorry Elf....don't agree.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 26 2015 at 11:16
Either underrated or one of my guilty pleasures. This album has a lot of good songs to enjoy: Until We Sleep, Murder, Out of the Blue (my favourite), Let's Get Metaphysical and Near the End. And most of the others are enjoyable as well.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 26 2015 at 11:30
Originally posted by dr wu23 dr wu23 wrote:

Originally posted by The Dark Elf The Dark Elf wrote:

Sorry Wu, but I think this has more power and feeling. Great acoustic, nice fretless bass line and killer ending:
 
 
 
Sorry Elf....don't agree.
Smile
Well Wu, it seems we've reached an impasse -- another brick in the wall, if you will.Wink
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 26 2015 at 11:40
Originally posted by dr wu23 dr wu23 wrote:

 
 
IMO that best post Floyd song is this one.....
 

I actually just got this album and listened to it for the first time. Def a stand out track. Liked it a lot. 

What are the thoughts on his debut? 


Edited by Horizons - July 26 2015 at 11:41
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 26 2015 at 12:17
Originally posted by Horizons Horizons wrote:

Originally posted by dr wu23 dr wu23 wrote:

 
 
IMO that best post Floyd song is this one.....
 

I actually just got this album and listened to it for the first time. Def a stand out track. Liked it a lot. 

What are the thoughts on his debut? 
 
I think it's the best solo thing by any of the Floyd members (can't stand most of Water's work,,,his voice is awful and his songs are too angst ridden for me.).....though from the other poll many like Barrett by Syd of course.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 26 2015 at 18:37
DG is a very good guitar album and excellent first solo try.   Waters has taken more chances and expanded his sound much more, so it depends what one responds to.   If you like straight-forward, David Gilmour is a nice treat.   Better?   Hard to say.
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