LIVE IN GDAńSK

First of all, the lineup: Nick Mason is the only absent from the post-final cut Pink Floyd. An impressive Rick Wright and the old friends Dick Parry, Guy Pratt and Phil Manzanera are supported by a symphonic orchestra that allows Sir David to perform more acoustic as is becoming usual in his last gigs. The first CD is just the whole on an island. I don't want to add much about it. It's very well played and from the visual side, I think the 5 screens above the stage are a good enhancement to the usual circular screen.

I leave the review about the songs to the studio album.

The second CD is an emotional storm. After the usual Shine on, it's quite a surprise to hear a song from Obscured by clouds; Wot's oh the deal, then followed by Astronomy domine and Fat old sun. Those three pieces are a summary of the first Floyd era, and also quite unusual on recent track lists. Then the bell starts to ring giving the intro to High hopes. This is absolutely the best version of this song ever performed, and the long coda made of classic guitar and orchestra is astonishing. I felt myself totally transported by this performance, but once it's finished, you can suddenly recognise the familiar ping of Echoes: 25 more minutes of enchanted drama with the middle psychedelic part that doesn't sound too different from the Pompeii version even if the instruments are not the same of 30 years before.

The two songs are so good that you can relax with the following classic Wish you were here. A great day for freedom sounds just like a relaxing pause before Comfortably numb. There are a lot of available versions of this song and they mainly differ one to each other by the second guitar riff, except for some earlier post-Waters versions with an unusual Gilnour-Wright choir. Well, this time Sir David has performed one of his most inspired guitar riffs, so that this is the best possible closure act.

Just one more comment: The view of a quite smiling and concentrated Rick Wright is very touching.

Six stars are not allowed, so I'll rate it only 5.