DAVID GILMOUR IN CONCERT

WOOHOO, First review for this marvelous concert! And thanks to Progarchives for including this DVD in the database at my request. The packaging for the DVD is simple, yet classicly done by Storm Thorgerson. And the menus / subtitles / bonus features are top-notch, including 'extra' documentaries, behind-the-scenes and even a few 'rare' GILMOUR performances from the past.

First of all, this DVD was nothing at all what I expected when I first picked it up some years back. "Pleasantly surprised" does not properly describe my reaction after watching it, "mesmerized" would be more accurate. This concert has the feel of an "unplugged" show, even though it is not strictly acoustic. There are plenty of electric and even some slide guitar work to be heard here. A unique special bonus feature is something called 'Spare Digits' where the camera angle(s) focuses completely on Gilmour's fingers while he is playing. Guitar enthusiasts will marvel at the Gilmour 'at-home guitar lesson' thus provided.

Ironically enough for a 'solo' performance, GILMOUR doesn't play any of his 'solo' material (that meaning, nothing is played from his two official solo albums: "About Face" and his self-titled "David Gilmour"). He does however present some fantabulous versions of FLOYD standards, some new solo pieces, and most wonderfully two Syd Barrett covers ('Dominoes' and 'Terrapin'). Nostalgic moments at their best! You can definitely pick out the handful of hardcore fans in the audience who can actually recognize these BARRETT gems.

GILMOUR's acoustic remake of 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' is untouchable here, and it's worth buying this DVD for this song alone! Much slower, more heartfelt, if that was ever thought to be possible...

RICK WRIGHT makes a guest appearance and GILMOUR inserts a touching guitar solo to WRIGHT's 'Breakthrough', which when you include the fact that WRIGHT is actually singing this tune, makes it sound completely different and superior than the studio version (from WRIGHT's "Broken China") where Sinead O'Connor sings the original.

The concert is actually a compilation of two night's worth of performances that GILMOUR played, and so you get two different versions of 'Comfortably Numb' with two different guests appearances to sing Roger Waters' parts. The thing is, both the performances (one by Bob Geldof, and the other by Robert Wyatt) are lacklustre at best.

Other noteworthy points about this DVD and its performances is the re-working that GILMOUR does on old favourites like 'Fat Old Sun' and 'WYWH'. His softer arrangements of "The Division Bell" era songs go over well, and as mentioned earlier his treatment of SYD BARRETT's tunes as well as his new solo work make this DVD a unique purchase. (i.e. there is enough 'new' stuff on here that you won't feel like you are just buying yet ANOTHER live FLOYD show)

A musical genius, a great back-up crew/band playing FLOYD and FLOYD-inspired songs in a small venue. What more can you ask for? 4/5 stars easily.

I can say with full honesty that of all of the concerts I have seen PINK FLOYD members give, this one heads my lists of the kind I would like most to be in the audience for. The only reason it doesn't get a 5 is because it's not perfect.

I could see how happy everyone was, at that concert...there was a clear electricity in the air. To me, that can make or break a concert--whether the artists are feeling their work. It was very clear to me how much everyone was enjoying what they were doing. That's very important to me. I think there is something special about a smaller venue. I liked how the DVD showed comments to the audience, to emphasize that connection.

GILMOUR was enjoying himself greatly. I think his audience comments show that, in addition to the playing itself (which is definitely a product of passion). And his voice was excellent. This really showed on "Je Croix Entendre Encore". There are three other individuals who deserve to be mentioned in this respect. One is Bob Geldof. I couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm...note that funny dance at one point! All smiles...it's infectious! Plus, his singing wasn't too bad, either.

There was also the late but great MICHAEL KAMEN, in fine form and a radiantly cheery mood, doing the piano work...his performance on "High hopes" especially is noteworthy--and not just the piano work, but the oboe work as well. If you are interested in KAMEN, get this, definitely.

And, of course, there is RICK WRIGHT. Someone told me, right after attending the concert in person, that he had never seemed so happy as he did then. It was obvious to me he felt wonderful performing "Breakthrough", and I'm sure the audience's very warm reception helped out. He was so animated it was an absolute joy to watch. I think the band responded to him; that song was so full of passion from all who performed it--and I'm sure this has something to do with the lead singer (same kind of effect that makes the difference between the two Comfortably Numb's). I noted on the lyrics that come with the DVD, that the lyric change WRIGHT made is official. "You feel alive, your heart untied, and loved forevermore." I think, personally, that it suits the soaring nature of this version...perhaps "beatified" was appropriate for the languid voice of Sinead O'Connor, but not for the passionate singing of RICK WRIGHT--that was so alive that I can't think of any better word choice for that moment.

As if I had not already loved that album, based on this I would love to see the whole of RICK WRIGHT's Broken China performed in a similar sized venue--obviously it will need a little more on the technical side (and perhaps a bit more visually, given that the story does lend itself nicely to that), but I would think there'd be a way to keep it a small and intimate performance. Would be very nice. :-)

I very much liked the new arrangements. In my opinion, the highlights were: "Coming Back to Life", "High Hopes", "Comfortably Numb" with Bob Geldof (NOT the version ruined by Robert Wyatt!!!), the second part of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" (not the listless first), "Smile", and "Je Croix Entendre Encore". And, of course, the absolutely impeccable "Breakthrough". I cannot explain it--to me, "High Hopes" became even more than the studio album or PULSE! That does not mean any version of that song is bad at all--in fact there is no bad version of it. I really do love the sound of the choir there and in "Coming Back to Life" (which takes a very cool gospel feel to it, and having sung in a similar choir myself, I really enjoyed it).That second part of Shine On...that's just phenomenal, almost savage in the way it roars to life.

"Smile"...I am very happy for the inclusion of lyrics. That's such a neat, simple song, and I hope its folksy simplicity is preserved going into the studio, because that's what I love so much about it. That's the kind of song that can get stuck in your head for days--and you do not wish to chase it out! ;-)

Only a few "quibbles" to mention, and one of these is minor. One, on WYWH, I could hardly hear GILMOUR's voice during the part where he sings with the guitar; that could perhaps have been mixed a bit louder. The second...I'm afraid I will be skipping the first Comfortably Numb with Robert Wyatt; I didn't care for the singing, and I don't think the musicians responded to him nearly as well as they did to Geldof, so this version lacked the energy the second one did. Finally, the first part of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"...no. You absolutely cannot do that song without a synth, especially with such a bland acoustic-only delivery. That just doesn't work...SOYCD was never meant to be a folk song. The second half is considerably more powerful and infinitely more enjoyable, although wanting for the synth and jazz jams that Rick Wright would have brought to the table.

I wished the audience, during the first SOYCD, would've been quieter--even though I don't care for that part of the song as much, that honestly struck me as rude, yelling out as often as they did. At one point, when the audience got loud, I saw GILMOUR smile at their antics...but I'm sure it was also very frustrating. :-( So please note that, all you future concert goers...this doesn't mean to not show enthusiasm, but I think there are appropriate times for it. An example of good audience behavior would be "Breakthrough". Wild applause at the beginning, of course, which I am sure was much appreciated. Except for one yell as the music got started, they're pretty quiet during the song, which I think is the respectful thing to do.

Here are a few non performance-related things that were interesting. I can't explain it exactly, but the colors on the stage are absolutely striking, and definitely inspired the menu art. Someone did a fantastic job with the lighting at RFH. I also thought the sound clips as you navigate the menus are just unearthly...very neat mixes and distortions.

This is definitely a good DVD, all around, even with my "quibbles"--I was definitely not disappointed...FAR from it! Hats off to GILMOUR and Company for this excellent production!

David Gilmour is truly one of the greatest guitarists in progressive rock. His talent is shown in full circle on this incredible DVD. His solo interpretations of Shine On You Crazy Diamond Part one (that's right, he plays it all by himself), his solo on Breakthrough, his guitar work on every individual song is perfect and suits the mood perfectly.

The concert begins with Gilmour noodling on stage before he begins SOYCD, using foot pedals to create the rich synth tones with his guitar. He made the song feel warmer, and more colorful then before. Then before you know it, Dick Perry comes out and gives out a great sax solo. Gilmour also plays some more obscure tracks, such as 'Terrapin' by Syd Barrett and 'Fat Old Sun' off of Atom Heart Mother. The Division Bell stuff is also top notch, with special guest Michael Kamen (RIP) playing the keys and the english horn on such songs as 'High Hopes' and 'Comfortably Numb'. Although Gilmour keeps the show to a strict acoustic feeling, he couldn't replace the incredible tone of the Comfortably Numb solo with an acoustic guitar, so he stops mid song to put on the electric and slings out a solo of a lifetime. You don't only get David Gilmour's vocals here, too. On 'Breakthrough' you get Rick Wright singing and playing the keyboard (with a great Gilmour solo as well), and the two versions of Comfortably Numb each have different vocalists (The first one is Robert Wyatt, whose version is sub-par compared to the second Bob Geldof version).

Overall, this is a great DVD that no fan of Pink Floyd should miss. 4.5/5.

I rounded that DVD to the upper star-unit to avoid creating havoc!!

This acoustic concert came about seven or eight years to late as it could have been in the MTV Unplugged series as this is mostly instrumental. However you are thrown into Floyd nostalgia, one should not overlook the fact that this album is almost soporiphic no matter how many Floyd classics Dave can pull out of his bag. I was extremely curious (but forewarned by the specialized press - prog or not) of the versions available on here. Well except for a few tracks, I am solidly disappointed at Shine OYCD (1 to 5) and other WYWH with just Fat Old Sun saving the day. Comfortably Numb is just correct especially with Wyatt singing the verses (the Geldof version does not hold the same charm) but Gilmour had to resort to pick up the electric guitar to charge up the audience well asleep by that point. A bunch of solo tracks complete the set and maybe only the I put A Spell On You can still bring you a slight smile in an otherwise rather dull night.

Pity the poor sods who probably paid a fortune to get in the door only to have a very uncomfortable nap on a old seat and having it interrupted by those who have insomnia and were politely obliging Gilmour with subdued applause. David has announced his retirement shortly after the release of this DVD, and seeing this, it was high time he did, for he does not have much enthusiasm left (he looks completely bored on stage).

Around that time, David put in a stellar performance on The Pretty Thing's SF Sorrow at Abbey Road studios, dishing out good solos. OK, I agree my review is slightly exaggerated but reading the ecstatic (and much exaggerated) reviews on here, I felt that there should be some kind of counterweight.

Sad to see Hughes Chantraine saying DG had retired. It explains the dormancy from these illustrious pioneers of rock.I hope his source is incorrect. For me this is a very good DVD although ' Comfortably Numb' with Robert Wyatt gets on my nerves. I would have loved to have seen Roy Harper guest as well.'Je Crois Entendre Encore', the new song ( where is it????)- ' Smile' and 'Breakthrough' with Rick Wright at the helm for me were the highlights as was the Shakespeare Sonnet sung on the Pink Floyd barge on the Thames river. Gilmour shows on this DVD that he is an excellent vocalist. What saddens me is that this is quite possibly a chapter closed for him.

Hypnotic

I have a major problem with this superb DVD, as I have yet to watch it in its entirety without falling asleep! This however is not in anyway a criticism, but the performance is so relaxed and indeed relaxing, that it must be an essential purchase for insomniacs.

The first thing any Pink Floyd fan needs to be aware of is that this is not Gilmour exploiting his Pink Floyd pedigree, by attempting to recreate a Pink Floyd gig. While many of the track titles will be familiar, their renditions here are very different to the original versions. Even the comparatively recent songs from the Gilmour led "Division bell" album bear only a passing resemblance to their album versions. This is essentially David Gilmour unplugged. Admittedly he does revert from time to time to his lead guitar, but the concert is by and large acoustic.

The performance commences in a disarmingly downbeat fashion, with Gilmour strolling on stage to polite if rather restrained applauds from the audience. Gone are the light shows, visual effects, and ear shattering speaker banks of a Pink Floyd concert. In their place, we have what appears to be a middle aged bank manager, standing alone with his acoustic guitar. Gilmour proceeds to carefully pick out the opening notes unaccompanied, the mood broken only by the occasional whoop and whistles by the ubiquitous moron in the audience. The tune thus far is unfamiliar in this context. Then just as the listener is starting to wonder if this is to be a lengthy acoustic guitar ramble the 4 note theme which introduces the guitar on the "Wish you were here" version of "Shine on you crazy diamond", reassures us that this is indeed a song we know well. The audience reaction appears to be a mixture of appreciation, and relief! When Gilmour starts to sing the verses, he seems genuinely exposed and vulnerable. In such an intimate, pared down atmosphere, every minor flaw in the performance will be magnified. There is a palpable tension in the air, as if Gilmour himself is not sure if he can pull it off.

He does of course, and as he is joined by his backing musicians, the tension quickly eases, Gilmour relaxes, and we are up and running. The set consists of a fine cross section of predominantly, but by no means exclusively, Pink Floyd material. The emotional nature of the performance is accentuated by a guest appearance of Robert Wyatt in his wheelchair, singing the verses of "Comfortably numb". It is a little disappointing that Wyatt seems unfamiliar with the song, referring throughout to his lyric sheet. A superior second version featuring Sir Bob Geldorf is also included later on. Among the many other highlights are a quasi-spiritual version of "High hopes" featuring a gospel choir, and an achingly beautiful rendition of "Je Crois Entendre Encore" (the point at which I tend to fall asleep!).

Gilmour's chosen fellow musicians provide a wonderfully sympathetic accompaniment, each taking the opportunity to step forward to briefly enjoy the limelight, but always respectful of Gilmour's predominance. In particular, Dick Perry recreates his sax contribution to "Shine on..", and Caroline Dale adds some stunning colours through her cello playing. For those desperate to see Gilmour perform one more time with his erstwhile band mates, only the brief appearance of Rick Wright performing the final track from his "Broken China" album offers any kind of solace, this is very much David Gilmour solo.

The DVD offers excellent value, the main feature running to over 2 hours. Also included is an interesting behind the scenes rehearsal sequence, and a sans-Gilmour rendition of the part of High Hopes sung by the gospel choir. The package is rounded off by a further three bonus videos, including a rendition of "I put a spell on you" with lead vocal by Mica Paris (for a superb version of this classic, try the one by Creedence Clearwater Revival).

Apart from the fact that the concert performance documented on this DVD is essential viewing, the package as a whole sets a standard for others to aspire to. A true gem.

Not really a prog fan, seeing Floyd as more in the Blues/Rock camp, but that's semantics and irrellevant. This is a great DVD, and one of my favourite live pieces anywhere on DVD. Cluster One nailed it, so I won't be boring. My one observation is that even on a predominantly acoustic set, DG can still have an old hack guitarist like me drooling and wondering at his effects collection :-)

This DVD would definitely favor those of you who love or who are big fan of Pink Floyd. In this concert, as you may have guessed from the cover, David Gilmour (Pink Floyd's vocalist, guitarist and songwriter) took different approach. Instead of bringing loads of electronic equipment like he did with his band mates at Pink Floyd, he delivered the concert with an unplugged style. Well, most people might have thought that Mr Gilmour lost his passion for music and he completely retired. But this case proved the other way around as he turned in Robert Wyatt (previously with Soft Machine) to do a show at the annual Meltdown Festival held in the Royal Festival Hall in London. The first concert was done in June 2001 followed with some concerts in January 2002. This live set was filmed from the Meltdown concert plus three-track encore from January concert.

The concert opener Shine on You Crazy Diamond of Pink Floyd legendary track projects how the show would look like entirely as Gilmour only use acoustic guitar even for the ambient intro of the song. In certain memorable segments the crowd gave big applauds (as the recognized that the chords or the fills that Gilmour produced was Shine On Crazy Diamond). AS for my case, while I watched this DVD at my screen I was singing the original song in my mind (quietly) as to compare with what Gilmour was presenting in unplugged fashion. The result? It's truly a rewarding experience man!!! I'm sure that you would experience the same with me if you can sense the nerve of original song which was created as a tribute to Syd Barett. The overall show seemed very peaceful, very intimate - there was virtually no distance between the artist and the crowd. It's so relaxing. Well, I'm not gonna do a track by track review, but some tracks are worth being reviewed in detail.

The concert went on with a combination of Pink Floyd legendary tracks (Shine On, Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here), late Pink Floyd tracks from Division Bells including my favorite High Hopes, a new track Smile and also Syd Barrett's Terrapin and Dominoes, Richard Thompson's Dimming Of The Day, and the stunning Je Crois Entendre Encore from Bizet's opera The Pearl Fishers. Oh man .. the melody of Je Crois is really nice and Gilmour did it well!

Even though tuned down with minimum electric equipment, Pink Floyd tracks sound really well with a stunning Shine On You Crazy Diamond parts 6-8 and an excellent track High Hopes which was performed brilliantly! Comfortably Numb at Meltdown Festival had curator Robert Wyatt filling in Roger Waters singing parts with Wyatt is reading out the lyrics from a paper.

David Gilmour also brought in musicians who usually helped Pink Floyd like Dick Parry (who did marvelous solo at Shine On), and backing vocalist Sam Brown (who took the lead of an 12-piece gospel choir). Chucho Merchan played double bass, Caroline Dale replaced most keyboard parts (on original song) with her cello, second guitar is provided by Neill MacColl, also drummer/percussionist Nic France. Michael Kamen, who worked with two Pink Floyd albums (The Wall and The Final Cut), and also with Roger Waters' "The Pros and Cons Of Hitchhiking" took care of grand piano and horn (he amazed me that he played horn!). The DVD set includes three 'encores' taken from shows at the same venue in January 2002. A guest appearance by Richard Wright, performed one of his own composition "Breakthrough". He still can sing excellently. Sir Bob Geldof did vocals on Comfortably Numb, with better arrangement than the previous one.

The extras includes three cover songs: Screaming Jay Hawkins' I Put a Spell On You, recorded with Mica Paris and Jools Holland in 1992, Elvis Presley's Don't, which was played at a tribute concert in 2001, and Shakespeare's 18th Sonnet, where Gilmour singing along to Michael Kamen's orchestral music. There is rehearsals with the choir at Gilmour's house, a shot from one of the shows where the High Hope was performed in an a capella style by the choir is truly a highlight.

The sonic quality of the DVD is excellent and the picture is clear. This is not a typical rock concert with crazy crowd and dynamic live vibes but it's a relaxing one to enjoy. You will find the pleasure of seeing this DVD at your home stereo set. Recommended. Keep on progging' ..!

Progressively yours, GW

What an intriguing DVD this is.

Rightly, the performances and the extras highlight DAVID GILMOUR'S stellar guitar work. We all know he's not the most technically proficient guitarist in rock, but he is one of the best guitar players. By that I mean he plays with real emotion.

But the best thing about this excellent DVD are the reinterpretations of classic tracks. 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' gets a sublime rendering, particularly the second part. I'm less happy with the two versions of 'Comfortably Numb': I'm impressed by neither ROBERT WYATT nor BOB GELDOF, though the latter turns in a better performance. I would have thought WYATT would learn his lines, though: singing off a piece of paper isn't a good look.

Ultimately, this is GILMOUR doing what he does best - delivering solid, no-nonsense and above all smooth music. Buy this DVD and watch a master at work - and, if you're a guitarist or appreciate the finer points of music-making, catch the extras offered here. I honestly think this is the best thing offered by the DAVID GILMOUR brand.

As a huge Gilmour fan for all of my life, there was no doubt I had to have this DVD, and overall it doesn't disappoint. If I could use one word to describe this, it would be this: classy. Dave makes it clear right from the start that he's not going to put out exact recreations of the setlist--specifically the Floyd classics. Instead, Dave is at the forefront of every song, interpreting each with a melower tinge, and accompanied by a wide range of instruments, backing vocalists, and guest appearances.

As Easy Livin noted, this DVD can get flat-out boring in some places--especially if you were expecting to rock out to your favorite Floyd tracks and was expecting a gargantuan light show. Also, there's nothing particularly impressive about what Dave is doing here: lots of relatively simple strumming and (at this point in his career) strained vocals. But of course here and there you hear him sing a line or let loose a guitar riff, and you remember what a musical force he has been and that it's a treat to see him still up there. Also, the backing vocals (especially on Coming Back to Life) and instrumentation (particularly the cello on High Hopes) are very well- done. Of course, there are some of the drawbacks to live shows (especially this intimate environment), where idiot crowd members let out irritating whoops when they realize that Dave is playing Shine On...even when everyone else in the audience knew what song it was a minute earlier.

This is essential to any Dave fan, but necessarily for all Floydians (especially those more in the Waters camp). I personally would love to have been there, and can appreciate the fondness the musicians and crowd had for each other, but musically there is nothing spectacular here.

Excellent add to prog fans ( five stars ) what a difference between the mood of David in this concert & remember thaaaat , he's really a classical blues progressive rock . What was wonderfull in this dvd that David was there in the arena supported by talented musicians , he was doing things by his own talent , playing the best tracks of PF in different way (specially Comfortably numb & i put a spell on yu ) . In my humble opinion DAVID was at his besttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt in this concert & he deserves 5 big starsssssssssssssss A real pro ......... N.B -- there was no need for Remember that day . ( this review took place after remember that day) Big Sorry..........

A delicious concert, really! Have to admit that I had seen several copies of this DVD but for some strange reason I never wanted to buy it, but fortunately, after last week that I watched it for the very first time at my girl's place, I really changed my mind, and it is now on my wish list's priorities. After that first time, I have found some free time and have used it to re-watch it twice, so I am reviewing this after three times, all of which I enjoyed the concert a lot and wanted immediately to review it.

So you know, David Gilmour is an extraordinary guitar man whose style has inspired several musicians for more than three decades, a musician whose legacy with Pink Floyd (and without) is a constant talk topic within the musical realm, not specifically in the prog realm. I personally, consider him one of my favorite guitar players, and even I like a lot his voice, so his work overall is very attractive to me.

Anyway, when I watched this DVD I was very surprised (positively), because I found a pleasant and relaxing performance, not the typical Floyd concert full of energy and visual things, but a truly intimate and beautifully arranged concert.

Since the beginning, a solo performance of Gilmour with his acoustic guitar, playing Shine on You Crazy Diamond, not the usual version, but quite interesting and comfortable, using his guitar, his voice and a pedal, later, little by little other musicians appear and add their grain of sand to the music, pretty good.

Gilmour chose a pretty good set list, as you can imagine, there are songs from the Division Bell, also classic ones such as Wish You Were Here or Comfortably Numb, and songs composed by Syd Barrett such as Terrapin or Dominoes, playing those as a tribute to his old friend, he also played some songs from his solo repertoire, besides a couple of covers.

It is important to mention that there are excellent musicians (as usual) here, but not the ones you may know (like Guy Pratt or Jon Carin), here people of the quality of Michael Kamen playing keyboards and Chucho Merchan in the double bass contributed to Gilmour in order to offer a beautiful night. Another very important thing, is the fact that there is a gospel choir, whose work fit perfectly in that gently performance, there are a couple of moments that caused me goose bumps, the first was the performance of "Coming Back to Life" which was really sweet, beautiful, and the second "Je Crois Entendre", the ambient and the feeling is nothing but calm, something really relaxing. Worth mentioning that there are some guests appearances, such as Robert Wyatt, Bob Geldof (both singing Comfortably Numb) and Richard Wright singing his wonderful "Breaktrhough".

This concert is really special because as I previously said, it is not the typical Floyd or Gilmour show, it is an intimate and confident show, that only few people could enjoy live, in general, the concert is excellent and the calm you get while you are watching it, is not an everyday thing, so this is very special, and really good.

My final grade will be 4 stars, highly recommendable!

Enjoy it!

I'll probably just repeat what's been already said in 10 previous collab reviews from years ago, but this highly pleasant DVD deserves yet another recommendation. What makes this David Gilmour gig special is the warm and sincere atmosphere, something totally different than the machinery-like precision in the latter-day Pink Floyd DVD's such as P.U.L.S.E. where the performances tend to duplicate the album versions in a rather clinical way and the lavish visual elements steal the show -- which of course can be awesome too, but this one makes a very nice counterpart to them. Partly the warmth comes from the relative intimacy of the venue; the audience is nearer to the musicians and therefor the interaction between the musicians and the audience is more palpable. At some point someone asks something from Animals to be performed, and even though David reasonably turns the request down, it's a sympathetic, honest moment of interaction.

Agreeably 'Shine On... (Parts 1-5)' doesn't function very well as a ripped down acoustic version (all the time I expected David soon to switch to an electric guitar), but on the other hand it's interesting to have this different version. Dick Parry joins on saxophone during the piece. The live line-up at its fullest features also Michael Kamen on piano, beautiful Caroline Dale on cello, Nic France on percussion, Neill MacColl on acoustic guitar (dual guitars are obviously much needed especially on 'Wish You Were Here') and a gospel choir led by Sam Brown. The choir is another key factor to bring heartfelt sincerity to the performances. Songs such as 'High Hopes' and 'A Great Day for Freedom' have enjoyable, more intimate versions here.

In addition to a few other songs of Pink Floyd and Gilmour's solo output such as 'Smile' which some years later was included in the album On an Island (2006), the set contains some interesting surprises. 'Je crois entendre encore' is a melancholic opera aria from Georges Bizet's Les Pecheurs de Perles and suits pretty well for this line-up. 'Dimming of the Day' is a serene Richard Thompson penned song originally sung by his wife Linda Thompson, and 'Terrapin' and 'Dominoes' are Syd Barrett's songs. As nice as it is to see Robert Wyatt guesting on 'Comfortably Numb', his vocals in it are only so-and-so. In the end -- taken from another live date -- the same song is guested by Bob Geldof (the main actor in Pink Floyd The Wall movie), who does a more convincing participation. And of course Rick Wright (r.i.p. 2008) coming to sing and play 'Breakthrough' from his 1996 album Broken China is a memorable moment.

The bonus materials are diverse and well edited. On 'Shakespeare's Sonnet 18' Gilmour only sings to Kamen's piano. I like that. 'Home Movie' shows David in his home studio rehearsing the Bizet aria with the gospel choir, and so on. Pretty down-to-earth stuff, further widening the contrast to the mentioned Pink Floyd DVD's. This DVD is an excellent and unique addition for anyone wanting to have a good selection of Floyd and related.