David Gilmour - On An Island

Discussions about Pink Floyd and Solo Official Album CDs and DVDs.

Rate This Album

5 - Best
15
18%
4
18
21%
3
23
27%
2
15
18%
1 - Worst
14
16%
 
Total votes: 85

Morty
Axe
Axe
Posts: 55
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2014 9:11 pm

Re: David Gilmour - On An Island

Post by Morty »

The best of the Gilmour albums, and for that I gave it a 5. Has a great mood, and Smile is just a lovely song.
User avatar
rosm
Supreme Lord!
Supreme Lord!
Posts: 10506
Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2003 10:49 pm
Location: Here

Re: David Gilmour - On An Island

Post by rosm »

Morty wrote:The best of the Gilmour albums, and for that I gave it a 5. Has a great mood, and Smile is just a lovely song.
I did (and do still) like Smile off the Meltdown DVD, but for the rest I don't rate this David Gilmour album as high as his first solo album... and not even as high as David's second solo album.
Morty
Axe
Axe
Posts: 55
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2014 9:11 pm

Re: David Gilmour - On An Island

Post by Morty »

rosm wrote:I did (and do still) like Smile off the Meltdown DVD, but for the rest I don't rate this David Gilmour album as high as his first solo album... and not even as high as David's second solo album.
The first is just to flat for me, but I do like the second a lot. Songs like Murder is pretty sweet, but then again it just does not go anywhere. What I love about On An Island is the flow, it feels like the Floyd album that we never got. It also has a bunch of strongmen on it, like Zbigniew Preisner, Wyatt and Phil Manzanera. Yes, and Rick Wright. It just flows better with me.
Which One Is Which
Embryo
Embryo
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Feb 22, 2014 2:22 am

Re: David Gilmour - On An Island

Post by Which One Is Which »

PublicImage wrote:The rating scale cannot work like that!

If four stars denotes 'quite good' and five stars is 'masterpiece', it's one huge jump to make with no middle ground. I would think of it more like this:

1 - Terrible. Not worth listening to.
2 - Poor and inconsistent.
3 - Good overall, but let down by showing obvious signs of unfulfilled potential.
4 - Very good, but leaves something to be desired in spite of its brilliance.
5 - The best album by x artist.

If you think it is 'quite good', I think you should be giving it 3/5 instead of using extremely lenient ratings.

Should have been 11 (1 more than ten) choices.5 to 1,then to -1 to -6.

I would have given it a creditable -3 given that I couldn't get past the 2nd song.
duffOnTheRun
Axe
Axe
Posts: 80
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2014 4:18 pm
Gender: Male
Location: Quebec City, Canada

Re: David Gilmour - On An Island

Post by duffOnTheRun »

Good but not exceptional. 3/5

David said he was affected by death of many friends at the time he composed On An Island (Michael Kamen, Steve O'Rourke, etc.) These emotion of sadness, nostalgia and resilience are present on many songs.
  • Castellorizon 8/10
    From the first guitar notes, we recognize David playing with pleasure. Instead of Rick synthesizer and Organ, background music comes from an orchestra. Result is more classical, dramatic and dark, but it is worthy of what David has done in the past.

    On an Island 7 /10
    Very good vocal melody. Excellent guitar solo, one of the best of the album, very moving. We feel that David was inspired and it's nice to hear Rick playing B3 organ. Maybe a bit too long and repetitive, but overall, result is quite good.

    The Blue 6/10
    Guitar is very good and vocal is quite moving. Anyway, this song should have been placed in the middle or at the end of the album, because it is too quiet for the first part of the album. It breaks momentum.

    Take a Breath 8/10
    One of my favorite songs. The most dynamic. Good drum, good guitar riff, simple but effective. Undoubtedly the most Floydian song on the album. There is a good spacy break in the middle. The slide guitar solo is very good too. Like other song on OAI, David voice is very good. I would liked to have at least an another song like that on the album.

    Red Sky at Night 6/10
    David on Saxophone! It sound a bit like a film noir soundtrack. Nice filler, but nothing exceptional here.

    This Heaven 7.5/10
    bluesy song that recall the golden age of BB King and co. in the '50s: good guitar riff with rich arrangements: strings, Hammond organ, etc. I like this song. Relax but not boring. Good vocal too.

    Then I Close My Eyes 5/10
    Third instrumental. The longest and most boring too. It lacks focus and direction. No specific rhythm, no guitar solo, no hook. Disappointing song. A weak point of the album.

    Smile 6.5/10
    This song was on the DVD David Gilmour in Concert in 2003. David sings very well. This is a nice acoustic song with a pretty melody. Maybe a little too sweet for some, but certainly not bad.

    A Pocketful of Stones 5/10
    I don't like this song. The intro seemed promising but eventually the result is too long and boring. I accept that David do different things from Pink Floyd, but not here. Sometimes, vocal melody and pompous arrangements sounds like a bad Barbara Streisand song.

    Where We Start 5.5/10
    Another quiet song. Not bad, but nothing special. As for A Pocketful of Stones, this song is too long and arrangements are a bit pompous.
Conclusion
David vocal and guitar are still great. As with his 2 previous solo album, there are some very good songs and musical moments, but it's a uneven and sometime too quiet and pompous. After such a long break, I would have hoped for a stronger album from Mr Gilmour.
OBYKA
Axe
Axe
Posts: 62
Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2014 5:51 pm

Re: David Gilmour - On An Island

Post by OBYKA »

Possibly the best solo album of the bunch but maybe not saying much. A good effort on Gilmours part even though a bit drowsy at points.
ChickenStu
Axe
Axe
Posts: 28
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2016 9:19 am

Re: David Gilmour - On An Island

Post by ChickenStu »

First half is OK - but the rest? Blah.
User avatar
theaussiefloydian
Hammer
Hammer
Posts: 667
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2017 6:57 pm
Gender: Male

Re: David Gilmour - On An Island

Post by theaussiefloydian »

A definite 4.5 for me, but for the sake of the 5-point poll I'll say a 5.
This is by a very long shot the best solo album by David Gilmour. It's just gorgeous.
'Casterllerizon' is a fantastic opening track, working in little references to the rest of the album (sound effects from 'Take A Breath' and 'Pocketful of Stones', guitar from 'The Blue', etc.), which culminates in a fantastic guitar solo. Having now listened to Broken China it sounds like Gilmour took a page from 'Breaking Water' in terms of 'Castellerizon', but it still works. 'On An Island' feels more like a 'Castellerizon, Pt. 2' (end guitar solo from the first track has same chords as solo at the end of second), but nonetheless sounds really good. 'The Blue' is a nice track, one that makes me feel sleepy (in a good way - not saying it's dull). 'Take A Breath' is the only track on the album I take issue with, as I feel it disrupts the quiet setting that the album takes for the most part (but that might have been the point? I dunno...) 'Red Sky At Night' is a glorified transition really, but it's a hell of a good one. I had no idea Gilmour played saxophone, let alone was that good at it. 'This Heaven'... I don't actually have too much to say about it, except the religious imagery on that track intrigues me. The last four tracks are various different levels of beautiful, from 'Then I Close My Eyes', which meanders a little but still keeps my attention, to 'Smile', which is simple yet pretty, to 'Pocketful of Stones', which is actually really sad I think, to the closer track, which has me feeling so many things at once, which is why I love Gilmour's work so much. Waters can drive a point home like a hammer (insert incredibly witty comment here), but Gilmour evokes emotion, which is what really matters more to me I think.
User avatar
Yucateco
Supreme Judge!
Supreme Judge!
Posts: 3152
Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2003 11:23 am
Gender: Male
Location: Munich, Germany

Re: David Gilmour - On An Island

Post by Yucateco »

For me a realy yawner. Somehow I love On an Island and Where we start, but everything in between just does nothing for me. Not even live.
User avatar
moodyblue
Hammer
Hammer
Posts: 1434
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2003 11:06 pm
Gender: Male
Location: Market Harborough

Re: David Gilmour - On An Island

Post by moodyblue »

His best solo effort IMO. It never seems to get out of the lower gears but that's where its beauty lies..
Admittedly it does have a deeper meaning for me from the opening atmosphere it creates and it's still an album I play somewhat regularly.