David Gilmour - Live in Gdansk

[thehumanzoo]

It's a good record, although I can't say I particuarly want to listen to On an Island too often.

It has become the standard by which I will be judging all future live recordings by any artist at the moment. The recording, mixing and production is a modern masterpiece, even if I don't need another live rendition of "Shine on You Crazy Diamond", "Wish You Were Here" or "Comfortably Numb". I agree that the CD2 with the Floyd songs trumps both PULSE and the Delicate Sound of Thunder, although that's not to say that they are bad recordings.

My only real criticism is that the orchestra is far too quiet in the overall mix. Why have an orchestra and not let their sound ring out to a greater degree? Also, I've always found the piano part of "A Pocketful of Stones" a little cringeworthy to be given a great deal of credit for the 'solo'. Leszek Mozdzer does a fine job, but it seems a little odd to invite a professional pianist along for a special guest appearence and give them something like that to do? Imagine what he could have done with "Variations on a theme of Money" or the "One of these Days Rhapsody"?

[vera]

I gave it five.Why?Because I attended the concert and it was first time when I saw Dave and Rick live
Besides setlist was great and that version of Echoes gave me a thrill.

[Neil]

Generally speaking I prefer the Floyd live albums, as they usually improve on the studio albums, IMO. At the very least, they will offer some sort of alternative arrangement or embellishment, which for me points to greater artistic integrity/originality, than simply recreating note for note the studio version. Floyd are just one of those bands that, despite their personal lack of engagement with the audience, are far more compelling live than in the studio.

Thus far, of all the live albums Ive heard, PULSE edges it, with In The Flesh coming a worthy second (DG - In Concert has many high points; I consider it almost to be a Pink Floyd unplugged, but it isnt as consistent as the previous 2).

Live in Gdansk though has grown on me with every viewing (or listening), and I have a feeling it may eventually replace PULSE as my favourite. I loved the incorporation of musical glass in SOYCD, the new arrangement of the song (and also for High Hopes), and the orchestra added far greater depth to the sound. Echoes, Fat Old Sun and Wots... Uh The Deal were major highlights, especially as the musicianship on each track was so good. Even at over 20 minutes in length, I could listen to Echoes time after time and never tire of it. I also feel Gilmour's guitar work on CN and GDFF possibly surpasses his previous efforts on other live albums. Rick Wright was immense. It seemed he was finally really relishing playing live again, rather than making cameo appearances. Such a shame this was to be his last performance. I had envisaged that he would accompany Gilmour on as many live dates as Gilmour will commit to until he retires, alas that will never be. What a fantastic final memory of RW though.

OAI also benefits from the live experience and the augmentation of the orchestra, although OAI is the sort of album I need to be in a particular frame of mind to listen to.

Despite that, Im beginnning to find when Im chugging thru the CD changer on a long journey in the car, its Gdansk that is prefered over PULSE.

[snifferdog]

I like Gdansk as a live album though I do tend to skip over the On An Island songs as they're a bit meh. He had a nice band with him on that tour (essentially a Floyd-lite) and there were no backing singers or any of that second drummer nonsense. Pulse is a little bit soul-less to me though I do listen to it from time to time. I like that David performed some older Pink Floyd songs that hadn't been features in the latter day tours (Echoes/Fat Old Sun/Wot's Uh The Deal/Arnold Layne). Now that Rick's died, it's a bit like a time capsule. Even if David tours again, we'll never get to hear him and Rick harmonise together again. That was something we never got to hear enough of

[JackRegan]

Getting better all the time. I used to hate On An Island back then, but especially live versions are sounding soooo good

[JackRegan]

Perhaps I give them more leniency than some... but good music is good music.

Yes, and bad music is bad music. But how can someone tell the difference? At the end is just a matter of how low or high you set your own quality threshold.

Says who?

[Idisaffect]

I give this record a 2.

[JackRegan]

I give this record a 2.

Have you really heard that recording? But hey, what do i know....

[Idisaffect]

I rate the pink floyd records against all of the other pink floyd records. I don't rate them against every album I've ever heard. Animals is at least twice as good as Gdansk. If Animals is a 5 then Gdansk is a 2. This rating system is only relevant to me if you are rating the pf discography against itself. Gdansk has nothing really new on it. Giving it a 5 is absurd. WYWH is a 5. Do you think this album is half as good as an album that gave us SOYCD, WYWH and Have A Cigar? WYWH is one of the reasons that David Gilmour can even put out albums like Gdansk.

[JackRegan]

I rate the pink floyd records against all of the other pink floyd records. I don't rate them against every album I've ever heard. Animals is at least twice as good as Gdansk. If Animals is a 5 then Gdansk is a 2. This rating system is only relevant to me if you are rating the pf discography against itself. Gdansk has nothing really new on it. Giving it a 5 is absurd. WYWH is a 5. Do you think this album is half as good as an album that gave us SOYCD, WYWH and Have A Cigar? WYWH is one of the reasons that David Gilmour can even put out albums like Gdansk.

Pure nonsense, but of course you are allowed to say that. If it was Waters record with same tracklist, you would give 5 to it anyway.

[Idisaffect]

If it was Waters record with same tracklist, you would give 5 to it anyway.

I give In The Flesh a 2. And I was at that show! (Rose Garden, Portland, OR. 1999) Being there was a 5.

There was no nonsense in my post. You just come here to fight and you always lose.

Wanna know how much I love Waters? My friend is working The Wall tour and I don't even know if I'm going to bother going, even though he can probably get me in on the guest list in San Jose or Los Angeles. How's that for a different perspective?

[David Smith]

If it was Waters record with same tracklist, you would give 5 to it anyway.

Indeed, i bet he would love to see Waters perform Take a Breath and A Pocketful of Stones

[thefinalcut]

This album contains the most beautiful live version of High Hopes I ever listened to ! Quality !

[theaussiefloydian]

Was listening to this one again pretty recently at work, and it struck me while I was listening to "Echoes" that this was the last time David and Rick played that song together. Something in the performance sounds like they knew it would be the last time too... very sad stuff.

[K2+]

I like the performances on this one, and the sound quality is excellent.
A couple of the OAI tracks keep it from being a 5, so I give it a 4.