The making of…
Belgian radio station, Classic 21, will be broadcasting an hour-long show on the making of David’s second solo album, ‘About Face’ tomorrow from 3PM (CET).
As well as telling the story of how the album was made, they will also be playing tracks from it.
You can listen live online, and brush up on your French, here.
Just click >24k or >128k (top right of page) to listen.
If you can’t listen live, later you will be able to listen to it as a podcast.
Click here, then click >>plus (bottom left of page) to open a new window. You’ll be able to listen to other programmes in the series.
This includes the Pink Floyd albums ‘The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn’ and ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’.
Our thanks to Michèle for letting us know about this programme.
[I certainly don't subscribe to the view that any artistic ability I posses are a unique gift from God --- If that's where you're going. It may be unique, but it certainly isn't a "gift" from any conscious, all powerful, all seeing, supreme entity - as many would suggest as fact. --Hysteron]
No, that’s not where I was going at all….I just simply wanted to know if you were an artist by practice (or simply innately gifted with artistic tendency)? That’s all.
Whether it is your source of income is not my question, as I thought you happened to made that distinction quite clear previously: the segregation between art and money. The core definition of Art has nothing to do with money.
So I re-word my simple question: What art form from society’s commonly known arts (i.e –visual, musical, performance, writing, etc.) do you practice/ or at least feel you have an innate gift in?
I think you understand me.
Thank you.
LG
xo
Congrats Simon it’s the best aint it.
Rgds Geoff Duffy ( Dublin )
[Michael, c'mon. You should know by now that I am probably one of the most sarcastic SOBs that post on this site. - Andrew]
I’m with you every step of the way, mate!
I also had never heard About Face till recently when I bought the CD and played it. I really didn’t like it at all and never played it since. However with all the interest and love pouring out for it above I will give it another go.
Will I be converted?? Will I be amazed??? Those answers are for another episode.
Cheers, Howard
A lot of folks here like to brag about taking drugs.
For the record, I’d glady execute drug dealers and I certainly do not appreciate listening to you promoting taking drugs with all the young people who visit here.
And for the record, before anyone starts waggling their moralistic accusations at me, I was at stonehenge in ’78 collecting money for the free food kitchen.
Where is everyone today? Hope all is well
Andrew,
On the subject of the Ramones. It reminds me of easily the oddest double-billing of a concert I have ever seen. While I was at Rutgers, they hosted an outdoor concert with the Ramones following……… Alan Holdsworth!!!
While I can be perfectly entertained by the Ramones, I confess I was there for Holdsworth. Given my altered state and having endured an hour of psychotic fusion soloing, the ensuing slam dancing during the Ramones did not agree with me that night! I, sadly, departed the Ramones performance early….
Michael
I can t listen to this interview; it cuts all the time, two words cuts, two words cuts… C est pas de chance pour moi, pour une fois que je comprendrais tout ,du début a la fin!!! I ll try again later.
Sylvie de Montréal ( -25 degrees below zero tonight!!!)
Hey All…I love “About Face,” but honestly not as much as “David Gilmour.”
Anyway… FEd, when will the questions posted to Steve DiStanislao be put up on the blog?
[When Steve is ready, they will be here. - Features Editor]
…while we’re spinning into the anals of Rock Concert Lore, I am going to run with it!
September 25, 1982 JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, The Who, The Clash, Santana, The Hooters. Another interesting billing, but monster show.
The real story was this: While about 20 meters from the stage on an insanely packed and overheated crowd (they were spewing water from a fire hose) I had my first brush with death.
I, a skinny 16 year old, and my skinnier yet friend were standing next to a small commune of Pagan motorcycle gang members. As I am rocking out to the sounds of the Clash I see from the corner of my eye a grossly drunken biker chick pointing at me. Now that she has my attention I hear her saying “It was him, he did it!”
She, of course, was talking to a scary looking dude with tatoos and strange muscles bulging from his neck! Well, that was that. I knew my short time on this earth had come to an end as he turned to set upon me.
At the last moment a another biker chick, who to my present memory must have looked like Glinda the Good Witch, stepped in front of me to inform the lunging goon that I was innocent! He, to my amazement, took heed and began spewing obscenities and pflegm upon my accusor!
Needless to say, I lived. And I was able to enjoy the rest of the show despite my lack of clean underware….
Michael
[Ultimately, it's all just stimulus - and expression - for the central nervous system. It aids in the expansion of the brains tolerance and understanding of our world - much the same as the world does for the immune system. It's all grist to the mill. - HP]
A curious definition of art HP. That it is merely quenching the body’s desire for CNS stimulus? If that is all the human spirit required we could all just stay home and masturbate, right? And you could have it all in a just a few minutes time.
A perfect anecdote for our fast-food world, don’t you think?
Michael
“About Face” is one of my most fave Albums, with my fave songs Out of the Blue and Blue light, and I will never forget David´s awesome gig in the Duesseldorf/Germany in April 1984. So I´m enjoying the remastered edition of “About Face”, and how great that a whole radio show is dedicated to that spellbinding album.
Thanks bunches for the headsup, only too sad that the Podcast isn´t working for me, but my French might have been not good enough anyway to understand a lot.
Sorry for my OT question but I’d like to ask Fed if David has never taken consideration of doing something similar to “The Who Encore Series”: it would be great to give the fans the possibility to buy live recordings of the concerts somebody attended, insted of listening to crappy bootlegs….don’t you think so!?
Thx a lot for your effort Fed, it’s really appreciated!
David ruleZ and Feddy too ;-)
Cheers from Italy :-)
[Alessandro, it's a very good question. I wish I could give you an equally good answer, but I can't. - Features Editor]
[Am I the only person who thinks Leonardo Di Caprio is starting to look like David around the time of that album cover?]
[Elaine, check out Live in Pompeii (The Director's Cut), my husband and I think that there are many clips where David Gilmour resembles Leonardo Di Caprio. So you are not alone. - Posted by Veronica on January 25]
Elaine and Veronica…my cube at work has a montage of David on one wall. Many have commented that Leonardo looks like David in the photo from Pompeii. Most did not know who a David Gilmour was, but they do now. Someone thought he was my son! I had to point out the rest of the photos that were also of David to bring them up to date. He has caused a bit of a stir around my office.
My favorites on About Face are mainly the same as others. I love the guitar particularly in Murder and Let’s Get Metaphysical and the lyrics in Near the End and Out of the Blue. Lyrics and music, surprise surprise, by one David Gilmour! Guess the guy can write after all.
Good evening to you all,
jan
There’s No Way Out Of Here…
Another radio broadcast of interest…
Q107 in Toronto is airing the 30th anniversary of Animals Sunday Night
Click my name for a link to the program
Apparently Rogers melt down in Montreal is included
Enjoy
Had a great time today with the Irregulars, keep the laughs coming gang. Thanks.
Tim, well where do I start? How about that nipple shave: it gives me the hee-bee-gee-bee creeps every time…*shudder* LOL! I think my kid would find ‘The Wall’ too spooky. She loves On An Island, interestingly. I never expected her to ask me about what I was listening to for some reason? I can’t wait to share more with her as she gets older…well seeing how fast time flies, maybe I can….
Heather, you remind me very much of myself when I was about your age discovering the manifold manifestations of Floyd.
‘Out of the Blue’, man….that song does it for me. That bridge is great.
You play guitar? Maybe I missed that?
Hysteron proteron,
I’ve always had creative urges and musical expression has proved to be the most accessible medium. I see my experience with the creative process as being one of self-exploration and discovery, and along the way this is what I’ve found.
There is a lot of “noise” out there whether it is from various art forms, people talking over/at/around each other, sociopolitical nonsense, etc. As such, it can be hard to hear each other let alone yourself. A lot of this “noise” in the music industry is plain crap, and the cookie-cut patterns and mass-produced recipes for “success” are what drive the business.
Whenever I feel the creative urge to write a lyric/melody, I shut out the noise and listen to what’s firing away in my “central nervous system” (clinical, but clear to me what you mean). Though I’m not necessarily aware of it at the time, it’s a process of “tuning out and tuning in”, and then finding my particular “frequency” within the noise; what I’m trying to relate, how I’m relating it, what “palette” I’m using, tools, etc.
The piece must feel unique, purposeful, and be all my own or I start having problems. I keep chipping away at the marble (excuse all the analogies) until the piece “resonates” within me. When it does it feels true. Strangely enough, when I’m done…it feels like the piece was always there and I just so happened to discover it? This is perhaps akin to what you wrote, “An Artist does what’s required to express that which is lacking form the catalogue of the commonly encountered; that which is obvious but yet to be expressed”. Syd Barrett’s genius comes to mind here.
Some say its brainwaves, others say its energy, others espouse spirituality, but it feels instinctual to me that we all “vibrate” at certain frequencies; we all have our own “vibe”, put more plainly. As such, we resonate with each other, are in harmony, or are dissonant.
David Gilmour’s music catalogue as a solo artist and with the Floyd resonates deeply and broadly among many fans, thus the ever lingering “nostalgia for the past”. I don’t see it as living in the past for the old material feels as fresh as the new when played live, but that’s another tangent. What resonates now for him seems to be his new material which is also resonating deeply with many, many others, so I presume he feels “in the zone” or whatever the creative experience is for him. As for me, I muddle through trying to make the time and find the presence of mind to hone my craft and “tune in” to me…
Sincerely,
Angelo Ortiz
PS: I was completely sober when I wrote this…
[I stand before the (potentially ugly) mob of blog opinion to confess my shame. I have never heard the album. - Tim C]
you’re not alone . i haven’t heard too much of david’s solo material either ( apart from on an island ) i must go to my i tunes and see what they have .
please do not throw fruit at me though . irish record shops never have good cd;s and i was only 9 when the original album came out !
peace
Linda
I have to admit that I’m usually in a bit of a hurry when I visit the blog (SO much stuff on the web and SO little time) and often don’t read the longer posts.
But, Angelo, yours was worth the read! Very well said, my friend.
One thing I’ll add (and I apologize if it’s been said a thousand times before) is that we have a history with older music, it’s intertwined with so many memories, our own past lives…so of course it is imbued with more meaning for us. It’s sort of like remembering the smell in your grandfather’s house: very evocative. On An Island is still new in our minds and doesn’t have the memorable past element yet. But it will.
Hope this makes sense,
Becky
I m too youg for the AF Tour. I have to say that About Face is the album the i less love from all the floyd world. Talking about solo careers i have to say that i prefer Roger’s album Amused to Death, The Pros & Cons and Radio Kaos. I like On a Island and David gilmour very much. A I like also Broken China and Wet Dream by Rick Wright.
Coming back to life, i saw from live (on dvd i saw all) the division bell tour of pink floyd in rome (for your information i was in the date when we sang at the end of wish alè oh oh!!!!).
I saw David in milan on OAI Tour and i saw Roger in In the Flesh Tour and Dark Side Of The Moon Tour.
My first gig was Floyd on The Division Bell tour at Earl’s Court. Took me all morning pressing redial on the phone to get the tickets. In the end, the only seats left were right at the top, so far to the side of the stage that we could see the guy operating the inflatable pig!! Still one of the most awesome (and I really do mean awesome) gigs of my life…
Kxx
[A curious definition of art HP. That it is merely quenching the body's desire for CNS stimulus? If that is all the human spirit required we could all just stay home and masturbate, right? And you could have it all in a just a few minutes time. A perfect anecdote for our fast-food world, don't you think? - Michael]
If I may add some input, art needs cultural background to be recognized as well. It´s not merely stimulation of CNS.
Good point, anyway.
Hi Fed,
Blake wrote- “anything with substance seems to get slammed pretty hard on here”
Blake, if by ‘subsance’ you mean RW, Live8 and some of the other things you mentioned in your post, there are scores of fan sites, blogs, you name it where you can dive as far and deep as you want. This place was created to promote OAI and for fans to discuss primarily OAI and David’s recent happenings.
There have been discussions of ‘substance’ starting up on here, and they quickly become bombarded with the ‘Dave, revive Floyd, Dave, get back with Roger, Dave, you suck, Roger is better’ bullshit perpetuated by people living in a world of nostalgia and “I’m a bigger fan than you, I know more than you”. The truth is, people can’t talk about it civily. If they could, there wouldn’t really be an issue with discussing those things.
What I don’t understand is why people are having such a hard time coping that it’s not 1975 any more, and David isn’t living in that point in his career, he’s doing something else now. He has moved on while so many other people haven’t.
Have a good day, all
Mike
[what other irregulars contributed? - blake from nashville]
I have.
[For the record, I'd glady execute drug dealers and I certainly do not appreciate listening to you promoting taking drugs with all the young people who visit here.]
Can I speak for myself? I feel taken into the account of “drug dealers” since I smoke Ashish.
First: where you come from? because I am not scared nor interested in your menace.
Second: What is drug? Define Drug please. If you are American I could say that all the shit you eat that makes you the fattest country in the world is drug…a psychological drug, and also harmful. Sex is a drug for me.
Third: Maybe someone here is from Holland. Hey dutch friends, have you heard him? What you think is drug is legal in other countries.
For the record In Italy we teach our CHILDREN to drink wine, and we are one of the European countries who is less “alchoolic”. In Italy is legal to drink under the age of 18 , in England not. What is right what is wrong? Again: DEFINE DRUG.
And finally: Drug is EVERYTHING that dominates us beyond our will. And nothing will dominate my will. they begin with pot, then alchool the cigarettes….But bloody Ritalin for children is LEGAL and is not a drug. OH my…. Seems that money money money is the drug for many americans, and it is legal. Or GUNS…..
Please don’t let my open mind hear such stupid things or I get nervous.
I go home now to light my pot…
Piergiorgio.
P.S. I am an electric engineer and have a job…not a junkie.
Hi FEd,
I hope you have a great weekend.
Just a quick note to let those in the US or whoever gets VH1, they are airing The History of Rock and Roll, it’s a series of different eras. David Gilmour is in the one for the 70′s. They are being continually run, so it’s not hard to catch it.
Off to my Behavioral Neuroscince class now, running a bit late.
Take Care,
Penny
Good point Angelo, well spoken.
I believe we all have a particular sound wave to tune our harmonious well being. Why are people gathered in groups, live with each other? And others diametrically opposite to their views? If we all reached that Oneness, we wouldn’t be here. I’m not speaking of religion,science or, politics at all.If you speak a truth, it is not truth at all because, someone else will disagree with it. We are all enlightened pretending not to be is my point.
Ooops,that’s not true is it?
ah! ah! Piergiorgio, I enjoyed your post!
I think your style is always too much “strong” and I am sure people pay more attention to kind words than nervous shous…and I tell this with all the respect, because sometime I am a really shouting person too! But I think we ALL should learn to be less unkind and more incisive in a polite style.
Anyway, your post made me laugh and I agree with the most of you wrote… even if I’ve never been proud of my addictions to go to “sbandierare” them on a blog! (Sorry, I don’t the english words but Piergiorgio can understand me).
You are right, a lot of legal things are very probably less safe than a joint smoked on your sofa in the evening! But remember that a thing can be good or dangerous according as you use that.
So, I agree with you and anyone of us can tell about his/her experiences if they want (and Fed wants), but enjoyed doing somethings don’t means necessary think that it was the best you could do! There are things i enjoyed doing but that really I wouldn’t repeat with the wisdom of the age (like jump with the ski, for example!). So I also think that go to make spots about that kind of drugs that we all call “drugs” is not the best we can do, if very young people are here…or at least, boys and girls, do that when you are in safe contest and in little doses!
Kind greetings
L!
[please do not throw fruit at me though . irish record shops never have good cd;s and i was only 9 when the original album came out !]
Hi Linda,
HMV henry street have copies of David Gilmour and About Face in stock as we speak. I bought them for my girlfriend’s brother for christmas.
Another one converted by my endless preaching.
Rgds Geoff Duffy ( Dublin )
Some of the greatest songs, books, movies were created from drugs. Also some of the most horrific crimes have been commited because of drugs…it’s a fine line ( no pun intended )
If anyone in the USA is having trouble getting the Arnold Layne CD single you might try Amazon. I clicked to get one “used” and I got a brand new sealed one for the used price and yes–it’s fantastic!!!
As for About Face, this album really cooks! The songs written with Pete Townshend are a treat and feature some excellent guitar work by Mr. Gilmour.
Also the underrated track “Let’s Get Metaphysical” is a real pleasure to listen to as both David and the orchestra deliver some massive amounts of thunder and melody.
My personal favorite track is “Near The End” as it has a good flowing melody and a great guitar solo at the end, where an acoustic guitar solo melts into a soaring electric solo and leaves me wanting about 10 more minutes or so. It’s a great album!
Everyday at school we can see ravages caused by the use of drugs, I just can’t endure that…
Michèle
Hey P, who the f**k do you think you are to call an entire nation of wonderful people fat slobs? I find such bigotry and small mindedness breathtaking. If you wish to be a vegetable, fine, go ahead, be a cabbage. Be a good one.
[Blake, if by 'subsance' you mean RW, Live8 and some of the other things you mentioned in your post, there are scores of fan sites, blogs, you name it where you can dive as far and deep as you want. This place was created to promote OAI and for fans to discuss primarily OAI and David's recent happenings. There have been discussions of 'substance' starting up on here, and they quickly become bombarded with the 'Dave, revive Floyd, Dave, get back with Roger, Dave, you suck, Roger is better' bullshit perpetuated by people living in a world of nostalgia and "I'm a bigger fan than you, I know more than you". The truth is, people can't talk about it civily. If they could, there wouldn't really be an issue with discussing those things.]
Just never mind. It was a simple observation. I don’t know why those things mentioned CAN’T be discussed and I stand by my statement. You are right fed I dont have to read or contribute. People can’t talk about it civilly? That is lame-ass! (G8 is a very recent happening by the way)
I could waffle on and show that I can see all sides of the issue – but what the heck
Drugs are for losers. period.
LG, I do understand the question you’re posing now. To answer your question: I’ve engaged in in one form or another throughout my life – music, dance, drawing, sketch, paint, audio, visual, writing etc. I think most of us have at some time – many of us do daily. It all so very accessible and achievable, especially these days. I don’t feel as if I’m the master of any, but I do feel as though I’m making a valid contribution.
I try and engage as much as possible — whenever the opportunity arises, or the mood grabs me. The guitar is a great stimulus – I pick it up most days and have a pluck. Why all the interest, LG? How about you?
Angelo, I hear that – very well said; well worth reading. What you say sounds very sensible — rings true with me. Much of what you say has a direct correlation with Quantum mechanics etc. I think we all feel a certain connectivity with something greater than us – the very essence of our existence. Chemical attraction. We are tiny elements in a reaction that is never ending.
You know, they say that country music is just three cords and the truth. Science is just the truth according to the CNS – it isn’t of any significance beyond the human race.
Michael, I wasn’t trying to define art. The central nervous system doesn’t only serve to transmission signals from the genitals — you might be half right in some cases. Anyway, if things suddenly change, I think we can guess what you’ll be doing. Sorry, could resist …
)
Fast-food, has made a huge contribution to the premature death of an incalculable number to this date, and will continue to do so at an exponential rate in the coming years – another element of social engineering from the power class. Another easily exploited flaw in the makeup of the human race.
That was funny, Piergiorgio, and very true too. I can’t remember how much fun I had. Well, sort of … um, heh…heh. Welcome to the modern world.
Lucia, I agree with you – all things in moderation.
Sincerely,
Hysteron proteron.
[Alessandro, it's a very good question. I wish I could give you an equally good answer, but I can't. - Features Editor]
Hey Fed, thx for your kind answer but I have to ask you a favour….if you admit, obviously ;-)
Could you report my question to David?? If would be really great if he could take consideration of his loving fans all over the world, expecially for whom hadn’t the possibility to see him and the band live.
Thank you very much and please…keep us updated ;-)
As usual, we all agree to disagree. And the blog lives on.
Entertaining. And welcome back to some of the past bloggers that we have not heard from in a while. Always good to have a spirited discussion.
Thanks for sharing the memories and thoughts. Very interesting reads.
Hoping that no one has felt too offended; that you all have a wonderful weekend; that all the new babies are doing well; and that any of you facing surgery or other problems come through safely. Bless you all, and especially you, FEd.
As for the drugs argument, some of you are getting it totally wrong.
Matt I must take your comment and disagree completely. Drugs don’t create music or commit crimes–people do. Using drugs is a convenient excuse for the expansion of one’s creativity or for the committing of violent crimes, but the people using them had these ideas in their heads long before they did any drugs.
With creativity drugs may add a bit of atmosphere but it’s more inward than outward. The artist is still the one who guides, filters and creates what they’re doing. But anyone who commits a crime can’t blame drugs for their actions. Drugs may enhance the experience a bit but the person committing the crime is still consciously pulling the trigger or using the knife of their own free will.
Blaming drugs is a lame way of not taking responsibility for one’s actions.
The first time I heard David was in 1973 in the back seat of an old oldsmobile while cutting school. It was ” Shine on you Crazy Diamond” on eight track and the world changed forever as I can still remember the hairs on my arms literally standing strait up as waves of sound rolled through my head.
It was my mission then to see this amazing band and the Animals tour was my first opportunity to do so.
Now 30 years later I am rediscovering Pink Floyd and David Gilmour with my children (who are now 20 themselves) and hearing their thoughts and seeing their appreciation for great music has renewed my own appreciation and respect for both David and Pink Floyd.
Thanks to all for this site and to David for more than i can say. You are a part of our family-now and for generations to come.
Interesting turn this blog has taken. I agree with Matt. I don’t believe anything is pure evil or pure good. No Manichean thinking for me….
Drugs can be abused, food can, money certainly, anything can. I wouldn’t advocate execution for all or even most drug dealers, however. I’m not sure I believe in the death penalty anyway. But, I admit: if some drug harmed or killed someone I loved, I’d probably change my tune…based purely on emotions. Humans are like that. We’re not logical. We are all guilty of NIMBY thinking.
I’d probably be more inclined to seriously punish those guilty of power abuse which affects millions of people…i.e., some politicians and “captains of industry” who wreak havoc on a national or global scale for their own gain but really don’t seem to get the appropriate attention or blame like some wretched criminal that you know on a more local level.
For example, cigarette company officials knew that smoking killed and maimed people but, instead of trying to do something ethical about that, they made the nicotine delivery system MORE efficient so people would be more addicted…and the companies became richer. But death from cigarettes or environmental pollutants are usually slow so we don’t pay much attention to stuff like that. Even quick death as in an unnecessary war can be ignored as long as it’s not too close to home.
I feel like I’m treading on thin ice (no climate change pun intended) so…goodbye!
Becky