About Face: David Gilmour

I like most of the album (rattle that lock), perhaps only one or 2 songs I don't care much about, but I think I don't really dislike any song either. I still need to listen to it more times. However, "In Any Tongue" is indeed among my favourites from the album (though saying it's my favourite from his solo career would be a stretch). From this album I also like a lot "Faces of Stone"... I think this two songs, at least, will go among my favourites from his solo albums (along with "Murder", "Near the End" and "On an Island").

uduwudu wrote: About Face was DG doing a contemporary rock album with a little help from his freinds. It was also a time when he tried to sell seats in a cinema (150 I think) and a few people turned up. Only PF heads knew the name. No wonder it took him a while to establish an identity. Same with Roger Waters, he always (at the time) had to add "y'know... Pink Floyd..." to get through the public mind. This was part of the reason why PF's name was reconstituted. It is really very difficult for the public to know a name derived from another, lots of explanations and only music freaks really know or care. Don't currently have a copy (I awlasy keep thinking they either will be, should be remastered so I wait.). But I had the LP and it was great, even had the Blue Light 12" single. (I'd probably get anything remotely PF oriented...) The Deep End concert (s) were great and funny. Townshend introduces DG, he grunts, (PT remarks to the audience that's all they're going to get from him tonight. I think they also played some music. As "bare bones" as the first is it does have a strong, musically consistently conceptual vibe in a nice menacingly but cruisy way. Loved it, love it. Needs a resissue witha DVD with the videos (some of which are live rehearsal shoots.) On An Island I thought in similar veign (musically conceptually consistent. A long denouement. Not yet checked out the new one - heard the single and was not amused. I even read that the guitar solos are "mercifully brief". Christ in a bucket - I don't want brief DG solos!? How is that promoting the thing? Like FZ's more extended flights I love it when his scorched earth guitar is going on for however long it's possible. This is what I want form a DG album. Good voice, appealing interesting songs, tension and his brilliant bloody guitar solos. This was why he was one of the most sought after guitar soloists in the 1980s. Tghis was why Waters got him for his spot in the second Wall movie. He couldn't sell out a cinema yet appeared on 100s of sessions. He made a Berlin album enjoyable... (Count Three And Pray). Looking forward to the live album...

If you did enjoy his previous solo albums, I think you should really check this one out. Even if it doesn't have such long solos, it's got lot's of very good songs... and the title song isn't among the best of the album... even though I do have warmed up to the song after several listens and I can really say I like it now. I think overall this is the solo album I have liked the best from him... the one with the most songs I really like, and the one I enjoy listening to the most as a whole (even if On an Island holds itself better as a unity).

About Face was DG doing a contemporary rock album with a little help from his freinds. It was also a time when he tried to sell seats in a cinema (150 I think) and a few people turned up. Only PF heads knew the name. No wonder it took him a while to establish an identity. Same with Roger Waters, he always (at the time) had to add "y'know... Pink Floyd..." to get through the public mind. This was part of the reason why PF's name was reconstituted. It is really very difficult for the public to know a name derived from another, lots of explanations and only music freaks really know or care.

Don't currently have a copy (I awlasy keep thinking they either will be, should be remastered so I wait.). But I had the LP and it was great, even had the Blue Light 12" single. (I'd probably get anything remotely PF oriented...)

The Deep End concert (s) were great and funny. Townshend introduces DG, he grunts, (PT remarks to the audience that's all they're going to get from him tonight. I think they also played some music.

As "bare bones" as the first is it does have a strong, musically consistently conceptual vibe in a nice menacingly but cruisy way. Loved it, love it. Needs a resissue witha DVD with the videos (some of which are live rehearsal shoots.)

On An Island I thought in similar veign (musically conceptually consistent. A long denouement.

Not yet checked out the new one - heard the single and was not amused. I even read that the guitar solos are "mercifully brief". Christ in a bucket - I don't want brief DG solos!? How is that promoting the thing? Like FZ's more extended flights I love it when his scorched earth guitar is going on for however long it's possible. This is what I want form a DG album. Good voice, appealing interesting songs, tension and his brilliant bloody guitar solos. This was why he was one of the most sought after guitar soloists in the 1980s. Tghis was why Waters got him for his spot in the second Wall movie. He couldn't sell out a cinema yet appeared on 100s of sessions. He made a Berlin album enjoyable... (Count Three And Pray).

Looking forward to the live album...

octopus-4 wrote: The live version of Blue Light played at the Rockpalast in 1984 with Pete Townsend and an 18 members band including that percussionist I'll never remember the name, the same girl who played on Oldfield's millennium concert... I'll never forget that live. There should be something on youtube.

Her name is Jody Linscott.

Edited by Svetonio - November 04 2015 at 09:32

The live version of Blue Light played at the Rockpalast in 1984 with Pete Townsend and an 18 members band including that percussionist I'll never remember the name, the same girl who played on Oldfield's millennium concert...

aliano wrote: Near the End guitar solo is one of DG's best moments.

Just as with Murder, the solo on Near the End is much more gorgeous on the live version (the song extended even longer than Murder). Do I wish that concert were re-released on DVD/CD.

^ Dude, I've never been to Hippie Haven, though I recall you telling me this

I actually thought this : regarding the 80's sound - if I can recall accurately, when I was in High School and started digging Prog (and music in general) I always thought the production of songs by Yes, Gabriel, Genesis, Floyd, even Chicago etc. were state-of-the-art and sounded pristine and fresh. Sure, these sounds are stuck in the 80's, they haven't aged well at all, so we do tend to cringe a bit these days, but it doesn't mean such things as About Face are bad. About Face was about Gilmour, and he did fairly well, all things considered.

SteveG wrote: Gilmour's second solo album is awesome at times. I love the song Murder. What's your opinion of About Face?

^^ I am not sure artists deliberately tried to steer away from prog. I think the 80's was just more ' dateable' than other decades because of some cheesy synths and drum machines. Radio Kaos does have a slither of 80's 'date' to it but overall manages superbly as an album with great production as always by Roger Waters.