DAVID GILMOUR ~ Luck and Strange
![[Image: 220px-Luck_and_Strange.jpg]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/36/Luck_and_Strange.jpg/220px-Luck_and_Strange.jpg)
Two words. Bloody marvellous. Not a single extraneous note from Mr Gilmour’s guitar – stately, assured, unhurried, absolutely no pretensions whatsoever, and whatismore, that style has transferred to his daughter who does a very fab job vocally – wow – she’s a lot like her Dad. Simple, well-placed notes with no frills or trills – what a pleasure – impeccable timing right throughout. It’s a family affair which is quite nice – Polly Samson is responsible for many of the lyrics and Romany is on both lead and harp (the latter of which is noticeable and adds interest, IMHO) as well as contributing background vocals along with her brothers. She sings on “Between Two Points” which is a cover, interestingly, of a Montgolfier Brothers song – could it be an improvement on the original?? Bonus tracks include a jam with previously recorded parts by Richard Wright (as does the title track) and the previously released “Yes, I Have Ghosts”.
Loved the intro, “Black Cat” and the other little interlude “Vita Brevis” which essentially means art is long, life is short – i.e. it takes a lifetime to perfect ones art. Father and daughter alone on that one - one just beginning and the other a master. Mr Gilmour is fond of Latin phrases, it seems, and this one is apt! No doubt there will be detractors, but he’s paid his dues and is fully entitled to move on in his personal capacity, as impossible as it might be to separate him from his Pink Floyd past. I would be very surprised if he ever made another a!bum – this feels like fulfilled business with nods all over the place - to PF, to his extended ‘family’ and with not a little irony – the launch on Roger Waters’ birthday. A rather fine needle of sorts, I thought, although perhaps purely coincidental? Who can say!
For me, while not groundbreaking, the a!bum is generous of spirit, fairly easygoing, and warm without compromising sophistication or quality. It's a complete listen by an accomplished musician (not to mention his entourage) who is mature enough to relax into embracing his current stage of life, and to celebrate it, and I will be picking it up for sure. Oh – one thing – it’s nine years since he released Rattle That Lock, and nine back from that On an Island. Probably just a trifle – my brain likes patterns.
https://www.discogs.com/release/31639456...nd-Strange - for a full list of who did what …
The opener “Black Cat” with Brian Eno tickling the ivories …
Roger Eno doing dual keys duty with Rob Gentry on this one …
Two words. Bloody marvellous. Not a single extraneous note from Mr Gilmour’s guitar – stately, assured, unhurried, absolutely no pretensions whatsoever, and whatismore, that style has transferred to his daughter who does a very fab job vocally – wow – she’s a lot like her Dad. Simple, well-placed notes with no frills or trills – what a pleasure – impeccable timing right throughout. It’s a family affair which is quite nice – Polly Samson is responsible for many of the lyrics and Romany is on both lead and harp (the latter of which is noticeable and adds interest, IMHO) as well as contributing background vocals along with her brothers. She sings on “Between Two Points” which is a cover, interestingly, of a Montgolfier Brothers song – could it be an improvement on the original?? Bonus tracks include a jam with previously recorded parts by Richard Wright (as does the title track) and the previously released “Yes, I Have Ghosts”.
Loved the intro, “Black Cat” and the other little interlude “Vita Brevis” which essentially means art is long, life is short – i.e. it takes a lifetime to perfect ones art. Father and daughter alone on that one - one just beginning and the other a master. Mr Gilmour is fond of Latin phrases, it seems, and this one is apt! No doubt there will be detractors, but he’s paid his dues and is fully entitled to move on in his personal capacity, as impossible as it might be to separate him from his Pink Floyd past. I would be very surprised if he ever made another a!bum – this feels like fulfilled business with nods all over the place - to PF, to his extended ‘family’ and with not a little irony – the launch on Roger Waters’ birthday. A rather fine needle of sorts, I thought, although perhaps purely coincidental? Who can say!
For me, while not groundbreaking, the a!bum is generous of spirit, fairly easygoing, and warm without compromising sophistication or quality. It's a complete listen by an accomplished musician (not to mention his entourage) who is mature enough to relax into embracing his current stage of life, and to celebrate it, and I will be picking it up for sure. Oh – one thing – it’s nine years since he released Rattle That Lock, and nine back from that On an Island. Probably just a trifle – my brain likes patterns.
https://www.discogs.com/release/31639456...nd-Strange - for a full list of who did what …
The opener “Black Cat” with Brian Eno tickling the ivories …
Roger Eno doing dual keys duty with Rob Gentry on this one …
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson
