I met him once, outside of Boston's Orpheum Theater. My friends and I hung outside after his excellent concert for the About Face album so many years ago. He looked so ordinary, I was surprised that this was the man who was a large creative part of one of the best bands ever, Pink Floyd. I've been a Pink Floyd fan since my high school days, and I have always thought of Pink Floyd as my favorite band. Yes, I'm a solid hard core Pink Floyd Fan. I own the 2 studio albums released by Syd Barrett. I own all the bitter musings of Roger Waters, and I now own the THREE solo albums by David Gilmour. As of the day before I wrote this, I had owned only two. Of course, I have the entire Pink Floyd catalog (LPs, CDs, DVDs and SACDs and even the few odd VHS videos not yet on DVD), both pre and post Syd Barrett, and both pre and post Roger Waters. With all my biases and qualifications out of the way, how is David Gilmour doing? I bought On an Island the day it came out (today) to find out.

The album begins with a moody instrumental Castellorizon that has that familiar Gilmour guitar sound mixed in with an odd assortment of music styles, floating in and out of the piece like so much flotsam and jetsam. I believe I also heard seagulls. About half way into the song, Gilmour starts to solo, and he still sounds great. It is a long solo with every note drawn out. The song segues right into On an Island which you may have already heard on the radio. The song reminds me of his quieter songs from David Gilmour and About Face. Remember that night, white steps in the moonlight, they walked here too. It really has a familiar air to it as Gilmour sings the chorus refrain we lay side by side, between the moon and the tide, mapping the stars for a while.

The Blue is next, and it evokes memories for me of old Pink Floyd albums like Meddle and Obscured by Clouds. It is a slow relaxed song, I could picture David Gilmour on the beach with nothing but his guitar, his pedal effects board, a synthesizer, a small effects computer, and a few miscellaneous other effects boxes around him. Still, marooned Silence drifting through nowhere to choose, just blue..

Take a Breathe begins a bit aggressively with guitar chords and Gilmour chanting take a breath, take a deep breathe now over and over. Heavy drums come in on the first verse When you're down is where you find yourself, when you drown there's nothing else, if you're lost, you'll need to turn yourself, then you'll find out that there's no one else. If I had to pick an album with a familiar sound to this song, it would be Pink Floyd's A Momentary Lapse of Reason. I am enjoying the album thus far, but it is impossible to listen to it without being reminded of all Gilmour's past projects, songs and albums. I don't believe that is a bad thing at all mind you, I didn't buy Gilmour's new solo album expecting a foray into uncharted waters (forgive the pun). The song ends with some more heavy drumming and Gilmour jamming away on his guitar.

Red Sky at Night begins with that awesome saxaphone sound that seems to be a Pink Floyd staple. It is mournful, soulful and beautiful. (Don't confuse this with The Fixx, that's Red Skies at Night.) The sax solo rides over waves of synthesizers and gentle guitar work. Echoes of Welcome to the Machine came into mind. It is a beautiful instrumental piece.

All the pieces fall into place, when we walk these fields, and I reach out and touch your face, this earthly heaven is enough for me starts This Heaven a simple song about a man's love of his family. Although it has heavy underlying drums and bass, the song flows gently along, and is slow moving. So break the bread and pour the wine, I need no blessings but I am counting mine, life is so much more than money buys, when I see the faith in my children's eyes. Parts of this song are also instrumental and feature Gilmour playing his guitar over the heavy drum beats.

Then I Close My Eyes starts with the sound of waves, and and a ukelele? That's what it sounds like to me, I am not sure. It is soon replaced by soft dulcet sounds of acoustic guitars and piano. This song reminded me of the instrumentals back on David Gilmour's self titled debut solo album and the soundtrack to More. I read the liner notes closely and I believe the 'ukelele' was actually a Weissenborn guitar, since no ukelele was listed.

Smile sounds similar in tone to the title tune of the album, and seems to be a reprise of it. Wold this do to make it alright, while sleep has taken you where I'm out of sight. In fact the chorus has that same familiar feel to it that I noted in On an Island. From the way back machine, the song evoked memories of songs like San Tropez, because of its mellow laid back feel. I also loved this song and the title cut the best.

A Pocketful of Stones This song is moody and sad. It's about a man who lives his life blind to what's going on around him out of touch he'll live to wonder, won't lose sleep , he'll just pretend, in his world he won't go under, turns without him til the end. Dreamy sythnesizers and melancholy piano underly Gilmour's evocative vocal delivery.

Where We Start The album closes with another slow lazy relaxing song. I could just feel any tension leave my body, as the quiet guitars and piano play. Where we start is where we end, we step out sweetly, with nothing planned.

But Did I Like the Album? This is most definitely an album that will grow on me and get played again and again. It reminded me a lot of the old gentle Pink Floyd albums that I would listen to and just relax and daydream as the music carried me away. There are no big messages here, just a gentle relaxing wonderful album. In short, I loved it.

Production/Sound Quality This is David Gilmour! Sound Quality and production, if you need to ask, are perfect.

Packaging The CD is in a book type package, with a booklet with lyrics, photographs and credits. The credits give a complete listing of all the different instruments David Gilmour played on each song (quite a few on most) as well as all the other musicians on each song. The CD is on the last page attached to a rubber thingy in the middle. The album cover has the shiloutte of a man on an island big enough for only one looking up at birds flying about, against a blue background lit only by a hazy distant moon.

Summary I loved it, for myself and Pink Floyd fans I would give it a five. To show some slight bit of objectivity, and comparing it against other Floyd albums, I'd still give it four and a half stars.

Recommend this product?