Well, it's my birthday today and my wife bought me "Live in Gdansk", the latest DVD/CD collection by David Gilmour - lead guitar player and vocalist of Pink Floyd who maintained his form as a solo artist after Pink Floyd had parted company in the mid eighties.
Going back there for a moment, to the mid eighties - I think it was 1984 when Roger (Waters) and David (Gilmour) reached the end of the line and agreed that they could no longer work together, following the difficult times recording, mixing and mastering the last release as a foursome, The Final Cut. It (1984) was a heart breaking time for many of us long-term Pink Floyd fans. It was a worrying time, worrying that we'd no longer be getting a new masterpiece of an album every few years... But the worry was over very soon afterwards. David, Richard (Wright) and Nick (Mason) regrouped as 'Pink Floyd' and released A Momentary Lapse of Reason - accompanied by an amazing live tour (A Delicate Sound of Thunder being one of the best live performances I've ever heard on CD or watched on Video/DVD since the truly amazing 'Live at Pompeii - filmed in 1971/72) and in '94, the Devision Bell and the accompanying tour.
Pink Floyd was alive and well in the capable hands of Dave, Rick and Nick and we were spoilt by some truly magical recordings, live performances and video releases for the next dozen or so years. Live 8 was a brief teaser for Floyd fans who hoped of a reunion tour that never happened. And then David set out on his own once more after releasing 'On an Island' in 2006 he performed for the cameras at the Albert Hall and released the amazing 'Remember That Night' in 2007. I was so pelased to see him, with Rick and the rest of his new band, performing again and doing every track true accuracy and justice.
So here we are in later 2008 and thinking little about Pink Floyd's music, David Gilmour's music or any music really following the passing of Richard Write just a few weeks ago. The sadness is bound to happen to us true Floyd fans, just like when Syd Barret died not so long ago, it hurt, it hurt a lot! I cried, yes I cried. I sat alone in my office and listend to the studio version of Echoes and cried...
So now... as I pull myself together... I am the proud owner of the latest release, Live in Gdansk. I'd watched the abbreviated version on BBC a couple of weeks ago and also seen David on 'Live with Jools Holland' a couple of times too, but I just couldn't wait to get my mittens on the DVD/CD to watch all by myself...
Now I have it! Now I'm so thrilled. The music is, as always, truly fabulous. Seeing Richard Wright on keyborads and hearing his voice is somewhat haunting but satisfying. The crowd's appreciation for Rick when David introduced the band members said it all. He was and always will be a favourite for all his contributions to the amazing sound that was Pink FLoyd, and is the David Golmour sound.
I listened to a few tracks but couldn't resist skipping ahead to the full 20 minute (plus) of Echoes... And, with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes I remembered all those days and nights when it was just me, David, Roger, Nick and Rick... Remember those days and nights when all I had for company as Pink Floyd...
Pink Floyd, David, Rick, Roger, Nick, Syd, in no particular order... Thank you for a lifetime of memories. Live in Gdansk may be the last time more than one ex-Floyd member is on stage or in a studio at the same time, but thanks to all the recordings and all the moments we simply cannot describe, we'll always have memories.
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