David Gilmour - Live in Gdańsk (2008)

Otra vez Carlos el Menduco nos trae una maravilla: Richard Wright, Phil Manzanera, The Baltic Philarmonic Symphony Orchestr y varios más acompañando a David Gilmour en vivo en Polonia. Y ésto es para valientes... acá está el DVD completo. Dice Carlos que en algún momento hubo una sección dedicada a DVDs en el blog, yo creo que está en pedo porque no la recuerdo, pero podríamos crearla...

Artista: David Gilmour

Álbum: Live in Gdańsk
Año: 2008
Género: Rock progresivo
Duración: 120 min
Nacionalidad: Inglaterra

Lista de Temas:
1. Castellorizon
2. On An Island
3. The Blue
4. Red Sky At Night
5. This Heaven
6. Then I Close My Eyes
7. Smile
8. Take A Breath
9. A Pocketful Of Stones
10. Where We Start
11. Astronomy Domine
12. High Hopes
13. Echoes
14. A Great Day For Freedom
15. Comfortably Numb

Alineación:
- David Gilmour / Guitars, Saxophone, Cumbus
- Richard Wright / Keyboards & Vocals
- Phil Manzanera / Guitars, Glass Harmonica & Vocals
- Jon Carin / Keyboards, Lap Steel Guitar, Programming & Vocals
- Guy Pratt / Bass, Guitar, Glass Harmonica & Vocals
- Steve DiStanislao / Drums & Vocals
- Dick Parry / Saxophone, Glass Harmonica & Keyboards
Músicos invitados:
The Baltic Philarmonic Symphony Orchestra
Leszek Mozdzer / piano

Estos son esos post que es al pedo comentar mucho, no tiene sentido, todo el mundo sabe de lo que estás hablando, conoce al que estás presentando, y seguir escribiendo más sobre un tema tan trillado es, como mínimo, obvio, así que no le daré muchas vueltas al tema...

Live in Gdańsk es la grabación en directo, editada en CD y DVD, del último concierto de la gira "On an Island" de David Gilmour, guitarrista y compositor de Pink Floyd, desarrollado en la ciudad de Gdańsk ante una audiencia de aproximadamente 50.000 personas.
Disponible en diferentes versiones (2CD, 2CD+DVD, 2CD+2DVD, 3CD+2DVD y 5 LP) contiene una primera parte donde David Gilmour interpreta su último álbum On an Island y una segunda donde exclusivamente toca temas de su época en Pink Floyd. Entre sus acompañantes encontramos nombres como Dick Parry, Phil Manzanera y el teclista y compositor de Pink Floyd, Richard Wright.

Wikipedia

Como ya saben, si buscan algo que no está publicado aquí, deben ir a la lista de correo, allí hay un repositorio sonoro, llamado Biblioteca Sonora Cabezona, donde se encuentra lo que seguramente estás buscando. Ya he dicho, pero lo repito, tienes que inscribirte en la lista de correo.

David Gilmour's Live in Gdansk was recorded and filmed in 2006 at the Polish city's shipyards, the very same historic location where Lech Walesa's Solidarity movement began its populist assault on the country's repressive Soviet-installed regime in 1980. By all accounts of the time it was a truly awesome multimedia spectacle. But there are strange and sad ironies that accompany this release as well. For starters, it was released in the U.K. exactly a week after the death of Richard Wright, Gilmour's longtime bandmate in Pink Floyd, and his keyboardist here. Secondly, it appears during a period of increased tension between Russia and the United States over the latter's proposed missile defense system to be placed in Poland (by the U.S.) and the country's membership in NATO. But there is nothing bittersweet about the music to be found on this double-disc package (one of six different packages that document the event and the tour -- apparently nobody told Gilmour the recording industry was in an economic crisis). On this version, two and a half hours document the entire concert. Gilmour's band -- Wright, Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera, keyboardist Jon Carin, bassist Guy Pratt, drummer Steve DiStanislao, and saxophonist Dick Parry -- is accompanied by the Baltic Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, including its 40-piece string section, conducted by Zbigniew Preisner (who did the arrangements on Gilmour's On an Island album).
While cynics can debate the pretentious of this date forever, everyone else can enjoy an utterly engaging, entertaining, and sometimes emotionally moving performance of Gilmour's entire On an Island album and a boxful of Pink Floyd hits to boot. The first disc begins with Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon suite of "Speak to Me," "Breathe," and "Time," and comes to a close with the reprise of the opening track. With the orchestra accompanying the band, the dreaminess and spaciness of the original music miraculously comes through, and Gilmour is in fine voice as well. The rest of disc one is taken up by an almost totally in-sequence performance of On an Island. The live version of the album rocks more, perhaps because of the steady presence of Manzanera, who adds extra punch to Gilmour's airy bluesy one on guitar. This is especially true on "Take a Breath," when his crunchy, crackling power chords come off like something from his own Diamond Head album; his solo against the counterpoint of the orchestra makes it one of the set's true rockist highlights. Disc two is comprised entirely of performances of Pink Floyd tunes from albums as diverse as Atom Heart Mother ("Fat Old Sun"), Wish You Were Here ("Shine on You Crazy Diamond" and its title track), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn ("Astronomy Domine"), Meddle ("Echoes"), The Wall("Comfortably Numb"), and The Division Bell ("A Great Day for Freedom"). The performances are not terribly spontaneous in part because of the orchestral arrangements, but they are flawless (again, Manzanera's presence adds some real muscle) and, given the sheer quality of the sound, they have plenty of presence and warmth despite being recorded in front of a concert audience. This set may be strictly for Gilmour and Pink Floyd fans, but as such, for all its packaging pomp (it's green though: carbon-neutral cardboard wallets for all the different packages), it feels like something historic and beautifully considered as well as executed. It would have been amazing to be in that audience.

Thom Jurek

Commemorating the August treaty of 1980; in 2006 David Gilmour appeared live in Gdansk shipyard, transformed now into a rock venue for thousands of adoring Polish fans of 'legacy' rock (as it's called these days). Gilmour's band is evenly matched by the Baltic Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Zbigniew Preisner: who worked with him on his On An Island album. The strings are never overbearing or too cloying as is so often the case where anyone attempts to render rock in classical brushstrokes. Performed whole here, the work is improved by the setting - the stately grandeur sounding custom-made for huge arenas - along with a brace of PF classics. It's stirring stuff, as you'd expect.
Co-produced by Phil Manzanera, who also plays in the band (which must be some kind of wish-fulfilment for him, as an avowed fan of the Floyd's early days at London's UFO club), the sound is crisp and detailed. David's voice betrays little of his increased age, and the black Stratocaster, as ever, is put to marvellous use, swooping and peeling off more seagull impressions than a day out at Margate. The only downside to such a massive spectacle is that too many hands often polish off the edge of earlier classics that were built for the original four-piece band. Astronomy Domine, (where Gilmour even swaps to Syd Barrett's guitar-of-choice: the cream Telecaster) is brave but almost too efficient for something so quirky.
The real joy for any Floydian fan has to be the accompanying DVD which, while highlighting Gilmour's rather anonymous stage presence in the face of gigantic stage spectacle, still allows you to see why he remains the furthest out of the remaining members, staying true to the muse that made him a star. The bonus documentary is also most worthwhile.
But in a week when the chance of ever seeing that Floyd reunion tour were dashed by the sad demise of founding member, Rick Wright, it's odd to be listening to what may be one of his last recorded performances (though it's to be hoped that his solo album may appear at some point). So, while this is David Gilmour's project, it also serves as a reminder as to why Wright was such an important part of that indefinably English progressive psychedelia that epitomised the Floyd. It's his plaintive, leslied piano that pings out the intro to Echoes, and also his Hammond that funks up that middle section. Likewise, Shine On You Crazy Diamond owes so much to his understated synth intro. To see him at home at the heart of Gilmour's band is a testament to his quiet, yet utterly apt, contribution to a lost British institution.

Chris Jones

Y si bien recién empieza la semana, ya está llena de sorpresas, por lo que ya les digo que estamos ante otra semana de sorpresas, como todas las semanas en éste blog. Que lo disfruten!